"If you do meet my fellows down there you might remind them of their poor Elder, up here, back aching, abandoned to his lonesome vigil. "Do you truly wish to break it.? Do you have the strength, or the will.?" But that union it offers is a lie, the cost, a mind regressed." "That plague, it calls to something within. "This little shadow… Must return to its darkness." It would harm the Vessel, harm the seals. "What calls it from beyond the Seal? The Vessel, or that captive light?"Īn enlightened vessel to bring an end. "What compels you to claw your way out of the darkness? What compels your return to this sacred kingdom?" "How long has passed? How long have we slept?" Bardoon was likely Shelley's final version. According to Team Cherry, Shelley, the village's only known resident who the Knight is seen interacting with, was just too big and a bit toonier than the final game's art style. Some of its assets can still be found within the game's files. Little is known about the Snail Village other than it made an appearance in the A Weird and Wonderful World trailer.
One of the Dreamers, Herrah, could be found in this temple. The Holy Grounds had a locked temple gate that could be opened by lighting two huge torches that were guarded by lava worm minibosses. It was described as a place of worship that was now overtaken. The Forest of Bones had a sub-area that was announced as the Holy Grounds. Whether this is the actual Forest of Bones is unknown. Īn area very similar to the Forest of Bones is shown in the Hollow Knight: Silksong trailer. It was ultimately removed due to the constraints its size would have on other areas of Hallownest.
Later on, this area was scrapped and replaced by the Ancient Basin, while Crystal Peak took its former location. Deepnest was then added to connect to the Forest of Bones in its new location. The Forest of Bones was later moved to the bottom of the world, apparently because Ari did not like the idea of a lava area being at the top of the map. It would have been the biggest area in the game. Throughout the area torches could be lit up and gates could be opened. The Monarch Wings would have been acquired there by fighting a huge bony creature. The lava would have killed the Knight instantly there, and there would have been fifty unique enemies. The Forest of Bones would have had hidden secrets and strange creatures that would have been clad in the bones of dead giants. The Forgotten Crossroads would connect them together, as well as being the location for the final boss fight. In the early stages of the game's development, it was planned that three separate areas of the game would each have a Dreamer boss, one of them being the Forest of Bones. The Forest of Bones was an area that was originally located in the northeast corner of Hallownest.