Understanding Silksong's Breakout NPC, Sherma: Act 1

Hollow Knight: Silksong pairs charming characters with excellent songwriting.

I remember the stories from my Catholic upbringing far clearer than anything else I learned in elementary school. Going to a Catholic school meant I was in school for the same amount of time as any other elementary school, but one of those hours each day was in Church or studying the Bible. My own complicated relationship with faith notwithstanding, those stories stick with me because they kinda rule, and if there's a little song associated with it? Forget it. I remember each one to this day, and my childhood friend and I will sometimes bust out a deep cut while catching up over drinks or on the phone.

One of my strongest held beliefs is that singing songs together binds people, strengthens communities, and having songs that resonate with a community as a whole is the greatest power in the world. I feel it at every concert or show I've ever been to, my musical tastes having evolved to more progressive, "mathy" metal-adjacent music. There's no greater sense of belonging than singing and screaming with a group of strangers.

I'm not sure why for the 6 years I've been eagerly anticipating Hollow Knight's sequel along with the rest of the world, I never once put together that SilkSONG would essentially be about to power of music, its role in a society, how it shapes culture, how it is used to uplift, and in religious ceremony. Then not an hour into playing on the day of its release, I met Sherma. She, like the rest of the pilgrims in the opening rest area are on a religious journey toward the holy Citadel. It is known to be a dangerous one, but it's a journey any truly devout bug would embark on knowing their faith will guide them through safely.

Sherma is no different other than she wears a fancy hat and sings a beautiful song that she believes will open the first gate to begin her pilgrimage. She's a stout little bug with short legs and arms that fully extend to clang together the chimes that accompany her song. She sings in a monotone staccato for most of the song, but its simplicity is charming and inviting. It makes you want to sing along. As you talk with her, she is quick to deny any help or warnings of danger, knowing her faith will guide her safely to The Citadel.

As the formidable Hornet, or "Red Maiden," as Sherma calls her, which rules, we navigate through The Marrow, fighting dangerous bugs wearing skulls as armor, looping around to the opposite side of the locked gate, and flipping a switch to open it.

Even as we emerge from the other side of the gate triumphantly and heroically, Sherma praises... the power of her song and her faith? Wait, no, Sherma, I did that. I flipped a switch, it's right there you can see it! Sherma moves on, singing her song, sure footed along the dangerous path to The Citadel. We'll meet Sherma again, but not before another important bug with an equally important song.

Shakra couldn't be more different from Sherma. They stand much taller than Hornet, who Shakra calls "Child Bearing Needle," due to Hornets stature and Shakra's warrior culture. They are on a quest unrelated to the religious pilgrimage to follow in the footsteps of their master. Shakra's teacher in the ways of combat, who they hold in the highest regard, set out on a mission here, and Shakra is determined to find her.

Shakra sings a song from the warrior culture in the hopes their master will hear, eventually luring Hornet. The vocal is superb. The melody is intricate yet catches you with a hook any pop producer would be jealous of. Unlike the staccato style of Sherma's song, Shakra's notes are varied, some drawn out through half of a musical phrase, while others go on runs that flow through highs and lows.

Shakra's quest is personal and mysterious. Several times we will meet them in act one to buy copies of their maps and even to aid each other in battle; but each time, Shakra believes they are getting closer and closer to their master. They claim there is evidence that their master was just here in this spot! Surely we've seen her? We must be so close! Yet we as Hornet cannot see this evidence. Is it really there? Or is it just something we wouldn't recognize?

Shakra is fierce, with an angular and pointed design. They are dedicated just like the pilgrims, but for a different cause.

The world of Silksong deals in faith, quite literally. Its currency are rosary beads which are traded for goods to other pilgrims and bugs along the way. Some bugs are greedy for them as they believe their faith will bring them safely to The Citadel, and the more beads, the more faith, right? Others are greedy for them because they own shops and they want to run a successful business. There is a subtle, unexpressed greed, however throughout the world. There are mechanisms clad in gold peppered along the journey to The Citadel, each offering some form of rest or safety. These are mechanisms of The Citadel placed here for pilgrims to use. If, of course, they have the rosaries to pay for their activation.

Benches along the way that will heal Hornet cost rosaries to be used, and upon their activation sound a bell, a common instrument of The Citadel. In the last run up to The Citadel's Grand Gate, there is a mechanism to activate a bench for 60 rosaries. Our sweet Sherma sits next to the deactivated bench having endured the treacherous climb to this point and assures us as we speak to her that she is fine and that her song and her faith will activate this holy contraption.

We warn her of even greater dangers ahead, a formidable boss fight that I'd already lost to once, The Last Judge. We see the judge obliterate three pilgrims waiting outside the gate when we first approach. I had to stop Sherma from going there. She is undeterred, and continues to wait next to the mechanism.

This particular bench is not entirely necessary for Hornet. It's right next to a Bell Beast station, a fast travel point where Hornet can travel instantly to any number of other stations that have an already activated bench. I also happened to be short on rosaries having used them all on items I hadn't picked up before this point, unsure I would get another chance to purchase them after entering The Citadel. With the final climb just ahead, I saw Sherma sitting next to the bench, slouched over, eyes closed, weary from the climb so far. I went to go grind out 60 rosaries to activate the bench for her.

By all that is good in this world I will protect you, Sherma.

After a quick trip to an earlier area where I could take out enemies quickly, I returned, fed the rosaries into the mechanism, and Sherma lit up with delight that her song had worked again. This time, I didn't feel like Sherma was being ungrateful or naïve. My friend Sherma's monotone song with its inviting simplicity did work. There was no way I was leaving her there with no bench to rest on. I pulled out my needle, Hornets weapon that doubles as a musical instrument, and played, and Sherma sang her song. I would never deter her from her path, I could only be there with her to sing along.

Thanks for reading, talk soon.

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Playing Silksong? Have a favorite Silk Song? Either from the incredible Christopher Larkin soundtrack or performed by one of the bugs? Let’s talk all things Silksong Act 1 in the comments!