Hollowknot Description
Hollowknots are small, twisted humanoids of knotted wood, living vines, and gnarled roots. They resemble animated marionettes or hand-carved effigies given unnatural life. Their slender but wiry bodies and their joints creak and twist unnaturally, allowing them to move with unsettling precision.
Their skin resembles aged bark, rough and cracked in places, often etched with old runes, carvings, or growth rings, as though they have existed longer than they should. Some Hollowknots appear as though they were stitched together from different types of wood, giving them mismatched textures and uneven coloration.
Their faces are expressionless and unsettling, with hollowed-out eyes that glow faintly in dim light, ranging from soft amber to eerie green or ghostly white. Some Hollowknot have stitched or carved smiles, while others have featureless, mask-like visages that shift subtly when they speak or emote.
Unlike most humanoids, Hollowknot does not have traditional mouths. Instead, their voices seem to echo from within their hollowed bodies, sometimes accompanied by a faint whispering undertone, as if multiple voices were speaking simultaneously.
Their limbs are thin but strong, made of braided roots and coiled vines, which allow them to stretch or contract slightly. Their fingers are long and taper into wooden claws, which they use for delicate tasks and sudden, precise strikes.
Vines and thin, wiry tendrils grow from their bodies, sometimes dangling like loose strings or wrapping around their limbs, giving them an almost unfinished or unraveling appearance. Some Hollowknots have small, withered leaves, mushrooms, or moss sprouting from their shoulders or backs, indicating their age or connection to their surroundings.
A defining trait of Hollowknot is its hollow chest cavity, a dark, empty space that flickers with faint embers, mist, or drifting motes of light, depending on its nature. This void inside them shifts and moves, almost like a living memory trapped within its wooden frame, revealing glimpses of whatever force animates it.
Their movements are smooth yet unnatural, their bodies bending at odd angles as if their joints aren’t entirely fixed. When still, they can appear as lifeless wooden dolls, only to suddenly spring into motion with eerie precision.
Some Hollowknots have visible cracks or gaps in their forms, revealing the faint glow of ancient magic or forgotten whispers seeping from within. When injured, they do not bleed but instead release thin wisps of glowing sap or dust, which slowly rebinds their damaged form over time.
Their shadows seem slightly detached, sometimes moving a fraction of a second behind them, hinting at something unnatural beneath their wooden shell.