Cloakless Crest

This Crest has no official in-game name; the name used on the wiki is based on internal files.

Cloakless Crest
Slots	None
Attacks	No Needle Kicks with low range and damage
Effects	Crest Menu disabled Some abilities disabled All items removed from inventory
Source	Getting arrested by a cage-wielding Wardenfly after acquiring Cling Grip

Now, don't be lingerin' around here. Those guards'll be wanting to pop you back in your cage quick quick!

– Grindle

They'll not get the chance. I will reclaim my belongings and leave this grim place with haste.

– Hornet

The Cloakless Crest is a temporary Crest in Hollow Knight: Silksong used if Hornet is captured and taken to The Slab. Hornet loses the Needle, Hunter's Cloak (and its upgrades), and most other items in her Inventory. The Crest menu cannot be accessed at all until Hornet retrieves her items. She retains Swift Step and Cling Grip.

Attacks

Hornet attacks at the same speed as the Hunter Crest. Her attacks deal 3 damage regardless of Needle upgrades.

• Neutral Slashes: Hornet alternates between kicks and roundhouse kicks in the facing direction. The range and shape of the attacks are similar to the Wanderer Crest.
• Down-slash: Hornet performs a dive kick with a similar trajectory to the Hunter Crest's. This cannot be used to bounce off spikes.
• Run-slash: Hornet performs a jumping kick, bouncing into the air if she hits an enemy.
• Needle Strike: Cannot be used.

Mechanics

All Inventory Items except the following are removed:

• Bind
• Silk Hearts
• Mask Shards
• Spool Fragments
• Swift Step
• Cling Grip

This means the following can not be used:

• Map and Quill
  • A map of The Slab can be found and used, but not updated.
• Drifter's Cloak
• Needolin
• Needle Strike
• Clawline
• Faydown Cloak

Skills and Tools cannot be used or equipped, and Crests cannot be swapped, as the Menu for doing so disappears entirely.

To remove the Crest and regain her belongings, Hornet must navigate the Slab until she finds a Wardenfly wearing her Cloak and wielding her Needle. A prompt will appear to perform a takedown through the trapdoor Hornet is standing on.

• 

  Location of Wardenfly holding Hornet's belongings

• 

  The prompt to Attack the Wardenfly and reclaim Hornet's belongings

Hornet drops through the trapdoor, breaks the Wardenfly's neck, and reclaims her belongings, switching to the last used Crest and Silk Skill but with no tools. She must then fight through waves of enemies. If Hornet is killed in the gauntlet outside of Steel Soul Mode, she respawns at the last bench with the Cloakless Crest back and her inventory missing again. On defeating the waves of enemies, the Key of Heretic can be acquired and used to leave The Slab.

Usefulness

Cloakless Crest is entirely detrimental, reducing Hornet's damage and range. It cannot be used outside The Slab.

Hornet can avoid getting captured and sent to The Slab. However, if she is captured, the following can be obtained as early as Act 1, without acquiring the Key of Apostate:

	Slab Map
	Spool Fragment x 1
	Flea x 2
	Shard Bundle x 1
	Frayed Rosary String x 2

How to Acquire

After defeating the Bell Beast and acquiring Cling Grip, Wardenflies wielding Hornet-sized cages can appear in Deep Docks and Bilewater, in areas that are now reachable by wall jumping. Upon completing the SEARCH: Silent Halls objective at the start of Act 2, a third cage-wielding Wardenfly appears in Greymoor. If one of these Wardenflies successfully slams the cage onto her, Hornet will be transported to the Slab with this Crest automatically equipped.

• While Hornet is Cursed, she cannot be captured; when caged, roots will thrash out from her to destroy the cage and kill the Wardenfly.

• When cage-wielding Wardenflies are killed, they do not respawn or get replaced; if all three die, the Cloakless Crest can no longer be obtained on this playthrough.

• If Hornet has already been captured and has escaped, enters the top of the Slab using the Key of Apostate, or enters Act 3, the remaining cage-wielding Wardenflies disappear. This makes Cloakless Crest impossible to [re]acquire.

• 

  Wardenfly Location in Deep Docks

• 

  Wardenfly Location in Bilewater

• 

  Wardenfly Location in Greymoor

Gallery

• 

  Cage-wielding Wardenfly in Deep Docks

• 

  Cage-wielding Wardenfly in Bilewater

• 

  Cage-wielding Wardenfly in Greymoor

• 

  Hornet gets captured

• 

  Hornet awakens in a Cage in the Slab

• 

  Hornet breaks out of the Cage

Trivia

• Cloakless Crest is the only one that alters Hornet's appearance.
• Getting arrested and recovering Hornet's equipment is the only way to hear the track Red Maiden (which uses the same melody as Hornet's boss theme in Hollow Knight) in-game.
  ♫ Red Maiden
• When in the areas of the slab that have the Mount Fay frosting effect, Hornet frosts twice as fast compared to with her cloak.

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