We’ve all been there. Staring at the same four frames of a trailer from years ago, trying to pixel-hunt for any scrap of lore that might explain why Hornet is heading to a literal shining citadel. Among the many locations teased for Team Cherry's massive sequel, Mount Fay stands out as one of the most mysterious. It isn't just a background asset. It’s a focal point of the kingdom of Pharloom.
Wait.
Let’s be real for a second. If you’ve been scouring the forums, you’ve probably seen the name Mount Fay tossed around alongside Deep Docks or the Gilded City. It sounds right. It fits the vibe. But when we look at the official reveals—the Edge Magazine covers, the Nintendo Treehouse gameplay, and the Xbox trailers—there’s a bit of a "Mandela Effect" happening with the nomenclature.
Pharloom is a kingdom of ascent. Unlike Hallownest, where you’re digging deeper into the dirt to find the truth, Silksong is about climbing. Mount Fay represents that verticality. It’s the peak. The goal.
What is Mount Fay exactly?
Basically, it's the towering destination at the top of the world. In the original Silksong pitch, we see Hornet captured and taken to this distant land. The "Shining Citadel" sits at the very crest of the map. While fans often use the term Mount Fay to describe the overarching mountain range or the specific mystical peaks surrounding the Citadel, Team Cherry has been notoriously tight-lipped about the exact regional names.
They’re sneaky like that.
The geography of Pharloom is structured like a pilgrimage. You start in the Moss Grotto, which is low-altitude, damp, and green. Then you go up. You hit the Greymoor, the High Gardens, and eventually, the frost-nipped heights that many players refer to as the Mount Fay region.
It's cold. It's jagged. It's dangerous.
The Visual Identity of the High Peaks
If you look at the footage from the 2019 and 2022 trailers, the higher-altitude areas of Silksong shift away from the "buggy" aesthetics of Hallownest. It’s more industrial yet more ethereal. We see massive bells. Wind currents play a huge role in the platforming here.
There’s this one specific shot—you know the one—where Hornet is sprinting across a bridge with massive, snow-capped peaks in the background. The scale is staggering. In the first game, the peaks were just a small part of the map (Crystal Peak and Howling Cliffs). In Silksong, the entire game feels like it's building toward this Mount Fay summit.
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The wind effects are a massive mechanical shift. In the High Gardens and the subsequent climb, Hornet's silk-based movement is affected by the environment. She’s lighter than the Knight. She’s faster. But that speed comes with a lack of "weight," meaning the gusty winds of the mountain regions aren't just for show. They're hazards.
Why the "Fay" part matters
In folklore, "Fay" or "Faerie" usually implies something otherworldly or tied to a different plane of existence. If Mount Fay is indeed the resting place of the "Shining Citadel," it suggests that the weavers or the lords of Pharloom aren't just bugs. They might be something... more.
Remember the "Stolen Voice" lore?
The inhabitants of Pharloom are obsessed with song and silk. The higher you climb toward the peak of Mount Fay, the more the "Song" of the kingdom becomes audible. In the gameplay demos, we saw enemies that look like clockwork musicians and bells that act as checkpoints or triggers. The peak of the mountain isn't just a place; it's the source of the frequency that controls the kingdom.
Honestly, it’s kinda terrifying when you think about it. Hallownest was a kingdom of silence and infection. Pharloom is a kingdom of noise and strings.
The Mechanics of the Mountain
One thing people often miss is how the tool system interacts with vertical environments. Hornet has a variety of "Tools" (like the Pincer Fly or the Sting Shard) that require horizontal or vertical space to be effective.
On the slopes of Mount Fay, the level design opens up.
- There are massive gaps.
- You have to use the Grapple Silk to swing between bells.
- Gravity feels like a constant enemy.
The enemies here are different too. We’ve seen flying mechanical constructs and lithe, silk-armored guards. They don't just lunge at you; they use the environment. They try to knock you off the ledges. It’s a much more aggressive style of combat than the "pogo" meta we all mastered in the first game.
Debunking the Rumors
Let’s talk about the "Silk-Soul" leaks. There have been dozens of 4chan posts and "trust me bro" Discord leaks claiming that Mount Fay features a specific boss called the Weave-Lord.
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Is it true? We don't know.
Team Cherry is a team of three people (mostly). They don't leak. If you see a detailed breakdown of a "Mount Fay Boss Rush," it’s almost certainly fan fiction. What we do know for a fact is that the Citadel at the top is the "goal" Hornet is striving for to regain her power. Whether the mountain itself is named Fay in the final build or if that’s just a placeholder name from early development remains to be seen.
What we can confirm is the existence of the "Bonebottom" village at the base and the clear progression path upward. The mountain is the spine of the game.
Why We’re Still Waiting
Silksong was announced in February 2019. It’s been a long road.
The scope of the game has clearly expanded. When Team Cherry says they’re still working on it, they mean they’re filling Mount Fay with the same level of density that the City of Tears had. But Silksong is bigger. Much bigger. The "citadel" at the peak is reportedly larger than any single zone in the original game.
Think about that for a second.
How to Prepare for the Climb
When the game finally drops, your experience in Hallownest will only get you so far. The mountain requires a different mindset.
First, get used to the diagonal dash. Hornet doesn't just move left and right. Her aerial mobility is her greatest asset, especially in the windy corridors of the upper peaks. If you're still playing Hollow Knight to stay sharp, try playing with a focus on never touching the ground.
Second, pay attention to the music. Christopher Larkin has already released some of the tracks for the "Climb." The music in the mountain regions is percussive. It’s heavy on the strings (obviously). The audio cues in Silksong are much more integrated into the gameplay than in the first game.
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The Lore Implications of the Summit
If Hornet reaches the top of Mount Fay, what does she find?
The mystery of the "weavers" is the core of her character. We know they came from Pharloom. We know they returned there. If the mountain is their home, Hornet isn't just an intruder; she’s returning to her ancestral roots.
The "Shining Citadel" isn't just a palace. It’s a cage. Or a factory. The trailers show bugs being transported in cages up the mountain. Why? To be "tuned"? To have their voices taken? The verticality of the map represents a social hierarchy. The lowest bugs are in the Grotto. The "purest" or most "musical" are at the peak.
Actionable Steps for Silksong Fans
While we wait for the official release date, there are a few things you can do to stay ahead of the curve regarding the Pharloom lore and the Mount Fay regions.
Track the Official Blogs Only
Stop following every "leak" account on X (formerly Twitter). The only real information comes from the Team Cherry blog or official Nintendo/Xbox showcases. Everything else is just speculation that gets recycled until it sounds like fact.
Analyze the 2022 Xbox Trailer
Look closely at the 1:12 mark. You’ll see Hornet navigating a series of gears and bells in a high-altitude area. This is the best look we have at the "Mountain" mechanics. Notice the way her silk interacts with the machinery.
Study the Tool UI
In the demos, the tool UI shows "Silk" as a currency and a resource. In the mountain areas, managing your silk will be harder because you'll be using it for both mobility (swinging) and defense. Practice resource management in other "Metroidvanias" to get into that headspace.
Watch the Edge Magazine Interview Breakdown
The 2021 Edge feature is still the most "expert" source of information we have. It confirms that the game starts at the bottom and ends at the top. This confirms the mountain isn't just a late-game area; it's the entire structural point of the narrative.