Hornet

Hornet is a young wyrm-beast hybrid. She is the princess of Deepnest and Hallownest, and is the daughter of Pale King and Herrah. She is a secondary protagonist in the Dope Knight series and is the main protagonist of Dope Knight 3: Discord and Darkness.
== Appearance ==
Hornet is a medium-sized, thin, lean wyrm-beast hybrid. Her head is white and long, the top half tapering off into two pointy identical horns. She has thin black eyes with white pupils. Her teeth are sharp. Around her neck she has a thick black ruff of fur, attached to her also black body. Despite her spider heritage she only has 4 limbs, but can run on all fours in an arachnid-like way. She typically wears a long red cloak and carries a sharp silver needle.
== Personality ==
Hornet is commonly seen being the voice of reason to Ghoncl and his antics. She acts wise beyond her years and is very intelligent, yet is also very bad-tempered and has a tendency to want to enact violence when words don't work. However, she is fiercely protective of all her siblings and those she cares about, and is very honourable and righteous.
== History ==
=== Before the events of the series ===
Hornet was the product of PK's and Herrah's affair. She was born in Deepnest and was cared for by Midwife and her mother during her infanthood, as well as named for her stingy temperament. Hornet grew up remarkably quickly and always acted like an adult, even from a young age. When she was just short of being an adolescent, Hornet was sent to train in The Hive because Herrah 'admired Queen Vespa's sick stinger'. There she learnt how to wield her needle with prowess.
During this time Hornet also visited the White Palace on many occasions, and ended up bonding with her older half-brother Hollow. Although he was older than her, he was far less confident, which is something that Hornet helped him with. There was also supposedly an incident in which her oldest half-sister Dryya called her needle 'dumb', and Hornet never got over it.Revealed in Dope Knight 2, Chapter 1
Later, when Ghoncl was born, Hornet tried to like him, but found his playfulness and boisterousness overbearing.
=== In Dope Knight ===
Hornet is first mentioned by Ghoncl as he asks Elderbug for her location. After being told that she had gone down to Greenpath with Hollow, Ghoncl follows his directions and encounters his sister. He attempts to get her to smoke a blunt, but she refuses and runs away. During the chase, Ghoncl falls into a hole and smashes his bong, which Hornet scolds him for doing. After Ghoncl discovers Silverweed and reports its rancid smell, Hornet corrects him, saying it doesn't smell that bad. She instantly regrets this. Ghoncl offers her a blunt of Silverweed, and after contemplating all her responsibilities yields and takes a puff of the blunt, surprised when all her worries seem to melt away. She welcomes the resulting feeling of happiness.
The next time Hornet is seen, she is leading Ghoncl and Hollow through Deepnest after all of them are sent to seek out Herrah's aid. Knowing the caverns of her birth domain well, they eventually arrive at the Beast's Brothel, where they encounter Teeth. Hornet elbows her and they proceed to the main room, but are instantly noticed by Herrah. Herrah attempts to get Hornet to participate in debauchery, but Hornet refuses and demands that her mother accompany them to the palace, with clothing on. Herrah does not clothe herself but agrees to come to the palace.
Hornet is present as PK formulates the plan to take down the Radiance. Later, she stands beside her siblings as the Battalion assembles before the statue of the Radiance atop Crystal Meth Peak. She tells Ghoncl to "fuck off", but is staring at him with affection as she does so. 
When they encounter the Radiance, Hornet asks her if she refuses to surrender, to which the goddess refuses. As the Great Knights are knocked back, Hornet is said to be standing ready with her neck fur bristling. She growls as Herrah flings herself at the Radiance, and soon launches her own assault. Although she can hold out against the goddess the longest, even her combat skills are not enough to bring the former down. After Seer is killed and Ghoncl rallies everyone in revenge, Hornet slices the Radiance with Hollow.
She last appears during PK's congratulatory ceremony, where she is pronounced a knight of the kingdom along with Hollow and Ghoncl.
=== In Dope Knight 2 ===
First seen in Chapter 1, Hornet walks in to Ghoncl wasting away with his drugs. She informs him that he and his fellow knights are required to check something out in Dirtmouth at PK's request. Upon arrival, she watches in dismay as Ghoncl runs towards the new red tents that have been set up, and later storms in to scold him when she finds him talking to the tent owner, Grimm. Immediately she interrogates Grimm on his purpose, and he states that they serve as recreation to weary travellers. Hornet decides she's heard enough and goes to exile them there and then, assuming they are another cartel, but Ghoncl intervenes and persuades her to let them stay. She feels she owes it to her brother after the trauma of Seer's passing.
Hornet next appears in Chapter 3 after Ghoncl staggers home from his initiation, being there to meet him as he arrives drunkenly at the palace. The next morning, she has breakfast with the Royal Family. She notes that Ghoncl makes her feel 20 years older than she actually is due to his unending antics.
She is briefly mentioned in Chapter 4 as being concerned for Ghoncl when he is at his lowest. She actually appears in the following chapter, on her way to visit her younger brother Wasp in Deepnest. She contemplates whether the Hunter will be there, and it is implied that she prefers him as a father figure over PKRevealed in Dope Knight 2, Chapter 5:
"...she respected the Hunter for his similar desire to maim and kill"
"Unlike some bugs, she thought with a surge of anger at PK.". When she finds out that Wasp is ill with tetanus and that Midwife and Herrah refuse to do anything about it, she takes it upon herself to bring him to hospital where she is surprised to encounter the rest of her family. When she learns that Floret is also sick with tetanus, she becomes suspicious of Ghoncl who is snorting an unknown red crystalline drug. She takes him back home to the palace and interrogates him, horrified and furious to learn that Ghoncl, in actuality, stole them from the Gammy Gang. He refuses to return the drugs, and the following argument escalates into a fight. PK arrives and separates them, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Grimm and the rest of the Gang outside. He gives his ultimatum: either return the drugs, or Hallownest succumbs entirely to tetanus. 
Hornet begins to put the pieces together, concluding that the tetanus outbreak is Grimm's fault instead of her brother's, but is still insistent that he return the stolen goods. She is angry to find out that Ghoncl used up all of the drugs, and suggests that he defecate them when other methods fail. When this doesn't work, Ghoncl is taken to Dirtmouth and brought before Grimm, who intends to use him as a sacrifice to the Nightmare Heart instead of the drugs. Hornet intervenes, suggesting that he and Ghoncl duel instead: if Ghoncl wins, Grimm surrenders without conditions, but if Grimm wins then he may use Ghoncl as a sacrifice. Grimm accepts the idea and Ghoncl hugs Hornet.
Hornet is responsible for training Ghoncl in preparation for the battle in three days' time. After attempting and failing to teach him defensive techniques, Hornet compromises and has Ghoncl utilise his weight and bodily fluids to win the fight. During the fight she is watching from the sidelines, silently panicking when it is revealed that Grimm is cheating and almost bests Ghoncl. After Ghoncl then successfully beats Grimm and frees him from the Heart's influence, she seeks out Lemm in order to find out more about the Heart itself. 
Her last appearance is in the Resting Grounds with Ghoncl and Hollow as they visit Seer's grave. She apologises to Ghoncl for not being considerate enough to his feelings after Seer's passing, and although he doesn't quite understand what she is getting at he accepts her apology anyway.
=== In Dope Knight 3: Discord and Darkness ===
Hornet is the main protagonist of this book.
== Relationships ==
=== With Herrah ===
Herrah is Hornet's mother. Although Hornet is grateful to her mother for giving her life, she can't stand to be around her due to how unhinged she is and explicitly avoids going to Deepnest for this reason unless she has to. She does love her mother however and would protect her if need be.
=== With The Pale King ===
Hornet utterly despises her father, viewing him as lazy, arrogant, and self-centred. She often makes disparaging remarks towards him in her mind, and tries to present a better solution when she feels his is insufficient. It is only out of respect for his position and her own morals that she does not do more.
=== With Ghoncl ===
Despite caring for her younger brother, Hornet is annoyed by Ghoncl more often than not. She wishes he would sober up and be more responsible, but her wishes fall on deaf ears. 
=== With Hollow ===
Hollow was one of the first half-siblings that Hornet had the chance to interact with. On their first meeting the two were only a year apart in age, and bonded quickly. Hornet helps Hollow in becoming less nervous, and he encourages her to calm down.
=== With Wasp ===
Wasp is Hornet's half brother. He bears a striking resemblance to her in appearance, name and personality. As such, the two get on well and Hornet enjoys sharing her battle knowledge with her brother. Although they can be snarky towards each other, beneath it is a layer of genuine care.
== Trivia ==
Category:Female characters
Category:Hallownestians
Category:Radiance Take Down Battalion members
Category:Royalty