Dope Knight

***Dope Knight*** is the first book in the *Dope Knight* series. It can be read here.

## Blurb

*When Ghoncl, the stoner son of the king of Hallownest, finds a strange new plant in the depths of Greenpath, he immediately finds out just how good it is to smoke. The plant, Silverweed, soon takes the kingdom by storm - but what nobody knows is that a sinister being seeks to use the plant to get to the minds of its users.*

*Can Ghoncl and his friends and family stop this evil force before it’s too late?*

## Detailed plot description

Ghoncl is arriving back to Hallownest after picking up his latest batch of cannabis from Fael in Alabamanest. He scales the Howling Cliffs, slipping a couple of times, but eventually makes it to his destination. He is greeted by the patron saint of Dirtmouth, Elderbug, who asks if he has a new stock of 'sillyweed'. Ghoncl replies by asking Elderbug if he has seen Ghoncl's 'heathen sister', Hornet. Elderbug tells him that she was last seen in Greenpath with hers and Ghoncl's other sibling, Hollow.

Arriving in Greenpath, Ghoncl quickly locates his siblings, much to Hornet's annoyance. Ghoncl offers Hollow a freshly-rolled blunt, and Hollow takes a reluctant puff but immediately passes out. Seeing this. Ghoncl once again attempts to convert Hornet to the addict lifestyle, but she refuses and runs away. Ghoncl follows her, holding his bong, and accidentally falls down a previously hidden hole, smashing the bong. Hornet scolds him when he complains, but Ghoncl's dismay is soon overshadowed when he spots an unfamiliar plant growing nearby. He sniffs it, and is disappointed to find that it smells rancid. Hornet contests him on this, and Ghoncl realises that the bad smell was caused by his burnt-out joint. Giving the plant another sniff, he is pleasantly surprised and rolls the plant into a fresh blunt, which he smokes and then offers to Hornet. At first she refuses, but seeking relief from her responsibilities she eventually concedes. Ghoncl is pleased about this.

Next Ghoncl makes his way to the Resting Grounds, where his adoptive grandmother Seer lives. He shows her the plant and she too is entranced by its otherworldly smell and effects. The two leave to gather more of it once Ghoncl tells Seer where he found it, and they nickname the plant Silverweed. In a short timeskip, the kingdom is said to have been transformed by the new rampant Silverweed craze.

In the Ancient Basin, a vessel named Ase is taking a drag from a Silverweed-infused blunt. However, the effects cause him to have a brief psychedelic trip, eventually making him pass out. When Ase next awakens, he is in an unfamiliar cloudy domain. A voice speaks to him, taunting him for succumbing to the drug, but claims that they 'can make it all better'.

Ghoncl is shown to be shooting up in the Pleasure House when his mortal enemy Zote barges in, telling Ghoncl of the tragedy that has befallen Ase. Zote begs Ghoncl to go and check the situation out, and threatens to beat up Seer if he doesn't. Internally, Ghoncl doubts that Zote could do so and taunts him aloud, but agrees to go to the Ancient Basin anyway, for fun. When he arrives, he promptly falls from a small height thanks to the drugs coursing through his system, landing in front of Quirrel, who explains that his mentor Monomon sent him to check on Ase also. The two make their way to Ase's cave, but whilst Ghoncl is fooling around with Ase's unconscious body, Quirrel discovers that Ase's mouth is inflamed with orange pustules covered in white foam. Feeling disturbed, he races back to tell Monomon.

At the Teacher's Archives, Quirrel arrives in a panic and manages to tell Monomon what he has seen. Monomon concludes that Ase simply has jaundice, but Quirrel is unsure. Monomon sends him back to the cave to fetch Ase for phototherapy in an attempt to cure him.

The next day, Ghoncl is having a blunt rotation with Seer and their friend Jahe, where Ghoncl brings up the events of the day prior. They discuss the cause of Ase's coma as well as Quirrel's malnourishment when Zote arrives with news that Ase is now in the Teacher's Archives. He, Ghoncl and Seer go to the Archives, leaving Jahe behind due to the latter's fear of light. They soon arrive and watch as Monomon checks on Ase, whose condition does not seem to be improving. Suddenly, Seer seizes up after looking into Ase's mouth and seeing the pustules. She passes out for a few minutes, much to the alarm of everyone. When she awakens, she claims that something is 'locked into those who indulge in silver blades', prompting Quirrel to wonder if that was a prophecy. Seer thinks for a moment, and suddenly remembers the name of the 'something': the Radiance.

Meanwhile, at the White Palace, the Pale King is browsing Hallownest Hotties when Lurien interrupts him, much to PK's chagrin. He reveals Ghoncl, Monomon and Seer, who proceed to explain the Silverweed crisis and the Radiance's perceived involvement. PK orders Lurien to gather his knights, and tells Ghoncl to get his sister and go to Deepnest.

Back in Greenpath, Ghoncl, having gathered Hornet, encounters Hollow laying where he'd left him. According to him, no sibling outing is complete without Hollow, so the three traverse through the kingdom and down into Deepnest, eventully ending up at the Beast's Brothel. Immediately their way is barred by Teeth, who tries to get Hornet to try on some clothes that her mother had bought for her, but Hornet knocks her out and they continue into the main room. Instantly they are noticed by Herrah, who also attempts to get Hornet to join in with her debauchery. Hornet bluntly tells Herrah that her presence is requested at the White Palace and tells her to wear clothes to the meeting. Herrah begrudgingly agrees to do so.

When the group arrives back at the palace, PK's Great Knights have assembled, as well as Quirrel. PK explains that he has called everyone here due to the imminent threat that the Radiance poses, and with the others' help - as well as from Quirrel's friend Lemm - he devises a plan. Seer will use her Dream Nail to get the group into the Dream World, the Radiance's domain. Ghoncl, Monomon, Seer and Herrah then work together to create edibles that contain all of Hallownest's drugs, in hopes that feeding them to the Radiance will shut down her organs, allowing Lurien to restrain her with his harnesses and then enabling the knights to finish her off. The subsequently named Radiance Take Down Battalion assembles a few days later at Hallownest's Crown, where the only remnants of the Radiance's presence are. Seer uses her Dream Nail on a statue of the former, and the battalion arrives in the Dream World. They are noticed and greeted by the Radiance, who jeers at them. This prompts the knights to attack.

PK soon realises that they aren't getting anywhere when the knights are defeated. He is also horrified when he realises that they had forgotten about the previous plan to appeal to the goddess and make her think that they were on her side. Herrah, angered by one of the Radiance's jabs, attacks, closely followed by Hornet. When the pair are also thrown back, Ghoncl takes his turn to attack. He too is tossed aside, but their assault is interrupted by Seer, who addresses the Radiance and seems to directly apologise to her. Seer gives her an edible, which the goddess accepts, but reveals that she saw through Seer's ruse all along, and then squeezes her to death. Ghoncl races over to her, and she offers a few final words of encouragement before passing on.

Enraged, Ghoncl flings himself at the Radiance with new resolve, leading the others to join him in the assault. Herrah's bite causes the goddess's body to pop, and light bursts out. Quirrel realises that she is made of light, prompting Monomon to tell Lurien to tie the restraints tighter. Soon, the Radiance is brought to the ground, and Ghoncl feeds her one of Seer's crack cocktails, as well as one final Silverweed bundle. This causes the goddess to explode, ending the battle and freeing Hallownest. Ghoncl turns and thinks he sees the spirit of Seer smiling at him proudly before disappearing.

Days later, a funeral is held back in Hallownest for Seer, featuring an elegy written by Monomon and Quirrel to commemorate her. Ghoncl silently promises to pass on his grandmother's teachings. Later, Zote notifies everyone that Ase has awoken, albeit with actual jaundice this time. Jahe, concerned that Monomon forgets to feed Quirrel, signs the Archives up to a City of Tears meal plan. In Deepnest, Herrah is excited by the frequent visits from Hunter.

A ceremony is held at the White Palace during the week. In front of a large crowd, PK praises the Great Knights for their work in defeating the Radiance. He then makes Lurien, Monomon and Herrah members of his council, pronouncing them 'Dreamers'. Next Monomon makes her own announcement, in which she promotes Quirrel to a full archivist.

Finally, PK christens Ghoncl, Hornet and Hollow as knights of Hallownest. Ghoncl interrupts, requesting that he be allowed to use his own recreational talents in favour of a blade to help his kingdom, adding that it's what Seer would have wanted. PK agrees, naming Ghoncl the Dope Knight.