Loam

Loam Basic Information

• •Name: Loam
• •Gender: Male
• •Location: Underworks (hidden area behind breakable ceiling wall)
• •Category: Wanderer NPC

Loam Description

Loam is a dedicated and tireless worker who serves as the human engine powering the machinery of the Underworks. Found endlessly running on a treadmill connected to the area's gears and cogs, he represents the forgotten laborers who keep complex systems operational through sheer physical effort. His unwavering faith in eventual reward from "thems above" in the Citadel makes him both tragic and admirable, embodying themes of exploitation, hope, and the cost of blind devotion.

Background

Loam appears to be part of a working class that has been relegated to powering the Underworks' machinery through manual labor. His crude speech patterns and naive faith suggest limited education, yet his physical endurance and dedication are remarkable. He believes deeply that his hard work will eventually be noticed by the inhabitants of the Citadel above, who will reward him with entry into their holy realm.

Story Arc

Initial Discovery

Loam is found continuously running on a treadmill that powers the machinery of the Underworks. When first encountered, he mistakes Hornet for someone from the Citadel, briefly allowing hope to override his usual caution before realizing his error and redoubling his efforts.

Tragic Realization

Through dialogue, it becomes clear that Loam's faith in the system may be misplaced. His references to being "forgotten" and his fear that "thems is watching" suggest a surveillance state that exploits rather than rewards its workers.

Interactive Gameplay

Players can run on a second treadmill next to Loam, causing a gauge to fill up and eventually drop a single Rosary. This mechanic allows players to experience the monotonous labor firsthand while demonstrating the minimal rewards for such intensive work.

Ultimate Fate

Eventually, Loam is found dead on his treadmill, crushed under boulders and rubble. Even in death, his Needolin response suggests themes of liberation: "...No more... ...Free..."

Key Dialogue

First Encounter

""Hrr. Hrrrrr. Who is there? Me can not... can not clear see...""

Hornet: *"At ease, large one. I am no danger to you."*

""Hrrrrr? Hrrrrr! Me see you now! So clean, so lively.... Surely you did come from above! Me time has come at last! Me work is done. You come to bring me up! Up, up! Hrrr!""

Hornet: *"You mistake me. I am no resident of the Citadel. I am a stranger here, though no foe to you."*

""Hrrr. Hrrrrrrrrr. S-stranger? Me graven mistaken. Forgive me, thems above, for me unworthy hope! Of course me work is not done! Harder, harder! Me must work harder!""

On His Faith and Work

""Hrrrrrrr. The harder me work, the sooner it come. Thems above, them watch us, always. Work hard, work hard, and us will go up. Hrrrr.""

Hornet: *"Sir, I fear you are long forgotten by your masters. Should you not rest? The burden this toil is placing on your shell is plain to see."*

""Hrrrrr? Hrrrrrr. You speaks strange. Me can not rest. Us works, and Citadel breathes, and thems above do sing, and all is right.""

""And when us works enough, thems see it... Hrrr... thems see it, and us gets us holy reward...""

On the Citadel Above

Hornet: *"May I ask what you know of the Citadel above you, sir? You go to much effort to reach it."*

""Hrrrrrrrr! The Citadel! Most miracle of a place, bright and holy! Fresh water for all, much as can drink! Air so clean, can see the great rooves above!""

""When me thinks of Citadel above, me works hardest of all! Hrrrrrrrrr!""

On Surveillance

""Hrrrrrr. Me can not say much more, friend. Thems is watching. Us must keep working.""

After Cooperative Work

""Hrr. Hrrrrr! Good, me friend, good! When us works together, is more holy! Is more work done!""

""Together, lets us work raw hard 'til thems above see how worthy us is!""

Needolin Messages (Living)

""For your light... Harder... Longer... This shell, still strong... See me work... More... More... More...""

Response to Music

""Hrrr. Hrrrrrrr. Them sounds you make. Of holy sort. When me hear such sounds, me remember of home. Me remember of be little.""

""It make it painful hard to work, such remembers. Me must keep working. Please, friend. Do not make them sounds no more.""

Needolin Messages (After Death)

""...Toil... ...Run... ...No more... ...Free...""

Gameplay Mechanics

Treadmill Power System

• •Location: Hidden behind breakable ceiling wall in Underworks
• •Interactive Element: Second treadmill available for Hornet to use
• •Reward System: Running fills a gauge that drops 1 Rosary when full
• •Reset Mechanic: Gauge resets after each Rosary is earned

Discovery Requirements

• •Access: Break ceiling wall in room with moving spiked square
• •Location: Above the L-shaped moving spiked square, left of the vent
• •Hidden Area: Requires exploration and wall-breaking ability

Musical Interaction

• •Needolin Response: One of few NPCs who comments after hearing the Needolin
• •Emotional Impact: Music triggers painful childhood memories
• •Character Development: Shows vulnerability beneath his dedicated exterior

Thematic Significance

Loam embodies several powerful themes:

• •Labor Exploitation: The disconnect between effort expended and rewards received
• •False Consciousness: Belief in a system that may not have his best interests at heart
• •Surveillance State: Constant monitoring that maintains order through fear
• •Class Division: The stark contrast between workers and the elite in the Citadel
• •Tragic Faith: Unwavering belief despite mounting evidence of abandonment
• •Lost Innocence: Music triggers memories of a simpler time before endless labor

Social Commentary

Loam's character serves as a critique of exploitative labor systems where:

• •Workers power essential infrastructure through physical effort
• •Surveillance maintains compliance and prevents questioning
• •Promise of eventual reward justifies present suffering
• •Class mobility remains an illusion rather than reality
• •Individual worth is measured solely by productive output

Character Development

From hopeful worker to tragic victim, Loam's arc demonstrates how systems can consume individuals while maintaining the facade of eventual reward. His death represents both the ultimate cost of exploitation and a form of liberation from endless, unrewarded toil.

Connection to Larger Narrative

Loam's story connects to Silksong's broader themes about the relationship between the Citadel and the areas below it. His faith in the Citadel contrasts sharply with the reality experienced by those who live under its shadow, highlighting the gap between propaganda and truth.

Official Sources

• •Hollow Knight Wiki
• •Team Cherry official materials

Notes

Loam represents one of Silksong's most direct commentaries on social and economic inequality. His character demonstrates how hope can be weaponized to maintain exploitative systems, while his eventual death serves as both tragedy and liberation. The interactive treadmill mechanic allows players to experience firsthand the monotonous nature of his existence, making his story more impactful through direct participation.