History NightmareFuel / HonkaiStarRail

* During the [[https://youtu.be/e5xueJq4Lwc?si=6FzntMfg7x5QyN1x "Rondo Across Countless Kalpas" animated short]], Black Swan tries to look into Acheron's memories. What follows is an utterly '''''brutal''''' MindRape, where Black Swan is continually ripped apart by whatever it is she discovered. Afterward, Black Swan [[HorrifyingTheHorror realizes she made a horrible mistake]] trying to peek into Acheron's past.

*** Additionally, when Something Unto Death first appears, it causes a bunch of television screens to light up with a bunch of glowing eyes that are reminiscent of the ''[[VideoGame/HonkaiImpact3rd Herrscher of Corruption]]''.

[[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tsozpsxb79lc1.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:1000:''"What is elation?'' '''''ME.''''' ''[[AGodAmI I am Elation!"]]'']]

* Speaking of Aha the Elation, Sparkle's trailer, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC6wQ-75uQU "Monodrama"]]'', demonstrates through her insanity as a Masked Fool that she is '''''the Elation''''', as she joyfully murders copies of herself, indulging in a disturbingly ''playful'' game of RussianRoulette right in the middle of combat, with a gleeful NightmareFace to boot (as pictured above).

[[caption-width-right:1000:''"What is elation?'' '''''ME.''''' ''I am Elation!"'']]

* Speaking of Aha the Elation, Sparkle's trailer, ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC6wQ-75uQU "Monodrama"]]'', demonstrates through her insanity as a Masked Fool that she is '''''the Elation''''', as she joyfully murders copies of herself, indulging in a disturbingly ''playful'' imitation of suicide right in the middle of combat, with a gleeful NightmareFace to boot (as pictured above).

[[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_07_19_202337.png]]
[[caption-width-right:1000:''"...surely you can withstand the blessing... of Destruction."'']]

*** The way Phantylia is introduced is nothing but '''terrifying'''. The normally soft-sounding Tingyun drops her voice into a low and cold tone then overlaps with Phantylia's own, she turns around and makes one hell of a NightmareFace (as seen with the picture above), and finally [[NeckSnap snaps her own]] (or rather, Tingyun’s) [[NeckSnap neck]] with a [[SickeningCrunch VERY audible crack sound.]]

*** The way Phantylia is introduced is nothing but '''terrifying'''. The normally soft-sounding Tingyun drops her voice into a low and cold tone then overlaps with Phantylia's own, she turns around and makes one hell of a NightmareFace (as seen with the picture above), and finally [[NeckSnap snaps her own]] (or rather, Tingyun’s) [[NeckSnap neck]] with a [[SickeningCrunch VERY]] [[SickeningCrunch audible crack sound.]]

** Right out the gate with the first Penacony Trailblaze Chapter, 3 characters are already killed: Firefly, Duke Inferno and Robin. While only Robin’s corpse is shown, and Duke Inferno was killed offscreen before the quest even started, we get to witness Firefly’s particularly jarring and gruesome death as she is impaled by a Memory Zone meme, followed by her body exploding into blue goo, all within a matter of seconds.
** '''[[TheGrimReaper Something]] [[EldritchAbomination Unto]] [[MentalMonster Death,]]''' the Memory Zone meme responsible for killing Firefly. This...''thing'' is completely unlike anything the Trailblazer has faced thus far - both in terms of design and gameplay mechanics. It looks like a nightmarish purple and black DraconicAbomination with [[EyesDoNotBelongThere far too many eyes,]] a misshapen torso, and one wickedly serrated blade-like wing. According to its lore, it is the embodiment of the fear of death, formed from the subconscious nightmares of all who have entered the dreamscape. Fittingly, it possesses the terrifying power to ''[[OneHitKill instantly kill any one of your team members]]'' via its special attack, keeping their souls imprisoned in crystals (which you can fortunately destroy to revive your fallen teammates, but it's still frightening to experience).

** The version of the Reverie in the Dreamscape contains more horrors than just Something Unto Death.

* The game has a few easter eggs that come in the form of NightmareFuel:
** Belobog:
*** On the left of the theater, there's a locked gate to a closed area. There's a Nervous Man you can talk to. He mentions that he's from the "back alley", an area where poor people reside. The man worryingly explains that [[EldritchAbomination something has been replacing the people]]. He hates the "[[EldritchLocation back alley]]". He wants to escape. He explains that he and the other residents can't leave due to the gate being closed. He goes back to his home for safety. But, he can be seen and interacted again for a few times. Eventually, he is called "[[PerpetualSmiler Smiling Man]]". He cheerfully welcomes you to the "back alley" of Belobog. His smile is as stiff as a board. You question his sudden change in attitude, but he says that the "back alley" wishes to see the rest of Belobog and asks for the gate be opened. You can agree to his request and text Gepard to open it because he has the keys. Gepard replies that there is no "back alley". You look back up from the phone to the Smiling Man, but he disappears. Your recollection of the "back alley" is also gone. But, you remember only one thing: his smile is as stiff as a board. You get an achievement called "The MandelaEffect". [[NothingIsScarier All of this is never explained.]]
*** If you knock on every door in the Overworld's Goethe Hotel, you get a rather chilling reference to the twins from ''Film/TheShining''. What exactly ''is'' happening in that hotel!? Not to mention a couple of the things you hear in various rooms before it happens, including "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"...
** Penacony:
*** The version of the Reverie in the Dreamscape contains more horrors than just Something Unto Death.

*** In the dreamscape Reverie, you can find a broken Dream Ticker that doesn't awaken once it is fixed. Instead, the Trailblazer is afflicted with a sudden surge of intense rage and relentlessly kicks the Dream Ticker until a [[https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Welcome_to_■■■■ bizarre tape]] comes out of its body. The tape is apparently an advertisement done by Clockie for the Dream's Edge, but not only is what is supposed to be his voice distorted and "filled with malice and scorn," the recording is filled with static, screaming, and other disturbing sounds, and the narration goes into terrifying segues such as "please refrain from hunting local residents" and "open up your mind, release your pressure, and shed some of your blood!" You can take it to a Bloodhound security officer, who reveals that tapes like these have been popping up all across Penacony, and that living people who pick them up experience intense rage, fear, and hallucinations, and if they keep them for too long their minds collapse completely.

*** In the dreamscape Reverie, you can find a broken Dream Ticker that doesn't awaken once it is fixed. Instead, the Trailblazer is afflicted with a sudden surge of intense rage and relentlessly kicks the Dream Ticker until a [[https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Welcome_to_%E2%96%A0%E2%96%A0%E2%96%A0%E2%96%A0 bizarre tape]] comes out of its body. The tape is apparently an advertisement done by Clockie for the Dream's Edge, but not only is what is supposed to be his voice distorted and "filled with malice and scorn," the recording is filled with static, screaming, and other disturbing sounds, and the narration goes into terrifying segues such as "please refrain from hunting local residents" and "open up your mind, release your pressure, and shed some of your blood!" You can take it to a Bloodhound security officer, who reveals that tapes like these have been popping up all across Penacony, and that living people who pick them up experience intense rage, fear, and hallucinations, and if they keep them for too long their minds collapse completely.

** '''[[TheGrimReaper Something]] [[EldritchAbomination Unto]] [[MentalMonster Death,]]''' the Memory Zone meme responsible for killing Firefly. This...''thing'' is completely unlike anything the Trailblazer has faced thus far - both in terms of design and gameplay mechanics. It looks like a nightmarish purple and black DraconicAbomination with [[EyesDoNotBelongThere far too many eyes,]] a misshapen torso, and one wickedly serrated blade-like wing. According to its lore, it is the embodiment of the fear of death, formed from the subconscious nightmares of all who have entered the dreamscape. Fittingly, it possesses the terrifying power to ''instantly kill any one of your team members'' via its special attack, keeping their souls imprisoned in crystals (which you can fortunately destroy to revive your fallen teammates, but it's still frightening to experience).

** Right out the gate with the first Penacony Trailblaze Chapter, 3 characters are already killed: Firefly, Duke Inferno and Robin. While only Robin’s corpse is shown, and Duke Inferno was killed offscreen before the quest even started, we get to witness Firefly’s particularly jarring and gruesome death as she is impaled by a Memory Zone Meme, followed by her body exploding into blue goo, all within a matter of seconds.
** '''[[TheGrimReaper Something]] [[EldritchAbomination Unto]] [[MentalMonster Death,]]''' aka the Memory Zone Meme. This...''thing'' is completely unlike anything the Trailblazer has faced thus far - both in terms of design and gameplay mechanics. It looks like a nightmarish purple and black DraconicAbomination with [[EyesDoNotBelongThere far too many eyes,]] a misshapen torso, and one wickedly serrated blade-like wing. According to its lore, it is the AbstractApotheosis of the fear of death, formed from the subconscious nightmares of all who have entered the dreamscape. Fittingly, it possesses the terrifying power to ''instantly kill any one of your team members'' via its special attack, keeping their souls imprisoned in crystals (which you can fortunately destroy to revive your fallen teammates, but it's still frightening to experience).

** '''[[TheGrimReaper Something]] [[EldritchAbomination Unto]] [[MentalMonster Death,]]''' aka the Memory Zone Meme. This...''thing'' is completely unlike anything the Trailblazer has faced thus far - both in terms of design and gameplay mechanics. It looks like a nightmarish purple and black DraconicAbomination with [[EyesDoNotBelongThere far too many eyes,]] a misshaped torso, and one blade-like wing. According to its lore, it is the AbstractApotheosis of the fear of death, formed from the subconscious nightmares of all who have entered the dreamscape. Fittingly, it possesses the terrifying power to ''instantly kill any one of your team members'' via its special attack, keeping their souls imprisoned in crystals (which you can fortunately destroy to revive your fallen teammates, but it's still frightening to experience).

** '''[[TheGrimReaper Something]] [[EldritchAbomination Unto]] [[MentalMonster Death,]]''' aka the Memory Zone Meme. This...''thing'' is completely unlike anything the Trailblazer has faced thus far - both in terms of design and gameplay mechanics. It looks like a nightmarish purple and black DraconicAbomination with [[EyesDoNotBelongThere far too many eyes,]] a misshaped torso, and one blade-like wing. According to its lore, it is the AbstractApotheosis of the fear of death, formed from the subconscious nightmares of all who have entered the dreamscape. Fittingly, it possesses the terrifying power to ''[[OneHitKill instantly kill]'' ''any one of your team members'' via its special attack, keeping their souls imprisoned in crystals (which you can fortunately destroy to revive your fallen teammates, but it's still frightening to experience).

** '''[[TheGrimReaper Something]] [[EldritchAbomination Unto]] [[Mental Monster Death,]]''' aka the Memory Zone Meme. This...''thing'' is completely unlike anything the Trailblazer has faced thus far - both in terms of design and gameplay mechanics. It looks like a nightmarish purple and black DraconicAbomination with [[EyesDoNotBelongThere far too many eyes,]] a misshaped torso, and one blade-like wing. According to its lore, it is the AbstractApotheosis of the fear of death, formed from the subconscious nightmares of all who have entered the dreamscape. Fittingly, it possesses the terrifying power to ''[[OneHitKill instantly kill]'' ''any one of your team members'' via its special attack, keeping their souls imprisoned in crystals (which you can fortunately destroy to revive your fallen teammates, but it's still frightening to experience).

* In Yanqing's companion quest, he's already on a dangerous (and unauthorized) mission to hunt down the dangerous Stellaron Hunter, Blade. Along the way he meets Jingliu....who, according to Jing Yuan's trailer, was Jing Yuan's former master and is supposed to be dead. She then challenges Yanqing, and almost kills him. Yanqing barely escapes, and drops a jade recording device as he leaves the area. If the Trailblazer and March hadn't found the device, Yanqing's (at least, at the time) current state could still be unknown.

* Crown of the Mundane and Divine:

** When roaming around the Seclusion Zone for the first time, the area is dimly lit with no inhabitants around, adding in to the creepy factor. Once you start navigating through the second floor's circular hallway, you will be greeted with the [[SarcasmMode lovely]] surprise of ''invisible'' True Stings ambushing you out of nowhere. Fortunately, in subsequent visits, the Seclusion Zone will be lit up and inhabited by the Space Station robots, [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter Ruan Mei's creations]], and a single Herta puppet, and the True Stings will no longer be invisible.

** The Trailblazer finds a huge incubator that has been broken to pieces and is covered in a strange yellow goo. After they inspect it, they realize they're not alone... '''just as a clone of an Emanator of Propagation lands behind them'''. Cue the Trailblazer spinning around with their bat to face [[BigCreepyCrawlies an insect at least twice the size of a full-grown elephant]]. Then, after the boss fight against it, the Trailblazer is nearly killed by the giant bug and its progeny, and only survives because the clone's body destabilizes and it dies as a result (as well as its minions). One has to wonder what the hell was going through Ruan Mei's head when she decided to create this thing!
** Ifrit's abduction of Asta is horrifying on several levels. First, it happens oh so abruptly, with Asta suddenly being surrounded by blue fire just as the others realize the demon means to target her. Asta's reaction to thinking she's just spontaneously burst into flames is one of sheer terror, and before the Trailblazer can do anything to help her, she is teleported away by the Duke Inferno. Though the Trailblazer and Dr. Ratio are able to find and rescue her and Asta is unharmed (as well as everyone else Ifrit had abducted from the space station), Dr. Ratio later reveals to Screwllum that had he not interfered with Ifrit's teleportation, it's likely the demon would've just [[ThrownOutTheAirlock warped his victims into deep space]].

** When roaming around the Seclusion Zone for the first time, the area is dimly lit with no inhabitants around, adding in to the creepy factor. Once you start navigating through the second floor's circular hallway, you will be greeted with the [[SarcasmMode lovely]] surprise of ''invisible'' True Stings [[JumpScare ambushing you out of nowhere]]. Fortunately, in subsequent visits, the Seclusion Zone will be lit up and inhabited by the Space Station robots, [[RidiculouslyCuteCritters Ruan Mei's creations]], and a single Herta puppet, and the True Stings will no longer be invisible.

** The Trailblazer finds a huge incubator that has been broken to pieces and is covered in a strange yellow goo. After they inspect it, they realize they're not alone... '''just as a clone of an Emanator of Propagation lands behind them'''. Cue the Trailblazer spinning around with their bat to face an insect about three times the size of a full-grown elephant. Then, after the boss fight against it, the Trailblazer is nearly killed by the giant bug and its progeny, and only survives because the clone's body destabilizes and it dies as a result. One has to wonder what the hell was going through Ruan Mei's head when she decided to create this thing!

** Entering the Seclusion Zone is downright creepy. The Trailblazer goes down there alone at the behest of Ruan Mei, who wants them to discretely clean up a mess she's made. When they reach the zone, they come across one of the floating robots that can be found in Herta Space Station... only for it to turn toward them and show it has more-or-less had its face ripped off, revealing a single electronic red eye. Then, the elevator goes back up unexpectedly, and when the Trailblazer turns back to the robot, it's gone. ''Creepy...''