History TearJerker / DarkestDungeon

--> '''Vestal''': I fear the whispers of my mind!
* The trinkets added to the characters without an official backstory comment are less than pleasant, too. The Vestal mentions HearingVoices meaning she is either going insane or [[spoiler:the Heart itself]] is getting to her, the Plague Doctor was kicked out of the university for experimenting on a test subject, the Houndmaster was shunned out of the law by corruption from within, the Jester confirmed to have come from a DecadentCourt and the flavor text of having the last laugh on a tyrant may imply he was abused within it, the Hellion mentioning she was an outcast to her tribe, and even TheStoic Bounty Hunter was on some personal RoaringRampageOfRevenge quest.

[[caption-width-right:350:Petals must fall...]]

** The comic for the [[http://www.darkestdungeon.com/wp-content/uploads/Lep_final_logo.jpg Leper]] reveals that he is no ordinary peasant, but a KingIncognito. Judging by the crowd that was waiting for him outside the room he was in, he was presumably TheGoodKing at that, having gained support and respect from his people. But due to having gotten leprosy, he chose to exile himself from his homeland, leaving what was supposed to be a celebration to making the people openly weep for him.

** The [[http://www.darkestdungeon.com/wp-content/uploads/Cru_final_logo.jpg Crusader]] was a simple farm's hand who was enlisted into the Crusades, leaving behind his wife and son. While he was once a humble husband, the comics show him having TookALevelInBadass as he utterly destroys those he comes across and leads at the very least a small army. At some point he stops by his old home again and sees his family waving to the soldiers, considers for a moment, [[NoPlaceForMeThere before hesitantly turning back]].
-->'''Afflicted Crusader''': Why did I trade her for this life? She loved me...

** Given that he is on the hero's side, it is easy to mistake the Highwayman as being a more GentlemanThief AntiHero. [[http://www.darkestdungeon.com/wp-content/uploads/Hwy_final_logo.jpg His backstory]] reveals that he was a cold and ruthless murderer, possibly was affiliated with the brigands, taking down several people. He looks toward the direction of the carriage they were guiding (likely hearing a noise from inside) and shoots at it out of reflex. But when he peers into the shot through window... he finds that he murdered a mother and child, [[EvenEvilHasStandards which deeply disturbed him]] into becoming TheAtoner. This makes his claim that he WouldntHurtAChild a lot more bitter sounding, and this quote particularly stands out:
-->'''Afflicted Highwayman''': Your face... [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone How do you have her face]]!?\\

''No! I DIDN'T KILL HER. 'TWAS AN ACCIDENT!''

* The trinkets added to the characters without an official backstory comment are less than pleasant, too. The Vestal mentions HearingVoices meaning she is either going insane or [[spoiler:the Heart itself]] is getting to her, the Plague Doctor was kicked out of the university for experimenting on a test subject, the Houndmaster was shunned out of the law by corruption from within, the Jester confirmed to have come from a DecadentCourt and the flavor text of having the last laugh on a tyrant may imply he was abused within it, the Hellion mentioning she was an outcast to her tribe, and even TheStoic Bounty Hunter was on some personal RoaringRampageOfRevenge quest.

-->'''The Leper''': Petals must fall!

->''In time, you will know the tragic extent of my failings...''

-->'''Afflicted Highwayman''': Your face... [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone How do you have her face]]!?
--> ''No! I DIDN'T KILL HER. 'TWAS AN ACCIDENT!''

In a heavy CosmicHorrorStory with FinalDeath, a cast full of [[TheWoobies Woobies]], and crossing the DespairEventHorizon being a ''gameplay mechanic'', [[TearJerker stress is bound to build up outside the game as well]].

--> '''Man-at-Arms''': Glory days? Hmph.

--> ''Abomination'': Whatever awaits, it cannot be worse than what I've endured.

** Given that he is on the hero's side, it is easy to mistake the Highwayman as being a more GentlemanThief AntiHero. [[http://www.darkestdungeon.com/wp-content/uploads/Hwy_final_logo.jpg His backstory]] reveals that he was a cold and ruthless murderer, taking down several people before shooting into the carriage they were guarding. But when he peers into the shot through window... he finds that he murdered a mother and child, which deeply disturbed him. This makes his claim that he WouldntHurtAChild a lot more bitter sounding, and this quote particularly stands out:

** Though it can be darkly hilarious if said adventurer who discovers it is [[spoiler:Dismas himself.]] Or maybe even more unsettling. Even more so if you decide to have him ''equip'' it (it's not a bad idea to do so either given the bonuses).

** The [[http://www.darkestdungeon.com/wp-content/uploads/Maa_final_logo.jpg Man-at-Arms]] was shown to have a degree of ShellShockedVetern before, but his backstory reveals that he was the SoleSurvivor of his platoon after a particularly nasty battle.

* The [[http://www.darkestdungeon.com/wp-content/uploads/Maa_final_logo.jpg Man-at-Arms]] was shown to have a degree of ShellShockedVetern before, but his backstory reveals that he was the SoleSurvivor of his platoon after a particularly nasty battle.

* The backstory comics for the heroes. Not one of them has a happy ending. After all, why would ''happy'' people willingly subject themselves to the horrors of this place?

** [[spoiler: Luckily, clues scattered throughout the game says that not only were you not up against the Ancestor in the end, rather instead a facsimile created by the Heart of Darkness, other hints within the game imply that for all of its power, the Heart of Darkness was in the end still defeated by mere mortals and might not be as powerful as it seems.]]

* While most of the heroes choose to FaceDeathWithDignity or even [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu defiantly challenge the Heart of Darkness in their final moments]], the Arbalest, Grave Robber, Jester, Plague Doctor, and Vestal are absolutely terrified of the prospect of sacrificing themselves and plead out with you not to kill them.

--> ''Vestal'': I-It's too horrible! Noooo!

** [[spoiler: Even worse, their sacrifice is ultimately in vain. As the Ancestor so eloquently states this is only a temporary victory. The darkness is not destroyed but merely sent back into slumber. It will return one day when humanity has forgotten and is unprepared and when it does there will only be more death and devastation.]]

** [[spoiler: Even worse, their sacrifice is ultimately in vain. As the Ancestor so eloquently states this is only a temporary victory. The darkness is not destroyed but merely sent back into slumber. It will return one day when humanity has forgotten and is unprepared and when it returns there will only be more death and devastation.]]

* And in the final battle against [[spoiler:The Heart of Darkness, during the course of the final phase of the fight you're forced to sacrifice two of your party members. Not only did you have to invest huge amounts of time and resources to get them to a level to even face the Heart, but the game sadistically forces YOU to choose which party member dies! Some heroes are willing to take one for the team, others... not so much.]]

** Though it can be darkly hilarious if said adventurer who discovers it is [[spoiler:Dismas himself.]] Or maybe even more unsettling.

* Imagine you're a decent few weeks into the game. You've lost a fair amount of your early heroes, but you're starting to get the hang of things now with a fresh batch of explorers. One of them successfully scouts ahead in a dungeon, and not only that, reveals a hidden room with a locked chest! And imagine the shock and despair one might feel upon finding within the chest, stuffed in a bag nestled between a couple of valuable stones, [[spoiler:Dismas's head]].

* The backstory comics for the heroes. Not one of them has a happy ending. After all, why would ''happy'' people willingly subject themselves to the horrors of this place?