Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Even then, the "vampires reign supreme" bit is only [[spoiler: Ad Avis's]] story. Given your history with him and [[TheStarscream what he's trying to manipulate you into doing for him]], it's questionable how much you can really trust him on that.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: Quite high, it seems. When Igor, the hunch-backed gravedigger, goes missing, the townspeople worry about him and are prepared to lay the death sentence on a captured gypsy they think is responsible. Finding Igor and saving him is the first act that gets them to start warming up to you.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Arguably [[spoiler: Katrina. Whatever her actions may be, she never ''truly'' comes across as evil, or stops being a sympathetic character. As opposed to her [[TheDragon Dragon]], [[CompleteMonster Ad Avis]]]].
Added DiffLines:
** It's unclear just how old [[spoiler: Katrina actually is, but Ad Avis has served her for the better part of a century and she still looks like she's [[Really700YearsOld 20-something]]. And once she takes off her [[HelloNurse cloak and hood...]]]]
Added DiffLines:
** [[spoiler:Katrina sacrifices her un-life for you during the EndGame when Ad Avis tries to kill you, revealing that she truly does [[LoveRedeems love you]]]].
Added DiffLines:
** The first time you see Katrina without her [[ImpossiblyLowNeckline hood and cloak]]. [[HelloNurse Yowza]].
Added DiffLines:
** [[spoiler:Katrina as well. It's revealed over the course of the game that she genuinely does love the hero, and depending on the dialog options they select, the player can take the angle that he loves her as well. And then she sacrifices her un-life to save you from Ad Avis at the end.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* BigNo: [[spoiler:Nicolai's wife Anna]], upon finding out that she is undead and has been dead for a long time.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** [[spoiler:Unfortunately, the Paladin is the only class who can help her.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* GagDub: Of a sort. In the voice-acted version of the game, the spoken dialogue does not always match the text; The voice actors often ad-lib their lines in comedic ways. Hans, Franz and Ivan do this the most.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TheMaster: Boris refers to his employer as such.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
**[[spoiler:Taking Erana's staff out of town might have caused the spell of protection to dissipate, but the Hero had no prayer of freeing Erana without it.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TomeOfEldritchLore: The ''Necrophilicon'' in the Monastery certainly looks the part, though you never get a chance to read it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* {{Geas}}: [[spoiler:Katrina place one on the Hero. You have three days to find the missing Dark One's rituals or [[GameOver you'll die]].]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 82 (click to see context) from:
* WhatHappenToTheMouse: [[spoiler:The two goons that were guarding Katrina's castle. Since the ending ceremony take place in the great hall of the castle and everyone was present except them, one can wonder what were their final fate.]]
to:
* WhatHappenToTheMouse: WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:The two goons that were guarding Katrina's castle. Since the ending ceremony take place in the great hall of the castle and everyone was present except them, one can wonder what were their final fate.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* WhatHappenToTheMouse: [[spoiler:The two goons that were guarding Katrina's castle. Since the ending ceremony take place in the great hall of the castle and everyone was present except them, one can wonder what were their final fate.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* RestoredMyFaithInHumanity: The Paladin can do this for Dmitri by returning Piotyr's sword to him; until then, Dmitri doesn't really believe in heroes and paladins.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* MoonLogicPuzzle: So, Bonehead wants a hat before he'll let you talk to Baba Yaga? [[spoiler:Better find Nikolai's ghost wife, let him wander into the dangerous forest after her, and find him dead and also a ghost so you can take his ghostly(?) hat!]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
I just realized we don\'t really need this at all, because we have a Ms. Fanservice entry.
Deleted line(s) 32,33 (click to see context) :
* FanService: The Rusalka... dear GOD the Rusalka.
** FanDisservice: Just before you free her spirit, the Rusalka... dear GOD the Rusalka.
** FanDisservice: Just before you free her spirit, the Rusalka... dear GOD the Rusalka.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* FanService: The Rusalka...dear GOD the Rusalka...
to:
* FanService: The Rusalka... dear GOD the Rusalka...Rusalka.
** FanDisservice: Just before you free her spirit, the Rusalka... dear GOD the Rusalka.
** FanDisservice: Just before you free her spirit, the Rusalka... dear GOD the Rusalka.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* FanDisservice: The Rusalka...dear GOD the Rusalka...
to:
* FanDisservice: FanService: The Rusalka...dear GOD the Rusalka...
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* Fanservice: The Rusalka...dear GOD the Rusalka...
to:
* Fanservice: FanDisservice: The Rusalka...dear GOD the Rusalka...
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* FemmeFatale: Katrina.
to:
* Fanservice: The Rusalka...dear GOD the Rusalka...
* FemmeFatale:Katrina.Katrina and the Rusalka, if you go in...
* FemmeFatale:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: No, not the summoning of the Dark One. Not only were you coerced into that, but it's the [[StartXToStopX only way to get rid of it.]] Where the Hero "breaks it" is when he revives [[spoiler:Tanya]]. He had to use Erana's Staff to do so, and taking it away from the town removes the spell that protects it. The Hero won't see the effects of this, but if he questions Ad Avis about it, he'll note that there's nothing to stop him from knocking the town over.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Actually she outright plans to eat you until she\'s talked out of it by her pets and you agree to get her what she wants.
Deleted line(s) 40 (click to see context) :
* GenreSavvy: Between ''[=QfG1=]'' and ''4'', Baba Yaga wised up enough to realize that actively antagonizing you is a bad idea. She'll offer you {{Fetch Quest}}s (all but one are optional) but won't harm you unless you agree to a quest and then welsh on the deal.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* EquivalentExchange: The "final spell" of Erana's staff requires one to give their life to return someone else to life. [[spoiler:The Paladin Player knows he's expected to offer his, as is the Paladin's way. But no matter the class, Toby volunteers to resurrect Tanya]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TheUnintelligible: Toby. Tanya is his TranslatorBuddy.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Drat. I thought you could use a flask of water on the Domovoi, but I just tried it and nothing doing.. Well, let\'s clean this up to make amends.
Changed line(s) 22 (click to see context) from:
* CopyProtection: The manual has a list of several element-related passwords, and Dr. Cranium asks you for a couple of them to make potions.
to:
* CopyProtection: The manual has a list of several element-related passwords, and Dr. Cranium asks you for a couple of them to make potions. One of these potions is required to complete the game.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
False. You need it to get the rehydration potion for the Domovoi in the Monastery. Without it, it\'s impossible to proceed further as the Inn Domovoi will not give you the Doll which you need to resolve the Tanya plotline. And rescuing her is one of the triggers for the endgame where the Big Bad puts a Geas on you.
Changed line(s) 22 (click to see context) from:
* CopyProtection: The manual has a list of several element-related passwords, and Dr. Cranium asks you for a couple of them to make potions. While you can still play and finish the game without giving him these passwords, you'll have to make do without a steady supply of healing and poison cure potions.
to:
* CopyProtection: The manual has a list of several element-related passwords, and Dr. Cranium asks you for a couple of them to make potions. While you can still play and finish the game without giving him these passwords, you'll have to make do without a steady supply of healing and poison cure potions.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* CopyProtection: The manual has a list of several element-related passwords, and Dr. Cranium asks you for a couple of them to make potions. While you can still play and finish the game without giving him these passwords, you'll have to make do without a steady supply of healing and poison cure potions.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* GossipyHens: Hans, Franz, and Ivan, the three farmers who hang out at the Inn at night, despite their staunch denial of spreading rumors. Olga Stovich is less in denial about it, but she's more of a one-woman gossip depository.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 11,12 (click to see context) from:
This was the first game of the series with voice acting (including narration by John Rhys-Davies and JenniferHale in her first VideoGame role as Katrina). The game is often regarded as the best of the series, combining a gripping plot with colorful characters and a pleasant atmosphere. It's also known for being [[GameBreakingBug the buggiest]].
to:
This was the first game of the series with voice acting (including narration by John Rhys-Davies JohnRhysDavies and JenniferHale in her first VideoGame role as Katrina). The game is often regarded as the best of the series, combining a gripping plot with colorful characters and a pleasant atmosphere. It's also known for being [[GameBreakingBug the buggiest]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:256:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/qfg4box_7197.png]]
[[caption-width-right:256:Oi, Hero. [[NoPeripheralVision Behind you]].]]
''Quest for Glory IV: Shadows Of Darkness'' is the fourth game in the ''QuestForGlory'' series. Literally moments after his victory in the third game, the hero was teleported away by dark magic. He awakens in a very large, and very strange cave, whose caverns seem to resemble organs or bones, and is littered with skeletons and much worse things. The hero finds his way out of the cave and stumbles upon Katrina, a young woman who is surprised that anything made it out of the cave in one piece. She points him toward the local town where there the hero gradually learns more about the land he has found himself in.
The land is called Mordavia, (this time the setting is inspired by Eastern European and Russian folk myths and Gothic imagery) and it was scarred by an old conflict long ago between good and evil. Once a group of deranged cultists who worshiped an EldritchAbomination called [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Dark One]] attempted to summon it from its natural dimension and into the world. A group led by the paladin Pioytr and the famous sorceress Erana fought against them, and managed to interrupt the ritual. Erana disappeared in the fight, and most but not all of the cult was killed. Shortly afterward, Piotyr also vanished, which caused many to think he had abandoned the land and his responsibilities.
Because The Dark One had already been partially summoned, interrupting the ceremony did not get rid of it entirely. Instead it has been lying dormant in the form of the cave the hero appeared in, and its partial presence in the world has been warping the land, turning it into a center of dark magic and evil creatures. Monsters of various kinds haunt the forests and lakes of Mordavia, and swamps filled with TheUndead have overgrown the only road out of the valley, effectively cutting off Mordavia from the rest of the world. Although the land and its people have limped on since the battle against the cultists, the people have shut themselves in the town, only daring to leave it in order to work their fields.
But suddenly the castle of Mordavia's former ruling family is inhabited again, and unknown to all a new evil force has made its way into the valley to finish the ritual that would unleash [[SealedEvilInACan The Dark One]]. The hero will need to use all his might and wits to heal the wounds of the land and discover who brought him to Mordavia, why, and how to save the land and its people. Old foes and new challenges will both be found, and the hero will face his greatest challenge yet...
This was the first game of the series with voice acting (including narration by John Rhys-Davies and JenniferHale in her first VideoGame role as Katrina). The game is often regarded as the best of the series, combining a gripping plot with colorful characters and a pleasant atmosphere. It's also known for being [[GameBreakingBug the buggiest]].
!!Contains examples of the following:
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: When you tell the Ultimate Joke to [[spoiler:Ad Avis]], he sneers and claims it's not even funny, but begins laughing uncontrollably after another second.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: "In a bitter battle you were better than the Badders. You kicked some butt, too."
* AffablyEvil: Baba Yaga, the Rusalka.
* BagOfSpilling: Lampshaded by the Narrator: "In what country did your luggage end up in THIS time?" [[spoiler: You never see any of your equipment again, and have to get replacements for everything but your armor.]]
* BalancingDeathsBooks: Erana's staff has the power to exchange the life of one person for that of someone they love. [[spoiler: Toby ultimately uses it to resurrect Tanya.]]
* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Ad Avis uses this to kill Katrina by manipulating her feelings for the main character]]. He also fails badly at an earlier one: [[spoiler:after capturing you, he chains you up in brittle chains and leaves a stake and mallet directly in front of you, allegedly to "taunt you with your ineffectualness." When you inevitably escape, the only way out leads you directly into Katrina's chambers. While you have the option to kill her (which in turn kills you) it's fairly obvious that this is a setup.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Ad Avis]]
* ButNowIMustGo: Done for you by Erasmus in the end.
* DatingCatwoman: [[spoiler:[[FemmeFatale Katrina]], also known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Dark Master]], a vampiress and a powerful sorceress trying to unleash a [[CosmicHorror Dark One]] into the world.]]
* DarkIsNotEvil: Toby is this giant, furry, hulking, red-eyed, fanged, ill-tempered monstrosity. However, he's just protective of his ward to the point where he will [[spoiler: sacrifice himself to bring her back to life]]. He's like a hulking, red-eyed Chewbacca.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment - "Shadows of Darkness."
* DirtyOldMan: [[MadScientist Doctor Cranium]], whose goal for re-animating dead bodies (think Frankenstein) seems to be to create a living sex toy for himself...
* DreamSequence: Sleep at Erana's Staff in town, or at Erana's Garden, for some [[DreamingOfTimesGoneBy meaningful]] (and occasionally [[BadDreams disturbing]]) dreams. Seems that [[DreamWeaver a trapped spirit]] is trying to [[TalkingInYourDreams communicate with you.]]
* DudeShesLikeInAComa: Trying to kiss or even "cop a feel" on a sleeping vampire woman. She's not happy when you [[http://zarla.comicgenesis.com/d/20040630.html wake her up with a boobhonk.]]
* DudeWheresMyRespect: The villagers, since they don't know you from Adam. You have to earn their respect. It certainly doesn't help that you tell them that you walked out of the cursed cave that has been the bane of their existence for a generation. A cave that has been closed for at least that long. A cave that quite literally bodes no good.
* EldritchLocation: The Dark One's Cave. [[spoiler:It actually IS the Dark One, in a state of partial summoning.]]
* FemmeFatale: Katrina.
* FortuneTeller: Magda the gypsy.
* FreudianExcuse: Katrina's not a bad person, she's just ''really'' lonely. Just ignore the part where she'll doom the world by bringing forth an EldritchAbomination to blanket the world in darkness to let vampires reign supreme.
* FunWithSubtitles: The townsfolk's ad-libbed dialogue.
* GameBreakingBug:
** While arguably one of the best games in the series, ''Shadows of Darkness'' suffered from numerous bugs that would crash the game at important points. This wasn't fixed when rereleased in an anthology, even.
** The floppy version had a particularly terrible bug for the Thief: after completing all the various quests, the beginning of the endgame is contigent on a particular note showing up in your room at the inn. For the Thief, and only the Thief, that note would never, ever show up if you missed one very easy to miss and normally completely optional sequence.
** Probably the most ridiculous one: it's possible to have the BigBad kill you during the finale... after you've already killed [[spoiler:him.]]
* GenreSavvy: Between ''[=QfG1=]'' and ''4'', Baba Yaga wised up enough to realize that actively antagonizing you is a bad idea. She'll offer you {{Fetch Quest}}s (all but one are optional) but won't harm you unless you agree to a quest and then welsh on the deal.
* GentleGiant: Toby, the monstrous guardian of [[spoiler:[[UndeadChild Tanya]]]].
* GodivaHair: The Rusalka.
* GoneHorriblyRight: As a result of the attempt to complete the summoning of the Dark One, [[spoiler: Katrina obtained "all of the darkness she so desired... and much, much more.]]
* GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave: Magda is described as an older but still attractive woman, and after a few good deeds she talks a little about how she'd pursue the hero if only she was about twenty years younger.
* HauntedCastle: Castle Borgov.
* HeelFaceTurn: The Rusalka. [[spoiler:Initially she tries to drown you because, well, that's what Rusalki do; she doesn't particularly want to, but she's compelled to seduce men and drown them. Giving her flowers convinces her that you're a nice guy, and jump-starts the sidequest that results in her being allowed to move on to the afterlife.]]
* ICantUseTheseThingsTogether: Narrator John Rhys-Davies voices an exasperated ''"That doesn't do ANYTHING"'' each time the player does this.
* IdenticalGrandson: The Paladin Piotyr looks identical to his grandson, Dmitri the Burgomeister. Only the latter has a longer beard.
* KillerRabbit
* LampshadeHanging: The Thieves' Guild has an document that lampshades several InsecuritySystem tropes such as ConcealingCanvas and ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish, saying they happen because people are too stupid and/or lazy to get really creative with their hiding places and passwords.
* LopsidedDichotomy: When the hero is surrounded by the thankful people of the land after completing yet another heroic quest, cue Erasmus and Fenrus taking that moment to scry on the hero, with Fenrus commenting:
-->"It's either an award ceremony or a lynch mob."
* MoneyForNothing: The other games in the series suffer from this, but none more so than Shadows of Darkness; you will only ever need money for two things: Room and board at the inn (1 crown for a week) and various items from the General Store that only cost about 10 crowns total. You can also spend crowns on (optional) tarot readings (to a maximum of four), but that only costs you one crown per reading. And for the record, one of the first things you do in this game is loot a couple of bodies for about 15 crowns.
* MoralDissonance: Parodied. If the player is a Paladin, he'll refuse to smash open a cabinet containing healing potions because it's wrong to destroy other people's property. Thing is, the cabinet's in a monastery formerly used by a cult worshipping an EldritchAbomination, and the narrator mentions your character will happily torch the place if he gets the chance (in fact, you get honor if you ''do'' torch the place!) Capped off with a line like, "Nice consistency of belief there, eh?"
* MoralityPet: [[spoiler:Tanya to Katrina.]]
* MsFanservice: The Rusalka.
** [[spoiler:FanDisservice: Once the Paladin defeats her murderer's Wraith. Yuck. Oh, and he has to kiss her to free her.]]
* NiceHat: [[OracularHead Bonehead]] wants one.
* NoHonorAmongThieves: Quite literally; a Thief character can kill the Chief Thief after restoring his human form, but doing so immediately knocks your Honor rating down to 0.
* NoodleImplements: The Ultimate Joke, whom we are only told involves a wizard and a farmer's daughter, will make even a BigBad vampire villain bend over in laughter. It's further explained that the joke works only once.
* OnlySmartPeopleMayPass: A literal example at Dr. Cranium's house. "Entry by prior appointment or demonstration of superior intelligence only."
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain - While he's a bit low-key about it, [[spoiler:Ad Avis]] never seemed to like women. 50 years of service to Katrina and being forced to serve her in death has probably done little to improve his disposition toward them.
* PublicDomainSoundtrack: "Anitra's Dance" by Grieg, plays in the Inn. Dr.Cranium's lab music has [[JohannSebastianBach Bach]]'s Music/ToccataAndFugueInDMinor's intro.
* ShoutOut:
** You drink from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cask_of_Amontillado Cask of the monk Amon Tillado]].
* StarCrossedLovers: The Player and Erana, in some cases (having magical ability helps; so does having high Honor and not being a Thief.) While you two never met, your immense goodness resonates with hers so much that even despite being dead she falls for you. Doubly so if you are a Paladin. The [[AccidentalPun climax]] of a number of dreams (see DreamSequence above.)
* TarotMotifs: Very important, and uses an [[http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/russian-st-petersburg/ actual tarot deck]] and some surprisingly accurate interpretations. It's obvious that the Coles [[ShownTheirWork did their research]].
* ThrowItIn: Most of the dialogue of the three inn-patrons was hilariously ad-libbed.
* TogetherInDeath: Anna and Nikolai.
* TotallyNotAWerewolf: Gypsies are {{voluntary shapeshifter}}s and scoff at the villagers' fervent belief in the stereotypical werewolf legend (involuntary change, weakness to silver, etc).
--> '''Gypsy''': Gypsies are not werewolves! But we ''are''... ''shapeshifters!''
* UndeadChild: [[spoiler:Tanya]]
* UnfinishedBusiness: The Rusalka is forced to haunt the lake and kill people because she was drowned by an unfaithful lover; to release her spirit you have to tell her her real name and avenge her death by calling up the spirit of her murderer and [[WifeBasherBasher delivering some holy justice]].
* TheUnReveal: The only thing you ever find out about 'The Ultimate Joke' is that it involves a wizard and a farmer's daughter.
* VampiresAreSexGods: The Dark Master.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The gypsies can turn into wolves at will.
* [[spoiler:WhereItAllBegan: You end where you started, in the Dark One's Cave.]]
* YouAreWorthHell: Both Anna and Nikolai agree that being ghosts isn't so bad when they have each other.
[[caption-width-right:256:Oi, Hero. [[NoPeripheralVision Behind you]].]]
''Quest for Glory IV: Shadows Of Darkness'' is the fourth game in the ''QuestForGlory'' series. Literally moments after his victory in the third game, the hero was teleported away by dark magic. He awakens in a very large, and very strange cave, whose caverns seem to resemble organs or bones, and is littered with skeletons and much worse things. The hero finds his way out of the cave and stumbles upon Katrina, a young woman who is surprised that anything made it out of the cave in one piece. She points him toward the local town where there the hero gradually learns more about the land he has found himself in.
The land is called Mordavia, (this time the setting is inspired by Eastern European and Russian folk myths and Gothic imagery) and it was scarred by an old conflict long ago between good and evil. Once a group of deranged cultists who worshiped an EldritchAbomination called [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Dark One]] attempted to summon it from its natural dimension and into the world. A group led by the paladin Pioytr and the famous sorceress Erana fought against them, and managed to interrupt the ritual. Erana disappeared in the fight, and most but not all of the cult was killed. Shortly afterward, Piotyr also vanished, which caused many to think he had abandoned the land and his responsibilities.
Because The Dark One had already been partially summoned, interrupting the ceremony did not get rid of it entirely. Instead it has been lying dormant in the form of the cave the hero appeared in, and its partial presence in the world has been warping the land, turning it into a center of dark magic and evil creatures. Monsters of various kinds haunt the forests and lakes of Mordavia, and swamps filled with TheUndead have overgrown the only road out of the valley, effectively cutting off Mordavia from the rest of the world. Although the land and its people have limped on since the battle against the cultists, the people have shut themselves in the town, only daring to leave it in order to work their fields.
But suddenly the castle of Mordavia's former ruling family is inhabited again, and unknown to all a new evil force has made its way into the valley to finish the ritual that would unleash [[SealedEvilInACan The Dark One]]. The hero will need to use all his might and wits to heal the wounds of the land and discover who brought him to Mordavia, why, and how to save the land and its people. Old foes and new challenges will both be found, and the hero will face his greatest challenge yet...
This was the first game of the series with voice acting (including narration by John Rhys-Davies and JenniferHale in her first VideoGame role as Katrina). The game is often regarded as the best of the series, combining a gripping plot with colorful characters and a pleasant atmosphere. It's also known for being [[GameBreakingBug the buggiest]].
!!Contains examples of the following:
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: When you tell the Ultimate Joke to [[spoiler:Ad Avis]], he sneers and claims it's not even funny, but begins laughing uncontrollably after another second.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: "In a bitter battle you were better than the Badders. You kicked some butt, too."
* AffablyEvil: Baba Yaga, the Rusalka.
* BagOfSpilling: Lampshaded by the Narrator: "In what country did your luggage end up in THIS time?" [[spoiler: You never see any of your equipment again, and have to get replacements for everything but your armor.]]
* BalancingDeathsBooks: Erana's staff has the power to exchange the life of one person for that of someone they love. [[spoiler: Toby ultimately uses it to resurrect Tanya.]]
* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Ad Avis uses this to kill Katrina by manipulating her feelings for the main character]]. He also fails badly at an earlier one: [[spoiler:after capturing you, he chains you up in brittle chains and leaves a stake and mallet directly in front of you, allegedly to "taunt you with your ineffectualness." When you inevitably escape, the only way out leads you directly into Katrina's chambers. While you have the option to kill her (which in turn kills you) it's fairly obvious that this is a setup.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Ad Avis]]
* ButNowIMustGo: Done for you by Erasmus in the end.
* DatingCatwoman: [[spoiler:[[FemmeFatale Katrina]], also known as [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Dark Master]], a vampiress and a powerful sorceress trying to unleash a [[CosmicHorror Dark One]] into the world.]]
* DarkIsNotEvil: Toby is this giant, furry, hulking, red-eyed, fanged, ill-tempered monstrosity. However, he's just protective of his ward to the point where he will [[spoiler: sacrifice himself to bring her back to life]]. He's like a hulking, red-eyed Chewbacca.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment - "Shadows of Darkness."
* DirtyOldMan: [[MadScientist Doctor Cranium]], whose goal for re-animating dead bodies (think Frankenstein) seems to be to create a living sex toy for himself...
* DreamSequence: Sleep at Erana's Staff in town, or at Erana's Garden, for some [[DreamingOfTimesGoneBy meaningful]] (and occasionally [[BadDreams disturbing]]) dreams. Seems that [[DreamWeaver a trapped spirit]] is trying to [[TalkingInYourDreams communicate with you.]]
* DudeShesLikeInAComa: Trying to kiss or even "cop a feel" on a sleeping vampire woman. She's not happy when you [[http://zarla.comicgenesis.com/d/20040630.html wake her up with a boobhonk.]]
* DudeWheresMyRespect: The villagers, since they don't know you from Adam. You have to earn their respect. It certainly doesn't help that you tell them that you walked out of the cursed cave that has been the bane of their existence for a generation. A cave that has been closed for at least that long. A cave that quite literally bodes no good.
* EldritchLocation: The Dark One's Cave. [[spoiler:It actually IS the Dark One, in a state of partial summoning.]]
* FemmeFatale: Katrina.
* FortuneTeller: Magda the gypsy.
* FreudianExcuse: Katrina's not a bad person, she's just ''really'' lonely. Just ignore the part where she'll doom the world by bringing forth an EldritchAbomination to blanket the world in darkness to let vampires reign supreme.
* FunWithSubtitles: The townsfolk's ad-libbed dialogue.
* GameBreakingBug:
** While arguably one of the best games in the series, ''Shadows of Darkness'' suffered from numerous bugs that would crash the game at important points. This wasn't fixed when rereleased in an anthology, even.
** The floppy version had a particularly terrible bug for the Thief: after completing all the various quests, the beginning of the endgame is contigent on a particular note showing up in your room at the inn. For the Thief, and only the Thief, that note would never, ever show up if you missed one very easy to miss and normally completely optional sequence.
** Probably the most ridiculous one: it's possible to have the BigBad kill you during the finale... after you've already killed [[spoiler:him.]]
* GenreSavvy: Between ''[=QfG1=]'' and ''4'', Baba Yaga wised up enough to realize that actively antagonizing you is a bad idea. She'll offer you {{Fetch Quest}}s (all but one are optional) but won't harm you unless you agree to a quest and then welsh on the deal.
* GentleGiant: Toby, the monstrous guardian of [[spoiler:[[UndeadChild Tanya]]]].
* GodivaHair: The Rusalka.
* GoneHorriblyRight: As a result of the attempt to complete the summoning of the Dark One, [[spoiler: Katrina obtained "all of the darkness she so desired... and much, much more.]]
* GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave: Magda is described as an older but still attractive woman, and after a few good deeds she talks a little about how she'd pursue the hero if only she was about twenty years younger.
* HauntedCastle: Castle Borgov.
* HeelFaceTurn: The Rusalka. [[spoiler:Initially she tries to drown you because, well, that's what Rusalki do; she doesn't particularly want to, but she's compelled to seduce men and drown them. Giving her flowers convinces her that you're a nice guy, and jump-starts the sidequest that results in her being allowed to move on to the afterlife.]]
* ICantUseTheseThingsTogether: Narrator John Rhys-Davies voices an exasperated ''"That doesn't do ANYTHING"'' each time the player does this.
* IdenticalGrandson: The Paladin Piotyr looks identical to his grandson, Dmitri the Burgomeister. Only the latter has a longer beard.
* KillerRabbit
* LampshadeHanging: The Thieves' Guild has an document that lampshades several InsecuritySystem tropes such as ConcealingCanvas and ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish, saying they happen because people are too stupid and/or lazy to get really creative with their hiding places and passwords.
* LopsidedDichotomy: When the hero is surrounded by the thankful people of the land after completing yet another heroic quest, cue Erasmus and Fenrus taking that moment to scry on the hero, with Fenrus commenting:
-->"It's either an award ceremony or a lynch mob."
* MoneyForNothing: The other games in the series suffer from this, but none more so than Shadows of Darkness; you will only ever need money for two things: Room and board at the inn (1 crown for a week) and various items from the General Store that only cost about 10 crowns total. You can also spend crowns on (optional) tarot readings (to a maximum of four), but that only costs you one crown per reading. And for the record, one of the first things you do in this game is loot a couple of bodies for about 15 crowns.
* MoralDissonance: Parodied. If the player is a Paladin, he'll refuse to smash open a cabinet containing healing potions because it's wrong to destroy other people's property. Thing is, the cabinet's in a monastery formerly used by a cult worshipping an EldritchAbomination, and the narrator mentions your character will happily torch the place if he gets the chance (in fact, you get honor if you ''do'' torch the place!) Capped off with a line like, "Nice consistency of belief there, eh?"
* MoralityPet: [[spoiler:Tanya to Katrina.]]
* MsFanservice: The Rusalka.
** [[spoiler:FanDisservice: Once the Paladin defeats her murderer's Wraith. Yuck. Oh, and he has to kiss her to free her.]]
* NiceHat: [[OracularHead Bonehead]] wants one.
* NoHonorAmongThieves: Quite literally; a Thief character can kill the Chief Thief after restoring his human form, but doing so immediately knocks your Honor rating down to 0.
* NoodleImplements: The Ultimate Joke, whom we are only told involves a wizard and a farmer's daughter, will make even a BigBad vampire villain bend over in laughter. It's further explained that the joke works only once.
* OnlySmartPeopleMayPass: A literal example at Dr. Cranium's house. "Entry by prior appointment or demonstration of superior intelligence only."
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain - While he's a bit low-key about it, [[spoiler:Ad Avis]] never seemed to like women. 50 years of service to Katrina and being forced to serve her in death has probably done little to improve his disposition toward them.
* PublicDomainSoundtrack: "Anitra's Dance" by Grieg, plays in the Inn. Dr.Cranium's lab music has [[JohannSebastianBach Bach]]'s Music/ToccataAndFugueInDMinor's intro.
* ShoutOut:
** You drink from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cask_of_Amontillado Cask of the monk Amon Tillado]].
* StarCrossedLovers: The Player and Erana, in some cases (having magical ability helps; so does having high Honor and not being a Thief.) While you two never met, your immense goodness resonates with hers so much that even despite being dead she falls for you. Doubly so if you are a Paladin. The [[AccidentalPun climax]] of a number of dreams (see DreamSequence above.)
* TarotMotifs: Very important, and uses an [[http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/russian-st-petersburg/ actual tarot deck]] and some surprisingly accurate interpretations. It's obvious that the Coles [[ShownTheirWork did their research]].
* ThrowItIn: Most of the dialogue of the three inn-patrons was hilariously ad-libbed.
* TogetherInDeath: Anna and Nikolai.
* TotallyNotAWerewolf: Gypsies are {{voluntary shapeshifter}}s and scoff at the villagers' fervent belief in the stereotypical werewolf legend (involuntary change, weakness to silver, etc).
--> '''Gypsy''': Gypsies are not werewolves! But we ''are''... ''shapeshifters!''
* UndeadChild: [[spoiler:Tanya]]
* UnfinishedBusiness: The Rusalka is forced to haunt the lake and kill people because she was drowned by an unfaithful lover; to release her spirit you have to tell her her real name and avenge her death by calling up the spirit of her murderer and [[WifeBasherBasher delivering some holy justice]].
* TheUnReveal: The only thing you ever find out about 'The Ultimate Joke' is that it involves a wizard and a farmer's daughter.
* VampiresAreSexGods: The Dark Master.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The gypsies can turn into wolves at will.
* [[spoiler:WhereItAllBegan: You end where you started, in the Dark One's Cave.]]
* YouAreWorthHell: Both Anna and Nikolai agree that being ghosts isn't so bad when they have each other.
