Darkest Dungeon Lore: The Hierarchy of the Crimson Court

[@sansrriorar3967]

the ancestor was JACKED the man, while not having his wealth of occult knowledge and power he had in his later years, killed the final boss of the Courtyard with a pocket knife, while 4 of our heroes struggle with the best weapons they have available old man was a beast

[@vumerion5481]

Old man was probably not entirely human. The portal to unspeakable horror was just below the place where he grow up. I bet he was half a monster from the beginning. Or the Countess experiment a growth in power with the liberation of the darkest dungeon coming closer and closer.

[@lucasbrant9856]

I believe the duchess wasn't as strong back then.

[@MLBlue30]

She was hiding her power. She was waiting to be set free along with her new... children already being primed for their transformations. I think it was a ritual, a ruse. The Ancestor was a patsy. He was totally suckered into the whole thing. It was too easy a win for a reason. Notice how long it takes a regular person to be mad from the thirst yet these fiends became monsters with the first gulp. Why do our heroes not become bug creatures upon infection or through consuming? I think one has to be especially wicked non stop.

[@qkvt123]

Countess wasn’t a giant mosquito monster back then. Probably just had 6 hp

[@Chimjjl]

Come to think of it, I could see the Countess having been empowered by all the other nobles drinking her blood. I'm not sure if it's ever revealed how she came back to life, but maybe having her blood residing in all of the other nobles created as sort of link or bond that let her draw upon their strength. Which would explain why the (probably) mostly baseline human Ancestor was able to kill her with a knife, but afterwards she's a terrifying monster that's a hard fight even for a full party of veteran and armed-to-the-teeth adventurers. A hive queen that has drawn upon the strength of all other members of that hive. It would be just like the Ancestor to have inadvertently given another horrifying occult monster a massive power boost from his own sadistic games.

[@masterzoroark6664]

Ancestor: I was half mad when I did it /Explaining why he stabbed someone and tried to serve their blood/ Heir: WHEN THE FUCK YOU WERE SANE UNCLE, HUH?!

[@GhostTrueCapitalist]

That's a legit question... one that we'll never know...

[@beastwarsFTW]

He seemed relively lucid when he bargained with the fish people, the is a curve concerning he was completely batshit insane 99.99% of the time.

[@daiymohermitaurenjoyer9160]

@beastwarsFTW when your most sane moment is selling a girl into slavery to fish people

[@aureliodeprimus8018]

What i really like about the Crimson Court is how it represents the very root of the vampire myth. If i recall correctly, the vampire myth was founded by common folk suffering under harsh taxation and oppression by their local nobles, with vampires representing the vile arrogance and greed of upper classes. And Red Hook, being creative as they are, added parasitic insects to the mix, to give it a unique twist rarely seen before.

[@yamiyomizuki]

the problem with the idea that vampire myths originated as an allegory for the greed of the nobility is that we know for a fact, largely due to physical evidence of corpses being either buried with steaks Through the heart or having their hearts staked after burial, that these myths were believed in a fully literal sense rather than being pure allegory. it's more likely that the origin of the myth is in a primitive understanding of disease, and indeed historically various diseases, tuberculosis, rabies ect, were associated with vampirism. the allegorical elements were presumably added to the myth later. ultimately though, that actually makes the crimson court even better, since it combines the themes of disease and greed masterfully.

[@MiskatonicMemorialist]

@@yamiyomizuki Yeah, the mythology of vampires extend all the way back to the dawn of time. But the coolest part of Darkest Dungeon Mythos is that it ties in all the lore from across time and cultures. Countess is a reference to Elizabeth Bathory, who while not a vampire, might as well have been with all the blood she slipped. Alot of the Trinkets in the court reference the classic vampire tropes. Silver doing extra damage. A mirror for how vampires can't see their reflection. Garlic being a deterrent for vampirism. How do you cure the curse, kill the head vampire. The greed and hedonism of the court allegorical ties well into how the French courts were prior to the French Revolution. With so much wealth being hoarded and wasted by the nobles. Pardon my rambling, I just love the Crimson Court.

[@yamiyomizuki]

@@MiskatonicMemorialist actually to your point about vampire myths going back to the beginnings of history, I should have specified that the vampire myths familiar to us probably were influenced by certain diseases, but may or may not originate with them, since vampire myth and practices for dealing with vampires go back to ancient Greece, and may not have had the association with disease that later myths have.

[@MiskatonicMemorialist]

@@yamiyomizuki True. Earliest "Vampire" myths and legends don't directly mention vampires. More like demons that drink the blood of humans and consumed their flesh. As time goes by though, stories are changed and diseases were seen as the workings of vampires. With the idea that the dead would come back to life and drink the blood of their still living relatives. One solution, ironically, was to burn the corpse of the dead and drink a tonic of their ashes. So In hindsight, maybe the Ancestor wasn't as crazy for the blood wine.

[@aureliodeprimus8018]

@@yamiyomizuki Learned something new today. I only heard of corpses being specifically buried on crossings, so in case of a ressurection the vampire/revenant gets lost. And just a little correction, it is "stakes" not "steaks", though the idea of pressing meat through the heart made me chuckle.^^

[@kalavi-knightlygaming]

Ancestor making wine from blood of a dead monster seems just like start of his spiral into insanity, if he wasn't insane from the start

[@honey-hunterslimefanno.3257]

Well, he didn’t make wine from the blood, he just straight up replaced the wine with the blood.

[@XD-sc4ix]

@@honey-hunterslimefanno.3257 pretty sure he mixed the blood with the wine

[@beastwarsFTW]

@@XD-sc4ix I think he made wine from blood. I have no idea how, probably by adding a tone of sugar or something.

[@timothyh5632]

My favorite vampire bloodline in all of fiction. The unholy hideousness of Count Orlock meets sumptuous decadence of Carmilla.

[@aureliodeprimus8018]

Considering that the whole myth of vampirism started with suspicion and hatred for oppresive nobility, all Red Hook needed to do was to trace it back to the roots and add a spin to it. And what a spin it is.^^

[@yamiyomizuki]

@@aureliodeprimus8018 actually it probably started with various diseases, since if it were purely allegorical we wouldn't find corpses with steaks Through their hearts, and in Bulgaria alone they have dug up hundreds of them.

[@Littleman3240]

@@yamiyomizuki Figured that would be more a Romanian thing. Then again they are next-door neighbors, so...

[@plytachodnik]

It is worth mentioning that the location is heavly inspired by the Garden of Versailles - one court to host vast amonts of unrealeted nobilty, rapiers, pompoduars, all meals held in public, and rumors of decadency. Garden of Versailles was build on top of (improperly drained) swamp, had memagerie of exotic, often dangerous animals (including crocodiles), and was slandered as full of odour and mosquitos.

[@kelvinferreira3767]

I feel a mention for the urchins and vagabonds of the court was lacking. They seem to be squires or old cavaliers too weakened by the thirst to either overpower and take from their comrades, or to be even considered in the twisted festivities. As for the ancestor's actions, I guess it's comprehensible if we see it more as a traditional Machiavellian plot that crossed with the unfortunate coincidence of the Countess' apparition. Think, if a maniacal man wants to poison his companions, doesn't it stand to reason that he would use the blood of a vile, unnatural beast if given the opportunity? Anyways, a great video as always, really enjoyed it.

[@MiskatonicMemorialist]

Yeah I had to trim out quite a bit, I had a whole segment just going over the artifacts, that I had to cut. Might release that at some point.

[@bloominninja]

I think part of the reason why he did it was to 'one up' his noble competition. Sort of prove himself their superior. Telling them a story of him slaying a mosquito monster and then telling his 'flock' they are drinking his 'trophy' is not something easy to top... problem is in typical cosmic horror fashion he sort of 'enabled' the problem

[@davidgeorge1943]

I'm pretty sure the Ancestor held the title of a lord, considering that he refers to himself as such in one of his lines.

[@sebastiangibson9671]

What’s lord agian isn’t that a like large land owning individual or the land holder of the land your in/standing on

[@memoryofsalem4474]

Wheres a lord placed when compared to a baron, a viscount and a countess?

[@MiskatonicMemorialist]

One of the lower ranks. Below all three actually. I think he was closer to a Duke or Marquess. Puts him below the King/Queen and Prince/Princess but still higher than the rest of the court.

[@ledsanreplays8225]

To quote the exorcist: "Horrible, absolutely horrible...and fascinating". I love this channel so much.a

[@russian_knight]

My friends tried to explain the lore to me and I thought it was fucked up them but holy shit I had no clue

[@LegosR4Adlts]

I know right who invites courtesans to a party with nobles. They might steal something! Then they'll skip town with *our* money! Truly the darkest timeline.

[@springfaux6991]

Unc was always off his rocker

[@ericmartinez2813]

This is beautiful, I’ve been looking at it for 819 seconds now.

[@knightsotl796]

Nice one

[@seelcudoom1]

one possibility is do to his curiosity with the occult the Ancestor sought the countesses power, either having heard tails of such creatures or having figured out himself that if she had power from blood then her blood must have power, and simply did not wish to test it on himself

[@finnmchugh99]

I wonder what is next for DD lore series... Perhaps lore on The Collector? The Shrieker? Another boss whom slipped my mind, maybe the Shieldbreaker and her Serpentine Nightmares? Or more base characters and mod characters or NPCs?

[@MiskatonicMemorialist]

I have plans.... *Scheming Intensifies*

[@viktorgray4050]

I've been wanting more videos on the crimson court thanks so much

[@Solqueen86]

Leper + Crimson Curse +Love Interest & Deviant Tastes= Can I get a re-roll game?

[@Ajehy]

You pausing to point out how batshit the whole blood-wine scenario is is just the best. We’re all bewildered!

[@davidgeorge1943]

All that's left now is the Farmstead...good luck.

[@aureliodeprimus8018]

And the Brigands. And the Cult itself.

[@antcow1239]

After mosquito vampires, i was expecting were-rabbit clowns

[@TheCorrodedMan]

The answer to your puzzlement at the beginning is another question. Not just why, but _why not?_

[@StoicNatsoc]

What a fantastic lore video, couldnt ask for a better one when it concerns the Crimson Court.

[@blipblap8798]

Peeps’s question what was the Countess how did she know about the heart of the world what is she? My dumb theory is that she is but a alien or cosmic parasite feeding on other parasites on the cosmic sleeping being’s vary body. Or I will never know and honestly sometimes never know when is a good mystery. Also can we take an account that the ancestor single handedly took down the countess sure he had the drop on her but still.

[@TheSarcasmo13]

Local ancestor ruins everything... once again

[@theenderdestruction2362]

Fuck

[@headshot0123456789]

Great, only one Color of Madness left, thank you for you effort, Sir

[@RoseRose-fk7ni]

I know certain things like the blood plague are really annoying, but I'm super sad this dlc has mixed ratings on steam, I love the courtyard, the concepts, and the flaggalent is my favorite hero

[@kvassmacncheese]

Is there any info about Ringmaster? Any lore about her being shown?

[@EmperorMatticusII]

Aint nobody in my ARMY drinkin blood. FOR WE HAVE TRUTH! AND THE DARKNESS FEARS TRUTH! LET US SHOW THESE PARASITIC ABNORMALITIES THAT COLD STEEL IS THICKER THAN WARN BLOOD. EDIT: ONWARD!

[@robbie_the_mastermind2176]

This inspires me to make a plague Marine Blood angel kill team.

[@Someguy_4388]

Let's go a new video

[@theskullboy8700]

My favorite dlc

[@Yacovo]

Thanks for the video.

[@davideferrero8744]

Great video, thumbs up!

[@cleo958]

Good work as usual !

[@azismeretlen2582]

Do a farmstead video please!

[@MiskatonicMemorialist]

Much like Santa I have a list and I'm checking it twice.

[@sebastiangibson9671]

Um how does the crimson curse work because I want to play it but I don’t want my hero’s to die from the curse

[@frankshcleuterbomb2538]

It weakens heros, eventually killing them. It can be slowed with the blood wine you find and it can be cured after the dlc is completed

[@GlueEater-ix9gl]

comment for the algorithm gods (a singular vid though)

[@thrall6647]

Greetings praise algorithm gods! Any idea why all backstory Trinkets can be only found in crimson count?

[@jamesporquez3682]

Man I'm feeling the bloodborne vibe in this

[@MiskatonicMemorialist]

Fear the old Blood.

[@axethegreater]

Nice!

[@fatfish2066]

The ancestor fucking shanked a nightmare demon to death in a 1v1 zero magic why did he not join the army

[@zanderandrus7074]

Why join the army when you can have one?

[@commissarf1196]

When are you gonna do a Darkest Dungeon 2 lore video?

[@Lordpower963]

Was the Ancestor a Prince?

[@MiskatonicMemorialist]

Not from what we can tell. He doesn't act like a prince or even a king. He is a noble of some sort, a duke or marquis perhaps. But he doesn't talk about a crown or thrones like a King or Prince would. He's a lord who has his lands and wealth from inheritance.

[@claytonthegrubkiller6430]

I think you need some kind of catchphrase that you'd say everything beginning or ending of a video

[@domjay]

Yes !!! More -

[@denifisher7809]

Madness😆

[@sebastiangibson9671]

What’s hedonism again

[@keganduncan1337]

A fancy word for down bad

[@sebastiangibson9671]

@@keganduncan1337 oh right

[@memoryofsalem4474]

The belief that if something feels good then its right to do, whether that be food, sex or murder

[@sebastiangibson9671]

@@memoryofsalem4474 thanks

[@thomask5434]

i want to be the ancestor lol

[@chucklenut7974]

😅