Dark Fantasy

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Dark Fantasy is a subgenre of Fantasy, which is "a genre of fiction set in a fictional universe." However, Dark Fantasy is unlike Fantasy in that it takes on a darker tone, as stated in the name.

A Dark Fantasy is a fairytale without a happy ending, or it may have a happy ending that is only achieved with a great cost. It is despairing, or violent, or sometimes even gory.

Visuals

Generic

Magic cast with ill intent, or magic that comes with a Price
Potions, cauldrons
Trees with branches like long fingers
Bones, skulls, skeletons
Thin, dripping candles
Iron-wrought lanterns
Iron shackles and iron chains
Bloodied weapons
Dragons crouched upon their hoard
Corvids like crows and ravens
Nocturnal animals
Venomous animals, like snakes and spiders
Animals that are generally associated with witches

Setting

Gloomy settings with dim lighting
Twilight, midnight
Perpetually overcast skies
Dark forests
Crumbling ruins
Hushed villages
Large ships rising out of heavy fog
Rough port cities
Citadels with severe, stoic guards
Palaces with pale, withdrawn servants

Architecture

Stone castles and stone buildings
Climbing ivy
Gargoyles
Dungeons
Long, winding staircases
Creaking stairs
Secret passages
Hidden rooms
Spindly towers
Cobblestone streets
Rain-slick rooftops
Abandoned fortresses
Old, decrepit mansions
Ramshackle, dilapidated cottages

Fashion

The dress of a person reveals much about them.

Materials

Dark, heavy fabrics made of natural fibers are preferred. The cost of different fabrics varies greatly and should be taken into account.

Wool
Suede
Tweed
Velvet

Androgynous

Hooded cloaks
Collars
Masks
Gloves
Timepieces
Walking canes
Wire spectacles for the visually impaired

Feminine

Natural-textured hair
- Hairstyles can be complicated if it fits the look that you're trying to achieve

Masculine

Activities

Reading by candlelight or by a window
Writing in cursive script
Writing letters with a quill and ink
Keeping a diary
Pressing flowers
Silently working on your embroidery
Gazing out the window in quiet contemplation
Wistfully staring into the distance
Riding your horse through the forest glens
Pitching coins into the wishing well
Wandering the woods or the city at night
Leaving tokens at the feet of your ancestors
Feeding the corvids
Communing with the corvids
Paying your respects to the corvids
Heeding what the owl says
Noting the passage of time
Walking into the mist

Entertainment

Books

First and foremost are the fairy tales. These are not the ones that Disney packages into children's movies, with their true love's kiss and happy endings. These are fairy tales in their original form, with heroines that are not always immune to death and villains who suffer worse before dying. Limbs will get cut off.