Darkest Dungeon 2 is a story told by a scholar, your character’s former mentor. At first, you don’t learn many details, only to be tasked with saving the world out of nowhere. But as you progress through the game, you’ll discover that there’s much more to the Spreading Stain and its origins than you could have ever imagined.

If you want to brush up on your knowledge of the plot of Darkest Dungeon 2, or find out what happens without fighting the game’s tough bosses, keep reading… if you dare.

Who Is Reus Captivus?

Every time you start a new expedition in Darkest Dungeon 2, your character signs a confession with the name “Reus Captivus”. This is Latin for “accused prisoner”, so it’s unlikely that this is the protagonist’s actual name. However, this is the only name he’s ever been called, so we’ll use it to identify him.

Captivus studied anthropology and enrolled in a prestigious university. Given that the game world is reminiscent of 17th-century Europe, it suggests that he comes from a wealthy family that was able to study in luxury. Captivus’s good grades and inquisitive nature caught the eye of one of his professors, the Academic.

The Academic took Captivus on as an apprentice, involving the young student in his studies and helping them find ways to make a name for themselves. Over the course of a semester, the two became close friends, spending summers together discussing arcane and esoteric mythology, a subject that interested them both but that they had looked down upon at university.

The Iron Crown

During their summer research in a secluded cabin in a valley on the border of the kingdom, Captivus and the Academic discovered a strange, and possibly historical, pattern. The symbol they called the “Iron Crown” (a semicircle with five intersecting lines) appeared somewhere in the mythology of every ancient culture known, regardless of geography, religion, or social values. Considering that the Iron Crown is linked to forbidden knowledge and the occult, this could indicate a higher power that influences humanity and leaves its mark.

Captivus wanted to publish the pair’s discovery immediately, believing that such a discovery would immediately make them famous anthropologists. However, the scholar insisted that the research be kept secret until he had concrete, irrefutable proof that the Iron Crown was not merely coincidental. Seeing that Captivus was not dissuaded, the scholar used his position to demand that his student keep the discovery a secret.

The Mysterious Gathering

Captivus reluctantly continued his research in secrecy, making plans to visit the Great Library, the greatest repository of ancient knowledge in the known world. Unfortunately for Captivus, just before the trip, a fire broke out in the library, destroying the documents they wanted to see. Shortly after the fire, both Captivus and the scholar received an unmarked envelope bearing the Iron Crown symbol.

The couple was invited to a meeting of scholars with similar interests at a mansion on a sprawling estate. Though unconfirmed, it is possible that this is the mansion featured in the first Darkest Dungeon game. The hooded and masked scholars treated Captivus and the scholar to a feast as they attempted to unravel what they had discovered about the Iron Crown and its meaning.

The scholar suspected that his hosts were interested in more than mere research, but he was soon proven right when the group began to form a ritual circle and light candles. Captivus wanted to stay and witness the mystical ritual, but the scholar led the student to his room, barricaded the door, and stayed out for the night.

When they emerged in the morning, they found a gruesome scene – five scholars dead, their bodies hanging from an arch in the shape of an iron crown. The owner of the house and the leader of the Cabal were missing. The scholar was horrified, but Captivus was intrigued.

The End Of The World

Captivus had left the college and settled in the manor, using the resources left behind by the Cabal to pursue the secrets of the Iron Crown with vigor. They invited the scholar to join them, and he reluctantly agreed, hoping to teach some sense to the student who had become his close friend.

Believing the celebrants to have performed the Iron Crown ritual incorrectly, Captivus sought to unlock its secrets once and for all. Unknown to the scholar, Captivus kidnapped and murdered four people as sacrifices. Finally, they showed the scholar their work and stabbed their terrified leader in the back, making him the Iron Crown’s fifth and final victim.

The ritual worked, and a portal to another dimension was opened. The Iron Crown imprinted Captivus’ mind into reality itself, manifesting all of their fears, doubts and resentments as a material presence. Across the world, otherworldly beings emerged from holes in the fabric of reality. Many were murdered, and most of those who survived were driven to acts of violence and depravity.

In the cities, people were seized by religious fervor, believing that human knowledge had brought about divine punishment. These fanatics began to burn books, buildings, and themselves. In the countryside, ruled by feudal lords, crops withered overnight and animals died. The nobles turned to cannibalism to survive.

On the coast, sunken monoliths rose from the ocean floor and sleeping monsters emerged from the waves. The inhabitants of coastal fishing villages began to worship these monsters and transform into human-fish hybrids. And in a forgotten place long thought to be cursed, the dead began to stir.

The Accused Prisoner

Captivus saw what they had done and was heartbroken. Captivus fled to a cabin in the valley and locked himself inside, trying to block out the horrors that were ravaging the world. It is unknown how long Captivus remained in their self-made prison, but they eventually managed to convince themselves that they had nothing to do with the impending apocalypse and purposefully forgot all that had happened.

Captivus’ exile was finally interrupted by a figure breaking down the cabin door. The Scholar, now a mortal husk, came bearing a blazing flame. Revived by Captivus’ memories from before the incident, the Scholar made one last attempt to save his friends and the world.

Without reminding Captivus of the events at the mansion, the scholar explained that the world could be restored if they took the Flame of Hope to the Temple of the Iron Crown in the distant mountain. The two loaded their belongings onto a stagecoach and sought help from the adventurers who had survived until then at a nearby crossroads. These heroes were all running from their own pasts and in more ways than they had ever known, they were Captivus’ soulmates.

The Confession

The group made their way through the eerie world, fighting the spreading contamination and the tainted people, and offering help to the survivors they found to keep the Flame of Hope burning. Their path towards the mountain was blocked by giant incarnations of the Iron Crown, the Bindings of Denial, the Seething Sigh, the Concentrated Fault, and the Confusion of Gluttony. Little did Captivus know that all of these were incarnations of self-loathing brought to life by the Iron Crown.

As each Guardian fell, Captivus was able to awaken more memories they had repressed, and, guided by the Scholar’s kind but stern words, they were able to accept and embrace responsibility for their actions. In the Temple of the Iron Crown that emerged from the mansion where the ritual took place, Captivus led the heroes in battle against the evil god that had taken form from their own mistakes and hatred.

One by one, the heroes learned to accept their past and the scars it had left, and to be free from the weight of the Iron Crown. When the final blow was dealt, the Scholar revealed that killing the Manifestation of the Crown would also mean the death of Captivus, but that the world would be rebuilt from the youth’s memories, just like the ornaments the group had found along the way.

After Captivus’ death, her companions set out to aid the survivors and rebuild the destroyed city. Her faith and energy were renewed. Though it is not explicitly stated, it is likely that the scholar fulfilled her purpose and died at the same time as Captivus.