A Plague Tale: Innocence tells the rather morbid story of two young siblings trying to survive the Black Death. Along with it rages the deadly Hundred Years' War between the kingdoms of England and France. Caught in the middle of these unfortunate proceedings is the de Rune family.
Throughout the game, players come to know the protagonist, Amicia de Rune, quite well. The same holds true for her brother, Hugo, who possesses a strange power over the legions of rats. Nevertheless, there's always something more to learn about the characters with a game rich in storytelling like A Plague Tale: Innocence.
10 The Importance Of Aquitaine
It's established at the beginning of the game that Amicia and her family live in Aquitaine. In the Middle Ages, this territory in southwestern France witnessed several bouts of periodic turmoil. At the start of the game, Amicia and everyone else are nervous about the encroaching threat of the English army.
What players may not realize is that the kings of England regarded Aquitaine as their own. When Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152, the former's descendants considered the territory part of their domain. The kings of France, naturally, disagreed. Fast forward to 1348, the game's setting, to witness the two dynasties still disputing the issue (among many others).
9 Robert De Rune Fought In The War
Robert de Rune, Amicia's father, is a knight in service to the king of France. As an estate holder himself, Robert has a vested interest in keeping the lands of Aquitaine out of English hands. Robert's belt and elaborate clothing mark his status as a knight and nobleman, respectively.
It's implied that Robert de Rune is a veteran of the war's earlier period. His face is crisscrossed with numerous scars and deformities, undoubtedly injuries earned in battle. Since knights often found themselves in the thick of battle, Robert's martial prowess is considerable.
8 The De Rune Family's Connection To The Prima Macula
During one's first playthrough of A Plague Tale: Innocence, fans may be a little confused as to the nature of the Prima Macula. Although first implied to be a sort of medical condition, the Prima Macula is actually a lot more serious than a simple disease.
A detail players might have missed concerns the Prima Macula's origins. Lucas explains that the Plague of Justinian, a serious outbreak that ravaged the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6th century, was the Prima Macula. For unknown reasons, certain families are cursed with it in their bloodlines. The de Rune family is one of them. Although all the de Runes are implied to carry the curse in their blood, only certain family members, such as Hugo, ever manifest it in their lifetimes.
7 The Coat Of Arms
Players starting a new game have the option of selecting the de Rune family's coat-of-arms. It's a very minor aesthetic choice, altering not only the coat-of-arms itself but also Amicia's and Hugo's clothing. Fans who look closely at these choices, however, may notice something rather interesting.
No matter which shield is chosen, all contain the same combination of three symbols. Namely, they are the tree, the sun, and the crescent. The meaning of heraldry is a massive topic, but broadly speaking, these symbols tend to represent life/hope and strength of character.
6 The Courting Of Robert & Beatrice
Amicia's parents, Robert and Beatrice, serve relatively minor roles in the story. As such, not too many details proliferate regarding their backstories. One interesting tidbit, however, does exist and is a little easy to miss.
At the very beginning of the game, Amicia and Robert are taking part in a hunt. As players are learning the controls, they may overlook a small amount of dialogue concerning Robert's and Beatrice's courtship. The story is that Robert used to tie a ribbon on the branch of a tree. This ribbon served as a signal as to where the couple planned to meet.
5 Hugo & Amicia's Story Was Influenced By Fairy Tales
Although certain aspects of A Plague Tale: Innocence are grounded in reality, the tale proves to be quite fantastic overall. The realms of fiction and non-fiction blend well together, forging an undeniably unique world.
This blend of fantasy and reality was done on purpose. According to the developers, the story of Hugo and Amicia was largely inspired by fairy tales. More specifically, it's those stories that often involve children being thrust into dangerous and adult situations. The idea of the innocence of youth clashing with the depravities of the real world is featured prominently. Check out this dev log from Focus Home Interactive for even more behind-the-scenes facts about the de Rune siblings.
4 Amicia's Sling Was A Gift
The sling is Amicia's primary weapon in the game. When used strategically, it has the capacity to be quite devastating even against powerful enemies. It's already established when the game begins that Amicia is no novice when it comes to the sling's usage.
Amicia's sling was actually a gift from her father, Robert. It's understood the gift was meant to smooth over the increasing distance between Amicia and her parents. Hugo's illness occupies most of her parent's time, a state of affairs Amicia quietly resents.
3 Optional Interactions Between Amicia & Hugo
A Plague Tale: Innocence, despite being a largely linear experience, contains a handful of subtle interactions that are easy to miss. Unsurprisingly, many of these interactions and dialogue sequences involve Amicia and Hugo. Beginners on their first playthrough would be forgiven for overlooking these instances.
For example, in Chapter II, Hugo will start to complain that he's hungry. Players can actually seek out an apple tree and pick one for Hugo. It's a short detour that's completely optional and unlocks some unique dialogue as well as an achievement/trophy. There's a similar occurrence in Chapter IV where Amicia can partake in a game of hide-and-seek with Hugo.
2 Certain Collectibles Provide Backstory
As stated previously, the backstory regarding Amicia's parents isn't described in minute detail. However, players with sharp hearing can sometimes glean useful information by listening to Amicia's monologues when retrieving a collectible.
One example, early in the game, occurs when Amicia picks up a bowl of spices. She'll admit that one of them, cinnamon, is her father's favorite. Small details like these, although not terribly important, are fun to listen to nonetheless.
1 The Effects Of Hugo's Isolation
Despite being siblings, Hugo and Amicia barely know each other. This is due to Hugo's isolation from the outside world as his parents desperately try to find a cure for the Prima Macula. When thrust into unfamiliar circumstances, Hugo struggles to cope.
The effects of Hugo's lifelong isolation can be witnessed in both overt and subtle ways. He often lacks an understanding of concepts that people around him find obvious. Since the only person he ever interacted with was his mother, Hugo is often honest and upfront about his feelings, even when voicing them is socially impolite.