The Thamerian race existed centuries prior to the events that occurred in the city of Yharnam. Yet the echoes of what took place in the labyrinth deep underground still resonate in the present day. A never-ending ripple that impacts the livelihood of every Yharnamite, and arguably puts the entire existence of the human race in question.
Thumerians were a race of advanced human beings that had obtained the knowledge of the Eldritch Truth, a state of existence that the Great Ones inhabited. Before acquiring this knowledge, the Thumerians carved out a labyrinth deep below the city of Yharnam. This labyrinth was known as the Labyrinth of Thameru.
Notice that the term used is carved rather than discovered a labyrinth. This is intentional, as the details of the central Thameru Chalice states, the old labyrinth was carved out by the Thamerians. This is a significant detail, as it implies that the Thamerians did not mistakenly stumble across underground ruins, but rather built a subterranean civilisation deep underground, demonstrating that they were extremely intelligent and had superhuman abilities prior to encountering the Great Ones. It is within these tombs that the the Thumerians came in contact with the Great Ones. This marked humanity's first encounter with multidimensional beings that can exist across several planes of existence.
Attempting to fathom the Great Ones'motivations or agendas was pointless, as understanding them was beyond our comprehension, or as Master Willem puts it, our eyes are yet to open. But we'll delve more into that later on. Great Ones were essentially gods in the eyes of mere humans, and the Thumerians worshipped them as such.
The early Thumerians were servants of the Great Ones, and both species coexisted in in harmony. The Thameru civilisation evolved over time, forming a hierarchical structure, with a monarch in the position of power. The Thameru Ilrut Chalice states, The Thamerian monarch was traditionally a woman who assumed a name with classical roots. This statement raises the question of why a woman specifically, and what is meant by assumed a name with classical roots?
The latter is easier to answer, as choosing a name fitting for a monarch would suggest that the Thameru did not have a royal family, and that the monarch was elected, resulting in them needing to choose a name appropriate for the title. As for the former, it isn't entirely clear why a woman was chosen to rule, but perhaps a theory could be formed based on a blood contract made between the Great Ones and the Thimerians. Let me explain. The Great Ones are unique beings.
When comparing different Great Ones, there is no clear similarity between them. What constitutes a Great One? Surely being part of one species would result in some overlap or likeness.
Perhaps they cannot be placed in a tangible construct. After all, we aren't expected to understand them. What we do know is due to their unique nature, they cannot breed or be considered a Great with one another, resulting in them impregnating humans in order to reproduce.
The Ring of Betrothal states, In the age of the Great Ones, wedlock was a blood contract, only permitted to those stated to bear a special child. As stated by the Ring, the Great Ones chose a Thamerian to bear their child. The woman who was chosen in this case was Queen Yharnam.
This relates back to the question of why a woman was chosen to rule. It could be argued that based on who the Great Ones choose to bear their next child, Thamerians would elect that person as their next monarch. The Blood Contract was the gift of the blood of the Great Ones, gifted to Queen Yharnam, enabling her to conceive a Great One. This act put into motion what would be known as the collapse of a civilisation. The Blood Rapture Ruin states, This Ruin resonates with servants of the Queen, carrier of the Child of Blood, who yearn for their Queen's blood with little hope of requitement.
For them they find solace in Blood Rapture, that serves as a surrogate for their desires. This implies that once the blood of the Great One coursed through the veins of Queen Yharnam, the Thumerians began to take note of the notice of the power of the blood and the healing factors it possesses. The overwhelming desire to commune with the Great Ones led the Thamerians to succumb to the bloodlust and take the Queen's blood by force.
In their blood drunken state, the Thamerians take Queen Yharnam's life, and with that, the life of her unborn child, Mergo. The Defiled Chalice reads, Curses are caused by inciting the anger of the Great Ones and used to hex others. It is made apparent that murdering the child Mergo incited anger in the Great Ones, setting the curse of the blood upon the Great Ones.
the Thumerians. Anyone who becomes enticed by the blood would succumb to their beastly instinct, transforming into the physical manifestation of what they had become, and thus began the scourge of beasts and the downfall of Thumeria. The Great Ones ascended into another realm of existence, abandoning the Thumerians to live out the rest of their existence as guardians of the slumbering Great Ones. Inevitably, the plague of beasts grew larger and spread like a disease, crumbling down the Thumerians a Thumerian civilization.
Many years later, a group of scholars from Bergen-Wurth Academy discovered the remains of Thumeria deep below the Tombs of Yharnam. The scholars sent tomb prospectors to investigate the buried secrets that lay beneath. The prospectors would go on to discover references in the underground.
to an ancient land named Loran, which fell to the beastly plague. This was a sign of what's to come for any who meddle with the Old Blood. The fall of Loran was a precursor to the fall of Vyana.
However, the warning was not heeded, and the Old Blood was taken. As they descended deep into the lands of the Old Blood, they were struck by a powerful labyrinth, they also unearthed the remnants of the god-like beings, those who were left behind. It isn't farfetched to say that everything sacred in Yharnam can be traced back to Byrgenwerth. Byrgenwerth was an old learning institution located deep within the Forbidden Forest, away from the city of Yharnam. But this was no ordinary school, the institution was occupied by some of the greatest minds, and the scholars at Byrgenwerth were wholly dedicated to advancing the evolution of humankind and achieving higher planes of thought.
The two key figures at Byrgenwerth were Master Willem, the head of the Academy, and Lawrence, his well-respected and reputable apprentice, will discuss these two individuals in greater detail, as they are pivotal to the events that unravel. Following the discovery of the Old Blood, the priorities at Byrgenwerth shifted, the scholars studied the Great Ones intensely, and the more knowledgeable they became, the more they desired to ascend to the Great Ones status. The idea that humanity could evolve beyond what was thought possible, drove the scholars to commit unconventional efforts actionable act in the name of evolution, Master Willem adopted a peculiar method that consisted of gaining insight through accumulating more eyes.
Carol's eye-ruin states, Eyes symbolise the truth Master Willem sought in his research. Disillusioned by the limits of human intellect, Master Willem looked to beings from higher planes for guidance, and sought to line his brains with eyes in order to elevate his thoughts. News reached Master Willem of a mysterious creature washed ashore in a faraway village, commonly known as the Fission Hamlet. Master Willem was intrigued by this finding, sending a group of his students to investigate this secluded village, in hopes of gaining further insight and advancing the research of the Great Ones.
On the shore lay a corpse, described as a large blend of a fish with bright white skin and blue scales. A Great One named named Koz. It was unclear how Koz had died or washed up in the village, however it was surmiseable that Koz had experienced some eternal death, as the Great One was in the late stages of its pregnancy when the corpse was exposed.
Some say that the godlike being was revered by the residents of the fishing hamlet, who were mutated by her cosmic power, testament to the true capabilities of a Great One, even in death. Upon the hunters arrival in the village, chaos emerged, as the hunters began experimenting on the mutated villagers in the most horrifying ways imaginable, with none of the hunters no sympathy or regard to human life. The helpless villagers fought back as a means of defending themselves, but it was to no avail. The hunters used force to perform dissections on the villagers, tearing apart the inhabitants and obtaining all manner of eyes from them. The vile acts were further elevated as the hunters butchered the corpse of Koz, anatomising her body and extracting her eldritch blood, and along with it the umbilical cord of the orphan of Koz, murdering the unborn foetus in the process.
Whilst the body of a Great One is that of a mortal, the mind of a Great One is everlasting, and from the planes of a cosmic realm, Kos unleashes her wrath upon those who seek to relish blood and eyes, casting them to the Nightmare Realm, where they would participate in a never-ending hunt, a fate that no hunter could escape. Upon visiting the Hunter's Nightmare, the Fish and Hamlet priest best illustrates the magnitude of the acts committed. Childish. Torment for the wretches.
May the curse of blood upon them. The children's children. Childish. Following the experiments that took place, civil conflict arose between Master Willem and his apprentice Lawrence.
Master Willem and Lawrence's motives are concordant, they both aim to evolve humanity and seize the power of the Great Ones. However, their means to that end clash with one another. Whilst Lawrence was assured that experimenting with the Old Blood would accelerate the process of ascension, Master Willem's teachings emphasised wearing blindfolds, encouraging his students to search within themselves as they needed to line their brains with eyes in order to view the world from an alternate perspective, that of a Great Ones, allowing them to unmask more insight. Master Willem was convinced that his method of ascension was superior to that of Lawrence's.
He despised the use of the Old Blood, as he believed it to be dangerous and unreliable, thus introducing his most important teaching of The proverb of Bergenworth, or better known as the Bergenworth adage, Fear the old blood. I tell you I will not forget our adage. We are born of the blood, made men by the blood. Our eyes are meant to open. Fear the old blood.
I must take my leave. Master Willem doesn't inherently detest the Old Blood. When he references the adage, he further expands upon it, stating, We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood, our eyes are yet to open, fear the Old Blood. The way this is spoken could be interpreted as Master Willem's to Willem believing that the reason we are undone by the blood is due to humanity not being ready for such advancements, not being enlightened enough, essentially not operating at a high enough plane, hence the term, our eyes are yet to open. This indicates that the use of the blood itself is a isn't intrinsically evil, but rather we don't understand how this substance works, and instinctively, we should fear what we do not understand, we should fear the old blood.
Lawrence on the other hand believed that in order for humanity to evolve and go beyond its preconceived limits, they had to research healing using the old blood. The old blood had powerful healing properties that appeared to heal any ailment. More importantly, the blood had the potential to evolve humankind to an unprecedented state of life.
Lawrence saw this blood as a marvel, a gift to be utilized by the the people. Lawrence wasn't alone, as many other students shared the same notion and sided with him as they grew tired of the ineffective methods of Master Willem. This caused a rift between the scholars at Byrgenwerth, splitting the once colleagues into two opposing factions.
Those who remained faithful to the teachings of Master Willem, dubbed the Loyalists, and those who followed Lawrence and took fate into their own hands, labelled the Radicals. Nevertheless, Master Willem and Lawrence parted ways, and in pursuit of evolution, Lawrence founded the Healing Church. The city of Yharnam is most famous for its highly regarded and most sacred healing church, a religious institution built on the discovery of the Old Blood.
As mentioned previously, the tomb prospectors were dispatched to the Thumerian Labyrinth. There they discovered a phantasm, an Orgrim. the Great Ones. Using this augur, the prospectors were able to bear witness to Ibritus, daughter of the cosmos, a Great One who was left behind by her own kin. This brief contact with the Great One led to a deeper and more extensive investigation of the Thumerian civilization.
For this reason, the Choir was founded by the School of Mensis as a secular branch of the Healing Church, formed by the most prominent members of the Church with the sole purpose of communing with the Brightest. Blood ministration was first discovered by the Choir, as they would frequently conduct experiments on the willing and unwilling, in an attempt to evolve and become one with the Great Ones, to obtain knowledge that was beyond their comprehension. The Choir made full contact with the Brightest once they discovered the Great Is Chalice in the labyrinths below Yharnam.
However, the knowledge they received would drive them mad, as the knowledge of the Great Is Chalice of a Great One is not meant for a mortal. The School of Mensis is located in the Unseen Village, founded by members of Byrgenwerth, with the aim to understand the knowledge of the Great Ones and harness it for the advancement of humanity. While the School of Mensis resided in the village, the choir was stationed in the upper Cathedral Ward, in close proximity to Ebritus. Many of the Hunters within the Healing Church were doctors. The white-garbed Hunters represented the high-ranking doctors with the most experience, whereas the Hunters who donned the black garb were elementary doctors.
In some cases, these Hunters were these hunters would allow sickness to take place within individuals for research. They would also do the opposite by going as far as executing those who showed no signs of symptoms of the infection as a preventative measure. Lastly, the Healing Church also included nuns in their clergy.
According to the blood of Adela, the Healing Church nuns were chosen for their merit as vessels for blood and groomed as blood saints. The mere chance of being treated with their blood lent legitimacy to the Healing Church in communion. Acting as a vessel, the nuns gave their blood willingly.
Another secretive branch of the Church existed, the Executioners. As stated by the Wheel Hunter badge, Martyr Ligarius led a band of Executioners, and this badge was crafted at their dedicated workshop. The wheel symbolises righteous destiny. Their workshop was a secretive enclave of mystical beliefs and heady fanaticism, which served as the backbone of the Executioners'unique brand of justice. Ligarius was the leader of this specific band of Executioners.
There were most likely other Executioners that existed, fulfilling the various whims of the church. This faction had fanatical faith in the healing of the This can be seen with the executioner Alfred, who also had profound faith in the institution, even though he is surrounded in Yharnam by the deeds of the church, signifying the hold and manipulation the establishment had over its members. They existed to slay the heretics and enemies of the church.
If the Healing Church ordered the death of someone, the executioners would deliver it without question. When asked about Byrgenwerth and the Vileblood, Alfred states the following. There's something I want to tell you.
A bit of wisdom from the eminent Master Logarius. Once, a scholar betrayed his fellows at Byrgenwerth, and brought forbidden blood back with him to Cainhurst Castle. It was there that the first of the Inhuman Vilebloods was born.
The Vilebloods are fiendish creatures who threaten the purity of the Church's blood healing. The ruler of the Vilebloods is still alive today. And so, to honor my master's wishes, I search.
For the path to Cainhurst Castle. Here we learn the history of the creation of the Vileblood, a betrayal at Byrgenwerth that a scholar to provide forbidden blood to the residents of Cairnhurst Castle, resulting in the first of the Vileblood. Alfred believes that the church's blood healing is pure, although this couldn't be further from the truth. This is all Alfred needs to embark on his quest to slay the queen of the Vileblood. The executioner garb states, attire worn by the band of executioners commanded by the martyr Logarius later became the basis for all church attire, with its heavy draping of holy shawl.
Although secretive in nature, the Executioner's outfit established the type of clothing all members of the Church would come to wear. A Hunter's Mark can be seen on the chest of the guard, suggesting that the Hunters were already established at this point. The golden Ardeo, worn by the Executioners, represents luminosity, ambition, and an unflagging resolve to face impurity, staring it down with stern golden spirit, yet again referencing the strong faith of the Executioners. Believing the denizens of Cainhurst Castle to be tainted, the Healing Church, under Marta Ligaris'directive, were dispatched to Cainhurst Castle. Ligarius, with his executioners, would go to Cainhurst and slaughter all of its residents.
Coming to the realisation that the Queen Anneliese could not be killed, Ligarius stands in front of the entrance to her throne room, becoming a martyr, trapping Anneliese and preventing anyone from entering. Alfred would eventually succeed by reducing the Queen to a mixture of flesh and blood, fulfilling one of his most difficult objectives as an executioner. Equally, Ligarius, through the acts of Alfred, has now accomplished his goal as a martyr.
Alfred's maniacal laughter reveals his fanatical persona, hidden behind the veil of a calm and charming individual, representing the true ideals of the Executioners. There, you filthy monstrosity! What good's your immortality now?
Try stirring up trouble in this sorry state, all mangled and twisted, with every inside on the outside for all the world to see! Turning back to Lauren. Upon the discovery of the blood, he conceived an idea that would transform Yharnam. He would harness the blood and distribute it across the city.
This process would come to be known as Bloodministration. Lawrence from this point onward devoted himself entirely to the blood. His mission was to advance humankind for the better, to become an advanced civilization just like the Thumerians who came before. With his vision clear, it was time for Lawrence to put this plan into motion and make his vision a reality. Leaving Bergen-Wurth behind, Lawrence formed the Healing Church.
Lawrence would be the first vicar and he would use this organization as a means to administer blood to the people. The blood that cured any sickness, relieved any pain, eradicated any disease, Lawrence promised his blood to the people. Not only would the blood heal them, it would also enhance them into a superior being, a being with exceptional physical prowess. It appeared that Lawrence had forgotten his words to his master, Willem. Although Lawrence promised Master Willem that he would remain fearful of the old blood, he did not heed this message, as Lawrence indulged himself and the residents of Yharnam in blood, with no restriction.
Blood ministration would lead to the healing church becoming the pinnacle of Yharnam, the most revered and famous organisation. Local residents and people from all over the continent journeyed to Yharnam, with the sole purpose of inviting the people to Yharnam. the miracle blood.
Little did the church know that this newfound fame would be their undoing. The blood did cure all ailment, however there was a heavy price to pay. Citizens'jaws snapped open, rows of fangs jutted from their gums, their spines curved and contorted, their skin sprouted thick fur, limbs extended and nails became claws.
Even the vicars and clerics succumbed to the affliction, becoming the most abhorrent of beasts. As indicated previously, the blood saints of the healing church acted as blood vessels. Although unclear, it is possible that during the plague, the ash of blood turned the blood saint into a spirit. saints into blood-starved beasts.
From their appearance, we can surmise that the creature was skinned alive in order to extract the blood present within, allowing the beast to stay alive although flayed. Their anatomy is similar to that of the female beast patients in Old Yharnam. An interesting note is that the blood-starved beasts do not bleed blood, but instead spill poison when physically harmed, indicating the extent of the blood-starved beasts' of which blood was extracted from their body, to the point where none was left. We now turn to Vicar Amelia, a successor to the first Vicar, Lawrence. By examining her gold pendant, we learn this item was passed down among the vicars of the Healing Church.
Lawrence was the first to possess this pendant, which was eventually passed down to various vicars until it lay in the hands of Amelia. Once Amelia transformed into a beast, in the midst of battle, she still clasped the golden pendant in her hand, beckoning a golden light to heal her, a gentle reminder of her previous duties. Eventually, the scourge reduced most yarn.
Yharnamites to lycanthropic creatures. Initially, the Healing Church covered up any outbreaks by forming the Hunters'Workshop. They would appoint German, the first Hunter as leader of this branch. These Hunters would discreetly eliminate the infected, away from prying eyes, erasing any trace of potential negative symptoms of blood ministration. The Church would not allow their reputation to be stained with the blood of a few Yharnamites.
Ultimately, the Church could not suppress the ever-growing infection. One dreary night, the very first paleblood moon appeared. This moon rapidly hastened the transformation process from human to beast. Beasts began to roam the streets, and Ioannimites turned at a prolific rate.
The hunters could not cope with the countless hordes of beasts. When fighting a beast, you risk losing your life. becoming one yourself.
As the Hunters fell, the Church would have to create a new establishment. The Church formed the Healing Church Workshop, and appointed Ludwig the Holy Blade as its leader. Ludwig would go on to become the first Hunter of the Church.
He was a benevolent member of the Church, who was famous for his work on the Church of the Holy Blade. in his own right. The revered Ludwig armed the citizens of Yharnam with pitchforks and torches and led a frontal assault against the beastly populace.
Although many Yharnamites were afflicted with the beastly illness, they still tended to their duties. This resulted in Yharnamites imbibing blood, hunting beasts and then becoming beasts themselves. This would cause them to be trapped in a never-ending hunt to cleanse Yharnam of the illness.
Amongst all the madness, the healing church chose to blame outsiders for the spread of the sickness, although they themselves knew that the sickness was rooted in the blood. Due to the church's stature and influence, the Yharnamites took little convincing. They turned their hatred not only towards the beasts, but also any outsider who walked the streets of Yharnam. Outsiders and beasts alike would be hunted with no discrimination.
This mentality can be seen when the Yharnamites scream, You are not wanted here! Old Yharnam was connected to Central Yharnam by a bridge. Its residents were infected by the Ashen Blood.
The Healing Church provided antidotes to the infected, however this only provided temporary relief from the affliction. The church abandoned hope for Old Yharnam and sealed the bridge. This was to prevent the scourge spreading from Old Yharnam to Central. Old Yharnam was beyond salvation. In an attempt to curb the spreading of the beastly illness, the bridge was sealed and the area was razed by the Powder Kegs, a workshop considered heretical by the Healing Church.
The Powder Kegs, famous for their explosive weaponry and unparalleled firepower, burned Old Yharnam to the ground. This bittersweet victory was the end of the Powder Keg hunters, as they abandoned their duties and began protecting the beast. beast of Old Yharnam from any hunters, the very beast they swore to destroy.
Their change of heart was a consequence of the guilt the Padukheg hunters felt towards the people of Old Yharnam. Beasts still prowl Old Yharnam to this day, as the burning of the area did little to cool the infected. Due to the outbreak across Yharnam, the Many members of the church went on to become hunters, following in the footsteps of Ludwig.
The church hunters would battle endlessly against the beasts. Eventually, it would become difficult to determine the beast from the hunter. Many Yharnamites credit the church as the saviours that led the hunt.
The Yharnamites commended the church for acting as a line of defence between the beasts and the people, blissfully unaware that the healing church was fighting a sickness of their own creation. Once the beast plague was rampant, outsiders venturing to Yharnam were forced to take on a contract. if they could not pay the price for blood ministration. This would mean any outsiders seeking the benefit of blood ministration must become a beast hunter. This rule was applied to any outsider who could not afford treatment, and instead would provide payment through servitude.
One by one, the healing church collapsed, drowning in the blood that they had placed so much faith in. The upper echelons of the church were not exempt from the scourge. Even Lawrence himself was undone by the blood. Gehrman was the first of his kind, the progenitor to all the hunters who came after. His weapon and armour influenced the tools that all hunters would come to use.
This is further enforced by the description of his attire. Hunter attire of Gehrman, the first hunter, created before the workshop existed, by making adjustments to everyday clothing, and later became the basis for all hunters'garb. The hunters'emphasis on engaging beasts with speed, and therefore selecting lightweight attire, no doubt traces back to Gehrman's own combat style.
Gehrman relied on speed, rather than heavy armour, as armour would provide little protection against the brute force nature of the beasts. Hunters relied on their agility and speed to outmanoeuvre their prey, as they would be unable to win using strength alone. The influence Gehrman had on the hunters is displayed here.
From his weapon, the Burial Blade, we learn that it was a trick weapon wielded by Gehrman the First Hunter. It was a masterpiece that defined the entire array of weapons crafted at the workshop. Its blade is forged with siderite, said to have fallen from the heavens. His weapon description is very similar to the description of the weapon establishes Gehrman as the first Hunter. Its design and functionality represented the types of weapons that were forged at the workshop, serving as a prototype of sorts.
Gehrman, with the use of his weapon, would hunt his prey, hoping that one day they would find themselves no longer in the nightmare. He saw the hunt as a dirge of farewell, a lament for the dead, referring to how Gehrman knew the truth, that all beasts were once men. In an attempt to provide the afflicted with salvation, he would deliver death unto them, hoping they would find peace.
Both his weapon and attire alone shaped the tools and clothing used by hunters old and new. His methodology and approach to combat defined the hunter's core style when engaging beasts. Gehrman and his hunters would base their operations at the hunter's workshop, under the guidance of the Healing Church, built in an obscure location out of view from the average hunter.
citizens of Yharnam. Few knew of their existence in comparison to Ludwig and his band of holy blades who came after. The Hunters'Workshop was originally the primary defence against the beasts, later abandoned for Hunters of the Healing Church. Moving forward, Goemen would develop a curious mania towards his first student, Lady Maria. His curious mania is represented by the doll, which he has constructed to represent his favourite student.
The doll has the same face, body and height of Maria. In the Hunters'Dream, the doll is alive, and has an identical voice to Maria. Once enough insight has been obtained, the hunter can verbally communicate with the doll. She exists to serve all hunters who walk through the dream.
From the doll set, we learn the following. A deep love for the doll can be surmised by the fine craftsmanship of this article and the care with which it was kept. It borderlines on mania and exudes slight warmth.
The doll was created out of Gehrman's obsession and love for Maria. He tried to recreate her dad to the most minute detail, and paid great attention to its maintenance. The doll set also sports a lumen flower brooch, the same of which can be seen on Lady Maria.
Maria's attire. Gehrman's affection towards the doll, if he had any at all, seems to have diminished over time, as he informs the hunter that they may do as they please with the doll. Perhaps over time he grew to learn that the doll may have had Maria's physical features, however it was void of her personality. There does however appear to be somewhat of a connection between the doll and Maria spiritually.
In the old abandoned workshop, Gehrman's original workshop, we discover the following item. A small hair ornament, an accessory that would stand out most brilliantly against a head of greyish hair. this is referring to the hair colour of Lady Maria, suggesting that this was once hers. When given to the doll, she states the following.
Could this be joy? The doll then sheds a tear of joy, and provides the hunter with the following tear stone. Potentially, the doll has now felt some level of affection for the first time, and is overcome with emotion.
The tear stone shed by the doll states the following. A doll sheds neither blood, nor tears, and thus its nature remains unknown. Perhaps the doll did have some emotion and resembling personality traits of Lady Maria after all.
Although she cannot cry, we receive a tear stone. She cannot bleed, yet within the tear stone is a blood gem. When inspecting the gem, we discover discover that the doll's creator had wished for just such a friend, albeit in vain. If this is referencing Gehrman as the doll's creator, we can determine that he ultimately could not recreate Lady Maria, and as a result, the doll had no relationship with her own creator.
At one point in time, the doll says, Hunters have told me about the church, about the gods and their love. But do the gods love their creations? I am a doll created by you humans.
Would you ever think to love me? Of course. I do love you.
Isn't that how you've made me? Would you ever think to love me? Her creator has constructed the doll to unconditionally love humans, and she ponders if they could love her in return, further referencing Gehrman's disinterest towards her.
Jumping forward, Gehrman is now eternally trapped in the Hunter's Dream, along with the doll, a parallel version of the old abandoned workshop in Yharnam. The Hunter can discover Gehrman crying out in the Hunter's Dream. Oh, Lawrence, what's taking you so long? I've grown too old for this. Of little use now, I'm afraid.
Oh, Lawrence. Master Willem. Somebody, help me.
Unshackle me, please. Anybody. I've had enough of this dream.
The night blocks all... This is a hint at Goermann's enslavement to the moon presence, a great one. It is important to note that this hints at the length of time he had been trapped in the Hunter's dream, as he presumes...
Lawrence is still alive, unaware that he had already fallen and become the first of many cleric beasts. Willem at this point is docile towards the will of the Great Ones, meaning he would never come to save Gehrman. Oblivious to the fact that no one is coming to help him, Gehrman still cries out for help. He wants to be freed from this nightmarish coil, whatever the cost. The tale of Lady Maria of the Ashwell Clock Tower is one of morality, restraint, and in the end, liberation.
Lady Maria was of Vow blood, most likely born in Kynhurst Castle. Her hunter's outfit supports this. Among the first hunters, all students of German, was a lady hunter Maria. This was her hunter's cap, crafted in Kynhurst.
Maria is distantly related to the undead queen, but had great admiration for German, unaware of his curious mania. The undead queen was The queen mentioned here is most likely Annalise, Queen of the Vilebloods. From this information, we can surmise that Maria had the utmost respect for German, who had trained the very first hunters, before the Healing Church made Ludwig and his Holy Blades official. She would go on to become the very first student of German. It should be mentioned that the Healing Church may have forbidden a Vileblood from joining the ranks of the hunters, however she could have joined before the slaughter of the Vilebloods at Cynhurst Castle.
Perhaps Lady Maria concealed her identity from those around her, as many would look down on her. on her kind. The description of the Rikuyo, Lady Maria's weapon of choice, states the following.
Hunt a weapon wielded by Lady Maria of the Astral Clock Tower. A trick sword originated in the same country as the Kynherz Chikage. Only this sword feeds not off blood, but instead demands great dexterity.
Lady Maria was fond of this aspect of the Rikuyo, as she frowned upon blood blades, despite being a distant relative of the Queen. One day she abandoned her beloved Rikuyo, casting it into a dark well, when she could stomach it no longer. Lady Maria's roots in Kynherz Chikage Kynhurst has confirmed her. The sword demanded great skill to use, rather than reliance on the blood of the host, an odd weapon of choice for a vileblood.
Despite being a vileblood herself, she avoided harnessing her innate power, and instead chose to use a sword that demanded expertise and training, choosing to dedicate herself to becoming a master hunter like German, rather than relying on her power within. Her offhand weapon was the Evelyn, a special pistol used by Kynhurst knights. The Evelyn uses quicksilver bullets, just as any workshop firearm, but the Kynhurst have actually used it.
variance relies more on blood tinge. Lovingly named after a woman and graced with an intricate design, Evelyns were adored by Cainhurst knights. The firearm wielded by Maria also originated in Cainhurst, once again referencing her point of origin.
With her origin established, we now move to the current location of Lady Maria, the Hunter's Nightmare. She is trapped in the Nightmare as she has committed great sins, just like the many other Hunters held in this plane of existence. This can be attributed to the horrific events that took place in the Fishing Hamlet.
Long ago, the Nightmare was a very There was a fishing hamlet in which a cause parasites washed up on the shore when the carcass of cars washed up on the coast Its insides were teeming with tiny parasites unlike any found in humans within the carcass of cars Parasites emerged and infected the village folk Consequently the villages began to transform into beings that looked part human and parts great one Over time, the people of the Hamlet would grow to worship the Great One like a deity. Once Byrgenwerth learnt of this, they dispatched hunters, including Lady Maria, to decimate the village, slaughter its inhabitants and capture those afflicted. The Accursed Brew states the following, Skull of a local from the violated fishing village, the inside of the skull was forcibly searched for eyes, as evidenced by innumerable scratches and indentations. The hunters and scholars of Byrgenwerth murdered and defiled the bodies of the Hamlet residents, in hopes of finding eyes and signs of the that the people had been touched by the Great Ones, evidence of their communion with a higher existence.
Shortly after, Lady Maria was stationed at the Research Hall for a time, a place used by Byrgenwerth to conduct experiments on the people of the Fishing Hamlet, via the injecting of brain fluid. The purpose of these experiments was to ascend each patient to a status above that of a mere mortal. Maria was positioned to overlook these patients. At this point, Maria still believed somewhat in the goals and tenets of the Healing Church, and their ideology of becoming one with the Great Ones.
As the hunter navigates through the decrepit research hall, patients can be heard stating the following Ah, Lady Maria, Lady Maria, please take my hand, please help me, don't let me drown Lady Maria, Lady Maria, say something Lady Maria, save me please, I don't hear anything Although Maria oversaw operations here, she acted as a caretaker for the people, and showed them kindness. She was the calm in the storm for the tortured patients. Eventually, Lady Maria would abandon her duties, choosing to confine herself to the Astral Clock Tower. Perhaps the harrowing cries and defilements of the unwilling patients was too much to bear.
The guilt consumed Lady Maria, as all the comfort she provided them was for naught, as it was nothing compared to the fate that awaited them. Due to overwhelming guilt, Maria disposed of her Rikuyo. casting it into a well within the Fishing Hamlet, representing her transition to a pacifist.
The Astral Clock Tower is located past the Lumen Flower Garden, containing the living failures, a result of the Healing Church's experiments on the patients in the Research Hall. These creatures appear to be distantly related to the Celestial Emissary. They are artificial Great Ones manufactured through experimentation. Once the Hunter discovers Lady Maria in the Astral Clock Tower, she appears to be blood-soaked and deceased. Whether this was by self-inflicted wounds or not is unclear.
Her sins committed in the fishing hamlet and research hall eternally trapped her in the hunter's nightmare. Punishment for her deeds. A small photo can be seen next to Maria, a photo which is missing from the mantelpiece in the hunter's dream. Perhaps a souvenir from her time at the hunter's workshop.
She states... Should be left well alone. In this case, she is potentially referring to Kaz, showing her regret, anguish and disdain for what happened at the Fishing Hamlet and its residents, as everything began when the hunters disturbed the corpse of Kaz and the people of the Fishing Hamlet, further evidencing her pain and remorse. for the atrocities committed.
Her eagerness for knowledge and discovering the truth is similar to that of the Paleblood Hunter. The advice given to the Hunter is to prevent them from following in her footsteps. During the fight, Maria depends upon her dexterity and expertise to overcome overcome her opponent.
However, in the second phase, she surrenders to her innate strength as a vileblood, as a desperate last resort to try and overcome her adversary. This is the very thing she wanted to avoid using, but she would rather use the power of the blood if it would mean stopping anyone from disturbing the village. Her innate power is not enough and she is defeated. Her death frees her from the nightmare. After her death, the doll states the following.
Good hunter. This may sound strange, but... Have I somehow changed?
Moments ago, from some place, perhaps deep within, I sensed a liberation from heavy shackles. Not that I would know. How passing strange.
From her message, we can determine that the doll is somehow connected to Lady Maria. This statement also signifies Maria's release, and her soul finding peace at last. I chose to don a lot sword in his many hunts against the beasts that plagued Yharnam.
His holy blade was designed specifically to be used on larger beasts. As the church knew, the creatures would continuously devolve into larger, nightmarish monstrosities. This weapon was forged with this purpose in mind. Although German was the first hunter, Ludwig was the first official and publicly recognized hunter of the church. This position granted unto Ludwig would be one of the pillars to his success.
Ludwig's most iconic weapon was the Holy Moonlight Sword, an arcane sword discovered long ago by Ludwig. When blue moonlight dances around the sword, and it channels the abyssal cosmos, its great blade will hurl a shadowy lightwave. The holy moonlight sword is synonymous with Ludwig, the holy blade, but few have ever set eyes on the great blade, and whatever guidance it has to offer, it seems to be of a very private, elusive sort.
As we can see from the description, the sword was discovered and not forged, a far cry from the other makeshift weapons developed by the various workshops, the church, and the farming tools used by the citizens of Yharnam. It is also implied that Ludwig kept the blade close to him at all times, meaning very few gained the chance to view the sword closely. The blade also appeared to be sentient, a relic of the Great Ones perhaps, discovered in the Thumerian Labyrinths.
Not only did Ludwig use the Holy Moonlight Sword in battle, but also the Guidance Rune, a carol rune discovered by the old hunter Ludwig along with the Holy Moonlight Sword. The rune confirms that the Holy Moonlight Sword was found and not created. Through the use of the rune, Ludwig could see dancing sprites of light in the darkness, and it provided him with a unwavering courage that kept his fears at bay when confronting the beasts of the hunt.
This is partly why he was revered as a hunter, as his unparalleled strength and determination was drawn from these artefacts, and provided him with a will to fight through to the end. As mentioned previously, Ludwig recruited the The Radiant Sword Hunter badge confirms this. The Radiant Sword indicates the heirs to the will of Ludwig. These Hunters, also known as Holy Blade, are what remains of an ancient line of heroes that date back to a very early age of honour and chivalry. The badge signifies the legend of Ludwig and the status he had achieved.
Even after his deterioration and disappearance from the public eye, civilians and hunters alike would fight in the name of Ludwig, as in their minds it was as much a duty for them to fight as it was for Ludwig. Ludwig. Ludwig grew to become a hero amongst the hunters and civilians of Yharnam alike. According to the Sword Hunter badge, Ludwig was a cleric, and clerics transformed into the most hideous of beasts, referencing the fate of Ludwig, although he did not become a cleric beast as seen with Lawrence.
The Chief Hunter emblem was used by the captain to signify the end of the hunt. They would do this by waving the badge at the gate to signal the hunt was over, and that the streets of Yharnam were safe once more. The captain also referred to her, could be Ludwig, as he commanded a group of core hunters to hunt Hunters under the guidance of the Church. People saw Ludwig as a hero, as the people would see his return from the hunt as a triumph, a symbol of ceaseless courage. His return to the gates would give the citizens peace of mind, knowing that as long as Ludwig and his Holy Blade roamed the streets, they would be safe.
When the Hunter encounters Ludwig in the flesh, his title is no longer Ludwig the Holy Blade, and is instead Ludwig the Accursed. Now a combination of man and beast, he is found in the underground corpse pile, specifically in the Hunter's Nightmare, a place that trapped blood drunk hunters and punish them for their bloodlust. He is surrounded by the blood of the many hunters and bees he had slain, causing a stream of blood to flow through the area. Just like any other hunter in the nightmare, Ludwig is trapped.
His body is merged with that of a horse, twisted beyond recognition. Eyes can be seen lining his neck, signifying that he had eyes on the inside, increasing his insight to an astronomical level, furthering his madness. It is important to note that Ludwig can be seen wearing the attire of the church, implying that his final final transformation into a beast happened while he was on duty, potentially while accompanied by his horse.
In the case of Ludwig, his appearance is unique, as the other inhabitants of Yharnam transformed into wolf-like creatures, with the clerics evolving into a much larger counterpart. The Yharnamites did keep domesticated dogs to assist them in the hunt. Perhaps Ludwig rode a horse into battle, and through this ghastly unification, he forever battled a nightmare with his companion. Once the hunter confronts Ludwig and whittles his health down, Ludwig eventually falls to the floor, his face submerged in the blood of those he had slaughtered.
In this moment, he briefly returns to some semblance of his human past, once he notices the Moonlight Blade. An interesting note here is that if Ludwig did ride a horse when on his hunts, the sword would have been placed on the horse's saddle. When Ludwig undergoes the beastly transformation, he is merged with his steed.
This could be why he forgets that the sword is on his back, as it was on his horse pre-transformation. However, this is speculation. For the first time, the hunter hears Ludwig speak, with pure clarity and In this phase, Ludwig stands on his hind legs, a much more human-like pose.
He then poises himself for the duel with the hunter. At this moment, we see the Ludwig of legend, the one who fought the endless onslaught of beasts and rallied the hearts of his people. Even as we battle Ludwig in this stage, we can see his fighting ability and unparalleled skill with the sword.
The guidance rune urges him to fight on by revealing the sprites to him once more. The paleblood hunter still overcomes Ludwig and Ludwig's decapitated head falls to the floor as his body dissipates. Once defeated, the hunter may speak to Ludwig. If this is done without wearing any specific attire, he states the following.
Good hunter. Have you seen the thread of light? Just a hair, a fleeting thing. Yet I clung to it, steeped as I was, in the stench of blood and beasts. I never wanted to know what it really was.
Really, I didn't. Once again the guidance rune is referenced. He also confirms he did not know the true purpose of the sentient rune, and chose to ignore it instead, implying the rune may have had sinister intentions. If the hunter speaks to him wearing Healing Church clothing, he states the following.
Tell me, good hunter of the church, have you seen the light? Are my church hunters the only ones who can see the light? Honourable Spartans, I hoped they would be. Ludwig confirms that he led and trained the Hunters.
With his dying breath, he still asks if his Hunters are still fighting, and if their reputation matches that of the chivalric warriors of his age. Ludwig is proud of the Hunters and their legacy, and cares for them deeply, a trait which is uncommon among- From Ludwig's dialogue, it appears that he began to be criticised at some point. This is due to his descent into beasthood.
Either way, even as he lays dying, he cannot help but speak of the moonlight. On the other hand, if the hunter responds with no, Ludwig will say the following. Oh my, just as I feared, then a beast possessed degenerate was I.
As my detractors made eminently clear. This enforces a theory his transformation into beasthood is one of the reasons many hunters detracted from him, and how his reputation wavered. Although in the end he was still revered as a legendary hero amongst the church hunters of old. When speaking to Simon after the fight, he reveals some interesting information to the paleblood hunter. Here.
This is Ludwig's guiding light. A blinding thread that led and misled that consummate hero. The poor brute.
After the death of Ludwig, we learn the true reason why Ludwig descended into madness. The Guidance Rune gave Ludwig the courage to fight on, but Ludwig's ultimate strength was his greatest weakness, and ultimately, it led to his downfall. In the night of the hunt, an outsider arrives at Yusefka's clinic, agreeing to bear arms and partake in the endless hunt, in exchange to being treated via blood menstruation, described as a unique but common treatment in Yharnam.
Yusefka is a doctor working under the Healing Church, overseeing the clinic in central Yharnam. Visiting the clinic allows the hunter to interact with Yusefka, and it's made clear that she cares deeply for her patients, as she states, Out on the hunt? Then I'm very sorry, but... I cannot open this door. I am Yusefka.
The patients here in my clinic must not be exposed to infection. This is worth keeping in mind, as upon revisiting Yusefka at a later point, she seems to have a conflicting personality, asking the hunter to send survivors to her clinic, directly contradicting what she had previously said. said.
In addition, her tone of voice is suspiciously different. This is due to Yusefka being replaced by an imposter upon her second visit, revealing that the real Yusefka and her patients had become vessels for the imposter's experiments. Once the hunter is able to enter the clinic, The Impostor is seen lying on an operating table, suffering from an unknown pain.
Her position on the table, coupled with her dialogue, hint at the fact that she was impregnated by a Great One, but unlike others who were non-consensually impregnated, the Impostor did this intentionally, as it was the goal of her experiment with the intent of elevating humanity into kin. A one-third umbilical cord can be retrieved from the Impostor following her death on the operating table, expressing that, Provost Willems sought the cord in order to elevate his being and thoughts to those of a Great One by lining his brain with a cord. with eyes, the only choice he knew if man were to ever match their greatness.
Insinuating that she had been influenced by Willem's research, leading her to conduct her own experiments, unfortunately at the cost of the real Yusefka and her patients. In the city of Yharnam, no one is saved from the temptation of the Old Blood, or the desire of wanting something greater, the urge to level with the Great Ones. To observe those who succumb to the Bloodlust, one mustn't look beyond Father Gascoyne, a victim of the Old Blood.
Although Father Gascoyne didn't yearn for Godhood, he did surrender to the surrender to the Bloodlust. Father Gascoigne was a priest, explained by his name. Following the scourge of beasts, he joined the Healing Church as a hunter, and fought for an honourable cause. Father Gascoigne was a family man, caring for his wife Viola and his two daughters.
As he fought through the incessant nights, he began to be affected by the Bloodlust, resulting in him forgetting his family and fostering an obsession with hunting beasts. He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. If the hunter visits Father Gascoigne's residence, they are able to communicate with with his children and are given a tiny music box, as the music box is the sole object that reminds Father Gascoigne of his family and returns him home after a long, blood-filled The children explained on this night both their mother and father are yet to return home at this point the hunter is presented with multiple Options they can inform the younger sibling of the existence of Yusefka's clinic in which should become another victim of the impostors experiments turned in a celestial minion, or Erdyn Chapel, a safe haven for all survivors who seek refuge. Of course the moral choice would be the latter.
Crossing paths with Father Gascoigne will ensue with a battle, as the once honourable man had finally succumbed to the bloodlust, showing little signs of humanity left within him. Towards the conclusion of the fight, Father Gascoigne mutates now into a physical manifestation of the beast he had become. During this fight, the hunter is able to make use of the music box, distracting Gascoigne with a memoir of his family in order to inflict further damage on him.
After the battle is won, examining the environment will discover Viola's body laying motionless, revealing that on the night of the hunt, Viola had left the house in search of Gascoigne, only to arrive too late and be met with the beast in the form of the man she loved. Little did she know, her failure to accompany the Music Box with her that night would lead to her death at the hands of her once beloved husband. Exasperating the already tragic tale is the realisation that Father Gascoigne's youngest daughter is killed by a mani tabor in this same night whilst attempting to reach Erden Chapel. This is revealed when the hunter slays the mani tabor, only to find a bloodied white ribbon belonging to the innocent child.
Delivering the white ribbon to the older sibling will lead to her death at the hands of a brick troll, a woeful end to the Gascoigne bloodline. Succumbing to the bloodlust had become a familiar occurrence in the city of Yharnam, giving purpose to those such as Eileen the Crow, a hunter of hunters. With the city becoming ever more corrupted by the blood, those employed to oppose the scourge of beasts had become victims of it themselves. To level the playing field, hunters such as Eileen are sent to put an end to those who had suffered a similar fate to Father Gascoigne.
Eileen provides hunters who are on the brink of losing their sanity a dignified death, forbidding them from transforming into beasts. This is known as a sky burial, resulting in the in a deceased, being laid to rest in an elevated position and left for the crows to feed off of their blood, cleansing the body from the corrupted blood within it. Symbolised by Eileen's name and her outfit matching that of a crow, Eileen is found carrying out her duty as she takes the fight to Father Gascon's hunting partner, Henrique, who is said to have gone mad. Following her triumph against Henrique, Eileen can later be found incapacitated outside of the Grand Cathedral, revealing that she had been out fought by the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst, a hunter who had succumbed to the bloodlust, making him a target for Eileen, who in her old age can no longer be as effective in combat. This prompts the Paleblood Hunter to take matters into their own hands, bravely duelling the Bloody Crow and laying him to rest.
Doing so will reward the hunter with a Crow Hunter Badge, an item passed down from generation to generation. to honour those who hunt defected hunters. In addition, Eileen will express some final words of gratitude before disappearing from Yharnam, never to be seen again.
Whilst the Healing Church was being formed, Master Willem anticipated the repercussions of using the Old Blood. He feared that his former student Lawrence would make contact with the Great Ones and possibly summon them back into the waking world. Causing history to repeat itself, Master Willem completes a final Great Ritual on Rom, one of his loyal students. He utilises the umbilical cord they had previously acquired from the Great One cause, and lines Rom's brain with eyes, ascending her to become a newly formed kin Great One. A King Great One refers to a mortal who had transformed into a Great One.
They are not fully formed and therefore inferior in power to innate Great Ones. This is seen with Rom, as when faced with a hunter, she desperately slams the ground around her and profusely directs projectiles towards the hunter, with no real strategy. Rom is also accompanied by a group of miniature spiders to defend the creature, further evidencing her lack of competence. Rom is placed in a small pocket dimension deep below the Moonside Lake, with the sole purpose of shielding the physical world from the back of beckoning of the Moon Presence. A note left behind in the lecture building states,"...the nameless Moon Presence beckoned by Lawrence and his associates, pale blood."It is hinted that Lawrence and the Healing Church did indeed attempt to commune with the Moon Presence through the Mensis Ritual.
Although Rom is described as vacuous, meaning she wielded a lack of intelligence or rational thought, she is said to have the knowledge of the Eldritch Truth. Rom places a barrier that prevents any human from seeing the true nature of the world, masking a horrid reality with a false sense of existence. A note in the Bergenwerther Karte states, Academy reads, The Spider hides all manner of ritual, certain to reveal nothing, for true enlightenment not need be shared.
Defeating the vacuous Spider beckons the Blood Moon to descend, revealing the true nature of the world, Rom's ability to manipulate the perception of reality is void of existence, stripping back the false orchestrated reality to reveal the true horrors that resided in Yharnam, the amalgamation of all the sins committed by those who dared to commune with the Great Ones. The loss of Rom and the loss of the Great Ones is a real mystery. and her ability to shadow the world from the Mensis ritual summons the spiritual presence of Queen Yharnam, who can be seen at the bottom of the Moonside Lake, following the Hunter's battle with Rom. The Queen is seen distressed, knowing from experience what the Great Ones are capable of, especially now that they can operate freely freely, without Rom's protection.
The importance of maintaining Rom's presence is at the utmost priority, as further expressed by the Shadows of Yharnam being tasked with stopping anyone attempting to step into Byrgenwerth territory. The Shadows of Yharnam are servants of Queen Yharnam, placed as a barrier for those who seek to disturb Byrgenwerth. The Blood Rapture Ruin reads, This Ruin resonates with servants of the Queen, carrier of the Child of Blood, who yearn for their Queen's blood with little hope of requitement. This statement solidifies them as servants of the Queen, and although this could be confusing, with them being servants of Queen Annalise, the fact that they appear in A Nightmare of Mensis along with Queen Yharnam clarifies that the rune refers to Queen Yharnam.
This will be further analysed at a later point. The dread left behind by the skull of Mensis is clearly illustrated by the condition of Yhargul. Inspecting the environment, it is transparent that things had gone wrong, as dead Mensis scholars can be seen scattered around the landscape, wagons of corpses occupying the streets. as well as crowds of petrified people phasing through concrete structures.
The destruction left behind displays the tale of the Mensa scholars occupying the city of Yahagul and making it home to their experiments. These experiments were not to be taken lightly, as ritual items such as bloodshot eyeballs, inflicted organs, backbones and corpses were required. Many stagecoaches can be found in Jahagul, displaying the many ways the ritual items were transported from all over Yharnam.
The same coaches can be found in Hemwek, suggesting that many of the items were retrieved from there. The Mensis callers were not alone in this expedition, as the evidence suggests that they sought the help of the Witches of Hemwek. The witches were rye collectors, and they likely helped gather bloodshot eyeballs and direct them to Jahagul. Defeating the Witch of Hemwek provides the hunter with a bloodshot eyeball, described as, material used in a a holy chalice rite, an exquisite eyeball removed quickly after death, or perhaps even before. Strengthening this argument is the presence of executioners in Hemwick, who were giant servants of the school of Mensis.
Upon closer inspection, they can be seen wearing Yahagul attire, suggesting that they were sent to Hemwick by the scholars in order to aid in gathering the required ritual items. Also aiding the school of Mensis was Archibald, the school's tomb prospector. Archibald was obsessed with the artificial reproduction of lightning bolts, inspiring him to the develop items such as bolt paper and the Tanitrus.
It's implied that Archibald worked mainly within the walls of Yaha Ghul, as the majority of his inventions reside there. Whilst his creations were not fully appreciated at the time of their inception, they would later be put to use by the school of Mensis due to their effectiveness against celestial beings such as the Kyn. Driven by his desire to create the blue sparks of the Dark Beast, Archibald raided tombs where Dark Beasts lived, providing him with the equipment and knowledge he needed to create the sparks himself. Regrettably, at the time of his invention, he was not the costs of bringing to life his most dangerous creation yet, Dark Beast Paul. Paul is described as a giant skeletal beast, with electricity emitting throughout its entire body.
Following its resurrection, the Dark Beast broke out of its cage in an attempt to escape capture, only to find itself trapped within the locked gates of Yhargul, perpetually living in a prison until it was one day met with a hunter. The Dark Beast wasn't the only victim of experimentation, as in the Lumen Flower Garden in the Upper Cathedral Ward, the Hunter is faced with what remains of the Healing Church Experiment, the Celestial Emissary. The Great One conceals itself as a Celestial Minion, until threatened by the Hunter, where it then quadruples in size, revealing its true appearance. The creation of the Celestial Emissary began in the Research Hall, where orphans were captured and used for experimentation, with the goal of communing with the brightest daughter of the cosmos. The Orphanage Key reads, The orphanage, shadowed by the Grand Cathedral, was a place of scholarship and experimentation, where young orphans became potent unseen thinkers for the healing church.
The orphans would be forced to consume infested water containing microscopic life, which in return solidified their brain fluid. This led to the majority of the patients losing their sanity, driven to madness by the immoral experiments. The patients were looked after by Lady Maria, an old hunter.
She seeked those who showed the most potential, and tasked them with tending the Lumen Flower Garden. believing that the flowers would allow them to forget their suffering and evolve at a faster rate. Alas, nothing became of those patients, coming ever so close, yet just far enough from reaching the final transformation of becoming a Great One.
An exception to this was the Celestial Emissary, who managed to maintain its sanity long enough to cultivate the power of the cosmos, reaching its full potential and transforming into a Great One. With the rise of the Blood Moon, comes along the resurrection of Temerian beings in the form of Chime Maidens, having them appear in Yaha Gou. ghoul suggests that they were present and in some way involved in the Mensis ritual. Beckoning the Blood Moon summons the Chime Maidens to begin performing blood rites, to summon the dead and control them, to attack those who are seen as a threat. The Sinister Chalice description states, The bell-ringing woman appears to be a mad Thumerian.
Solidifying that they are Thumerians, the Chime Maidens, although awakened in a different era, are still driven by the same goal of contacting Mergo. They can be seen summoning a vessel in an attempt to provide Mergo's formless self a physical physical presence to latch onto. The vessel is known as the One Reborn, described as a result of a failed experiment conducted in Yhaghul.
As mentioned previously, the School of Mensis aim to advance humanity by attempting to propel themselves into a higher plane of existence, viewing this as a logical evolutionary step for mankind. They were prepared to go to any length to achieve this goal, without any remorse for those they may affect. The School of Mensis attempted to use Mergo's umbilical cord to commune with the Great One Mergo, although Mergo was the sole born of Queen Yharnam, the Great One still existed in the Nightmare Realm following its death in the Waking World, similar to how Kors was able to curse the fish in Hamlet following its death. Mergo's umbilical cord states, Every Great One loses its child, and then yearns for a surrogate.
This cord granted Mensis audience with Mergo, but resulted in this sole birth of their brains. The description of the cord refers to the Mensis ritual. It isn't entirely clear what the ritual entailed, however it is apparent that it was a demanding and painful process. be hypothesised based on seeing Mikolash, one of the scholars involved in the ritual, shackled to his chair, suggesting that for him to remain seated during the ritual, he needed to be tied down, due to the strain it can have on the body. Mikolash is also seen wearing a cage on his head.
The purpose of the Mensis cage is to channel moonlight that facilitates contact with the Great Ones of the Dream, as explained by the item description. Referring back to the description of the umbilical cord, it proposes that the ritual does work to a degree, as the cord grants Mikolash and his peers the ability to perform a ritual appears, the ability to commune with Mergo. However, this comes at a hefty cost, as it results in the stillbirth of their brains, referring to Mikolash being eternally trapped in the Nightmare of Mensis. Mikolash is seen aimlessly wandering the halls of Mergo's loft, muttering to himself like a madman, whose sanity had been stripped away, a sorrowful end to a key figure in the events that unfold in Yharnam.
After all, it is the Mensis ritual that beckoned the Great Ones into the waking world, and set in motion the events that led to the destruction of Yhaghur. Going deeper into the Nightmare of Mensis. It is made evident that this nightmare was constructed to reflect a specific part of the Meru.
This is reinforced by the appearance of Queen Yharnam in the nightmare. She can be seen standing atop of Mergo's loft, helplessly weeping whilst gazing upon the top of the castle, where Mergo's wet nurse resides. In this scene, the Queen's stomach can be seen stained in blood, reflecting her tragic history of being betrayed by the blood crazed Thimerians, who killed her and her unborn child Mergo. What is presented can be explained as her consciousness living in a dreamworld. world, designed to resemble the castle where she had planned to birth Mergo, eternally mourning her child's death.
In addition to this, the cries of the trapped spirit of Mergo can also be heard within the nightmare, and can only be silenced by defeating Mergo's wet nurse, bringing an end to the cursed nightmare, followed up with the Queen herself bowing to you as a sign of gratitude, before her consciousness is released from the nightmare. Queen Yharnam's story is one of tragedy and loss, however she does not suffer in solitude, as sharing that dread is Ariana, woman of pleasure. Pleasure, who bears a similar fate. Ariana can first be encountered in the Cathedral Ward, mistaking the Hunter for a customer and turning them away. Building trust with Ariana grants the Hunter access to her blood, received as a gift.
The blood of Ariana is described as such, Blood taken from Ariana, Cathedral Ward Woman of Pleasure, a member of the Old Healing Church would know that her blood is similar indeed to precisely what was once forbidden. This statement informs that Ariana's blood resembles the one's forbidden blood, referring of course to the vile blood. But what does this mean? The resemblance of blood suggests that Ariana may have been a descendant of Queen Annalise, who was known to consume Yharnam's forbidden blood, and if she wasn't directly related to the Queen, it would still suggest that Ariana possesses vile blood in her genes.
What nourishes this idea is the fact that Ariana sports a dress of a Cainhurst noblewoman, one not too different from Queen Annalise. Once the Blood Moon hangs low over Yharnam, Ariana begins to express being in pain, and states the following. There's something wrong with me. It hurts.
My stomach. It hurts terribly. At this point, she'll refuse to give the Hunter any more blood, and she won't be heard from until Miklash has been slain in the Nightmare of Mensis.
Returning to the Cathedral Ward, Ariana isn't seated in her usual location, but instead found in a sewer-like room at the bottom of Erden Chapel. At the end of a trail of blood, Ariana is seen weeping after birthing a celestial infant, a child of a Great One. This reveals that the formless Great One Erden had impregnated Ariana, explaining the pain that was abruptly bestowed upon her.
Clarifying this, is the description of the 1 3rd umbilical cord dropped by the infant if the hunter chooses to kill it. The cord reads, Every Great One loses its child, and then yearns for a surrogate, and Erden, the Formless Great One, is no different. To think, it was Corrupted Blood that began this Eldritch liaison. This description is consistent to that of Mergo's cord, with the addition of Erden being mentioned as the culprit to Ariana being impregnated. Similarities can now be drawn between Queen Yharnam and Ariana, as both were bearers of vile blood, were involuntarily impregnated by Urdan and lost their child in the process.
This conveys a cycle that constantly repeats itself throughout history. A Great One yearns for a child, loses said child, yearns for a new one, and the cycle repeats. Based on the revelations that unfolded with the presence of the Blood Moon, it is made clear that amongst the waking world, also exist Nightmare Realms, as evidenced by the Nightmare of Mentis mentioned earlier.
Nevertheless, this is not the only alternate realm that exists in this world, as the Hunter's Jail journey, leads to the discovery of the Nightmare Frontier and the Hunter's Nightmare. The Nightmare Frontier is occupied and ruled by the Great One Amygdala, a dream world that originates from the ancient land of Loran. In the Nightmare Frontier, an ailing Loran chalice can be retrieved, which reads, The tragedy that struck this ailing land of Loran is said to have its roots in the Scourge of the Beast. This references the origins of the Scourge of the Beast, which was detailed earlier, expressing that the fall of Loran was due to the excessive use of blood healing, causing the Denizens to turn into beasts, eventually leading to the land being devoured by the sand.
The final nightmare realm discovered is the Hunter's Nightmare. As previously explained, the Hunter's Nightmare originated from the creation of Kos as a means of punishing the old Hunter's blasphemous act in the Fission Hamlet. Setting foot in the nightmare, a Hunter is able to experience events of the past, viewed through a twisted and skewed lens.
This is justified as the Great Ones likely recreate these existent locations from memory, certain to take some liberties when portraying areas they don't recall correctly. The Hunter's Nightmare or environments they perceive differently from humans, elucidating why the geography in Nightmare Realms can be illogical at times. This realm consists of a recreation of the Cathedral Ward and Central Yharnam, in addition to the Healing Church's research hall, Lady Maria's Clock Tower and needless to say, the Fishing Hamlet. Exploring through these environments is what leads the Hunter to discover the history and stories of important figures such as Ludwig the Accursed, Lady Maria of the Astral Clock Tower and most tragic of all, what had become of Lawrence the First Vicar. All these figures who had shaped the course of time, now forever trapped in a dreamworld reserved for those who have a thirst for blood.
Nearing the end of the nightmare, the hunter is forced to overcome one last obstacle, the spirit of the orphan of Kos, lingering in the fishing hamlet, tethered to its mother's corpse until slain. Freeing the trapped spirit and severing its ties from the nightmare realm will bring satisfaction to Kos, implying that by killing the spirit of the orphan of Kos, the child can return to the ocean, free to traverse the cosmos without restriction. This act alone is a very powerful and powerful act.
Connecting both the Nightmare Frontier and the Nightmare of Mensis is the Lecture Hall, serving as a hub that bridges the gap between realms. It's likely that the Lecture Hall is a section of the Byrgenwerth Institute, One that had been wrapped up in the conflict between the School of Mensis and the Great One Mergo, resulting in it existing among the Nightmare Realms caused by Miklash and his colleagues. Strengthening this theory is the fact that the School of Mensis originated in Byrgenwerth, with Miklash himself being a student and admirer of Master Willem. Aside from serving as a means of accessing the Nightmare Realms, the lecture hall holds valuable information that reveals a change of heart from Lawrence following his failed expedition.
Notes that can be found within the lecture building deduce that at a point in time, Lawrence had an epiphany, a new purpose. The wailing echoes of all the lives lost due to his ignorance and recklessness would not prevent his descent into madness. At last finding his true calling, Lawrence admits failure in the form of a note left behind in the hopes that someone would follow his footsteps. The note reads, Master Willem was right.
Evolution without courage will be the ruin of our race. Hunt the Great Ones, Hunt the Great Ones. The note informs of a method to transcend the hunt. Others must face the Great Ones and most importantly, the Great Ones. Importantly the Moon Presence, a Great One who manipulates all that reside within the Hunter's Dream.
As mentioned, the Moon Presence controls every aspect of the Hunter's Dream, including the host of the dream, Gehrman, the first Hunter. The Dream was created by the Moon Presence to adhere to its goals, the goal of killing other Great Ones. It isn't entirely clear why it aims to do so.
Could it be interlaced with putting a stop to the Scourge of the Beast? The Moon Presence's motivations remain a mystery to all beings, all except Lawrence, who somehow elicited key information from the Moon Presence. presence when he beckoned the Great One into the world, inspiring him to write the note left behind, Hunt the Great Ones, Hunt the Great Ones. To confront the power of a Great One such as the Moon Presence is easier said than done, and although it may appear to be impossible, a second note within the lecture building provides a more practical approach to defeating a Great One. The notes simply states, three-third umbilical cords.
Although incredibly vague, the note implies that one must consume three-third umbilical cords of a Great One in order to resist the power of the Moon Presence, who will attempt to enslave those who defy it. With this knowledge, the hunter can now face the hunt. Returning to the Hunter's Dream reveals a visual change in what has now become a familiar home to the hunter. The Dream Refuge is seen burning up in flames, signifying the end of the hunt.
The hunter is then faced with three possibilities, being, submitting to Gehrman, the host of the dream, and allowing him to free the hunter from the wretched nightmare. A final swift death to awaken the hunter in the real world, resulting in the host of the dream Gehrman remaining shackled to the dream realm, eternally living alone in a small pocket dimension to serve all hunters passing through. Alternatively, the hunter can resist Gehrman, opting to face the first hunter in an attempt to free him from the nightmare and become the new host. Choosing this path will confuse Gehrman as why would one volunteer to imprison themselves in the dream, prompting Gehrman to say the following.
Choosing to free German, conveys the respect and care that was built between German and the hunter throughout this journey, sacrificing one's self in favour of saving another. In the end, German is freed, and the Moon Presence appears, the Great One who controls the dream. The Moon Presence and slaves the Hunter, and employs them in place of Gehrman as the new Watcher of Dreams. The final possibility follows a similar trail to that of freeing Gehrman, however when faced with the Moon Presence, the Hunter must implement the strategy left behind in the lecture building, to consume three three third umbilical cords. This allows the hunter to withstand the power of the Great One, and become immune to its influence, due to becoming a Great One themself.
Lacking the strength to defeat other Great Ones, the Moon Presence chooses to manipulate the strongest hunter of an era, tasking them with guiding hunters through the nightmare to slay all other Great Ones. If the hunter chosen by the Moon Presence is defeated and passed their prime, the Moon Presence will crown the victor as its New Puppet Now that the Hunter stands as an equal, they can defeat the Moon Presence in battle. In the wake of the fight, the Hunter transforms into a celestial being, illustrating the elevation into godhood, the once mortal human finally transcending the limitations of humanity. and becoming a newly formed Great One, reaching a state that countless people have sacrificed their humanity and the world around them for a millennia in order to obtain their desire to live out the fantasy of being holier than thou. All the events that transpire throughout this world, point out that the world is a place Point to humanity's insecurity and their need to maintain control, their own inability to accept being inferior to another species leads to their demise.
People are seen going to great lengths to elevate themselves back to the top of the food chain, and feel that sense of sovereignty that they had prior to the arrival of the Great Ones, at the cost of their own morality and their fellow human beings. Dating back to the Thamerian Civilisation, it is made evident that humans and the Great Ones could have maintained a symbiotic relationship, if not for human greed. Overwhelming greed. greed led to the Thumerians devouring their queen's blood, disrupting their relationship with the Great Ones, while simultaneously birthing the scourge of beasts.
Indirectly, the Great Ones caused the death of their worshippers, as they did not anticipate the greed of man, and the lengths they would go to, to imbibe the blood themselves. From this perspective, it is humans who had inflicted this plague upon themselves, as seen with Lawrence, Willem and Mikalash. Perhaps humanity should accept its insignificance in the universe, as clearly there are more advanced species.
present, ones that humans cannot possibly understand or relate to. On the other hand, why accept human limitations when the goal of ascension is obtainable, as evidenced by the Hunter's journey? However, does that truly put humanity in a better position?
Who's to say that once a human has become a Great One, they will maintain their care for the world, or even human lives? The truth is, there are no happy endings in the world of Bloodborne, as even once the Hunter is conquered, if the Hunter is to choose to submit to Gehrman, they will awaken in the world with no memory. or recollection of any knowledge they had obtained whilst on the hunt. Everything relating to Byrgenwerth, the Healing Church, Nightmare Realms, Great Ones and even the hunt itself, will all be forgotten, as if it never existed, and the cycle repeats. The same is to happen if the hunter takes Gehrman's place, the hunt repeats once again, leaving the hunter a slave to the cycle.
Lastly, as mentioned, if the hunter transforms into a Great One, there are no guarantees that they will maintain their ability to relate to the human world or care for it. as the hunter is a human no more. As disheartening as this revelation may be, humanity has survived for centuries and continues to do so on hope alone.
The hope of one day bringing an end to the scourge of beasts and ascending to a higher plane of existence where humans no longer live under the threat of the Great Ones. The hope that a world such as this can become a reality is what drives hunters to bear arms and fight in the darkest of nights and to seek the Pale Blood. Were it not for fear, death would go unlamented. Seek the old blood.
Unharmed by the plague of beasts, I can even die human. Oh, you are sick, Bobby. You drink the blood.
The side of Arthur Tern and now this! And you talk of beasts! You hunters are the real killers! Atonement for the wretches by the wrath of Mother Goth. The moon is close.
It will be a long hunt. The night. The night.
Wood. The night. Gamma joins the hunt. Farewell, good hunter.
May you find your worth in the waking world. And so, the hunt begins again. It isn't fair.
It just isn't fair.