The provided text is a detailed narrative of a story set in a world inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's works. The story revolves around the characters of Master Willem and Laurence, who were once students at Byrgenwerth, a prestigious learning institution. They discovered ancient underground labyrinths filled with traces of godlike beings known as the Great Ones.
Master Willem was obsessed with pushing the limits of human knowledge and believed in attaining more insight to elevate humanity. He was against the use of the old blood, a substance found in the Tomb of the Gods, and believed that the path to evolution lay in knowledge and insight rather than blood.
Laurence, on the other hand, disagreed with Willem's approach. He believed in the power of blood and eventually left Byrgenwerth to found the Healing Church. The Healing Church used the blood of the Great Ones to heal illnesses and grew in power. However, the overuse of the healing blood led to a scourge of beasts in Yharnam, the city where the Church was based.
Meanwhile, Master Willem continued to pursue his ambitions at Byrgenwerth. He discovered an umbilical cord of a Great One, a powerful artifact, and sought to use it to elevate his being and thoughts to those of a Great One.
The story also delves into the workings of the School of Mensis, a separate institution from the Healing Church. The School was led by Micolash, who was attempting to commune with the Great Ones using an umbilical cord. However, this ritual resulted in the School and its students being ripped into a nightmare.
The story concludes with the appearance of Queen Yharnam, a Pthumerian woman who was blessed with a child of the Great Ones. She is linked to the nightmare of Mensis and the ritual that Rom was hiding.
1. The quote "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown" is attributed to H.P. Lovecraft.
2. The story begins with the words spoken between Master Willem and Laurence.
3. The story takes place in the ancient underground labyrinth of Pthumeru, also known as the Chalice Dungeons, located deep below the city of Yharnam.
4. The labyrinth was carved out by the Pthumerians, superhuman beings who discovered a sinister truth.
5. The labyrinth was also known as "The Tomb of the Gods," where traces of godlike beings named "The Great Ones" were found.
6. The Great Ones could function on transcendental planes of thought, meaning they had elevated their consciousness beyond the physical realm.
7. Master Willem presided over a prestigious place of learning, Byrgenwerth, situated by a tranquil lake and secluded within a gigantic forest.
8. Willem was obsessed with the truth and believed in pushing the limits of humanity.
9. Runesmith Caryll, the second character of the story, transcribed the inhuman utterings of the Great Ones into what is now known as Caryll Runes.
10. Laurence, a high-ranking student of Master Willem, disagreed with Willem's belief in attaining more insight and sought to use the power of blood.
11. Laurence founded the Healing Church and went on to explore the labyrinth below Yharnam.
12. Through overuse of the healing blood, the city of Yharnam eventually succumbed to the scourge of the beast.
13. The Healing Church split into multiple branches, each with a different purpose, including the Choir, the School of Mensis, and the Workshop.
14. The Choir, a group within the Healing Church, was responsible for researching and making contact with the Great Ones.
15. Micolash was likely the head of the School of Mensis, a place of learning, research, and experimentation for the Healing Church.
16. The Workshop hunters served under Gerhman, the first hunter, and were tasked with hunting beasts under the cover of night.
17. In what would come to be called Old Yharnam, a new disease appeared, called ashen blood, which seemed to trigger the spread of the beastly scourge.
18. The Healing Church retreated and blocked themselves off in Upper Cathedral Ward, coming up with a new strategy for dealing with the scourge of the beasts spreading throughout Yharnam.
19. Ludwig was the chief hunter of the Healing Church, which consisted of hunters garbed in black and white.
20. The School of Mensis, under Micolash, attempted to commune with the Great Ones and found an umbilical cord, which resulted in the stillbirth of their brains and the ripping of Mensis and its students into a nightmare.