The city of Yharnam was built on a lie. It was hailed as a place of medical miracles, where the sick could be cured by the administration of the "Old Blood." But this blood was not a cure; it was a curse.

The Scholars of Byrgenwerth

It began at the college of Byrgenwerth, where scholars discovered ancient, eldritch beings in the labyrinthine tombs beneath the earth. They found a medium—blood—that could evolve humanity to a higher plane of existence.

Master Willem, head of the college, feared this power. His adage was a warning: "Fear the Old Blood." But his student, Laurence, disagreed. Laurence believed the blood was a tool to be used. He left Byrgenwerth to found the Healing Church.

The Scourge of Beasts

Laurence's Healing Church distributed the blood to the masses of Yharnam. It cured illnesses, healed wounds, and intoxicated the populace. But eventually, the side effects emerged. Those who imbibed the blood began to transform. Their limbs lengthened, their minds snapped, and hair sprouted from their flesh. They became beasts.

The Cosmic Truth

The tragedy of Yharnam is that the beasts were merely a symptom. The true horror lay in the sky. The Healing Church wasn't just trying to cure disease; they were trying to commune with the Great Ones, cosmic entities that exist on a plane beyond human comprehension.

The "Beast Scourge" was simply humanity's failure to ascend. Yharnam became a nightmare not because of demons, but because mortals tried to become gods and failed.