#keeper of arcane lore

[enchantedfrogprince]

"Mwahahaha... would you like to play Call of Cthulhu with me~?"

— — — carrd 🍄🌿 discord 🍄🌿 Twitter 🍄🌿 Twitch

— — — 🎨 me

[ohzeusetc]

This whole Grimace birthday shake trend would make for an EXCELLENT Call of Cthulhu scenario

[nyarlathotep-the-dark-pharaoh]

this is me if u even care. keeper pls respond

24 hours no sucking on breasts

[incorrectthecall]

The Keeper of Arcane Lore: Some of you may die, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

[candelaobscure]

Candela Obscura Intro | Chapter 1, Episode 2 

[danielnelsen]

omg that optional room with the locked door in leliana's song took so many tries on nightmare difficulty

[avrorean]

so I replayed awakening over the past week and guess who got a keeper respec...

[the-nyanguard-party]

the game master of Call of Cthulhu is referred to as Keeper (short for 'Keeper of Arcane Lore'). when talking about it in a more general context you may need to specify "Call of Cthulhu Keeper" or, for short, CoCK

[weepingjesters]

Alright alright!, here we go!

(Long, long text post after the cut)

First things first, lore time!!

All of this may change overtime as I make adjustments and figure out finer plot details, so don't take everything for being set in stone.

Anyways, my story for the Arcane Order is WAY different than the canon version we were given.

Beginnings

Starting with the main cast, Skrael, Bellroc, and Nari are given a bit of a different dynamic than shown in the show. Instead of just being a vague group of primordial wizards, they were born from the earth itself. Evolution plays out as it does in the modern science books, with the different eras and ice ages. The earliest plant life began about 460 million years ago, that is when Nari first appeared. Nari created new forms of life over a very long stretch of time, including the earliest forms of dinosaurs, and watching those dinosaurs evolve on their own. When they are wiped out by an asteroid, however...

That is when the second Arcane Order member would appear, around the end of the Cretaceous period about 66 million years ago. The recovery period afterwards is when Bellroc comes into the picture for the Arcane Order. They appear while the smaller mammals and rodents are running around and scavenging, trying to survive. (This is where they get their skull headpiece---It's a runt giganotosaurus skull! ((might change to be a juvenile allosaurus skull as well, or a Utah raptor))). From here on Bellroc is just kind of... there. They live throughout history until we get to about... 2 billion years ago.

2 billion years ago is when the first Ice Age began! Which means, you guessed it, Skræl appears! Before this time, however, Bellroc and Nari had grown into a siblings-like bond, with Nari guiding and helping Bellroc around the powers they now wielded.

They hadn't really been meddling in creation very much up to the point that Skræl appears, but afterwards, they start steering the course of the Earth, which includes the beginning of the human race. This is a post for another day, so let's just skip to the part that focuses the most on Skræl!

Skræl's lore / his role in humanity

From here, the timeline can get a bit muddy, since the Inuit and Norse and Norwegien groups of humans I have inspired his looks and lore from appear at about the 13th century, meanwhile toa Wizards dates the Killahead War at the late 12th century. I ask you ignore this hiccup in my storyline, please and thank you!

Anyway, Skræl had taken a liking to the humans who were choosing to live in his harsh arctic environment, specifically the several different Eskimo peoples, which include but are not limited to the eight Inuit groups (credit to this site for the information): The Labradormiut (Labrador), Nunavimmiut (Ungava), Baffin Island, Iglulingmuit (Iglulik), Kivallirmiut (Caribou), Netsilingmiut (Netsilik), Inuinnait (Copper) and Inuvialuit or Western Arctic Inuit (who replaced the Mackenzie Inuit).

Starting with his name, Skræl took his name off of the term that the Old Norse and Icelandic people had for the Inuit tribes, skrælingi or plural skrælingjar. From before this point, Skræl had just been referred to as North Wind by the other members of the Arcane Order and by any mortal/magical creature who knew of him. He chose to be referred to as a male a long time ago as well, simply to ensure that there wasn't much confusion amongst the humans whom he was spending more and more time watching and messing with.

Skræl had been meddling with humans for a very long time, since the first Ice age, and all of the time afterwards that there were ever any humans in his Arctic environment. He had taught the humans many different skills, and was sometimes worshipped alongside other deities by the Old Norse.

He often met with at least one or two elders of an Inuit group every few generations simply to talk and see them off into the next life. (Energy and souls can be reincarnated in my version of Trollhunters, which will leave interesting story options open for future use).

Because of Skræl's open enjoyment of the human race, you can see how I'm setting up the Killahead battle and the way he will react to being asked to meddle with such an important and fragile battle for balance. But that's for later.

Skræl's design inspiration

There are several different observable things to talk about in his design, so lets start with his head dress: the walrus skull.

The reason I decided upon a walrus skull rather than one of a caribou or mammoth or any other great beast is because of the Inuit legend of Sedna, the sea goddess. In the legend, Sedna has her fingers cut off, which then become all of the sea creatures of the oceans, which include things like whales, seals, and walruses. Before this legend came around, though, Skræl had been wearing a scimitar cat skull instead. He switched to a walrus to be more connected to the Inuit.

The second part of his design is his "cloak", which is really just a standard Inuit fur coat that has been cut down the middle like a jacket, and thrown over his shoulders like a cloak. He doesn't wear it like the mortals would because he, as a god, doesn't need to worry about freezing to death. I also just wanted an excuse to show off his tattoos, which may or may not be added. (I still have to find some good and credible resources and references to the meanings behind chest and arm tattoos for the Inuit, so only his face has any right now in the final art I've done for him. the only reason he's kept the two lines across the face is because they **allegedly** mean that he has killed a rather large or memorable whale).

The third part is his pants, which are the common pants of a Norwegian / Viking trousers. They are tied at the waist with rope and wooden/bone beads, because Skræl is just extra like that. The shoes/'shin guards' are also typical boots for Viking age Norwegians *according to my sources*, but I cut them off at the ankle so that he can be bare foot in the snow like the little maniac he is.

Speaking of little, I made him so much larger than he is in the cannon. Skræl stands at about 5'6" when standing up straight, and he's bigger physically, but still extremely lean. He has more of the native features of an Inuit (referenced from old photos off Google).

In a previous ask I sent to @ssiggss, I said that he has braids beneath the hood and skull, but now I'm not sure if I want him to be bald or not. Probably not, just to go the easy route, since I can barely draw loose hair as it is.

He has those little itsy bitsy horns on his head still, too. No lore reason, I just liked them in his canon design.

Skræl (and Bellroc's role) in the battle of Killahead, and a tease at the rest of the story!

Nari is the one who calls the Arcane Order together to discuss the issue of the balance within her domain, and urges them for help. Bellroc and Skræl are don't really agree with the idea of meddling in such a big event, considering they didn't help any of the other previous civilizations during things like the Ice Ages, Aztec empires, or natural disasters like Pompei.

They decline her request, and leave the Wild Wood.

Immediately, Nari is pissed off and tells them to help, but they still decline. Nari gives Morgana her power to be the Mother of Monsters, and meddles in the battle herself.

And then Skræ; and Bellroc disappear...

...until the time of Merlin's death.

Someone ask me about my version of Skrael PLEASE 🙏 I WANT TO RAMBLE ABOUT THIS LOSER

[litrpgburrito]

The Seattle Stacks

[Lore surrounding a version of Seattle where magic and technology collide]

In the shadow of the Space Needle, amidst the verdant sprawl of what was once a bustling Seattle park, lies the Seattle Stacks. A haphazard skyline of motor homes, each one a relic of a bygone era, now stacked atop one another in a defiant monument to survival. The Stacks are more than just a neighborhood; they are a sanctuary for the misfits, the mages, and the machinists of a world where the lines between technology and magic have blurred into obscurity.

The story of the Seattle Stacks begins with the Great Convergence, an event that fused the realms of the arcane and the engineered. Magic, once thought to be the stuff of legend, flowed into the world like a tidal wave, crashing against the shores of reality. Technology, which had reached its zenith, suddenly found itself infused with this new, wild energy. The results were both wondrous and catastrophic.

In the aftermath, society reformed in unexpected ways. The Stacks emerged as a community for those who sought to blend the old with the new. Here, enchanters worked alongside engineers to fortify their homes against the elements and the creatures that roamed the wilds beyond. Poles and bars, imbued with spells of strength, held the precarious towers of homes aloft. Chains enchanted with protective wards clinked in the wind, a symphony of security for the inhabitants.

The heart of the Stacks was its people. Each tower, a small neighborhood unto itself, thrived on the cooperation of its residents. From the cyber-witches who wove spells into neon lights, giving them a life of their own, to the gearhead sorcerers who conjured mechanical familiars from spare parts and sheer will, the community was a tapestry of innovation and tradition.

At the center of it all stood the Emerald Tower, the first and tallest stack. It was here that the leaders of the Stacks convened, a council of the wise that guided the community through the challenges of their new world. They were the keepers of lore, the architects of the Stacks' future, and the bridge between the mystical and the mechanical.

As the sun sets, casting long shadows over the Stacks, the neon lights flicker to life, painting the sky with vibrant hues. The air hums with the energy of a hundred spells, and the scent of sizzling circuits mingles with the earthy aroma of the park's ancient trees. The Seattle Stacks stand as a beacon of hope, a testament to the resilience of humanity, and a reminder that even in a world divided, there is a place for unity—in the stacks where magic and machine coexist in harmony.

[inkdemonapologist]

THE LOREKEEPER

This is from a while ago, but apparently I never posted it! Back during Thren's bday, I couldn't decide which of her cthulhu characters to draw a little birthday doodle of sO UH.............

....HERE'S EVERY IMPORTANT NPC I COULD THINK OF! As the person who runs the game (the "KEEPER OF ARCANE LORE"), Thren plays every ally and villain and friend; anyone who isn't one of the four main boys is technically her character, and I have huge respect for this world she's put together and brought to life. SOME OF THESE FOLKS DID NOT HAVE, DESIGNS AS SUCH so I did my best to make them recognisable if you know all our adventures, haha! But here's a key under the cut:

[cursedcarbuncle]

The Cursed Carbuncle Auction Sun. Oct. 20th, 5pm PDT

💎📜 Greetings, curious souls... 📜💎

You’re invited to a night of mystery and allure at The Cursed Carbuncle’s Acquisition Auction on October 20th @ 5 PM Pacific!

🍂✨Venture once more to The Cursed Carbuncle, where the veil between the realms thins, and enchanted artifacts await their new keepers. On this night, we present a special All Saints' Wake collection of occult treasures, each with a tale to tell and a power to behold.

🕯️ For the boldest among you, we will be auctioning off the following arcane curios:

Eye of Newt: A sinister bauble with piercing sight. 🦎

Succubus' Breath: A potion steeped in seductive charm. 🍷

Tentackle Box: A mysterious container writhing with otherworldly tendrils. 🦑

Heart of the Gargoyle: A stone heart pulsing with dark protection. 💎

Each artifact carries both 5E and PF2E mechanics for your adventuring needs, plus deep lore connected to the eerie festival of All Saints' Wake. Please see our auction details below! 📚💀

📅 Mark your calendars, bring your gil, and join us for this spellbinding event. It’s the perfect opportunity to snag a piece of dark magic for your collection. We can’t wait to see which of you dares to claim these cursed relics! 🐾💎 ⚠️ Note: All items are RP-only. We do not accept out-of-character gil; all transactions are entirely fictitious.

📍FFXIV | Crystal DC | Mist w15 • p5 Acquisition Lots {Items for Auction} Free Company Site {Want to join us?} @mooglemeet @ffxivrp @balmungrpcalendar

[skekdris]

Sketch of my OC/Species graciously brought to life by @aryeonos , The Arhulian. Needless to say, a huge, six-eyed, badger-centipede is both intimidating and hard to depict visually. Thanks to Ary again for assisting me with editing and proof reading. I don't think my story could have reached this level of polish if I did not have my love to bounce it off of. <3 Down below is a short story of them meeting the Amaranthine characters by @kwillow and @chocodile . They are in for a surprising house guest, that's for sure! Seems like a good way to get a feel for a character is to put them up against some "knowns" to see how the character would react in those circumstances. Acts as a good backdrop to flesh them out from there. As for right now, I'm still 'sculpting' out a lot of the Arhulian lore and worldbuilding. Initially the story was supposed to be with Hyden, Alex, and Theo, interacting with my Arhulian character 'Niadris' - but the way things were written out and flowed - it turned out to be Alex, Theo, and Ridge instead. I really wanted Hyden to meet them in this story, but then again, Hyden being deadass asleep while all the interesting stuff happens sounds like a pretty Hyden-y thing to do. Anyways, onto the story. It's somewhat of a long read, at ~7k Words. There's a lot of character interaction, so I hope stayed close to how the three would react in such a situation!

The Visitor

It was an afternoon in middle spring - which for this area of the continent meant that if the weather was good, temperatures would rise above freezing. The cool air with the humidity of melting snow seemed pleasantly mild compared to the long, bitter winters. In the study of a large manor on the outskirts of a town called Northcrest; an older, corpulent, Rabbit with a cracked gem embedded in his forehead was gripping the sides of his hair in frustration. "A person of my mind, MY intellect should have solved this weeks - no - months ago!" Hyden snarled to himself. 

"You sure you aren't just stalling for time to enjoy your little 'vacation' here?" A Bat leaning in the doorway chided. 

Hyden put on a despondent look. "I am trying, Ms. Solokov. Really, in earnest. The faster I can put an end to this disaster, the faster I can rebuild my oh-so woefully maligned reputation!" He said, crumpling up another paper of scribbled equations of arcane theory, tossing it into a waste basket. 

Alex wanted to retort, but it would just be another fight, another exchange of barbs like all the other times before. She rolled her eyes, then stood up to wander out of the office. "Hopefully Ridge gets back soon. I want someone I can actually talk to." She thought, returning to her room to take stock of her things.

Hours later, as the sun was setting - casting the hillsides in an amber glow, a brawny teal Shark bundled in a heavy coat returned. In both of his arms were large crates, as well as canvas bags hooked around his arms. The door was opened by a short, roundish fancy Rat. "Oh, do make sure you remove your filthy boots at the entryway, I don't want any melting slush being tracked all over my estate." They sneered in their shrill voice. 

"Yes, of course Theo. I wouldn't want to sully your pristine hardwood floors." Ridge responded dryly. Before the Rat could retort, the large Shark added. "Anyways, here's everything you had on your shopping list, these supplies should keep us stocked for a few weeks before another trip." Preemptively cutting off Theo again, Ridge blurted out: "Oh, and I trust 'ya have the perfect spot to put everything. I wouldn't want to scramble 'yer pantry, after all." 

Theo scowled at the bulky outsider, their constant pokes and attempts at wit got under his skin. He knows Ridge was trying to get out of putting away the groceries after a long walk - but he was also right. "Yes, of course. As the sole keeper of this venerable estate, it is my duty to tend to all it's functions, right down to it's inventory." Theo stated. There would have been more words to shoot back, but Theo's duty as a host kept him from slipping any further into banter with his guest.

After dropping off the groceries for Theo to tend to, Ridge went off to search for alex. The manor contained more rooms and floors than any “house” he had ever set foot in. It irritated Ridge to no end that the little rich Rat insisted that the doors remain closed at all times, so he had to peek into half a dozen rooms and three closets before finding the reading room his friend was residing in. The weary Shark entered, flopping down on a chair; glad to be able to finally sit down on something soft and cushy after his trek. Alex smiled, welcoming him. "Your shopping trip took a long time Ridge, I know he asked you to grab a lot. Is everything alright?" The Bat queried.

Ridge sighed. "Yea... well maybe. Just some things 'goin on." He added before continuing. "I know you don't get out much since you 'gotta keep an eye on them two, so I figured I'd go around town and pick up a little news for ya. See what's happening. There's been talk of some strange things going on. Livestock vanishing, hunting season has been looking a little sparse, and strange tracks out in the snow. People said they look like ski pole marks, I dunno what to make of it, I figured you uh - you have gotten out more than I have, so you'd have an idea."

Alex frowned. "Well, unless we are dealing with a roaming pack of wolves with skis, it's probably another one of those magic, twisted monsters that appeared ever since this whole catastrophe began." Alex sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yet another thing I ought to give that fat Rabbit a piece of my mind about." She said, her voice lowering, oozing with contempt. 

Ridge gave Alex a concerned look. "Yeah, well, if it was just that, that wouda have been one thing. But I saw those funny tracks near the path to the mansion... I don't have a good feeling about this."

Alex nodded. "I see. As much as I want to see that guiltless loaf ripped apart and eaten like cheap, stale bread by the very monsters he's created; we need him. I'll keep my eyes and ears out for anything strange." The following nights were uneasy for Alex. Each night, she'd take station and perch herself on one of the roofs accessible via a second story window, scanning the horizon for activity. Her large ears would catch whispers of something roaming in the distance, but she never could locate the source of the sound or what direction it was coming from. It always vanished just as she felt like she was homing in on her target.

She felt an uneasy tingle in her veins as her frustration mounted. If it was just wildlife, or even a monster, she surely should have spotted something by now. "Is anything really out there?" She thought to herself. After another uneventful evening watch, Alex swallowed her worries long enough to get some rest. She already has Hyden to keep watch over, she doesn't need whatever this is stealing her attention.

During the late evening; an hour past midnight, the manor was quiet, save for the crackle of the evening fireplace, as well as the stirring of but a single person; Theo. Between his duties as host, the sole caretaker for an entire servant-less manor, as well as his intense suspicion of everybody - save for his living historical idol Hyden - Theo was often the last person to go to bed, and the first to rise. This truncated sleep schedule, the bags under his eyes; they were merely the cost of business to keep everything in order. During the final rounds of his estate, a knock came from the door just as theo entered the foyer. The ears of the diminutive Rat twitched, his shoulders jerking at the sound of the knocking, which in the dead of night was as clear as his crystal wine glasses.

Tap tap tap. Another knock came. Theos' ears were not deceiving him. "Who in their right mind would visit at this godsforsaken hour?" Theo thought to themselves. This was abnormal. Tap tap tap. He rarely had visitors, ever. Let alone at a time like this. As he neared the door, he hesitated. The magical crystal embedded in his left hand felt strangely warm, and his hand was flush with blood flow. This was never a sensation he had experienced before - something was off. Tap tap tap. Before Theo could ponder any further, the fancy Rat scrunched his nose and bared a snarl as they heard more knocking pickaxing through his inner monologue. Whatever was going on, it was a terribly rude hour to be disturbing anybody, let alone him. Arming himself with some choice verbal barbs for his unwanted visitor, Theo opened the door.

As the door swung open, he was greeted by a silhouette of something massive - even taller than Hyden - though much of it's form was obscured by the evening darkness and their ebony fur, but what could be seen was not the body of a person. It was of some kind of beast. The fuzzy forelimbs of this creature ended in large, gently curved, off-white spikes, similar to that of a praying insect that Theo had only seen depicted in a historical encyclopedia. He looked up; his eyes met with the pairs it had on their badger-like head. The creature's triangular ears flicked, then it looked down at the Rat; the creature's three pairs of eyes were arranged above one right after the other - like the pips of the six side of a die. The eyes were pure black, save for the iris that shone like a purple ring in the light of the lantern. The words Theo had prepared found themselves lodged in his throat.

Aghast, the fancy Rat stumbled backwards, but his heel snagged on the edge of a floor rug, causing the Rat to land on his posterior, painfully pinching his tail. "Eek! M-monster... Gnnnk! Demon! Hng Aberration!" Theo exclaimed in a shrill voice as his rapid breathing caused him to fumble over his own words. He wanted to call out for help, to Hyden; even to the outsider, Alex. But he could not utter anything beyond sharp gasps as his breathing went to disarray.

The imposing creature looked at the panicked Rat and spoke to them. "Oh? Is that so? Would a monster choose knocking over divorcing your door from its frame?" The creature's voice was deep, coarse, and multitudinous as if three separate beings were speaking in unison. The creature remained in the doorway, peering at the quaking Rat, examining them and their actions closely. All six eyes were locked onto Theo, and the gaze made his fur stand on end. Theo already hated being stared at by just one pair of eyes. 

Theo sat on the floor, his whole body feeling flushed and trembling from his pounding heart. That thing had just spoken to him. In fluent dialect no less! Theo had heard of monsters before, but never an intelligent one - let alone one capable of speech. Something about this creature disturbed him to his core. His mind raced at kilometers a minute trying to process just what he was witnessing.

The creature's lips tensed as if it were about to speak; but then it stopped, before looking to its left. "It seems your sentry has been roused." The creature spoke aloud.

"Ess... Sentry?" Theo questioned. Then it clicked; it was referring to Alex. She always kept watch. How did they know about her? "Was this thing spying on us?" Theo exclaimed in his mind. The Rat felt dread bubbling up within him.

In one of the manor's guest rooms, Alex was sleeping. The tension of the last few nights had made deep sleep an impossibility. Thus, when the sound of Theo's raised voice came from downstairs, it was enough to wake her. She rubbed her eyes as she rose from the bed. "Was that Theo shout-" Her large ears flicked as they heard the sound of something unearthly and her fur stood on end. Without any further thought, her body reacted and she grabbed her hunting rifle, sprinting to the location of the sound. Fortunately, her eyes were fully adjusted for the night, and she made it to the foyer without a stumble despite her scramble. 

She sprang into the foyer, stopping herself with the guard rail of the grand staircase. Alex laid eyes on the huge beast in the doorway, it's six met with hers. Alex was prepared to shoot, but the violet irises of the beast were staring right at her the instant she rounded the corner into the foyer; as if it already knew she was going to be there. The sight made her freeze. "Theo! What in the hells is that!?" Alex exclaimed.

"A monster!" Theo shouted.

"A visitor." The creature stated, it's baritone, stentorian voice matching Theos' shouting in volume.

No longer half asleep with no obstructing walls to deaden the sound, Alex heard the creature's course, multitoned voice clearly. "Did that thing... just speak?" She said aloud.

Before either Theo or Alex could interject, the creature filling the doorway spoke to the two startled people in the foyer of the manor. "Yes. I did. Your language is relatively simple compared to my native tongue." The beast stated flatly. 

"Meh Ms. Solokov! It's egk dangerous! It's bee been spying on us!" Theo said, his chest still struggling to steady itself. 

Alex kept her rifle leveled at the beast in the doorway. She wasn't sure if Theo was speaking the truth, or was just in shock. "Okay, who and what the hell are you?" The Bat said, keeping her focus on the creature.

They replied. "I am Niadris. I am what your tongue would call... an Arhulian." 

Alex looked at Theo in bewilderment. Theo glanced back at the Bat. "Are-rule-lee-an?" Theo said aloud, sounding out the word by each syllable. "In all my eghk studies. I've never heard of such a species!" Theo said. The Rat's eyes glanced back to the creature in the door with fear and revulsion. "More like 'arhulian'." Theo muttered under his breath. One of the Arhulian's pairs of eyes shifted it's gaze back to the Rat.

"After knocking on your door and introducing myself, you suggest that I am a feral beast?" Niadris queried, in their deep, hellish voice causing the Rat's fur to stand on end as they swallowed nervously. The 'Arhulian' did not just speak their language, but had an advanced understanding of their grammatical structure. The implications of this rattled Theo as he shuffled back to get further away from this creature.

Alex took a deep breath as she maintained composure, interjecting before the situation escalated any further. "Alright, 'Niadris', why are you here? Theo said you were spying on us." She questioned, her rifle planted firmly in the direction of the unplanned visitor. The Arhulian was unfettered by her brandishing a gun right at them. Did it really not know what a gun was, or worse - did it not care?

"Spying? Given that your kind have responded to me with either fear or hostility on sight, I must carefully select when I reveal myself and to whom. It is no act of subterfuge. It is a necessity. Even now; you have your armament at-the-ready just from me knocking on your door and speaking to you. I wanted to speak to an individual, then have them inform the rest of my presence. Do you really imagine this going any better if I had been more bold in my approach? Depicting myself as non-threatening would be an order of magnitude harder with gunshot wounds." Niadris snorted, all three pairs flicking their gaze to Alex before one of them returned to Theo. The multiple pairs of eyes looking in different directions at the same time perturbed them both. 

"I eghk do agree that your appearance ehm elicits revuls-" A second pair of eyes locked onto him again. " -ghn a response." Theo said, catching himself. The Arhulian did not speak a word, yet the message was clear; it tore Theo up on the inside to even dare admit, but so far this 'visitor' has shown themselves to be quite capable of not letting verbal barbs go unnoticed.

Alex lowered her rifle, still keeping both hands on it. "I suppose that's... a pretty good point actually." She sighed. "But still, why are you here?"

Niadris spoke calmly. "We share a common enemy. Despite my imposing stature and prowess, physical might is all but meaningless against a foe that subsumes and absorbs all flesh that it touches." Alex's eyes widened as the creature continued explaining. "All my strength and ability are merely tools to avoid becoming a hearty meal in the wake of such a lurid foe." Both Theo and Alex became less defensive as Niadris continued. "...It is a terrible entity that digests without need or moderation. It is a blight upon this world."

Alex and Theo knowingly looked at each other. 

"Yeah. We call it the Shadow." Alex said. Her mind feeling a slight amount of guilt over her hostility, her rifle lowered completely. 

"Hrm Yes. In that regard we do have a commonality..." Theo relented, stopping before adding too much.

The fancy Rat composed himself enough to stand back up, and brush himself off. "So, that brings us to the matter at hand. How did you find out about our mission? I don't think anyone would have snrk told you about Rising Dawn."

The Arhulian stared with no reaction. "Rising Dawn? Is that a title?" They paused before adding: "No, I sensed that this place had an anomalous aura, so I studied you from afar before approaching." 

Theo raised an eyebrow. "What is this urgh 'aura' you speak of? What do you mean by sense?" He asked, his voice dripping in incredulity.

"My kind - Arhulians - have a 7th sense if you will. We can see the 'aura' of living things." Niadris explained. "This place caught my attention because I observed a strange aura much further than I would normally be able to; I was at the crooked sign above the red roofed well when the aura became detectable to me. My normal range is about three-fifths of that."

Theo and Alex raised both their eyebrows. "That's half a kilometer!" They both exclaimed in their minds.

"As I approached and could resolve things in detail, I noticed five distinct auras." Niadris raised their scythe-like forelimb and pointed in various directions. "Two crimson auras; one that luminesces brightly." Niadris pointed to Theo before continuing. "Crimson auras? Is it referring to our catalyst stones?" Theo thought to himself as the creature explained. The Rat was still skeptical, as him being a witch was public knowledge after all. As the Arhulian continued narrating, they mentioned: "The second crimson aura seems faint - as if it were hibernating or asleep." Theo's face twitched in shock as the creature pointed to the direction of the room Hyden was currently residing in - an interior room with no visibility from the outside, nevermind the fact Hyden's presence was supposed to be hidden. Niadris, still speaking: "Then there are two mundane auras - one of them with a notable a tendency to perch from a defensive vantage point." The Arhulian stated, pointing their bone-tipped forelimb to Alex.

"Is that how he snuck past me? He knew I was on watch and avoided me?" Alex pondered. 

"Then lastly, the fifth aura. A writhing, squirming mass of discordant signals, that seethe and roil like water itself harboring anger, yet cannot move freely. As if it were sealed away." Niadris pointed in the direction of where the shadow sample was.

Alex and Theo were at a loss for words. There was no way this thing could have such intricate knowledge of Theo's manor without ever having set "foot" inside. 

Before either could speak up, the Arhulian spoke again. "Another one of your kind has roused. It is the other mundane aura, and a voluminous one at that. They are to the northeast, and heading in this direction. Could you inform them of my presence before another outburst happens?" Niadris asked with a dry tone.

Alex was stunned in disbelief. They must be talking about Ridge!

Theo butted into the conversation: "I'm not sure what kind of feh fool you take me for, but I highly doubt you really have such a fantastical ability. Really, you can 'see' us through solid walls?" Theo's mind was a whirlpool of doubt and skepticism. The creature's claims seemed too extraordinary to be true. Theo was not sure how, but it has to be some sort of ruse! In the depths of the Rat's mind, the idea of this creature being able to observe him constantly, undetected was a soul-chilling prospect that fundamentally violated his privacy. It has to be a ruse.

"Yes." Niadris bluntly responded.

"Hmph Well, it was a cunning deception, but I'll have you know, our guest is residing in the southwest portion of my manor. And even if they were where you claimed to be, you aren't even looking in that direction..." Theo scoffed. As he was monologuing, the Bat's large ears flicked as she picked up the sounds of footsteps... coming from the northeast. 

Niadris did not care to let the Rat finish before speaking, their baritone, multitudinous voice overpowering the Rats' in the conversation. "You have previously admitted to having no information about my species, yet you are presuming knowledge of my capabilities?" 

Theo was incensed at being interrupted. "How dar-"

Ridge entered the foyer, scratching his back with a pillow in the other hand. "Hey, uh, is there a barbershop trio here, who are you talki-" The large Shark froze in place as his eyes met with the strange, badger-like creature filling the doorway. "Ah! uh! What in the goddamn...?!" Ridge dropped his pillow and adopted a boxing pose as best they could as their limbs still felt heavy from their evening nap. The Arhulian's eyes devoted a pair to focus on each individual in the foyer.

"Calm down, Ridge! This thing isn't... being dangerous. It wanted to talk to us." Alex blurted out with as much composure as she could muster. 

Theo's face was flush as he exclaimed. "What are you doing there? Your room is on the other side of the manor!" The Rat's entire body tingled as any shred of doubt he could summon was scalded away by the unfolding situation. 

The muscular teal Shark stammered, as so much was happening all at once for him. "Uh, well, I wandered around and dozed off in one of the book rooms. I got up because it was cold, then I heard this guy... thing?" Ridge said, glancing at Niadris, reluctantly dropping their boxing pose and grabbing their pillow.

"Well, at the very least, Niadris isn't lying to us." Alex said exasperated. Though she too, had her doubts about this 'visitor', she did not appreciate Theo antagonizing them openly. Theo glared at her. So far the Rat has shown hospitality to the outsider, but this jab from her really rubbed him the wrong way. In the uncomfortable silence of the foyer that was now getting cold due to the door still being open, Alex's mind sparked with an idea. "Wait a minute. Your special 'sense' is omnidirectional? And it works through stuff?" The Bat thought aloud, raising her voice as her ideas congealed before her. "You mentioned exactly where our sample of the Shadow was earlier too... Theo! They can detect the Shadow long before any of us can see it coming! Don't you realize how insanely useful that could be?"

The fancy Rat stammered as they choked on the shreds of their ego. "Hhhhnngh I'll... take that into consideration... Eugh if we are going to board this creature. I just hope it's civilized enough to behave as a guest." Theo sneered.

The Arhulian made a grin, showing off their sharp, carnivorous fangs to the Rat, as well as the deep plum hue of their interior flesh. "Considering your kind have reacted negatively to my being - often with violence - my exposure to 'civilization' has been quite limited. If my lack of knowledge bothers you so greatly, perhaps you could take some time to elucidate on the matter of guest-hood~" Niadris smirked. 

"Grrrr... Perhaps I will." Theo scoffed. “But I hope you know, we do not have the culinary erk inventory for something of your dietary needs.” Niadris nodded. “I am more than capable of procuring my own food, so you will not have to worry about my nutrition. In fact, I had eaten a deer a few days prior. I should be satiated for several days at least.” The fancy Rat raised an eyebrow. “You have, egh ‘eaten’ ’a’ deer? I think your grammar is a touch underdeveloped. Don’t you mean you caught a deer? hmph What did you do? Swallow it whole?” Theo sarcastically remarked. “I had to break off those meddlesome antlers, but yes, I devoured it whole.” The Arhulian responded nonchalantly. The foyer was stunned. “A-an entire deer?” Alex said incredulously. Theo’s face contorted with disgust. The thought of a creature this size ingesting prey whole - and possibly alive - summoned dreadful imagery in his mind. “So… that would uh... ‘splain the missing animals without a trace. Heh, we thought that was the Shadow ‘fer a moment there.” Ridge chuckled nervously. Theo did not relish being in the room with this lurid creature any longer than he had to. He turned up his scrunched nose before walking off. He was ready for this evening to end. “As I was stating; ehm your first lesson on etiquette will be on closing the door. You're letting all the warm air escape!" Theo spoke as he slinked to the other room, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter from his suit pocket, needing something to take the edge off. As he puffed on his cigarette, the tingling in his hand faded.

Niadris scuttled forward into the foyer, bowing their head to ensure they cleared the door. As the Arhulian entered, their full figure and size was apparent to Alex, Ridge, and a distant Theo peeking from a doorway. Though superficially resembling a badger from the neck up, from the neck down; the Arhulian had a long, Myriapodic form with six pairs of pointed, centipede-like legs. The limbs started off fleshy, covered in fur, then transitioned to softly curved limb spikes that were off-white in color, like bone or horn after the third joint. The Arhulian's body was long and arranged like that of a large, furry millipede or caterpillar, albeit with no segments. Despite their body arrangement, the Arhulian was mammalian - bone clad in flesh - yet clearly centipede-like in their silhouette and locomotion. Niadris closed the door with a light slap of their long, tapered, heavy tail.

"Holy shit. That's... not somethin' you see everyday." A tired Ridge said, not entirely sure if they were still dreaming or not. 

Alex looked at Niadris and saw that they had the strap of what appeared to be some kind of homemade rucksack across their chest as their only article of clothing. "Yeah, I was about to ask about the lack of clothes... but I guess there's nothing in your size." She remarked lightheartedly, trying to break the tension in the air.

"No. There is not. My metabolism can vary to maintain body heat relative to the environment, so clothes would be unnecessary. In addition, they would both limit my range of movement, and be unlikely to hold up to the kind of abuses my hide experiences." Niadris responded earnestly.

The teal Shark spoke up once there was a gap in the conversation. "So, uh... How do I say this? I don't see nothin' down there, and yet your voice is deeper than an Ironfrost coal mine. What are ya? A guy or girl?" The Shark asked. 

Alex's face went wide with shock before scrunching back down into a glare at the Shark. "Ridge! That's terribly rude to just go and ask someone a thing like that!"

Niadris interjected. "There is no need to chide him. It is a perfectly legitimate question. After all, that den keeper did state there appears to be no documentation whatsoever of my kind in their knowledge base - and given the encounters I have had - neither do the rest of your kind for that matter. To answer the first question, my reproductive organs are housed internally to protect them from the rigors of life. Likewise, the answer to the latter question is that your binary terms are insufficient to describe me. Arhulians possess both the ability to fertilize a mate, and sire children. We are hermaphroditic." Niadris explained. "Your language is... limited in expressing my form, so gender neutral terms will be adequate."

Ridge's face was flush with embarrassment as he realized how personal and blunt his question was. "So yeah, on that... if 'yer talkin' about mates; doesn't that mean there are more of 'you' out there?" The shark said sheepishly, trying to adjust the course of the conversation away from his prying faux pas. He clutched his borrowed pillow tightly. Talking to this thing still seemed like a surreal dream to him.

The Arhulian was silent for several seconds. Up until now, they had been immediate to respond to questions. Alex and Ridge glanced at each other. "My kind are not native to this land. In addition, I have traveled a substantial distance. It is highly unlikely you will encounter another Arhulian." Niadris stated, with a briskness to their voice. 

Alex looked down at Ridge from the second floor and gave Ridge a gesture to "Cut it out." Ridge gave a small nod. Alex sighed. "Well, it's safe to say your arrival has been quite a surprise. I think we all should get some rest and continue your introduction properly tomorrow." The Bat said, waving her arm for Ridge to come over to her.

Ridge added: "Oh, uh, I don't think we have any beds that'd fit you. 'Fer now you'll have to stay in the reading room I was in. Theo's got a big cushy rug in there. The fire is dyin' down, but I'm sure it's better than out there, heh.``

Niadris gave an acknowledging nod while their triangular ears perked up. They then pointed in the direction of the room Ridge came from with their uppermost arms, that had regular - albeit large, clawed - hands instead of a fang-shaped spike like the rest of their limbs. The shark raised an eyebrow. 

"Hey, uh, how do ya know what room I came from?" Ridge asked, confused. 

Alex sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah... I'll explain that in a minute, Ridge. I think Niadris here wants some space, they need a moment to relax after the 'welcome' we gave them." She said, physically pushing on the Shark to usher them out of the foyer.

It was true that they wanted to be left alone. Niadris had little experience dealing with people. They felt exhausted having to keep their composure on total lockdown to appear as non-threatening as possible. Niadris was eager to find this "reading room" Ridge had mentioned. Spatially, they knew exactly where it was based on the Shark's location in their mindsphere. On the other hand, their mindsphere did not consider walls, thus the Arhulian had to take a few moments to figure out how to navigate the interior of the manor to the reading room. 

Despite their size and bulk, the sound of the Arhulian's centipede-like legs scuttling across the floor were much quieter than one would anticipate. Niadris made it a point to take light steps, and maneuver on rugs and carpets to minimize sound. Not out of etiquette, but as a means to hone their stealth. Never before Niadris had such an opportunity to interact and maneuver around people in close proximity in a safe environment.

The Arhulian noted a single aura tailing him; it was the bright, crimson one of Theo. Not desiring further drama, Niadris elected to ignore the Rat's presence as they made their way to the "reading room" Ridge had spoken of. The comforts of fire and shelter were secondary to the Arhulian; what had piqued their interest was the very title of the room itself. Alex and Ridge were returning to their rooms, trying to process the evening's events. "They were... quite the visitor." Ridge said, his tone unsure. Alex looked down at the floor as she walked. "Yeah. Something about them makes my fur stand on end. It's like a creeping feeling going up my back." The tall Shark looked down at his troubled friend. "Are... are ya afraid? They give me the creeps somethin' fierce too." The Bat exhaled. " I... I don't know Ridge. I had my gun pointed right at their head, but they were unfazed. Niadris seemed to know what guns are, yet they treated me like an afterthought. They don't seem dumb either; they gave Theo a good run for their money in a debate. So either they got a damn good poker face, or... this 'Arhulian' might be even tougher than it looks." Alex trailed on, the confidence in her voice gone now that she was in private with the one person here she could truly consider her friend. "...I'm a soldier. A hunter. I've had scraps with big game, I've fought people bigger than me. Even gave ol' lard chops a bloody face." Alex said, referencing her brawl with Hyden. "But that creature, it isn't like anything my training could have prepared me for. I don't fancy getting into a fight with them." Ridge scratched his fin. "So, was letting 'em in really a good idea?" "Personally, I think their alibi passed the sniff test. They could have attacked any time and hit us when we couldn't see it coming. If they wanted to make a move, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be playing mind games like a certain someone I know. We have that going for us at least." Alex paused. "Even so, I feel like they aren't telling us everything." Ridge nodded. As they reached their bedrooms, the two parted ways, then closed the doors to their rooms.

In the other portion of the manor, the Arhulian arrived at the reading room; their three pairs of eyes widened in delight. Wall to wall shelves lined with books! Niadris had very limited experience with books from their fleeting encounters - or spoils - from outsiders. Most of those books contained relatively uninteresting data like logs or journals, or completely fictitious tales. Here however, had an assortment of books on a large variety of subjects and organized quite neatly. The Arhulian removed their handcrafted backpack and pulled something out. It was a thick leather-bound book. It was plainly covered, with the sole word "Dictionary" for the title. 

Niadris' chest seemed to squirm and writhe all on its own, followed by the faintest of popping and cracking of stiff joints. With a sound of flesh being pulled taught, numerous pairs of spindly arms came slinking out from in between the creature's ribs on the sides of their chest! These arms were very thin; near-skeletal in appearance. The hands on them were clawless, and consisted of three vaguely conical digits - two fingers, one thumb. These limbs were much slower and deliberate in their movements, and the leathery skin they had was a very deep plum color, almost black. In their travels, Niadris had quickly learned that the pages of books often were too delicate for their stronger, clawed, "normal" arms.

After tenderly putting away their dictionary, the creature's three pairs of eyes darted all across the room, scanning the spines of each book for topics of interest. The low-light conditions of the dying fire was more than enough for the Arhulian to discern the titles. Then, the Arhulian scuttled across the perimeter of the room, picking out a dozen books before returning to the center of the reading room by the smoldering fireplace. The huge, badger-centipede-like being then rested their long form on the floor, their body and abdomen landing on the carpet with a plompf. Niadris laid out three books with the covers open, while each pair of eyes scanned it's own book.

Theo had been quietly observing the beast from a hidden spot in another room through a peephole; and totally-not-a-hole that he had not gotten around to patching yet. The Rat monitored them carefully, shuddering at the sight of the numerous lanky arms protruding from the Arhulian's chest, and those arms touching his books. Yet, his attention was stolen when he witnessed this creature reading three books at a time! Was this creature really that capable of absorbing knowledge? Then, another thought crept into his mind. "Wait, who taught them to read in the first place?" As his mind contemplated, Theo's eyes widened when the creature looked up, and peered straight at him. Eye to eye contact, as if the wall parting them was not even there. Niadris gestured "come over here" with one of their their large, scythe-like forelimbs that were mounted below their exterior arms. Theo ducked down from the footstool he was standing on - nearly falling off in the process - then he covered his face in embarrassment. It seemed like there really was no hiding from this damned creature.

Letting out a sigh, Theo came to the reading room. The warm tingling sensation in his left hand returned. Was his catalyst stone reacting to this creature? The fancy Rat took slow, cautious steps forward. "It is remarkable. A wealth of knowledge at my fingertips." Niadris spoke aloud. They continued. "For so many years, I had to learn matters in direct fashion. I knew your kind stored information on physical documents, but I never could have imagined this place being lined to the ceiling with this treasure." When Theo was up close to Niadris, and composed enough to listen clearly, the Arhulians stentorian voice seemed to be composed of multiple octaves speaking in perfect unison. The scholarly Rat recalled the Arhulians' comment on their native language... “If the multiple octaves can be modulated separately, the grammar of this species could be phenomenally intricate!” However, Theo had more pressing things on his mind than appealing to his inner linguist, and set aside that tangent in his mind for later. The voice had strong projection, and the beast seemed to be making a concerted effort to whisper - which was speaking volume to Theo’s delicate ears.

Theo initially had some words for the Arhulian prepared, but the "treasure" comment gave him pause. The Rat stood there in silence for several minutes as the Arhulian continued reading what appeared to be volumes from an encyclopedia series, watching their thin ribcage arms turn the pages of each book. The hands were slow, deliberate, and delicate. Near by was a cloth that seemed to have been borrowed to wipe the oils from the creature's hands before interacting with his books. The rat let out a swift, small exhale. This monster treated his things better than some people he's hosted. Theo then spoke up. "At least someone else besides His Grace sees my library for what it is, and not eguh ornamentation. Though, I am surprised you would have any academic interest at all." Theo's words trailed on. Niadris shot a glance at him. "However, I presume it is not a completely irrational observation; a thing like you just can't sceh scuttle into a library. Which begs the question at hand, just who would teach you to read?"

The Arhulian paused, before giving Theo their full attention. "I... am not sure." They responded.

"What." Theo said, the word seemingly having spilled out of his mouth in disbelief. "What do you mean you don't know? How ek! How is that even a facsimile of an answer!? Didn't your moth-er well, parents teach you?" Theo said, his voice raised in frustration.  

Niadris explained. "I do not know how I came to this knowledge. My earliest memories were of me being carried in my brood lord's abdomen. In my cradle of flesh, I would see and hear the world as they would. They would make demonstrations for me to observe as I nursed inside them. Their past memories would come to me in my dreams." As the Arhulian narrated, Theo shuddered at the prospect of being entombed alive and conscious in writhing, moist, undulating flesh from all sides. The fancy Rat took a deep breath and persisted in wading through the graphic descriptions from the beast - he wanted answers for the trouble he had gone through this evening. 

Theo waited for an opening in the creature's explanation to jump in. "Your kind- urk Arhulians, have hereditary memory? If so, how is it you do not know where your knowledge came from? Perhaps a past ancestor?" Theo questioned, only half seriously.

The Arhulian shook its head in disappointment. "If only the answer was that simple. It is far more complex, and I am uncertain of the details. I will tell you what I know." Theo rubbed his brow, adjusted his glasses, and nodded. "When I dream, I see fragments of memories; but these memories are abnormal. I see... a settlement, a school, memories of a life not only not that of my ancestors, but not of my kind entirely... and our biology cannot interbreed. That I do know." 

Theo gestured for the creature to get on with it. It was unconscionably late.

"I do have one possible hypothesis. There is another way our kind can exchange memories and experience. A ritual called Arhel-vāl." The strange word was accentuated by the Arhulian's multitudinous voice. "In your tongue, the closest word to it and what it means is amalgamation. Two mature specimens of our kind, typically one larger than their partner, subsumes the other into their flesh..." Theo's stomach churned at the vexing, visceral, possibly even vulgar imagery the Arhulian had verbally illustrated to him. "...but unlike ordinary cannibalism, the subsumed being is absorbed alive, mind intact, and two, become one." Niadris described, sparing no detail, much to Theo's revulsion.

The fancy Rat's tail quaked as his analytical mind began to put together a picture his sensibilities did not want to see. "You're hnnngh suggesting you have Esss assimilated a person?" He said, his mind racing as fast as his heart. "Oh heavens! Is that why it is here? To consume our minds and seize our knowledge?!" Theo's mind screamed.

The Arhulian peered down at the Rat. "Your luminant aura is flaring and seething. Do you find this knowledge troubling?" Niadris asked. Theo looked at the beast glaring down at him, his eyes wide with terror. "I see. You imagine me as your would-be predator." The beast let out a hushed, hellish chuckle with their deep, multitudinous voice. "Worry not, Theo. The ritual of Arhel-vāl is strictly between my kind; the 'donor' in question must be of the utmost certainty in their union - lest their knowledge be torn apart in a maelstrom of panic and fear. Your kind were never even considered a possibility due to the mental fortitude required to uphold the ritual. The being that amalgamated with me - whomever they were - must have been exceptional in their conviction."

The trembling Theo swallowed. "Well, erf I suppose that is good to know. Hrf Well, if you'll excuse me, egk I need to be getting some rest.” He stammered. “It is dreadfully late. And do take care to return my books exactly as you have found them. hgn It was painstaking to order them all as I have." With an abnormal spring in their step, the fancy Rat wheeled around and left the reading room with haste. 

"By the gods, what is that thing? How does it exist? And why did it show up to MY manor, of all places?" Theo cogitated. Their attempt to seek out answers seemed to have only made the question mark hovering over this mysterious creature even fatter. Theo paced around the manor, and passed by the room Hyden was sleeping in; him blissfully unaware of all that had transpired this evening. Theo raised his gloved hand, as if to knock on the door, but he stopped himself. "I can't disturb His Grace during his rest... but I must inform him of this aberrant thing as soon as I can." 

Theo, anxious and jittering, sat down on a cushioned chair outside of Hyden's room, fumbling with a pack of cigarettes. Alone with his thoughts his mind began to wander; all trains of thought leading back to that enigmatic creature. A particular moment from the Arhulian’s behavior stood out to Theo. The way they retreated to the library, and found refuge in books where they were not judged for their appearance or the mannerisms that others found odd... Theo shivered as he felt what was quite possibly a degree of familiarity with this creature. He did not want to fancy such feelings. The Rat shook their head and calmed their mind enough for exhaustion to take its toll; his head bobbed down, and the unlit cigarette in his hand fell onto the floor beside him as he lapsed into sleep right in his chair. The heavyset Rabbit snoozing under their blanket on the other side of the door was the only person in the manor to have had quality sleep that evening.

[albentelisa]

Hi. Here's an interesting ask. What if Blinky had been the one to use the time stone?

Hi! I feel that Blinky is the one who can pull the time travel better than Jim. First, because he would never try to change the Trollhunter (for Blinky Jim is THE champion, even if he likes other kids). Second, Blinky can have additional knowledge without looking suspicious to anyone (like, he's the keeper of troll lore, so everyone would rather assume that he read about it somewhere). And Blinky has a better memory than Jim which already can be a huge advantage in keeping track of all the events.

I feel that Blinky would avoid intervening when he knows that Jim will succeed, but he still will try to change some stuff. Obviously, he will start bonding with Jim earlier (and show more consideration for his regular life this time). I also believe that Blinky won't be captured before the Battle of Two Bridges this time, planning the proper ambush this time.

There will be some adjustments while dealing with Angor Rot (like Blinky can mention that Angor knows some magic tricks, so Jim can avoid being cursed). I feel that Aaarrrgghh might still get poisoned, but it's less of a problem as Blinky knows the antidote formula (I bet he has it memorized just in case).

Blinky would definitely try to warn Vendel about Usurna but it's where he might fail. After all, he has a horrible reputation because of his love for conspiracies, and suspecting Usurna, who is a respected member of troll society, sounds a lot like another conspiracy theory. Vendel is already sick and tired of those. Still, I feel that Blinky would save him in any case.

Blinky will also be against contacting Merlin this time, much to everyone's surprise. The team will still wake up Merlin, but Blinky will refuse to cooperate and rather watch over the wizard. Merlin, however, would find a way to manipulate Jim to take his potion in any case.

I imagine Blinky would cover Jim during the Green Knight's attack and get hit with the obsidian shard instead. And Merlin wouldn't even bother with saving Blinky because to his mind he has even less value than Jim - which would lead to a huge conflict with Jim who would never let his father figure suffer.

I feel Jim will be able to save Blinky from corruption with Claire's help and most likely, Aaarrrgghh will be there too. I think it would be a nice parallelism between the past where Blinky taught Aaarrrgghh to be a pacifist, and the present where Aaarrrgghh reaches out to remind Blinky of his old ways.

And obviously, during ROTT a lot of damage will be avoided, both because Blinky might help to plan things differently and because Jim has less trouble getting Excalibur (as he never went through corruption and joining the Arcane Order).

[danielnelsen]

anyway this is gonna be incomprehensible to basically everyone and it's also not finished (havent worked out specific ability values yet) and terrible to actually look at, but i did all my protags (including both hawkes). i worked stuff out for each level, but here are summaries at levels 10 and 20:

having a LOT of fun recreating my warden and hawke using the ttrpg system

[katyahina]

Bloodborne timeline

I decided to finally organize my variant of Bloodborne timeline, since I kept having ideas, but they'd at times contradict each other. I tried to use as many justifications as I could, basing it on whatever clues I COULD find, including some cut content too for the good measure!

Of course my word is not final in any way! Bloodborne offers a lot of room for interpretation, and this is just how I've pieced things together! If someone finds anything in this timeline variant helpful, just know that it is 1000% allowed to use my findings! In fact, I'd even be happy if my thoughts could help someone else to resolve THEIR timeline questions!

I just need to warn though, some bits are rather elaborate. Characters Rom and Izzy, who don't have personality or much lore in the source material, are given very important roles and thus kinda hefty characterization. I also payed a lot of attention to the segment of Pthumerian's rise and fall, because a lot of it will tie in Yharnam's events. Time is a flat circle and all that. :')

Hope you enjoy the reading! At least, I've enjoyed the writing.

Earliest known history (Pthumerians)

★ The Great One Flora acts as the Moon Presence (status), while Fauna, the Great One Beast, is a GO that was supposed to be another side of the same coin. Flora back then displayed no signs of beasthood unlike when we meet her. Fauna is based off the name mentioned in cut content about "living livers" ( x ), as well as the cut content boss Great One beast ( x )!

★ Flora and Fauna fought over mortals and how to govern them. Flora represended the guiding light (moonlight and arcane), but Fauna suggested granting them the light allowing autonomy and studying the world and evolution how they seen fit (fire and electricity). During this time of disagreement, Loran was amongst the first Pthumerian civilizations to rise to prominence, and a man from it, called Fort, sided with Fauna and helped to overpower Flora and consume her guts, which by effect meant consuming her unborn Oedon. (Fort is a name I took from cut fight of Loran Cleric ( x ))

★ Fort and Fauna became allies, and the Loran Clerics are the result of the ministration Fort started. Beasthood began spreading not only as a result of that Pthumerian blood ministration but also because of Oedon, living and growing up as a formless voice within mortals’ blood, reveling in bloodshed, wrath and the hunt as the only instinctive way to reconnect with their mother.

Rise of Pthumeru Ihyll and Isz

★ Civilisation of Isz has been the one revering the Moon earlier than anyone else, in hopes of safety and recovering the connection with Great Ones that once was. Amongst them, a man has been visited by the blessing of Moon Presence, forging the Holy Moonlight Sword.

★ Meanwhile, the place that would later be Pthumeru Ihyll has been simply building their walls. Idola, a crow-like Great One from Blazing Hell (that becomes Nightmare Frontier) gathers sympathy for them and sacrifices her blood to grant this civilisation pyromancy to be much safer from Beasthood. Pthumerians then would help her to adapt to living like a mortal, wearing their accessories and fighting with their swords, as well as Keepers of the Old Lords would later burn their bodies and souls in reverence. Idola's name would get lost in history later, but- yes, she is the Mergo's Wet Nurse. The name Idola is taken from the voice line from Huntsmen mob, "Idola will be the judge!" ( x ) ( x )

★ The first hero of the Moon and Queen Yharnam become allies to finally murder Fauna, whereas Fort is taken to would-be Pthumeru Ihyll and forced into unholy marriage ritual to conceive Mergo, the first Child of Blood. Their 'birth' would go wrong and they'd instead fuse into being physically a part of Queen Yharnam, essentially becoming that comedic "genius infant" trope xd Hence Mergo's Attendants existing to begin with and being able to follow them everywhere.

★ Loran was gone almost entirely, especially with the curse of Flora that would cause those afflicted by beasthood to have stillborn infants (Bastard of Loran). It is as simple as carrying a "sin" with blood transfusion, since what started it WAS Fauna eating her, and then exchanging with Fort. After many years of practicing beasthood very efficiently, even branching between 'electric' type and 'fire' type like they were "schools", they had to stop under risk of their civilization going completely extinct, brace themselves and pray that enough of them survives and can have children. The ones that could still think, move and had the least beasthood signs fleed very far away, having mingled with the humans and now living in a land called New Loran. (running ahead a bit - Henryk's family are descendants of 'electric' Loranites, and Laurence's family are descendants of 'fire' Loranites!)

★ As for the 'crow from Hell' symbolism, and the fact that Nightmare was domain of Flora by effect of being production of nightmares of people cursed with the "sin", that time effectively Heaven and Hell, or Dream and Nightmare, united against a shared enemy, you know? So the legends (completely palatable) and the sentiment still lives on even at the time of the game events:

(Proof that this is Beltran, not Norbert/Herbert by word of Lance McDonalds ( x ), this guy is a legend of datamining, especially cut + hidden content, that can be trusted!)

★ Isz and Pthumeru Ihyll picked a little different ways to go about Great Ones; whereas Isz was studying Eldrich Truth as is and relying on the blessing and will of the 'Moon', Pthumeru Ihyll, of course, were attempting to deal with Earth and Cosmos on their own terms. So, similarly to Queen Yharnam having Mergo, the chief in Isz had Ebrietas, the very first known Celestial Child! Celestial Children are blessing of the Moon Presence (Flora or Oedon), whereas Children of Blood are conceived artificially when the chosen Queen of Blood gathers enough "power" by consuming Blood Dregs (effectively, souls of the deceased), to eventually have unholy marriage with Ring of Betrothal with the chosen spouse as one last "sacrifice". Since Queen Yharnam was no longer able to have another child, permanently "pregnant", her brother Cain would continue the bloodline that'd mix with humans frequiently to suppress the "gene" of becoming a living dead or a bat-like monster, and eventually becomes Cainhurst royals:

(Internal filenames here on Wiki page: ( x ))

★ Gosum (eng: Kosm), priest back in Isz has been a tier between mortals and the cosmos no less than Ebrietas herself, and effectively used to be what Rom is now - a guardian of the barrier between two worlds. Lake and Sea runes both mention large body of a water serving as a barrier between worlds! However, she was lured by the Deep Sea and parasites living within it that eternally fuel starvation for more knowledge, choosing her own path as opposed to doing the Moon's bidding. The details of her ascension are a blur for me, but two things matter:

★ She would extinguish the Blazing Hell, which I headcanon so because Nightmare Frontier has columnar basalt formation that are known to form around volcanic activity, and Nightmare Realm in general has many formations that look like melted together human faces - easily previously eternally burning souls, now freed. Some Sea runes are also found in Nightmare Frontier. Moreover, I think Kos Parasites look QUITE similar not only to Brainsucker faces, but also to Crawlers that reside in poisonous swamps in the Frontier!

★ It seems that Chalice Dungeons have been flooded, and I feel like Kos/Kosm, as Great One could've also done that as one effort to bury the beasthood for good. Besides, Chalice Dungeons have a whale-like corpse that is also found in Fishing Hamlet!

Tying to the newer era and Byrgenwerth

★ Pthumerians became a rarer type of mortals due to various forms of decay carrying from their ancient, unholy practices. They were starting to mingle with the humans more, cultures mixing a lot. A lot of ancient legends and religion carried on, some Pthumerians were still around, beasthood remained more-or-less surviving (especially in Loranites, such as Suspicious Beggar), minimal contact with the Great Ones endured (mostly Amygdalas and Oedon).

★ Basically, Pthumerians and humans have been coexisting in the world since forever, but there became much less Pthumerians because of what they did with beasthood, blood and ascension. They inflicted all types of curses on their kind, and most of them have been making families with humans with initial purpose to 'clean' their genes and blood, since humans were not bearing curses. ...yet, lol. There are many people in Yharnam with Pthumerian+human genes. There were other queens later on that would be named Yharnam +number, and Yharnam used to be a monarchy for a long while. My friend @val-of-the-north posted our headcanons and observations on the topic here in more detail ( x ), but the shortest explanation - Hemwick to Cainhurst is what Hintertombs was to Pthumeru Ihyll! Although, eventually Cainhurst became closer to oligarchy than morarchy.

+ I also need to add that Yahar'gul was a more secluded district of almost exclusively Pthumerians that went their separate way from Pthumeru Ihyll and Loran after their "conflict", and lived in secrecy for many years. Their main interest was in connecting with Amygdalas again, which is what kept them connected with Byrgenwerth and later, with Healing Church.

★ Aside of older Yharnamites (mostly Cainhurst) and new Loranites, there was another very distinct group of Pthumerians+humans people - nomads from Isz civilization! They mostly travelled on the ships, unable to find a permanent place to live, but apparently adoped [insert default language of the setting] as their basic one, almost forgetting Pthumerian language, save for few words/spells. One time a particularly strong storm completely wrecked their ships. The ones who survived could've sworn that they saw a blue 'syren', that would create a belief that the long lost Great One that became almost just a legend in their people was real, and favouring them. They've finally settled on the shore for permanent home, being a simple humble Fishing Hamlet. This one is harder to define how many centuries ago happened, but they believed Kos was there, and some fishmen even reported having actually seen her!

★ This one is a long time skip, but when Fishing Hamlet was under serious threat of destruction over natural disasters, diseases and even external enemies that wanted to destroy their humble hamlet, they attempted to summon Kos in their despair (which I believe happened since Fish people speak as though they've failed to protect her from the hunters after having beckoned her…). Kos was there for them, though, and they'd form a symbiosis; they were desperate for protection, and she was desperate for community and the mortal(ish?) things she once defied. They'd mutate into fish people as a side effect, similarly to how Amygdalas' devotees could become spider people (Nightmare Apostles). The word about a village full of strange fish people would spread somewhat as rumours not many believed at the time... Besides, Kos had a habit to crash the ships of people that would bring harm to the hamlet. She could tell who was an enemy!

★ Byrgenwerth was formed as institution of archeology and history when Willem was still young, and used to be rather close and friendly with Cainhurst - both as their main sponsors and as the closest thing to the weird rituals and culture of the past.

★ Before scholars such as Micolash, Laurence, Rom etc rolled in, but when Karel (eng: Caryll) was already helping, they've heard a beast howling. It was one of the surviving ones in the dungeons that was supposed to remain sealed by dungeon rituals after the flooding... The reason it managed to break free was that in this same time, Kos became pregnant, that made her unable to dwell in the waters anymore! So she was beached. That broke HER concealment, letting some previously unseen horrors loose and seen. Caryll was able to decipher his first rune, whereas Willem took Dores and Gatekeeper with him and managed to do quite a huge breakthrough!

★ Gehrman was hired to help with the exploration of the dungeons! At that same time, Cainhurst has been struggling to retract their lost legacy and relics from their cursed undead ancestors, as you could see Cainhurst-esque armour scattered all over the dungeons! It was not helping that ever since concealment dropped, Cainhurst's problems with people becoming Bloodlickers ended up dialed up to 11. They are basically Vileblood equivalent of the beasts- not to mention that when humans with such ancestry turn, they develop Hatefull Maggots (those annoying parasites crawling in the pit at Cainhurst, in the secret cave in the Woods, as well as occupying some Silverbeasts in Nightmare Realm and the headles Blood-letting Beast). Basically, they were in trouble both in the dungeons and within their own castle! Gehrman was able to help Cainhurst warriors fight better against the agile beasts, as heavy armours and shields were not effective. As a result, armours of the Guardians got slightly lighter, some new weapons got commissioned, and new type of a noble warrior, Cainhurst Knights, was developed. Maria was the first to adapt to his tactics, and the first to adapt the new drip! Instead of that heavy armour one.

★ One of the results of delving deeper into dungeons and Pthumerian secrets and seeking 'eyes' led to the og Byrgenwerth idiots creating a ritual of summoning Amygdalas. All that it really did was causing a mini meteorite rain that did not touch Yharnam too much (unlike the city where Simon came from after having survived). But, it did make some meteorites grow within Forbidden Woods. A larger one, though, was used by Gehrman to make his Burial Blade.

★ By the time the scholars we all love (and hate) enrolled in Byrgenwerth, Willem already had a hunch about how important Third Umbilical Cords were. And rumours about Fishing Hamlet and a pregnant Great One in there started spreading, since the place became visible for the travellers. That would include people from "faraway land" that Cainhurst was tight-knit with, too. In the end, Willem sends Byrgenwerth warriors (Gehrman and his idiots) over to search the eyes, and especially the infant Great One. ("Mother killed, her baby stolen"). Almost everyone were content, having murdered "monsters that were no longer people anyway"... Maria, of course, was not. But thus, plenty of "internal eyes" and one (1) cord was obtained for Byrgenwerth's research.

★ Byrgenwerth, in fact, has had a compromise between importance of Holy Blood and Eyes Inside. Isz people having transcended the human plane was a knowledge right there, and Eye, a rune that is a voice of Ebrietas, became the symbol of Willem's research! However Sedative, a blood-based medicine made specifically to deal with Eldrich truth causing Frenzy, was made AT Byrgenwerth, too! Not to mention what Alfred says. Basically, blood HAVING been relevant in Byrgenwerth too is important for the next part!

Early Healing Church

★ I have already talked about why I am not using "Laurence founded Healing Church after he abandoned Byrgenwerth" and instead think Byrgenwerth and Healing Church used to be one at first in this ( x ) post! So I won't dwell too much on this, but yeah. Willem was the Pope (the first and the last) of the Healing Church, but mostly remained within Byrgenwerth. He was both a headmaster of the Byrgenwerth and the leader of (new) religion! Just like that, the "healing" had to do with both the Blood and the Eyes, as both were ties to the Great Ones. Holy Blood DID originate from the Great One, at least from what Willem and Caryll learned, together with some help from best minds of Hemwick and Cainhurst.

★ The ways to deal with the Eye Cord though, remained a mystery. Sure-way to ascend would be to eat three of them, so what would they do? Summon a Great One, so the resulting Bloodmoon would make women spawn divine infants that they would murder and eat them? It was.. drastically inefficient AT LEAST. At some point, Micolash and his younger sister Rom deviced a plan to steal the Eye Cord from Willem, swim on the boat at the big lake on the full moon night and attempt summoning Kos, hoping for a favour in return of OoK's cord; so, return of her child's restless spirit. Kos blessed the siblings with the knowledge of obtaining internal eyes with the water and brain flud, whereas Micolash became her "emissary", with the magic and the skill to spread this upon others. Rom was still as human as she could be, it was not true Kos' belssing yet, but rather a direction to the next step for humanitu. A guidance, if you will. After that event, their brown eyes also became pale blue. Thus, Rom would become Patient Zero, and samples from her altered body would be further used for Research Hall experiments.

★ That being said, Grand Cathedral and the Research Lab in the Clocktower were built at the same time! Laurence became the Vicar of Willem. Not "actually should not be be a Bishop?", not "founder/head of the Church". Specifically the guy that REPLACES the actual head of the Church while they are absent! However, he's been way more busy with the blood ministration on the main floor than the experiments. And Willem was very busy at Byrgenwerth. Research Hall as a result was not supervised by the two leaders enough, overseen almost entirely by Maria. And that white church lady we meet in the Hunter's Nightmare praying at the altar. Yet, that still left loopholes for some doctors to do questionable experiments... Micolash, for example. We will get to it soon!

★ Ludwig became the first Church Hunter, having had weird business with Laurence "and his nameless Moon Presence". I have explained slight convolutions with his clothes and sword in this ( x ) post, so to be short: Ludwig was wearing what is now Executioner Set since all Church's clothes (including Tomb Prospector's garb) were BASED on Executioner's set, and Laurence used his own knowdledge of rituals, blood, eyes and Great Ones to blindfold Ludwig and plan his "enlightenment". Ludwig was able to envision the Holy Moonlight Sword and Guidance, becoming very useful. (Laurence would've done that himself, but just in case things would've gone wrong, why not try with someone else first......?)

+ So, Ludwig would start the production of silver blades (Ludwig's Holy Blade) in the image of the legendary sword he's envisioned and could recreate in exact detail! We will get to the actual HMS soon!

+ @bimbomcgee Had a headcanon recently that Healing Church needed their own hunters because Old Hunters started to seriously get out of control (except for maybe Gehrman and Maria, ol' reliable) and Church needed ones easier to control, and I honestly believe it! During this time, more and more Gehrman's hunters would become "heretical" - Oto Workshop doing their own thing (and do not forget the person that drops their badge is Bestial Hunter!), Izzy and Archibald turning to literally using beasthood for their ADVANTAGE, some like Henryk simply being too independent (and too nosy about what was not their business), Old Hunters in general being way more vulnerable to beasthood with their aggressive, ruthless ways lacking "chilvarly"... Both being able to carry on ways of 'holiness' and being more easy to control became needed.

+ Gehrman lost his right leg around this time too, having thus created a superstition amongst Old Hunters to wear double-wrapped belt around this leg, or even wear special metals. Healing Church hunters never started doing that, though, believing that whatever caused "beasthood to creep up from the right leg" did not threaten them as they were "too holy" for that!

★ Pressure on "holiness" would eventually lead the hermit Rogeriusz (eng: Logarius) to the Healing Church - a Pthumerian especially resentful of having accursed ancestry and especially antsy about the "baaaaad" and "eeeevil" bloody magic. Cainhurst + Vilebloods seem to have special attitude towards 'Moon', and characters like Fauxsefka and Maria are the more apparent indications of Vilebloods + relatives that resent their "ancestry sins" and instead want to turn for "salvation" (Stars and Moon). ( x ) In any case, a secret Executioners workshop formed!

★ Around this time, Laurence would either do that himself or allow someone else do that, but Cainhurst would get on track with the ancient "child of blood" heir antics, as Annalise would now be sending Guards to seek Blood Dregs for her. Something that would be later blamed on "a traitor from Byrgenwerth brought the blood in Cainhurst and created unholy covenant".

★ The rumours of what was going in Cainhurst only further made Maria feel disconnected from her vampire-ish family... But at the same time, she could no longer feel her place amongst hunters. At the very least, Research Hall promised some eventual evolution past bloodthirst (literal and figural).

★ Blood Saints would aid the Hunters under rule of one blood vial per person. "Grooming" was a mistake on localization part and original speaks about "being treated / (physically) altered", so I assume they would undergo a surgery altering bone marrow, thus giving them a unique blood type. Meanwhile, most people would come for blood ministration in Grand Cathedral, as we can see the beds in its Nightmare version. Rarer - to Blood Ministers (type of Old Hunters, same as one at the intro cutscene). But the demand would grow too big as Yharnam itself was not doing very well... It was a Victorian era! A lot of illnesses would strike. For example, from Eileen's mask we learn she arrived from a plague-ridden place herself. So, Laurence would've had a (bad) idea of mass-healing people at Old Yharnam, using a blood of a beast. It was a poisoned Blood-Starved Beast of all things, too, and it'd spread the illness of Ashen Blood that once undone Loran's population. ( x )

★ Meanwhile in Research Hall, more and more patients would start to get too scared of the horrors of the Deep Sea no matter how much Micolash yelled at them and seek the 'Stars' for salvation instead. It was starting to look more and more (for Healing Church) that the 'Sea' was a dead end, and they needed to go back to Isz' roots. So, Tomb Prospectors would slowly get redirected to explore Isz dungeons instead, with the Loch Shields previously used in rituals conducted in Research Hall now distributed to them.

★ Healing Church was also starting to get more and more enemies, often because of the "precautionary" Black Church Doctors murdering anyone who'd as much as be SUSPECTED of developing beasthood. And their family too, just in case. Since Yharnamites learned that if they see a Black Doctor - they should fucking RUN, Harrowed Hunters like Simon were employed, to look like unassuming beggars nobody would pay attention to, to assasinate "suspected to be sick with beasthood" in more secretive fashion. Yet Research Hall was running low on amount of patients - simply volunteers and imprisoned "enemies of the Church" were no longer enough, so at some point Simon and others were instructed to instead bring people suspected to be afflicted in Research Hall! "You help us with experiments and we help you by potentially curing your beasthood!" (second floor of Research Hall has patients running on their four like beasts, as well as Blood Ministers and a Beast Blood Pellet). That was the start of Simon's suspicions.

★ Some people started to illegally (?) transport the "miraculous holy blood" abroad to sell it. Valtr's group was sent to investigate one of such bands, only to find the last one of them turning into a beast before their eyes, having downed all the supply himself! His group would chase the beast, with his three buddies being killed and Valtr murdering and eating the beast. While he was still shocked and exhausted, he was taken into Research Hall. To be "helped", because who knows what EATING a beast did... There, he got the weird inhuman noise he started hearing after eating a beast deciphered into a Rune (a big mistake) and helped to run by one of the patients. Valtr would find his place amongst Old Hunters, and especially Djura, whose hatred towards beasts was unfathomable back then after his mentor from (now gone) Oto Workshop became a beast too.

★ Exchange with the foreign cities was more active than ever, especially a country where Brador and our playable hunter are from. Like 80% of the staff in Healing Church would be foreigners, which I believe is suggested by clothes design choices! Especially those who were trying to leave bad past behind, or whose job/institution/home place crumbled. Gascoigne arrived and joined in too.

★ One of the foreigners happened to come from the country that honoured Sky Burial traditions, and thus covenant of Hunters of Hunters started!

Hunter's Dream creation

★ Adeline died in the end in Maria's arms, after which Maria gave Laurence an Eye Pendant that was Adeline's eye (Eye Pendants ARE patients' eyes, I think!), saying it is what Adeline would have wanted since she believed thanks to Laurence she was able to "mean" something and it was like... the last thing she talked about. Maria did add that she did not agree with it, of course.

★ Somewhere around Research Hall's last days, Maria was able to figure something was very wrong about what Micolash has been doing and convinced Brador to get the word out for her seeing that he tormented patients either in vain or for evil purposes. Healing Church / Laurence would not listen to her, but would to one of two closest people. (She was right on the money with that one; Micolash has been deliberately turning patients towards the Sea and tormenting them, as their horror and pain would be the needed catalyst for Hunter's Nightmare to exist. Only rage and blood-hunger of the hunters would not be enough... because they were not hurt, nor they were sorry. But, he has been crafting their future Hell, following will of Kos' wrath all along. (Besides, he just really wanted to see her again).)

★ Maria killed herself shortly, still choosing to be buried near Old Workshop and not in Cainhurst. She left that in her dying will, specifying it was not because of fond feelings for her times as a Hunter, but because "Old Hunters workshop was where she truly died" (implying her ruined innocence and stepping on the path of a killer). As heart-wrecking as it was for Gehrman, he respected that, but became very aloof and absorbed in his grief, creating the Doll.

★ With Gehrman completely losing the spirit and quitting the hunt himself, becoming just a grandpa in a wheelchair offering advice, Djura became an Old Hunter around which other ones of that type flocked. Henryk, Valtr.... most of them.

★ Maria's words were not lost in vain though! Micolash got discovered and demoted. Well, they never learned that he has been devicing a Nightmare, but they did learn that his experiments were pointless and malicious in some way, it was enough. Micolash took his frustration out on Rom and "disowning" her as his sister. Rom, being very innocent, emotional and naive person, that also has been growing as an orphan separated from Micolash since birth before, felt the most intense pain of "no longer having family" and downed a bit too much 'water' a bit too much brain fluid to attempt ending her own life... Yet, that triggered the vision of Kos "adopting" her, and became a TRUE blessing with eyes for her. This is important! After what Kos did with Rom, she would become the most effective translator between Ebrietas and humans, in a way so light that Runes would not even do that. And so, Micolash won his position back in Healing Church's staff. Moreover, what happened to Rom made it a staple to use children, especially orphans, for communication with Great Ones! The scientists concluded that clearly Great Ones will gravitate towards a child yearning for a family more likely... So, this is why orphans specifically. It is unique combination of emotions that Rom was very close to.

★ Tomb Prospectors of Isz did a breakthrough by returning Isz Chalice back on the surface. Soon, real Holy Moonlight Sword was found and Ludwig could finally have it, though it aided both him and Laurence as sort of a 'phone' with Moon Presence! (lol) And eventually, they were able to meet Ebrietas. Only... they still had no idea how to even communicate with her.

★ HERE Rom became an important person, and Conductor of the Choir, with Willem becoming STRONGLY more leaning towards the 'Eyes' side of the Healing Church. Had he not been busy with Byrgenwerth, he'd lead the Choir himself now, especially as one who managed to memorize Eye rune the first. But more or less, Choir was their side. Healing Church started to seriously split into 'Eyes' and 'Blood' sides, with Laurence being more busy with 'Blood'.

★ Remember Annalise's Child of Blood? After Maria's death, it became especially convenient time to finally let all the resentment against "unholy" clan break and strike Cainhurst! They did so to both remove the next strongest political power... and to abort Annalise's newborn, and take its Third Umbilical Cord! The bit about the cord in Workshop being aborted by Executioners was patched out ( x ), there is still a visual evidence with bloody trial reaching under Annalise's skirt, as well as her hair having lost color. We can see Annalise is a redhead from the portrait of her and from concept art, yet we meet her with colorless hair! Similarly, Arianna's hair loses color after she gives her birth!

★ Cainhurst got exterminated and Logarius inherited curse of the King after slaying him, along with the crown. He kind of ended up facing his worst nightmare, but considered it worth "protecting" the rest of the humanity from. Laurence took the cord.

+ Arianna's mother ran away from the massacre while still being pregnant, hence why her noble dress is burgundy and not grey (wrote this theory here: ( x )). Bloody Crow did not want to run, but Annalise ordered him to.

★ It is said that Yharnam was burnt "on that moonlit night", whereas Powder Kegs were the ones burning it. From that I concluded that Laurence did the bait-and-switch to give Flora Gehrman instead of a GO baby on the night when Old Yharnam was being burnt! Additionally, Djura was the first Dreaming Hunter immortal for a whole night, but also the only one that hunted alongside the Dream for more than one night.

★ That Bloodmoon was not concealed as Rom was not doing that yet. As a result, a lot of mess happened, but the most important one was Amygdalas appearing. The smallest one was murdered by the hunters, yet events around Amygdalas allowed detection of hidden Yahar'gul and gave Micolash some ideas.

★ Djura eventually quit the hunt, with Djura's Apprentice leaving Old Yharnam but closing the door on his way out and slapping that note on it x) He went on his own way. Other hunters that used to flock around Djura (Valtr, Henryk, that one-eyed patient that once helped Valtr to run and afterwards ran herself, etc) also left him. Some were more bitter about it than the others.

★ Valtr finally revealed his vision of human dregs to Henryk and Madaras twins, banking on the fact that they would have simpler time accepting what "should be done" than others. And he did need to keep remaining friends close. He already made some enemies over it before, but Henryk had his own gripes with human dregs as his family was afflicted, and the twins were very... simple? being raised by an ancient snake? Younger twin killed the older twin and his snake, as they were FULL of Vermin, but the three became closer than ever.

★ In order to leave all possible accusations towards the Healing Church out of the way, Laurence shifts the public blame to Byrgenwerth. Blood ministration was Healing Church's thing, so how came Cainhurst started doing that too, albeit in a "wrong" way? Right, it was a "traitor from Byrgenwerth"! This is when he prohibits going to Byrgenwerth, and Willem accepts that too. He did kind of want to "gatekeep from the plebs" by then anyways, seeing what both blood and Eldrich Truth did to people who were not ready. However, the secret passageway through the cave has been used to still secretly communicate with Byrgenwerth. Laurence himself maybe didn't, but some high ranking Church members would.

★ Sustaining the hunt through the Dream would make researching on how TO undo beasthood easier, so, Healing Church started focusing on researching much more than on healing. Like... Not just weird experiments in the Clocktower, but they would commit to it. All that hassle to treat as many people as they could was gone, Grand Cathedral became just a place of meeting (no more beds for the patients etc). Choir needed to work faster, and Laurence was doing what he could with what he was able to find - Choir's findings, Tomb Prospectors' lore drops and relics, weird creatures he could cut open on his own, all that. He used to pass letters to Gehrman through Dreaming Hunters if he met one, too.

★ Laurence and Ludwig came to an agreement to start training commoners to hunt and defend themselves (Yharnam Hunter set). Laurence because he really wanted Church hunters to instead explore the dungeons and pursue all sorts of "heretics", enemies of the Church, and the numbers were only so big... Ludwig because he is an actually decent person and cared for people's safety if hunters could not help everyone. But yeah, you could see why it is complicated and Laurence needed all resources he could have on research...

School of Mensis and other "heretics"

★ Micolash and Rom start scheming behind everyone's backs yet again. (okay, this sentence should have been the title of this section xD) They both could tell that something was 'wrong' behind Stars and Moon, that the Choir has been walking towards the dead end without any real hope for humanity. They needed to look beyond the veil, even if that was "blasphemious" and risky. Byrgenwerth had barely the link with Amygdalas; Gardens of Eyes were rare Research Hall patients that would accept the help from Amygdalas to not "drown", becoming their Kin, but not much could be gained from them. Byrgenwerth simply took them in, since unlike Living Failures, these lived. But by now the siblings had enough clues that this 'branch' of Kin was the key.

★ Micolash would depart with a dozen of men, including Damian, as well as (real) Iosefka and a single celestial larvae. He figured to feed it human blood and flesh to the point it'd become "fallen" and turn into a baby Amygdala instead, as he was able to discover Amygdalas and Celestial Children had shared origins. Since it got attached to him as its dad, it would not harm him, but would become a bridge between mortals and other, 'hostile' Amygdalas. That allowed communication between the Choir detractors, Amygdalas and Yahar'gul. Denizens of Yahar'gul agreed to take Micolash and his idiots in upon a very great favour of returning their long lost "evil gods" to them, and cooperation with Amygdalas for more knowledge in exchange for human sacrifices was formed.

★ Micolash also ended up gathering whatever "heretics" he could to build his new place. Archibald, Izzy, Caryll... He was basically 'picking what Healing Church had dropped', being able to get along with anyone who had open mind. After what Micolash did with Yahar'gul, Patches also "wanted to know his location" xd He was cranky about the church boy having helped so much, as he also used to be a Byrgenwerth scholar but disappeared as soon as they decided to start a religion institution. But he certainly was on the same page as Micolash and Rom, and could see the corrupt institutions being a thing not only within mortals, but even within aliens. Everyone who was shunned for their different beliefs found help in Yahar'gul, being allowed to research anything without restrictions, in exchange for THEIR help.

★ Rom was one of the first people to connect her soul with Amygdalas, becoming a Nightmare Apostle (this is what 'Spider' is). She became affiliated not only with the Sea, but also with the Nightmare, being able to see even more things than before. In a way, Micolash used her similarly to how Laurence once used Ludwig - the "trial run" to peer into something. Rom was sharing with Micolash in secrecy, choosing to still stay within the Choir to help them. She knew they'd destroy her if they knew what she did, and what Micolash's crimes she was aware of and covered, but she believed that maybe she could gradually "help" them to stand on a more efficient way than Stars and Moon. The sneaky way. As far as Choir was concerned, she was their Conductor.

★ Laurence likewise knew of School of Mensis and even helps them with kidnapping, as well as now giving the prisoners to them. He would not restrict the research of Arcane as "ends justify the means", but as far as the public was concerned, Healing Church had no involvement. If Micolash got caught by the public, he would not sacrifice anything to defend him, not even the purity of his public image.

★ Edgar joins the Choir. He used to be a teacher in one of the schools under Healing Church, but became nosy seeing that Choir members kept taking his pupils that'd lose parents after nights of the hunt. Being very smart, capable and open-minded (in the worst sense of the concept), he was able to negotiate joining them instead of being sent to prison for learning too much.

+ Henryk was another person suspicious of the Choir taking orphans to "protect" them only for them to never be seen again. He started to adopt those of them he could find after the nights, so they could not be taken since he'd be their father, and Viola was one of such kids.

★ Valtr took the helmet from the one-eyed patient that kept trying to treat "impurity" instead of destroying it and became a monster. It only further proven him that he was right, and he founded a proper 'League' to exterminate it. Izzy, friend of Djura ever since he started to protect the beasts, has been observing him closely and pretended to want to join the League so he could share the vision of Vermin with her. It was a big mistake, as Izzy has been secretly using found Vermin to research 'nature of humanity' further. Which in her case meant "How to normalize beasthood as new way of living and severe the ties of mortals with the corrupt Moon Presence?"

★ Archibald kept failing at placing Darkbeast's scattered bones together, as they'd electrocute if too many of them got combined. But Micolash could tell that Izzy was the key, seeing that what she discovered in Loran dungeons was a bond with Fauna similar to what he had with Kos. He was able to invoke Izzy's wrath and unleash that power by pretending to have murdered Archibald, in which she pulled the Darkbeast together. It was named Paarl, and Archibald got more resources for research than ever. Yahar'gul had plenty of weapons against Choir's Kin.

★ These events led to Izzy eventually becoming emissary of Fauna and turning into a large electric flying beast (not birdlike!). She flew into Yamamura's "faraway country" in frantic search of a distant place to spread beasthood to, so it could never disappear, but spent so much power by cursing his entire village that all she could really do anymore is to run away from him. About a month or two later, the circle would lock where Izzy returned in Yharnam. Yamamura kept trying to murder her with his sword with no success, stabbing and stabbing her in near-madness, until Valtr approached him and offered his Whirligig Saw instead. As Izzy was dead, Valtr picked a damaged hat that was attached to her horn and placed it on Yamamura's head like a trophy. Afterwards, Yamamura would fix this hat a bit and accept it, as well as invitation to the League.

★ At this point, many old hunters start leaving to never be seen again, mostly those who'd want to find the same epiphany as Izzy once did (NPCs literally labelled "Izzy's Successor"). Vitus also left.

Deaths of Laurence and Ludwig

★ Yamamura has been restless, wanting to find where the monster that cursed his village came from, but his only clue were 'sparks'. All while League's "mission" kept proving being too much for him. Valtr sent him off to mingle within Healing Church hunters under guise of wanting him to spy on them, but he hoped that Yamamura would not want to come back to the League (seen what happens with people that are not qualified for the "mission" from previous helmet owner). Yamamura got his Chikage from a pile of things Executioners retracted from Cainhurst, loving it as it reminded him of home. He loved being by Ludwig's side, trusting that whatever shady things Healing Church has been doing was none of his fault. He also became friends with Simon that had suspicions of the Healing Church too, as well as with Gratia that failed to fit within Church hunters after Old Hunters disbanded. In fact, they all were outcasts within the Holy Blades, but funny enough Ludwig was the only one nice to them xd Best boss ever.

★ Yamamura's curiousity, following the 'bolts', eventually would lead him to get kidnapped by Yahar'gul. He managed to escape thanks to Antal and another Yahar'gul Hunter, that guy we find in Church's cell, though! When he and this hunter reunited with Gratia and Simon, they were on the way to seek Ludwig's help. They wanted to tell him what Healing Church was secretly guilty of! Unfortunately, whereas Ludwig feigned concern and fear, he did rat them out to Laurence and they were dealt with shortly, only Simon escaping. They never learned Ludwig betrayed them, though, but also Ludwig's guilt made him even more paranoid and dependent on his 'Guidance' than he's already been. His willpower gave a true crack after that situation, and becoming a beast himself was just a matter of time.

★ Seeing what has been happening with Ludwig, Laurence started to lose faith in cosmos and evolution through that way. It occured to him that Insight addicts could be no better than beasts, after all. He succumbed to holy blood completely, thinking it'd be the only way to evolve while still remaining human enough, eventually abandoning his goals, his research and Gehrman. When he became a beast, Brador mercy-killed him.

★ Explaining how came the most holy person in the city became a beast was a tricky situation, but Ashton, who'd become the next Vicar (Amelia was just a child in that time) had a great idea. He instantly blamed foreigners for the bad influence, especially Brador who both was a foreigner and always way too close to Laurence, and somehow... it worked? People actually bought that the holy blood itself was fine, but the illness and beasthood was something brought by foreigners. It was when the stigma against foreigners truly began, to the point of Healing Church repressing even their own staff. Many very-obviously-not-white Church hunters got shunned and instead picked by School of Mensis, having nowhere else to go to and work. Brador was very thankful for this, though! He locked himself in the underground cell, taking the bell that'd resonate with the curses (anyone who got a curse of tormented Fish peopel spirits, in his case, so, anyone who'd know of Fishing Hamlet). Ashton is also not a made-up name; this character was mentioned in cut content, as Laurence's underling ( x )! I talked about him and Herbert (Eng: Norbert) in this ( x ) post a bit more!

★ Ludwig freaked out even stronger after Laurence's death, panicking over beasthood even more than before. It was not long after he'd just kill uncontrollably, hoping to see his guidance once more because before it did appear during the hunt.. And he NEEDED it, as the only way to be safe from the same fate as Laurence... That didn't end well, obviously. Valtr was the one to murder Ludwig during searching for where'd Yamamura go.

★ Eileen happened to arrive in Yharnam around this time from plague-devoured city in which she used to be a plague doctor. It was very poorly timed, indeed, but she caught rumours about miraculous healing blood and wanted to seek it to heal her people. As a foreigner, she had to be secretive. Somewhere here, Djura's Apprentice / Simon's twin brother lost his mind completely, attacking just any human for as much as (reasonably) questioning his actions or being (reasonably) scared of the beasts around him. Eileen was the one he wanted to attack, but Brandon, a Hunter of Hunters, murdered him before he could. I took this name from cut content, since in early version Crowfeather set was called "Brandon's Set" ( x ). That's how Eileen got introduced to the concept of blood-drunkness, as well as the practice to murder such people before they become beasts.

★ Ashton appointed new Hunter Chief as Ludwig was gone too. Brandon was very suspicious of what was going to happen within the Healing Church from that point on, so he passed the mantle to Eileen, but warned her that she would not last without holy blood to herself.

★ Simon discovered traces of Byrgenwerth's crimes and Fishing Hamlet, following the detective work he used to have with his gone friends. Brador was able to murder him thanks to his bell, but because of Hunter's Nightmare including not just blood-drunk hunters and the guilty, but people who seen too much too (patients), Simon got trapped here as well.

★ Rom almost entirely lost control over Choir when during all these events, her secrets started to slip through. Realizing she knew a whole bunch about School of Mensis and said nothing they felt betrayed and considered themselves no longer needing her, except for Julie (Eng: Yurie). Not to mention her affiliation with the forces and knowledge "heretical" to the Stars and Moon... They simply let her stay there, but from that point on were using all they've learned to do their own thing, different from even Willem's teachings. Rom's point still stayed - if people are dumped all the harsh truth on without being 'prepared', it won't be comprehended.

Mensis Ritual and further decay

★ The last rune Caryll discovered was Moon. Witnessing it himself was a trigger for Micolash to think that "the time" has came and understand he had to do what Laurence did, only without switch-and-bait.

★ Vision of the Moon made Caryll lose his mind. He travelled to the Clocktower / Choir's base, in order to carve the vicious cycle on the Clocktower dial ( x ). He would make it spin in an attempt to destroy the boundary between Nightmare and reality to end everything, but was killed by Yurie just in time. However, something did happen; past this point, there were two Yharnams - the "real" one and the one halfway submerged in a dream. Think of parallel realities! This is why our Paleblood Hunter arrives in one Yharnam, but wakes up in a different one, yet they are both 'real'. After this point, nobody would be able to normally encounter this, "parallel" Yharnam. If our Hunter did not get snatched by Messengers, they'd be in a different Yharnam - without Iosefka and any of the cast, where Blood Minister is, etc. Eileen was the last one to arrive normally, before this rift. The vicious cycle, however, is now seen in Hunter's Nightmare too.

★ Since Choir's base is around Clocktower and Orphanage is in the former Research Hall (more specifically the balcony with the Lumenflowers), that event shoke it especially. Their base was half-ruined. Orphans became Celestial Emissaries, together with their overseer Laura.

★ Seeing what happened, Rom formed a bond with Ebrietas similar to what Hunter's Dream is, but it instead was creation of infinite arcane 'lake inside of lake' and concealment. It felt especially crucial after what Caryll has done. Her real body fully mutated into a Spider, and then got instantly petrified. Thus, Rom became a perfect life form, combining all three cosmic affiliations (marine, celestial and nightmare/cursed). Her barrier remained penetrable only for those who are "ready" (remember that we can still hear Mergo cry even through her concealment if we have enough Insight!). From this point on, most mortals were 'safe': Rom protected them from cosmic horrors whereas Gehrman's immortal Paleblood Hunters were protecting people from beasts every fullmoon night.

★ Micolash designed hexagonal cages that would allow Mensis scholars (or anyone wearing one, really) to see through Rom's concealment without their brain exploding into slugs, and Archibald built them.

★ Remember how if flesh of murdered Annalise is offered on Altar of Grief, she gets resurrected? This property of Rom is the result of combining marine and cursed Arcane knowledge; Sea offers death and rebirth, whereas Nightmare Apostles can't die (no, seriously, Patches is back even after you kill him, he just doesn't interact now). Micolash knew of this property. As long as someone's soul is still alive, Rom can make them raise again! With the help of Queen Killer, a rare veteran that survived Cainhurst massacre, School of Mensis went to search retract the remains of ancient Queen Yharnam.

★ Brandon's true intentions were discovered and he got executed. All in all, Ashton adapted to new position very quickly, being a bit more oppressive than Laurence if that was even possible. The idea was that Laurence's successors would continue studying properties of the holy blood and find how to keep humans safe and healthy but avoid beasthood, yet the bastard gave into corruption just like *snaps fingers* that. He also normalized cannibalism within the Church's walls, now eating imprisoned enemies of the Church more often than giving them away for research (mostly Mensis'). Or feeding them to others. In a way, though, Ashton was correct - the best way to not lose oneself to beasthood was being a beast "a little bit, as a treat". By eating people sometimes. :/ Depending on the timeline, Micolash deeply resented Ashton for either tarnishing Laurence's intentions and quest (if he loved Laurence) or for complicating his research (if they were not really close). In either case, kidnappings of innocent people became new main resource for Mensis, since prisoners were no longer an option.

★ Archibald went to murder Ashton at some point, but sacrificed his own life for that. Norbert became the new Vicar, since his daughter Laura became an alien.

★ Gehrman's sanity in the Dream started to slip, and he could no longer trust himself to be genuine with the hunters. The temptation of provoking a fight and get killed by one so he could be free became too strong. As much as he hated himself for that, but he performed a ritual to animate the Doll, so he and her could take turns. For example, during game's events, it was Doll's turn to channel Blood Echoes.

★ After School of Mensis had blood/flesh/whatever of Yharnam, Micolash sent a kidnapped Choir member that he's been torturing for a while over to Choir, so they'd lay the sample on the altair. That person was completely under his control by then, so there was no problem; they are found in the cell that was locked from the inside, and were not even tied to the chair, for an indication!

(compare it with the corpse in Hemwick having very obvious ropes modelled around their arms)

So yeah, somewhere deep down in the dungeons, Queen Yharnam was resurrected, and her Mergo too. Remember that they are part of her body physically! School of Mensis "aborted" Mergo, which only required removing the cord, so they had the tool for their own ritual. (Naturally, Micolash left Queen Killer to die after his use was expired).

★ Mensis Ritual happened, summoning Wet Nurse and letting Mergo "live" yet again! But Micolash and others were taken into Nightmare themselves, since crows in lore deliver people into other planes. Because of Rom's concealment, nobody knew what happened except for Damian and Iosefka that ran away, but both were too terrified of Micolash even after his "death" to do anything, or tell anyone.

★ Choir developed the 'why do you weep fair maiden' schtick since Ebrietas became depressed upon Rom's fate. At least, everyone got cool Rosmarinus now. With the orphans completing their transformation abruptly, Choir was able to make a progress in research way faster than they anticipated, mostly much to Fauxsefka's delight.

★ Orphanage became redundant, though. At the same time, it meant that Choir would no longer take orphans in, so instead, Norbert started to adopt every other orphaned child/teen within the Church's walls. Adella, Emilia (Eng: Amelia), Henriett, (future) Cleric Beast of the Bridge and Alfred were such people. So, 'blood' faction of the Healing Church had abundance of members, whereas Choir kept losing the scientists without any new ones coming and Mensis has been strangely quiet..

★ Eileen suddenly gotten sick, as the only person in the 'new', 'parallel' Yharnam that never had blood ministration. This Yharnam started to reject her until she figured to take the holy blood. It happened on the night of the hunt, which automatically made her part of the dream that time.

More things coming to knowledge

★ Oedon Chapel becomes very unpopular at this point, rumoured to be a place full of lunatics, as a way to bury Old Hunters and let the former glory of Holy Blades to rest. Not to mention Healing Church not wanting for curious people to snoop at abandoned Choir's base for now. Gascoigne ditches Healing Church, frustrated with how little they care about the hunt anymore. It was a very 'idle' period for the Healing Church as they almost completely abandoned Yharnam and did not even bother to find a new Hunter Chief yet. Yharnamites were basically left to fend for themselves more and more so, only with the help of rare Old Hunters that still cared. It was where Henryk finally opened up to Gascoigne about the League, and also introduced him to Viola.

★ Viola and Gascoigne got married, and they had their first daughter. The second daughter would be born six years later.

★ This time period is also where Cleric Beast of the Bridge, Henriett, Amelia, Alfred and Adella grew up already. Henriett was never willing to be a Blood Saint, instead wanting to be a hunter and to actually help. Alfred was very eager too. Again, a rare sight in a sorry state of things. Alfred and Henriett became good friends, being very interested in the hunters of old times - Alfred in Executioners and Holy Blades, and Henriett in Gehrman's Old Hunters.

★ Choir members and White Doctors (scientists, basically) became less and less, more of them would dive into Chalice Dungeons for an outlet and never return (like Forgotten Madman), Ebrietas was too absent to he of help, celestial larvae kept petrifying upon some point of growing up. (notice how the statues in Upper Cathedral actually look like very eldrich creatures leaning on walk sticks and covered by a fabric in grieving manner?)

★ Edgar, Yurie and Fauxsefka, with maybe some White Doctors decided to depart into Byrgenwerth. For Yurie and Fauxsefka it was returning to their past, as they're way older than they look in my headcanons, but Edgar was a new one. (can change) They kept travelling through that secret cave. League could and would make life harder for them, though (there is a white doctor corpse in the woods). In any case, Upper Cathedral was no longer a great base for research, and they hoped to base in Byrgenwerth, or to at least get some of the remaining scholars by their side.

★ For a while, Norbert's corruption type has been eating people and taking their orphaned children with him, not letting them discover why their parents died. At last, he turned into a Cleric Beast himself, but only Amelia could put him down. He was unusually feral, unusually strong, the most vendigo-like, but he could not hurt his most beloved adopted daughter that replaced Laura to him even in that state. Amelia became a new Vicar, with the future Cleric Beast of the Bridge becoming hew Hunter Chief.

★ Alfred and Henriett have a falling out, instead becoming enemies, since Henriett finds a whole bunch about Healing Church's old crimes, as well as growing disillusioned about how "helpful" they could be. She instead fashions herself after Old Hunters, hence why this set is so similar to them, and some more younger hunters follow.

★ Brador dies somewhere around this time. Remember that his body in the cell is much older than his phantom!

★ Bloody Crow relapses after a very long time of trying to adapt to the new life and returns to killing the hunters, but consuming Blood Dregs found within them himself since he could not give any to Annalise. Compare it with becoming a drug addict sort of, as it was his only remaining way to 'connect' to what he had lost. Eileen spots him at some point, yet unaware of the real motivation with which he murders the blood-drunk hunters himself, but he is able to play along with her assumption that they wished the same thing - mercy-killing. She knew that she was becoming too old, so he becomes her apprentice, to become a successor later.

★ Speaking of successors, Amelia deliberately left none for herself! Like Henriett, she was disillusioned, only she felt too caught up in her status and too conflicted to really do anything revolutionary. She accepted her inevitable fate, hoping that the corrupt history of the Healing Church will end on her. Yharnam became basically an anarchy with her refusing to be any real authority. She did murder and eat her elders, though, so nobody could take any decisive measures. (and also because she was still mad for getting roped into Healing Church's trap since childhood) From this point on, she was just waiting for her demise and the end of everything, performing her role simply on autopilot.

★ Oho boy... Another theory link, about how the Choir discovered Nightmare of Mensis existed, and how Edgar was sent to be a spy after Micolash and then betrayed them! ( x ) To be short, I think the three discovered that something was wrong thanks to the connection of Byrgenwerth's Lecture Hall to the Nightmare Realm. Mensis Ritual was discovered, but so were true intentions of Edgar and the Choir as he betrayed the girls in the end. Micolash used his powers to permanently lock Lecture Hall away from the rest of the Byrgenwerth, leaving scholars trapped. He also sent four Shadows of Yharnam to guard the area. Dores attempts to fight them, but dies after only managing to kill one (based on the cut content where initially there were four shadows, not three).

★ Later, the tension between Fauxsefka and Yurie finally breaks. Yurie agrees with keeping Mensis Ritual concealed but ongoing, so the impact "influences" people even if they do not realize it - the weak will become beasts and die, the strong will gain Insight sooner or later. Fauxsefka curses both Yurie and Willem for being idle fence-sitters and runs away, able to pass through Shadows of Yharnam thanks to her Cainhurst roots. For Yurie though, they prove to be a bit too strong, nor she was motivated enough to chase that woman. It is not an instant transition to game's events, though! Fauxsefka still goes back and forth sometimes, mostly stopping at Iosefka's clinic, battling with Valtr whenever they meet, and experimenting on some Forbidden Woods people. Including this obscure NPC:

^ This is a door NPC in the Forbidden Woods, and her dialogue was lost in translation! In Japanese original, what she is saying makes it sound more like she hears Mergo's cries through the concealment, and I think this is pretty cool if true!

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Alright, I think this is all I needed to piece together! It was a little hard because I kept forgetting some details and characters, whereas some other things needed an extra loop of explanation. Some parts demanded so much context as though I've been writing a fanfic.. :/ Again, thanks anyone who managed to read to this point!