C17: Memories of Despair, Old Yharnam
Wish to make it known that patr-eon has up to c23 in terms of distance. you can also read the next chapter ahead of time shortly after I release them here.
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I find myself back in that fishing hamlet, a small inlet that is revealed with the tide being the only separating factor from the village and the Clocktower where the Healing Church had set up a lab on any and all monsters they had encountered.
I remember now; a conversation I had with my foster father. I stood beside him as we overlooked the hamlet as i rubbed my eyes, strained from the amount of work i've done over these long hours with no rest.
"Father, why do they inject themselves with these vile concoctions? Is our task not to purge the beasts and grant the land a reprieve from these monstrosities?" I say with my early mindset naivete, a version of me that while unaware of the true depth of darkness, had clung to some semblance of hope that all the years of hunting till now would show some results.
"Quiet down boy, no troubles impact us here lest you run your mouth." I'm admonished by my father but a moment later his own expression turns sorrowful and seemingly older, "if we know the source, then we know our true enemy" he speaks with words that lack any sense of conviction
"We long know our enemy, this accursed blood that we let flow into our veins, that which would mend us is the source. Nothing past that matters. We should destroy it at the source not commit further atrocities" I do not relent in my actions. The Horrors I've witnessed up till now. The ache in the pit of my stomach at what I committed.
It's dead.
Yet not
Echoes linger in its sullied form.
Revenge taketh spiritual form.
"Curse the fiends, and their children too. And their children, forever, true."
With a headache coming on, I grab my head as I soon find myself back in the dream. I look around for anything weird that could have shown up but find nothing. Just me by myself, as usual.
With my mood thoroughly crippled, I return to the Oedon Chapel. I wave at the girl who still doesnt want to look at me after I 'lied' to her and I can understand that. Walking down the stairs, I find the right door locked. The leftside is an open path leading to a courtyard through the ultimate goal there is to lead to a place called old Yharnam while the Front way leads to the healing Church buildings.
I know forward is the shortcut path path while the left is the 'right' way to go and I have the emblem now so I can progress but im too tired right now and just want to fight some things instead.
I move to the left path, into the courtyard where I spot a cleric or rather a church 'servant'. A long cane in the right hand and a blue lamp in the left. I simply wait for them to reel back their cane to swing at me before i shoot them. Easily stunned, i fist them.
And tear out their heart. This one dropped a few vials. I then repeat the process with the second servant who had just come down the stairs on the right side and was walking around the center. These guys have giant parry windows and technically the most enjoyable enemy in this world since they are so easy. Later a bit not so much but only because they get bigger. Still, these guys give a good chunk of echoes
For reference, at the center of this courtyard is a small well while the surroundings are filled with graves and imp like statues that shed light from the lamps hanging over them. I find two spots that are glowing, the first only has a handful of vials while the other….
My eyes widen as what should not be seen is.
[+1 insight gained upon witnessing a Lesser Amygdala. Nugget Man passive activates to double this. Total insight = 12]
"Why the hell is that thing already here!!" I call out but it doesnt seem to pay me any mind. I avert my eyes as I get another headache to deal with, for now I get the item before me and it's another hunter garb but this one has a top hat.
I turn around and go down the left hand side staircase which takes me to a pretty empty area but it has a nice view.
The red clouds in the backdrop of the towering Yharnam buildings, it's quite beautiful. Shame there is a fog on the lower area though, might have made it better but thats my opinion. The buildings serve as contrast enough, maybe a group of huntsman walking around, just seeing rows of torches down there or something.
Regardless, I find another staircase leading down which I take. I find a sizable church looking building with four Huntsmen and one dog. I throw a pebble at the dog to lure it away where I take care of it with just two swipes of my cleaver. Im surprised by how many echoes I now get from them. As it's around four times greater than it was before.
Unfortunately, I got a bit too close to one of the huntsmen and he rushes at me but this was my plan all along, a single step to lure one hunter in, then just a few steps back to get out of range of the others as this huntsman charges at me. I easily stun him with each of my strikes and I slap him three times for good measure with my cleaver and down he goes.
Oh i also got 2 vials from him, woohoo.
I repeat this process with the remaining 2 huntsmen and net myself some juicy echoes as even these guys are now giving around five times more than before.
"Itadakimasu" I place my hands together at this gourmet meal of echoes before I explore the front area of this church building. I get a coldblood dew (2) behind a tree and then…another item
It's beautiful really.
Four freaking molotov Cocktails.
I nearly shed a tear as I pocket them and then head into the building to happily slap around another clumsy villager, must have been drunk since he just fell over after two slaps. I then pick up and store the madmans knowledge before heading out and towards the right side of the buildings (left side when arriving, opposite of where the two items by trees were).
The building itself is quite barren with a single stone casket in the center and a suspicious looking section that this casket might be able to 'slide' into.
Walking up the stairs on the side path, I enter a small overpass where I see a gun huntsman and his two dogs standing around. The dogs rush at me and I back step before rushing in, taking one dog down but the other bites me as a bullet flies over my head. Thankfully im not wearing a top hat otherwise it would have hit me.
I take down the other dog and heal up automatically from my quick response before taking down the huntsman who gets one more shot off before I bury him with his gun.
I pushed open the door they were guarding to another set of two paths. The right side leads to a switch I pull and the casket indeed does move exactly how I described it earlier. Paying it no mind, I picked up the other madmans knowledge that was hanging off the left side before walking back and towards the other open path.
It takes me to a series of steps downward and another man who seems to be kneeling before…something, there ARE multiple graves around him so he might be praying. I step up to him and seeing how he does immediately brandish a weapon, I lower mine which was poised to strike him in the head if he made any funny movement.
"Howdy"
"You're a beast hunter aren't you? I knew it, I started out the same. Ah, beg pardon, my name is Alred. Protege of Master Logarius, hunter of vilebloods."
'Ah, good to know to never equip the vileblood title next to him' I simply nod at him as a form of greetings as the man gets up from his prayer, only slightly turning in my direction to look at me.
"What say you, shall we cooperate and exchange notes?" He offers me a choice, and I choose to accept as I simply nod.
"Splendid, here you are quiet one. A gift to show my thanks and to creatures we shall hunt." I take the fire paper stack and put it in my pocket before walking away. I at least have the courtesy of waving to him as I leave.
Returning the way I came, I go the center path again that overlooks the inside of the church before falling down the sides since the distance is enough to not hurt…too much. Mostly just made my ankles sore but it's fine, ill walk it off.
I instead make my way down the staircase that was revealed from the crypt having moved by my actions earlier.
This leads me to a small room with a similar circle design in the center but around me is a gathering of praying statues that with a better look, are in fact, not faceless. One in particular looks like a figure with the area on their nose and below covered by cloth. Though their eyes appear to be lacking as if scooped out.
"Ya know what would be crazy, if these are actual people who got turned to stone, fusing with the tiles underneath them to look like statues. Because ya know, there is so many of them scattered around everywhere" I rant my theory to no one and then go pick up the single item on the other side of the room.
[Tempering Blood Gemstone (1) acquired]
"Ah, one of maybe three or so gemstones naturally found in the world…unless i go snooping in some places im not wanted….but not now, im too weak and I want at least the minimum assurance that a single hit won't kill me with this giant debuff I get" I pocket the gemstone and go down the very long curving staircase which is to me a direct mimicry of the staircase I took up from the study underneath the chapel but shorter.
"Ah a werewolf, nice to see one of you again. Though I shall let you know" I begin to monologe as the beast runs up to me but stops as it charges up a grab but I just walk around him and begin wacking him with my cleaver.
"If you were a werefox, I might have let you grab me but no, your a wolf, I don't give a damn about wolves. So die please" I take the beast down. Still have a chunk of my stamina left. The physique skill is working hard, it's so much stronger than leveling up endurance at all. I pick up the bloodstone shard and go on my way.
Walking down a set of stairs which leads me directly to a bench, covered in vases, for some reason, as well as a ladder which from my view, takes me to another set of stairs but this one is a proper staircase that originally was connected to the stairs im currently on.
Nevertheless, I go down the ladder and then up the stairs to get a set of 4 antidotes, "yummers", I pocket the vial and then walk down the flight of stairs to an open air where I light a lamp before going off to the side room when im exploring and after kicking a single giant vase that knocks over all the overs. I pick up the Pungent Blood Cocktails x 3.
Finding nothing else, I go the opposite direction I find another door, but this one has a note on it. It's a warning. It tells all hunters to turn back as the beasts here are no threat and the town long abandoned.
I heft my saw cleaver in hand, my fingers running down the sharp serrated edges of my blade, 'I will determine if they are a threat or not'
I kick the door open. I have to repeat this motion for both ends of the door. While my stats have risen quite a bit, it's primarily my new physique holding the reins here rather than my raw stats as most of it is crippled by the curse.
Nevertheless, it's still an impressive amount of strength since it lets me kick in doors like this. The pay way opens up and I spot quite a few things around me that attract my attention. The first being the corpses of beasts burning at the stake. Walking down the slight stairs, I find a tentacle rodent scurrying away at my arrival. I chase it down, going down one layer of rooftop to rafters to rooftop before the beast makes the directional mistake of huddling in the corner. Spiked fences block it from further escape but it's good for me as I begin to wail on it. It's pretty tough and takes me down to the same level as the previous werewolf I just fought. With a final death screech, I get myself a Bloodstone shard x 3. I quickly look around and find i missed something in my chase of the elusive beast.
"Dou, ill have to go down this way again"I continue down and arrive at what looks like the middle of a tower.
But before dropping down further, I turn around and spot one hunched over cloth covered beast. I approach the beast patient and slay it before it can do anything, I turn around and soon find another rushing at me which I promptly take down again.
Then amongst the supporting rooms which are really just gatherings of small pillars with only a few pieces of rubble. I do find a Hunters torch.
I replace my normal torch, not that I really have much of a use for either of them. My semi newly gained dark vision has been putting in work. But big number go up so im not complaining.
I then begin to hop down from one ledge to another, thankfully landing on the railing which exists for some reason when it's a wall just next to it anyways. I find a door.
[This door is closed from this side]
"Ya don't say" I slide my hand in through one of the many open squares and jimmy the lock until it clicks.
"Voila, el heckerman at yar ser-vice." I give my best french accent with a bit of piraty for some reason which I can happily admit to doing since im not french. Hmm hmm hmm
[Curious George achievement has experienced a level up due to repeated actions. Title has evolved into Curious George II]
"Sniff sniff, it's so beautiful" I nearly tear just like I did over the molotovs I found. Looking at the title, I spot the previous 5% unsealed stats increase to 10%.
"WOOHOO." i cheer and then close the door since im not going this way yet. Going down the mainstream pathway, I go up the rickety staircase which I do have one floorboard snap under me which does send a chill up my spine as I avoid that floorboard and then arrive at a ladder.
Using said ladder, I collect the cold blood dew (2) and then go back down again, collecting the final blood stone shard that was just sitting there and then make my way back down again.
Now I have make a decision. Go Examine the stone tower I cheated to unlock….or go up the half broken staircase and take the normal path.
"Don't I get shot by some asswipe if I do?" My face morphs into a grin as I turn towards the stone tower.
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I have been informed that it's preferred to use numbers so ill get rid of this word count thingy and just say the number.
Word Count = 2755
Enjoy
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