Yharnam, the city of blood ministration, a very prosperous city until the very thing that once built the city up, ultimately destroyed it. The blood was tainted from the very beginning, the church knowing this still performed the ministrations, rising in power over the city. The blood was said to be able to cure any illness or ailment, which was true. Until the church found the old blood. Deep within the Chalice dungeons below Yharnam, they had found what they had worshipped an Old One. Using the Old One's blood they performed a new blood ministration, seeing that the their blood was so powerful they used it as a tool to get even more power over the city. They were successful until the disease started to spread, the Beastly Scourge, an effect from using the blood excessively turned the infected into mindless beasts. These infected were running rampant in the streets of Yharnam, killing any who they could find. They were no longer human, they were monsters. To control the outbreak the church created the Hunters, beings who had a transfusion of the Old Blood in their veins. In the beginning very few would survive the old one's blood contacting their own. The ones who did thought were given great speed, incredible hunting prowess, and even the arcane arts. These Hunters' mission was to kill any beasts they could find and protect the people. Hunters were immune to the beastly scourge, at least the church thought. Until Hunter's started to go mad. Not knowing what to do the church set certain Hunters to kill any of the mad Hunters that were running rampant. Soon there were a whole population of Hunters all over Yharnam, hunting down the beasts the church had set upon the entire city, and perhaps, the world.
On the night of the full moon, the city of Yharnam lay silent. The cobblestone streets devoid of people, only coffins and bodies that had not yet been laid to rest were the only company on the streets. Hendrick walked slowly down one of these said streets, hearing nothing but his footsteps. The air tonight was ominous, almost like that night, the one he was trying so hard to forget. He continued walking, sighing as his breath rose visibly in the air. The smell of the air, no the smell of the entire city was something he could immediately place, the smell of death. The buildings along the sides of the roads being one big mass of shadows only to be thwarted by the occasional street light. Hendrick had read a few things about this city, before he started traveling that it had once been a very boisterous city, brimming with both populace, and wealth, although something seems to have changed since last he heard of Yharnam. He decided to stop and survey his surroundings, brushing the black hair from his eyes, and squinting at a building on his side of the street.
"Bloodwine", Hendrick trailed off, "I thought that stuff was banned a few years ago, at least in towns that I've passed", he held his chin trying to recall when he had last heard of the pungent stuff being sold.
He turned around and shook his head, not being able to recall anything, gasping gently seeing someone a bit further down the street. This figure was holding a torch, the flames flickered, engulfing half of it's face in shadow. Hendrick could swear he was seeing matter down fur, as it started to turn around towards him. Hendrick's eyes widened as it's eyes were a deep glowing red, almost as though it were a hungry beast from a fairy tale.
"Blood, the blood, Away Away! Blood, the blood Away Away", It screeched, waving its torch towards Hendrick.
Hendrick could finally make out the other half of the creature's body, in its other hand it was brandishing a long, rusty saw blade. It seemed the blade could cut down almost any tree, even in the limited light Hendrick could see fresh blood dripping from the blade. The creature took a step, then another. Dragging the blade towards the ground, chanting what it had previously said. Its limping, that's good, I can just run considering it has limited mobility, Hendrick thought to himself, even if his single cloth sack that had everything he owned would weigh him down a bit he could still make it.
Hendrick drew a sharp jagged breath, as the creature got closer. It's breath was panting heavily, slowly dragging the blade. He could finally make out it's face, it seemed to have once been human. The fur that covered it, was matted and even gone in some places, but the entire body seemed to be bathed in blood. Then the creature lunged its body not to propel itself forward but to swing the massive blade towards Hendrick, who rolled to the side just to narrowly avoid the serrated edge. It slammed into the ground with a clang, as Hendrick didnt waste in time scrambling up and running down the alleyway he had spotted on the other side of the street. The beast could be heard saying the same thing over and over again, but soon faded as Hendrick ran through the seemingly endless alleys. He gasped for air having to stop, hunched over placing his hands on his slightly bent knees, taking sharp quick breaths.
A dead end, he realized, he turned to the other way but something glimmering caught his eye. Hendrick walked towards the glimmering object, the smell of blood was heavy, weighing down on his empty stomach. Soon noticing the object was a necklace on a corpse, a fresh corpse. Hendrick put two fingers up and drew them down his chest, a holy sign from his homeland. The body was wearing a strange garb, it was black and sleek, looking at a small strap across it he saw small red vials only three of them. Hendrick shook his head picking up the necklace, it was a small radiant sword.
"More of a badge than a necklace I suppose", He said to himself, not really noticing that he was speaking out loud, pocketing the badge.
He heard insane laughter from behind, causing him to turn around. He saw a man in a wheelchair holding a gun up to him.
"You answered the call of the people. You will be a Hunter, Slayer of beasts!", The old man seeming to be withered in the chair laughed even more.
Before Hendrick could even ask anything about this, he heard a gunshot from the pistol the man was holding. A smell of gunpowder filled the air, as Hendrick held his chest around his heart, where a now dampened spot began to grow. Heat, he could feel heat seeping out of him, trying to say something all that could be made out was gurgles and helpless Hendrick fell on the ground an outstretched hand, his paling face seeming to plead with the man. The hollowed eyes of the man was the last thing Hendrick saw until his Scarlet eyes closed, and darkness engulfed his body.
"Perhaps things would've been different, if you hadn't have come here. Whether seeking blood or power, you have been chosen. Fate is a cruel mistress my friend", The man said as he picked up Hendrick dragging him to the clinic.
Within Hendrick's mind the heat could still be felt seeping out of him. His warmth, his life starting to fade. Is this what dying is like?, He asked himself not being able to speak. As light suddenly pierced the darkness. The pale light, in which later he realized was moonlight, was dim at first but it started to get stronger, and stronger until it was to the point is was almost blinding. Then the light started to speak, not in any language Hendrick had ever heard of, yet he knew what is was saying. It wanted him to embrace the light, pledge himself to the light, become one with the light. The light was warmth, safety, security, or so it said. He tried to call out to it but nothing came out, as his hand came out and grasped the light, holding it as though it were a blade. The contract was sealed, Hendrick tried to scream as every part of his body seared in a burning pain. He could feel the presence of the Moon itself in the light, thinking his body would burn basking in this light,his eyes closed.
When Hendrick opened them he had awoken on a flat table, hearing nothing but a faint dripping noise next to him. Slowly arising on the table, the smell of mildew was heavy in the small room he was in, looking around it seemed to be some type of clinic. He finally noticed an I.V in his wrist, a bit surprised by the pain from pulling it out, a quick groan escaped him. In shock remembering what had happened he felt his chest, nothing. He was wearing different clothes, a pair of black pants with overalls, and a small red vest with a white shirt under it. He looked at his hands, his entire body felt foreign to him. There was something inside him, he could feel it, although not being able to identify it, he knew it was there.