Chapter I
The Departure
The prestigious Byrgenwerth College stood silent as it was bathed in the light of the sunset. Most of the students had retired to their dorms for the night, and some of the wealthier students who lived in the city of Yharnam had gone home in their lavish horse drawn carriages. One young man, Gehrman, remained, sitting on a bench and gazing at the lake. For the sake of comfort, he had removed the long black coat of the Byrgenwerth uniform, leaving him in his normal scholar's attire. As he enjoyed the lake's serene beauty, he was approached by another student who emerged from the building where the provost's personal chambers and research hall were located.
"How did your talk with Provost Willem go, Laurence?" asked Gehrman.
"Not well," said Laurence with a hint of regret in his voice as he sat down. "He will never listen. He thinks that I am betraying him. I am thankful for his teachings, but I feel that I must expand the scope of the research that he started. Are you still coming with me?"
"Well," said Gehrman, "I'm not really interested in all of that. Elevating humanity to the glory of the gods is for someone with greater devotion to that cause than me. But regardless, I will go with you and help however I can. I just want to do the right thing."
"I understand," said Laurence. "There are many other students who feel the same, as well as those who share my ambition. Even Caryll is joining us. He says that he's going to complete his rune projects in Yharnam. Do you want to ask Maria to come with us?"
"Maria? Why?"
"I know you fancy her. I've seen the looks you give her and the way you talk to her. No need to be so shy about it. I don't blame you. She's a pretty and smart lady."
"Oh, I don't know," said Gehrman. "She's an important noble from Cainhurst Castle. I don't have a chance with her. I've accepted that."
"Don't feel so down about it. She respects you more than you think. We all saw how you handled that beast. We all know how tough a fighter you are. As a future soldier of Cainhurst, Maria surely sees that as something of worth. But regardless, don't worry about it. We'll be fine, as long as you help me achieve this dream."
"Perhaps," sighed Gehrman.
"I think that you should go and talk to Master Willem," said Laurence. "For all his faults, he at least deserves to know that you're coming with me. I'll go and get everything together."
Laurence rose from the bench and went to get his affairs in order, leaving Gehrman to the serenity of the lakeside. After a few minutes, Gehrman got up and walked into Master Willem's office. The building was cluttered with all manner of papers, tools, and research equipment. A staircase led up to the second floor, which had a small library. Sitting in a large, ornate rocking chair at a table near the bottom of the stairs was Master Willem, a middle aged gentleman wearing the elaborate white and blue robes that signified the provost of Byrgenwerth.
"Did Laurence talk to you?" questioned Willem.
"Yes," Gehrman answered. "He does not want to betray you. We are both grateful for all you have taught us, but you may have lost your way."
"How so?"
"How are we to finish your research if we do not make further use of the Old Blood?"
"You know very well, Gehrman. As I have pleaded with Laurence, I implore you, forget not the adage of Byrgenwerth."
"I know," said Gehrman. "Fear the Old Blood. But Master Willem, the Old Blood is the blood of the gods. When we discovered it in the labyrinth beneath Yharnam, we stumbled upon a great miracle."
"Ah, but that's just it," said Willem. "Though the Old Blood has remarkable healing properties, don't forget what happened to that test subject. He was cured of his illnesses, but we all saw what he became afterwards. You should know that better than anyone. You're the one who put him down."
"If you would only let Lauence perfect it, that would never happen," countered Gehrman. "There is still much to discover."
"The Old Blood is the easy way out. Whatever can be learned of that medium is not based on thought. I aim to elevate our thoughts to a higher plane. If you cannot understand that, then there is nothing left to say."
"Then," said Gehrman as he turned to leave, "I bid you farewell."
"Gehrman," said Willem. "I know that Laurence is your friend, and you want to help him. Please, don't let him lose himself. Never let him forget our adage. Fear the Old Blood."
"You have my word," assured Gehrman. "Goodbye, Master Willem."
Author's note: So yeah, my first Bloodborne fic. This was originally going to be a oneshot that explains my entire headcanon, but that would have felt extremely rushed. This should be much better. Now, there isn't really anything in the game that says that Gehrman was a scholar at Byrgenwerth, but that's the case in this story because he clearly knew Laurence and Willem personally. There's also nothing about Maria attending Byrgenwerth, but I felt that it would be a good way for her to know Gehrman. Besides, she obviously knew what happened at the fishing hamlet, so I will assume that she was associated with Byrgenwerth in some way. Just so you know, Gehrman's friendship with Laurence will be largely secondary to his romance with Maria. As I've said before, my update schedule is a joke, but I'm still trying to work on my other continuing stories, as well as a couple of other upcoming ones. Also, I need a name and gender for the player character, and I thought it would be worth it to let you guys decide that.
