As the sun rose over the mirror-like water, the mighty visage of Brygenwerth came into view.
The old college was a monument even when Johann had visited it. The building he had wandered inside was one of the last areas in all of the Yharnam area that was standing as good as it ever was.
That being said, the place Johann had visited was just that, a building. It was nowhere near the entire size of the Byrgenwerth institution.
Indeed, what Gehrman saw upon the horizon was several strong, decorated behemoths of architecture. Its style was reminiscent of the Healing Church's cathedrals, but it employed more colorful tiles and artful sculptures than the purely stone places of worship. The similarity between the two buildings made sense of course, everything sacred in Yharnam could be traced back to Byrgenwerth, including its architecture.
The towering sunlight dancing upon the domes made the college literally shine. Gehrman recalled the first time he (or rather Old Gehrman) had laid eyes on the prestigious place of learning.
The line of mansion-like buildings cradling the lake's shore. The cleanliness of the roads and benches. It seemed less like a school and more like a city in and of itself.
The dormitories were lavish and wide, the lecture halls were vast and inspiring, the dining halls were constantly hugged by a rich aroma of bread and fresh meats.
It was enough to take one's breath away.
Old Gehrman had found himself sitting in the middle of the road. Knocked off his feet by his awe of the magical place.
…then of course he had gotten in great trouble.
If a student of the institution were to do such a thing they might be verbally scorned. If an incoming scholar were to do such a thing they might meet some backlash. But Gehrman was neither of those things.
In actuality, Old Gehrman was not a true scholar, but instead something of a "handy-man." He had been hired to keep the many appliances of the prestigious place up and running. Since Brygenwerth was on the cutting edge of technology at the time, an expert was required to be kept on sight.
Gehrman had been one such expert. In fact, he had been the only expert. Master Willem had been very particular on who he let on these hallowed grounds, and though Gehrman did not meet the standards of nobility that were held in great regard at Byrgenwerth he was a singular talent who Master Willem favored.
Old Gehrman's past was a blur, but it was especially hazy around his childhood. This was not the mystical influence of Paleblood, but instead the natural forgetfulness of an old man.
All he recalled were scenes of dark, damp wooden hovels. Little hideaways in the grand city of Yharnam.
He had never been a thief or a thug, though with his natural physical prowess he could have been the very best at either.
Instead, Old Gehrman had earned his bread from other, similarly unfortunate members of the lower-class who wanted to enjoy a small portion of what their wealthy superiors experienced.
A hand-made watch or two went a long way in keeping him alive.
It was one of those watches that had attracted the attention of the esteemed Provost of Byrgenwerth.
Apparently, one of his creations had been sold as a counterfeit of a highly respected watchmaker. What's more, his creation (though lacking the quality materials) was no way inferior in craftsmanship.
Seeking cheap labor and a potential talent, Master Willem had sent a messenger into the slums to inquire after Gehrman, and eventually hire him.
Any average citizen of Yharnam held Brygenwerth in high regard, someone of Gehrman's status was simply unable to comprehend its grandeur.
Even after he moved into a small cottage on the edge of the woods surrounding Byrgenwerth and being given proper clothes and food, he still couldn't grasp the majesty of the place.
He had worked for no pay, he only received food, housing, and amenities that kept him from bringing down the Byrgenwerth standard too much.
It had been lonely for those initial years, but Gehrman didn't care one bit. The luxury of his new lifestyle made him endlessly loyal to the college…
At least, until that loyalty was superseded by one of its students. The only man who he could call a friend, Laurence.
A wave of complex emotions hit him as he recalled the visage of his old colleague. It was enough to shock him out of his trance.
With a start, he realized he had wound up at the northern docks. Even the inconspicuous wooden structure that covered the docks was subtly sublime. The stability of the wood and the evenness of the grounds were hardly noticeable to anyone except Gehrman.
He slowed his pace, entering under the wide yawning, and then climbing up onto one of the many stone platforms that comprised the docks.
The place was completely empty.
This was not due to the extremely early hour. The scholars at Byrgenwerth were exceptional, and most had awoken by this time in order to get a head start on their learning and research.
The lack of people around the docks was due to the simple fact that the scholars here generally lacked a certain…physical inclination.
In other words they were all horribly inept at anything other than their books. Of course, there were some notable exceptions, but for the most part outsiders would be hired if the scholars ever needed anything brought in from the outside.
This too was one of the many things that Gehrman had ended up doing for the college. At first, he had only ventured out if Master Willem specifically asked him to do so, but eventually Laurence's kindly requests won him over and he started to do tasks for him as well. And so these two individuals were the only ones that ever had any say over Gehrman's actions.
The only question was: who had he ventured into the Hinterlands for?
…actually, there was one other question. What was he supposed to have acquired or recorded?
It was only as Gehrman was tying up his boat did he realize that an awkward conversation was ahead.
How was he supposed to explain that he traveled all the way to the Hinterlands and back, only to come back with nothing in return?
In the past, Old Gehrman had a 100% success rate when given a task. It was what made him so valued by the college.
Now though, he had failed for the first time.
What would their reactions even be like?
Gehrman groaned as he straightened up and cracked his neck. He twisted around a bit and did some stretches.
Though the boat was tailor made for him, sitting down for several hours was still uncomfortable.
"First things first, let's find out what year it is."
Gehrman made his way out of the docks, and he was once again assaulted by the brightness of the college. The roads were so clean that they too reflected light into Gehrman's eyes.
As he squinted, a late thought occurred to him.
This was the first time he had seen the sun in months.
Actually, considering the Forgotten Shore's light had come from an artificial sun, it may have been the first time he had seen it…ever.
Or maybe he still had never seen it. After all, this was simply the elaborate conjuring of great beings. It was a Dream.
Only if he passed this trial and received an Ascended body could he actually see true light from the waking world.
Armed with this thought, he ventured further and further into the college. He did not have a distinct goal at first, but he found himself walking toward the main administrative building. This was the place where Master Willem, and the scholars who would be the foundation of the Healing Church frequented the most.
Despite his age, the Provost still researched frequently. His mind had not dulled, instead his renown grew impossibly grander each year. With the discovery of the Old Blood and the Arcane mysteries in the tombs under their feet, his drive had only grown. While he was the leader of the college, he was also its greatest scholar.
There were very few who even came close.
Of course, these would be the people who would found the Healing Church.
Laurence, the one considered by Master Willem to be the greatest mind of his generation was venerated in countless fields and was profoundly sociable as well. His drive for furthering evolution was no less ambitious than Master Willem's, but it took a different route.
For while Master Willem wanted to emulate the Great One's thoughts and mind, Laurence sought to achieve their body and soul.
Of course, both of which were terribly foolish, and it would eventually lead to the fall of Yharnam, and perhaps the entire world as a whole.
Besides Laurence though, there were a couple others with great esteem.
Micolash was a scholar who followed closely in the steps of Master Willem. His study and eventual mastery of the Arcane was second only to the esteemed Provost. However, he also went his separate ways from Master Willem, working under Laurence and becoming the Healing Church's primary researcher.
Then there was the singular genius known as Caryll. What she lacked in the mastery of the several fields that the other great scholars were known for, she more than made up for with her affinity to the Arcane and the Great One's. Indeed, Caryll would create Caryll Runes that acted as visual manifestations of the Great One's mutterings. In copying these down, and later memorizing them, one could channel some reliable and safe Arcane power for themselves. For decades, this would be the single greatest discovery to come from the ancient tombs, save for the Old Blood of course.
Finally there was a late addition, and a rather odd one at that. This was because the last scholar was not one who hailed from Yharnam or even its surrounding areas, but instead the mysterious land of Cainhurst.
The youngest of the scholars was Gehrman's greatest pupil: Maria.
Descending from Cainhurst nobility, she commanded great respect simply from her nature. But it was her mind that earned her a spot in Master Willem's inner-circle. Her "outsiders perspective" and keen mind were essential in furthering the knowledge of the Great Ones. On top of that, she had mastered much of the knowledge that had been passed down in Cainhurst. Though some secrets were forbidden, her research was no less beneficial than all the others.
Of course, she was also unique in her decision to be trained under Gehrman as a Hunter. She would be the only one of the top scholars to do so.
The thought that he might actually encounter her in this dream struck him like a bolt of lightning.
Seeing her face, hearing her voice, smelling her scent, what would happen if Gehrman were to experience such things? The mania of Old Gehrman was deeply entrenched into his very soul, and though he now had moral principles, the inner conflict that would no doubt erupt after meeting her might very well push him into just as much madness as a Fallen creature's blood might.
Even so, he had to continue onward.
After some time, he finally came across a few other scholars. They were simply walking to class, but Gehrman was curious to see their reactions to his presence. This would be a good indicator of the time period.
Early in his time at Byrgenwerth, he was seen as "lesser" due to his status and for the fact he wasn't a true scholar. The eyes that fell upon him at that time were filled with disgust.
Later, they grew to see him as a person worthy of respect and fear. His exploits in the tombs were enough to warrant an actual citation in all academic papers that were completed with help from his excavations and kills.
Then, there was the time when they looked at him with disdain. This was because he had parted ways from Master Willem in order to follow Laurecne's Healing Church.
As it turned out, he was indeed placed in a time after the schism of the scholars. When these passing scholars saw him, their faces filled with obvious contempt.
Of course, they did nothing but stare from a safe distance.
Though Gehrman's deeds were kept a secret from the general public, a few of the older scholars of Brygenwerth who were familiar with the Old Blood and the Scourge knew what Gehrman did. And so, they knew to fear the man.
After coming to the realization that he was not entirely welcome here, Gehrman considered leaving for the forest and making his way back up to Yharnam. He would be living under the Cathedral Ward at this time, in a small room near his Workshop.
However, he did not change his direction.
The Second Nightmare was exceedingly dangerous. But it was also the greatest possible opportunity for Gehrman to grow in strength. The collecting of more Memories aside, he hoped to exploit the unique properties of Yharnam to grow even further in strength.
There were many Arcane tools that Hunters utilized that were simply not found in the world of the Nightmare Spell.
Simple things like Fire Paper or Bolt Paper did much in increasing the adaptability of any hunter. There were also the dangerously potent Beast Blood Pellets that granted an exponential increase in strength. Antidotes and Sedatives that differed from anything the Waking World of this realm had to offer. Blood Shards and Bloodstone Gems augmented weapons further, greatly increasing their effectiveness.
But what he was mostly interested in were Caryll Runes. The Rune Workshop Tool that Caryll developed was unique enough that it could not be replicated even by Gehrman's hands. What's more, it allowed for three separate Runes to take hold and power such as increased resistances, stamina, vitality, or strength.
On top of that, since Gehrman was aware of the shapes of the Runes, he would not have to go out of his way to search for them like Johann had.
He simply needed the tool.
And that tool was safely guarded in the building he now stood in front of.
With a sigh, Gehrman pushed over the heavy doors and entered the administrative building.
Instantly the scent of old books and scrolls hit him. It was nostalgic, but the memories associated with this place were not all happy. After all, this was also the building that Johann had visited when he had reached Byrgenwerth…he had died many times here.
Despite it being a place with offices for the professors and the Provost, it also housed a truly staggering number of books, what's more, it had an observatory on the roof. This was all from Master Willem's decree, for the old man disliked making long journeys, so it was easier for him to move all of his most referenced books right next to his own study.
At this time, dozens of scholars were roaming the halls. For though the building was not a library, students were allowed to browse the great works just so long as they never left the premises.
A few more people took notice of his precedence. Though he tried to hide it, his aura had changed recently.
Nephis was the first to point it out, but in retrospect Seishan and the others had likely felt it as well. Apparently, the deeper Gehrman descended into madness, the more a frenzied aura radiated from him.
This was perhaps the only benefit that could be observed from his [Inheritor of Madness] Attribute. The subtle influence of Frenzy on Nightmare Creatures was beneficial, but the fact that it always lingered around him (likely upsetting his allies) was not favorable.
For the scholars surrounding him, it was likely more than just upsetting. It seemed to compound their already present discomfort and make them flat out reject his existence.
Shaking his head, Gehrman walked forward, ignoring them.
He moved toward the office of the Provost just as he had many times before.
Master Willem could always be found in the decorated room below this building. It's dim light and rich style made it especially notable even in Byrgenwerth.
Most scholars could only dream of visiting this place. But Gehrman walked right in. Unfortunately, he had also walked in on a conversation.
"I stand by what I said, the implanting of eyes on the brain is the way forward," a nasally voice declared.
"You found no such thing on the creatures of the Hamlet," an old, condescending voice replied. "Both you and Laurence are too caught up on the physical nature of the Great One's, Insight will only come with true enlightenment. It cannot be forced."
"Then how will humanity–" the question was cut off as the pair noticed the man at the door.
The man who was speaking, Micolash, seemed to shudder as he realized who had entered. Master Willem, on the other hand, had a much more subdued reaction.
"...Gehrman, how nice of you to join us."