Bloodborne Lore | The Pthumerians and Labyrinth

Thanks to HelloFresh for sponsoring today's video.
Go to strms.net/hellofresh_smoughtown and use code
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The Pthumerians are one of the most mysterious elements of Bloodborne's lore and yet they and the Labyrinth are foundational to the story. In this video we explain the Rise and Fall of the Pthumerians and their final Queen, Yharnam.
Editor: Creators Studio - creatorsstudio.co.uk/
Intro: 0:00
The Labyrinth: 1:52
Hellofresh: 6:17
Tomb of the Gods: 7:41
Humble Guardians: 11:53
Queen Yharnam: 30:06
Legacy of Pthumeru: 52:28
This is an extremely expansive video that not only discusses The Pthumerians but also covers the following subjects: Ebrietas, The Research Hall, The Healing Church, Laurence, Master Willem, The Great Ones, Isz, Pthumeru, Yharnam, Celestial Emissaries, Failed Experiments, The Old Blood, The Moon Presence, The Hunter's Nightmare, The School of Mensis, Yarhar'gul, Micolash, Mergo, Hunter's Dream, Eldritch Truth, Blood Ministration, Amygdala and much more!
Shout out to Lokey for their insights and translations.
Lokey Lore: lokeysouls.com/
Lokey's Abyssal Archive: www.abyssalarchive.com/
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REFERENCES
Bob the Hollow - The Pthumerians: • Tomb of the Gods - Pth...
Last Protagonist - The Vilebloods: • Bloodborne Fear the Ol...
Bloodborne-Wiki: www.bloodborne-wiki.com/
Sinclair Lore - Wet Nurse: • The Identity of Mergo'...
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CREDITS
Commission Thumbnail art by S-Mrry: / bloodexer
Thumbnail layout by BrightSparkIV: / brightsparkiv
Please subscribe for more future Bloodborne Lore content!
Follow me on Twitter: / smoughtown
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Soundtrack is Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, King's Field and Elden Ring
I do not own the rights to Bloodborne, all rights to FromSoftware
#bloodborne #bloodbornelore

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks to HelloFresh for sponsoring today's video. Go to strms.net/hellofresh_smoughtown and use code POGSMOUGHAUG50 for 50% off plus Free Shipping! Let me know your thoughts on the Pthumerians Below!

[@ganjaman59650]

If hellofresh can give you a 50% discount, it just mean this is EXTREMELY overiced lol. A 20 % discount would be a way better lure...

[@BambiAndBeauty1128]

Symbology, really?! You put all this effort into your lore video and then lose a bit of credibility with that d!psh!t word choice Symbolism, the real word that you're looking for is symbolism.

[@malbhet]

Maria could also be related to Queen Yharnam given the fact that she also uses her blood similarly to queen Yharnam, and she resembles Queen Yharnam and Annalise. I believe the Old Hunters DLC was meant to answer the connections between the hunters, the Pthumerians, and the cursed blood, which Maria being a descendent of Queen Yharnam, having Cursed blood, and being one of the very first hunters of the healing church to ever exist is the connection.

[@brianbrianbification]

So happy you're keeping the torch alive for bb content. This game is magnetic, even all these years later.

[@SmoughTown]

Agree - I really am getting drawn back in to its lore. So much depth

[@dennisdeslager3382]

you miswrote 'majestic'

[@mookiwaltz4403]

​@@dennisdeslager3382opol nj. Hp

[@cephon6198]

This isn't dark souls 2, it's not like the damn thing will go out

[@glb1993]

I mean the game could be considered magnetic because it draws a person in so strongly 😂 .

[@TheApollo90]

My mind is actually blown with the knowledge that a large chunk of the enemies we fight are Pthumerians. Like it's common knowledge to these factions, yet it felt hidden so well

[@ShadaOfAllThings]

I think that there's a horrifying possibility the tombs bring on: The same hubris can be repeated indefinitely. You can always go down to the lowest parts to find Yharnam, carve the child out of her womb, beckon Odon, and create a nightmare to reside in. Its possible that the various corpses of great ones, like Rom, exist in multiple copies there because more than one Rom has been made

[@SmoughTown]

Yeh 100% agree!

[@coleozaeta6344]

These Souls games all seem to be 5-dimensional as an explanation for all the different histories in the same universe. Just like real life, kinda.

[@coleozaeta6344]

These Souls games all seem to be 5-dimensional as an explanation for all the different histories in the same universe. Just like real life, kinda.

[@a.r.h9919]

​@@coleozaeta6344elaborate

[@Robert-cl2ft]

I remember hearing a theory that the old ones were the first but as they evolved and began to transcend organic form to basic god hood they created Pthumerians as a slave race then as great ones transcended they slowly evolved and guarded the great ones bodies but wanted to become great ones as well

[@solomon9655]

I know it’s popular to hate on the chalice dungeons and I get it, it’s not perfect especially compared to the killer main campaign, but it’s impressive how many unique assets are down there. For years I had no idea Yharnam was a boss you could fight and I’d never seen the witches standing up before today. Not to mention the lore is genuinely cool, it’s awesome knowing all of this is under Yharnam.

[@SmoughTown]

Agreed - I absolutely love the chalice dungeons; I like the feeling of discovering a 'new' dungeon via the root chalices.

[@rainbowkrampus]

I skipped them on my first playthrough. Now I don't consider a playthrough done until I've done them.

[@justsomeone883]

​@@rainbowkrampusif anything they are vsry good for farming gems,in normal game you can only farm them very late into the game,and from the Winter lanterns of everything,meanwhile you can farm very good gems from the chalice bosses and some stronger enemies

[@rainbowkrampus]

@@justsomeone883 I kinda dislike the way that works though. If you can make it through all the fixed chalice dungeons, you will be very OP for the base game and DLC. I mostly like that they give you weapons with different gem configurations. But the gems are honestly too good sometimes.

[@justsomeone883]

@@rainbowkrampus well most of the good gems are in the late chalices,so you're pretty much fighting tanky bosses and getting one-shot just to leave Rom with a small amount of health for the second phase

[@handlebarsmustache]

I've beaten this game and platinum'd it, but this has got to be some of the best bb summaries out 8 years later😢

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers my friend - that means the world

[@jstar3382]

Realizing that you're just popping into their house and killing them makes you feel a little bad for the thumerians. In Loran you're just putting them out of their misery

[@epiccthulu]

the P in Pthumerians is silent :D

[@zach.hanford]

What you were saying about Rom ascending and leaving behind her body was a lightbulb moment for me. I had wondered why Rom was the idiot spider, the Vacuous spider, and if Rom's consciousness left her body leaving an empty autonomous shell, well... That sure explains why she's vacuous.

[@matttake4852]

She is vacuous compared to a real great one, like every human

[@MelodyRoseKayCole]

I tend to wonder if she's actually Vacuous or if she deliberately chose not to share her knowledge because she knew what the consequences would be. I think the name Vacuous was given to her sort of out of spite because the college and healing church think that if she doesn't share the knowledge, she must not have any, but that's not necessarily true.

[@josiahgarber3761]

The chalice dungeons being dreams created to be a portion of the labyrinth at specific moments in time makes so much sense and can even explain why you could find different weapons in there that may be unique in the waking world

[@CptSnuggles07]

My headcanon has always been that the labyrinth weapon variants are remnants of past expeditions. The "lost" weapons are ones that the Pthumerians acquired from tomb prospectors they killed, and the "uncanny" weapons are replicas crafted by the Pthumerians based on tomb prospector weapons.

[@Aceius]

We are born of the lore, made men by the lore, undone by the lore. Fear the old lore. Also, it's unfortunate that Charred Thermos deleted everything, while I don't believe that Bloodborne is entirely a medical allegory, it's definitely one of the strongest themes in the game. Though we should all know that no From Software game can easily be pinned down to just one theme.

[@galaxydragon8755]

Why did he delete his videos?

[@michelleleko5330]

I’m surprised he deleted his channel he was supposed to do a part 2 on the messengers last I saw

[@joeyjones9041]

He deleted everything? I just watched a few of his Bloodborne videos like two months ago. I wonder what his reasoning is.

[@vinodchhabria8738]

​@@joeyjones9041According to him, he had already told himself that, if the response was not to his liking and if the work affected other parts of his negatively, he would delete them all. He was hugely disappointed with the overall response.

[@joeyjones9041]

@@vinodchhabria8738 well damn that's sucks, it was really interesting stuff and I have seen quite a few people talk about him in comments. Maybe one day he will change his mind and upload them again.

[@bombbasher]

Damn real sad to hear that Charred deleted their videos ☹️ some of the most intriguing bloodbourne stuff I’d seen on KZbin

[@shaunflinn1002]

Also sad to hear this! Wonder what happened. Hope he is well.

[@yes9784]

I'm so sad! It was single-handedly the most refreshing take on BB in years, with tons of insight on the potential creative process behind the game. If anybody knows what happened, please reply here, I am very curious!

[@DemonRevilo]

Agreed! His videos were amazing! What the hell happened???

[@killervic7379]

Tragic for those who haven’t been watched them. I will miss Charred’s work.

[@maltsutty]

So glad I watched his whole series but sad it is gone 😢

[@agm5424]

An interesting piece of insight on the Pthumerians is that they may have been inspired by the civilization of K'n-yan, and underground civilization of non human beings found in the story The Mound written by H.P. Lovecraft.

[@jacobhoover1654]

More likely inspired by the witches of chaos from dark souls: underground city, fire magic.

[@TitaniumAlloyz]

The Mound is such an underrated story. Honestly it's one of my favorite stories by Lovecraft; right under the Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath which is my absolute favorite tale he spun. A shame more people don't know about it, it would make for a much more interesting movie than The Mountains of Madness.

[@invictus_1245]

I love the Mound, roaming through the chalice dungeons feels like exploring one of their lost cities .

[@WelcomeToTwinklePark]

I wish to propose a theory: The queen and wet nurse and not allies When we see the queen in the nightmare, she weeps while looking up to Mergos loft, unable to approach due to the wet nurse. She wants to be near her crying baby, what mother wouldn't, but is unable too due to the nurse. When you defeat the nurse, and the crying stops, and go back down the elevator, the queen bows her head to you and disappears, no longer needing to be there.

[@dezopenguin9649]

Indeed; whatever the Wet Nurse is, I feel like she's keeping Mergo from Yharnam and that Yharnam, escorted by her Shadows is in essence on a rescue mission (of course, since Mergo is the consciousness of a stillborn infant Great One, exactly what that "rescue" means is somewhat obscure). We first encounter the Shadows outside Byrgenwerth (these particular Shadows having apparently fallen prey to the snake parasites in the Forbidden Woods, since the Shadows are physical Pthumerians/Watchers and thus as susceptible as the Yharnamite villagers), and we know that defeating Rom at Byrgenwerth is the key to gaining access to the Nightmare. We first see Yharnam herself after Rom's defeat as the Blood Moon descends and Mergo's cries ring out. We then encounter her and the Shadows prowling outside the Wet Nurse's boss room at the very heights of the Loft, as if they're trying to take the last step but have been repelled by the Wet Nurse, who's apparently too much to handle. Yharnam's bow to you seems incredibly significant, as it suggests strongly that whatever Mergo's fate after the Wet Nurse's destruction, Yharnam approves of it.

[@onii-chandaisuki5710]

I've often heard of the Queen 'bowing' but, to me, it always looked like she was dropping her head in disappointment. Not that she wanted Mergo to be there, but maybe you didn't save Mergo.

[@alicealysia]

I suspect something darker... That yharnams bloodied belly is her own doing, that she wishes to silence mergos cries... That the wet nurse is keeping mergo safe from the queen and ourselves. It sounds like we suffocate mergo during the wet nurse death sfx. After all, is a servant like a wet nurse truly a nightmare? Amygdala isn't, neither is Rom. Why would a wet nurse be? No, the nightmare must be mergo, That's the nightmare we slew. Is yharnam thanking us for doing that? Was her pregnancy really welcomed? Her wrists slit, and belly cut open.

[@johnsilverman656]

@@alicealysiayeah I’m sympathetic to this pov, that Yharnam didn’t want her child to be the plaything of the great ones, and the Wet nurse is holding her away from her child. I always thought it was about thanking the Hunter for finishing what Yharnam started

[@CptSnuggles07]

I agree. The Wetnurse is either the "father" of Mergo or, more likely, a servant of Mergo's "father", but that doesn't mean that it's an ally of Queen Yharnam. After all, it's an arranged marriage, Yharnam's queenly duty. It's not hard to imagine that the mother and father disagree over how to care for their child under these crazy circumstances. Plus, this is basically the plot of Elden Ring. Yharnam/Wetnurse/Oedon are extremely similar to Marika/Elden Beast/Greater Will. Doesn't seem like a coincidence to me. We know how Miyazaki likes to reuse ideas between games.

[@trice286]

I think that Martyr Logarias may be a Pthumerian or a descendant. His tall, lanky frame, his near immortiality, and him wielding a magical scythe as opposed to standard trick weapons make me believe this.

[@justsomeone883]

Those giants and the patrolling men with lamps,scythes and canes in the Cathedral ward are also likely Pthumerians,evident by their sunken eyes,pale skin and lanky build

[@cosseybomb]

​@@justsomeone883ehh those are some thicc bois

[@joeyjones9041]

He may be, I know he was a higher up in the Healing Church and was seduced by the Vilebloods and he betrayed the Church to join the Vilebloods and Cainhurst Castle.

[@benmorris118]

Shame about charred thermos. His video series was fascinating

[@jstar3382]

Another look at the ritekeepers is that they may be the ones supporting the seals that we break with the chalices

[@semitragic181]

Charred Thermos was the person who made those great medical metaphor videos right??? So sad to hear they are gone now, those vids were some of my favorite analysis of bloodborne probably ever. I hope we can get them back someday. They were really really brilliant 😊

[@TheHogfatherInvades]

The lore of all blood!

[@chickenwarriorr]

We are born of the lore, made men by the lore, undone by the lore, FEAR THE OLD LORE

[@rangda_prime]

One thing about the Tomb of the Gods being a tomb of literal Great Ones having ascended is to remember where this all came from: HP Lovecraft. And in his lore, the Old Ones are dead but _dreaming_. They await the time when the stars are right to walk the waking world once more. But their dreams can influence the waking world none the less. I think it's premature to conclude that the Great Ones have left their bodies permanently, and their machinations toward the waking world insinuates they for some reason have designs towards it. One big question is _why_ the Moon Presence empower Hunters to find and kill various Kin and children of other Old Ones, as well as stopping the ritual of the School of Mensis. People often assume that the School is beckoning the Moon Presence, but Micolash is already ascended to the Dream, and the Brain of Mensis as well as the One Reborn are seemingly attempts to facilitate human ascension without the use if Great One umbilical cords. If the Great Ones are not planning to return to the waking world, why do they want or need children in the waking world at all? Is a child of a Great One a potential vessel for when the Great Ones reawaken? These are all my speculations, but could be an avenue to pursue for the plot of an imagined Bloodborne 2 - The Stars of the Kosm Are Right, and the Great Ones poised to return, either to their bodies or to the vessels of the children they try to conceive.

[@Florjb0rjTheFloorboard]

Theory: Oedon's mortal form is Patches' lower body, having ascended beyond mortal comprehension

[@jstar3382]

truee

[@skeletorgames8641]

So the games whole plot is him trying to kick everyone into a hole filled with monsters at once.

[@ahbooza]

All hail Charred Thermos. Gone but will never be forgotten.

[@nbmoleminer5051]

Don't forget Sophie previously known as JSF she's a founding member of the community's understanding of Pthumerian lore.

[@CptSnuggles07]

He does credit Sinclair Lore. Sophie is on there so much she's basically part of the channel.

[@monroerobbins7551]

3:25 agreed, it is quite unfortunate that Charred Thermos deleted their channel. Their interpretations of Bloodborne’s allegories to medicine and classic horror were super rad, and unique. No harsh on them, it’s their channel, I just miss it.

[@brodywollner9354]

The section covering the armored remains being part of their military along with the cannons is an idea I hadn't considered before. I had assumed they were the remains of ill-fated expeditions into the labyrinth. That definitely fits better taking the chalice dungeons being dream snapshots, as opposed to what I always imagined, which was using the chalice to unlock sections of the labyrinth in the modern day. This is mostly because of the Hintertomb Chalice description, and that the dungeons seemed to fit the image of long isolated tomb dwellers in the remains if their civilization.

[@jstar3382]

If we consider Ebrietas to be the one who granted Rom knowledge and ascension, maybe the form Rom takes is based upon a former companion or relative of Ebrietas, and was given that form in homage

[@aznashwan]

Holy Shawls right on time for my yearly Bloodborne phase. Thank you so much for all you do for the Souls community, you’re really spoiling us!

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure my friend, thank you so much for the kind support

[@lewisleslie2821]

11:20 in regards to fighting Queen Yharnam in the chalice dungeons, where she is visibly still pregnant, while the recollection of her outside Mergo’s boss room which is post-natal; is this implying that the Hunter, we ourselves, were responsible for the death of Mergo? That we used the time distorting ability of the ritual chalices and caused the whole catastrophe from the beginning?

[@invictus_1245]

I think that it's more likely the hunter reenacting the pthumerian's when they cut mergo out of yahrnham and her attempt to protect herself and mergo .

[@MarstanLP]

One other thing I noticed while watching, was how fascinating the Choir Garb is, in relation to the Make Contact gesture I always found the long bell-shaped sleeves very odd, but when doing the Make Contact gesture, the purpose of them seems to be to blind you, and create a sort of "sliding door", as after the 1-minute mark, you slide open the door, and unblind yourself.

[@Jaden-Ring]

Is this really how I learned charred thermos deleted his channel? I didn't think the medical metaphor explained EVERY part of bloodborne but it was a very interesting new perspective and an area of bloodborne that got much less attention. I just found his content this year. 😢 I hope he's doing okay

[@SmoughTown]

I think he's fine! Posted on Reddit that it was just about priorities in his life

[@pinkemoslayer6337]

Rest in peace, CharredThermos' KZbin channel. Such a great lore channel 😭

[@kearneysmith3614]

As one Tomb Prospector to another, excellent work

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you my friend - best of luck searching for that Eldritch Truth

[@BigPapaKaiser]

To me the fact that pthumerians are described as "superhuman" simply implies that they were once humans, and they were elevated or acquired some kind of power by serving the great ones.

[@obamabiden]

ive always had a lot of interest in the ancient civilizations in Bloodborne, the vagueness of it all and the relative recency of much of the history of yharnam leaves a lot to be discovered

[@SmoughTown]

100% - the chalice dungeons were always a place of wonder for me

[@obamabiden]

yeah i vividly remember just wandering around while paying Bloodborne, trying to sus out a timeline for events with my brother lol can't remember if we ever came up with anything we didn't get from elsewhere other than arguing over whether non "dreaming" hunters are capable of leveling up and deciding that the standard hunters (wearing the hunter set) are incredibly confusing in when they turned up, but was good fun

[@arglebargle42]

Thank you for digging deep into Bloodborne, I really only know the game from you and TSC's channels and as I cry and wait for them to release it on steam (never) your channel eases the sting a little. Keep up the excellent work!

[@SmoughTown]

YOOOOO! That is super super generous. Thank you so so much my friend. I am humbled

[@lucashampton6269]

Wait, why did Charred Thermos delete their channel? Their stuff was so good!

[@SmoughTown]

He posted on Reddit - was just a personal decision regarding priorities.

[@lucashampton6269]

@@SmoughTown Thanks for that! I certainly sympathize. I hope that his stuff is saved somewhere. He had some awesome videos.

[@matteomauriello7631]

Currently i'am in a clinic tending to my sick dog, the notification of this video brought a smile to my face and ditracted me for a second, i am gonna see It when i get home🙏❤️

[@SmoughTown]

I am really sorry to hear about your dog - sending all my love and wishes.

[@matteomauriello7631]

@@SmoughTown thank you man👍

[@ezekielmulder1056]

Just a quick theory, I personally think that it was not Margo’s wet nurse who impregnated queen yharnam but rather formless oden. I think this for a couple reasons, the first and most obvious is that both wet nurse and Mergo themselves have to form. However, this could also be just because wet nurse is already formless and hence, mergo is as well so, my main problem is that it is called a wet nurse. The word wet nurse implies servitude to me which makes me think it’s not the true parent of mergo. All of the rest of your evidence also lines up with both wet nurse and oden so I don’t think there is a strong favor either way it is kind of up to you to decide.

[@skeletorgames8641]

Yeah wetnurses by definition are usually NOT the parent. With the strange exceptions like Moses’ mother in the Bible.

[@DrBreezeAir]

Grant us eyes, Smough.

[@SmoughTown]

MAJESTIC

[@franciscoteixeira174]

I think it's pretty clear that Mergo's "father" is supposed to be Formless Oeden

[@GabrielCarusetta]

Its a good day when SmoughTown uploads

[@SmoughTown]

Thank you my friend

[@LLDevion]

LETS GO SMOUGH

[@SmoughTown]

LET'S GO HOONTERS

[@MrTmm97]

I’ve been doing my first full playthrough of Bloodborne the past few weeks. I tried it a few years back when I first got my PS5 and couldn’t get into it. Since then I’ve played through first Sekiro (a few times) and then Elden Ring. Since I really enjoyed them both I gave Bloodborne another chance. It still took a bunch of hours to learn the combat and get decent at it and since then I’ve been loving it! I always love to dive into the lore of the games I play. That’s why since I’ve started Bloodborne I’ve felt super lucky to have watched your old and your newer Bloodborne lore videos. They really add to my enjoyment and immersion in the game. You make awesome top-tier, high quality, entertaining lore videos and I wanted to say thank you for creating such great content!

[@SmoughTown]

Im so happy youve gotten in to it! Tbh when I went back to it this year after several years, I initially found it so frustrating - but once I found my rythm again....It's amazing! Just an incredible back and forth dance. Thanks so much my friend. Pleased you enjoy the content!

[@CorporateNothing]

big shouts out to Last Protagonist, I really loved his Elden Ring 1.0 livestreams

[@SmoughTown]

A tremendous creator

[@alastor8091]

The Chalice Dungeons really captured that feeling of ancient unknowables Lovecraft made. The horns in the track Watchers paint the picture of wild, demonic, arcane rituals not meant for human eyes to behold.

[@dimentoplexitronum4923]

Glad you and TA are doing Bloodborne videos right now, it’s cool to see the renewed interest

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

It's also worth mentioning that some Pthumerians have important item drops unique to them, like the Sage's Wrist/Hair that drop from the Labyrinth Madmen. This proves that they were once saints.

[@cerberus2534]

Despite people saying the Chalice Dungeons are the most boring parts of BloodBorne, I honestly find them the most fascinating, and you've cemented that love even more! Love the history of the Pthumerians

[@Nick-rh9fo]

I love you man. Keep it up. So happy to have your company for my long train rides. Been watching your old DS videos and while i do enjoy them greatly as well, it's nice to see how smoother and better your narration and explanations have become

[@stefanscopoulis9732]

I just started this after so many years and missing the train to this game but I’m in love and so happy to see updated content for it ! Thank you ❤

[@Kawatsume]

Bob the Hollow shoutout hell yeah :D time to learn more about the area that jumpscared me the most

[@mc_andarilho]

Im a simple man, i see bloodborne i click

[@AdamCBM]

Great video and props for giving credit! Love this community!

[@dingusdean1905]

In regards to the Ritekeepers, I think the Rites in question may be Funerary Rites, or the rituals, ceremonies and preparations that bodies are given before their burial. That would explain their magical abilities as ancient funerary rites were often associated with the supernatural, and would explain their role in their society as keepers, or recorders, of the no doubt elaborate and complex rites required to lay a god’s body to rest. It would also explain their affinity for fire as cremation is a common form of burial

[@dingusdean1905]

Also your point about reign names is very interesting but I would also like to mention that in Chinese and Japanese history monarchs would often take on entirely new names upon their ascension based on concepts. For example Chinese Emperor Wu of Han was born Liu Che, but adopted the name Wu, meaning “Martial” upon his ascension. Another example is Emperor Meiji of Japan, who was born Mutsohito but adopted the name Meiji meaning “Enlightened Rule”. This means that perhaps Yharnam isn’t a dynastic name, but actually an old Ptumerian word the meaning of which has been lost over time.

[@rohhsand3044]

Fear the old blood!

[@marvelouspatches8577]

Absolutely amazing collection of lore and knowledge. My favorite souls type game and you are doing it true justice by bringing everyone who makes content on it together. And properly sourcing everything.

[@FilmAcolyteReturns]

The Pthumerians are something I wish received a little more attention. I love the air of mystery around the ancient though.

[@ctholav]

Your take on the chalice Dungeons as memories (if you will) is inspired. The 'dream-theme' is absolutely the way to go. Having the ruins play with the player in the sense that it feels like now is incredible. Most likely you are right and it is a dream of the past still lingering. Good job man 👊

[@tomthegamer2419]

Ive been loving these videos they make my studying much more interesting keep up the work

[@IkigaiAnimations]

God I love this game man, and I’m so glad to see people still making hour long lore videos on it all these years later 🙏 thanks for the great content my dude and may u all find your worth in the waking world 😊

[@Ninjabob568]

Aegon of Astora did a wonderful Lore through of BB. Hours and hours of exploreing environmental storytelling. Im so happy youre doing BB its probably my favorite game

[@tyco1649]

Played every souls game multiple times; blood borne was my first almost a decade ago that got me into the genre. For years I just accepted “lol this place is weird” as an answer for most of the imagery and symbolism in this game. You connected narrative dots that I stopped asking myself years ago; I mean I literally never ONCE thought to myself that the Shadows could be related to the QUEEN Yharnham, I racked my brain wondering how they represented the the city; “shadows” like twisted nature spirits because of the snakes and woods?? Went through the entire chalice dungeon catalogue twice and never thought the watchers could be devolved Pthumerians…spent years just accepting “I guess Rom just has a common form for a great one and there was another who died that Ebrietas cared about or something…?” Arianna getting pregnant when you get her blood multiple times in the Chapel of Oedon? I mean you need enough cords to get the third ending so why not? Of course she gets the attention of a great one when you’re literally teasing it with her inherited (un)holy blood in it’s own place of communion… Your videos are going to define the collective understanding of bloodborne that has been sorely lacking for too many long years.

[@SmoughTown]

Hey buddy, just want to say I really appreciate this thoughtful comment. Thank you so much; I am so happy you found value in my work and there is more to come. Much appreciated 🤝

[@tyco1649]

Thanks for the reply! Just some food for thought but one thing I noticed that I’m not sure I’ve heard you comment on is that the messengers themselves are quite visually similar to the Pthumerians as well; and I only mention that because the Moon Presence itself also has a “The Scream” type visage. I have no idea how that might all be connected coherently but when we have Great Ones as visually disparate as Ebrietas, Rom, and the like; I think there’s something to a great one named Paleblood being so visually reminiscent of a race of Pale Skinned, blood imbibers to the point that it’s very own “angels” are basically little versions of them. We accept that the fishing hamlet denizens are kos’ ilk due to being changed by the resources they harvest from their great one; the Pthumerians are defined by their evolution through blood and the logic tracks that it should guide their physiology as well. We have nothing in-game that resembles what they have become EXCEPT a very powerful and old great one named Paleblood (though nothing about it’s appearance suggests why this is it’s moniker) with holes or voids for facial features, and represents the “dark” of the moon and night while they live permanently underground. I think it’s generally implied but this might be supportive evidence that the Moon Presence was the “patron” Great One of the Pthumerians (their version of Ebrietas or Kos) and potentially the progenitor of their society/species.

[@tyco1649]

Sorry can’t edit or add onto my reply but one last thing I wanted to point out is that IF the Moon Presence is the source of Pthumerian Blood, which has now trickled down to Vileblood; that means the “Vampires” get their curse/power from the Moon/Night literally which is just…god this game is good!

[@arcanite_force]

A Vaati vid one day and Smoughtown the next? What a way to start the week

[@MrKained123]

I've only played about 30 minutes of the game myself. (Haven't had a PS since PS2) but I could watch days and days of lore on it. 😌🐙

[@SmoughTown]

I hear that a lot tbh - people that havent played it at all, absolutely love the lore

[@MrKained123]

@@SmoughTown For real! I had played DS1 and 2 hard. So i was familiar with the abstract style. My best bud was more of a PS guy and had bloodborne. He was the one that actually got me into watching lore videos in general. For DS too. Now ive seen them all aha. Ive put 1000s of hours into DS, Sekiro and Elden ring. Tons into AC4 when I was a kid. So im hyped for AC6 :). When I can bloody afford it that is aha.

[@praiseit6848]

1 hour lore from SmoughTown hell yeah! This made my day!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks bud! Enjoy

[@johntrains1317]

Keeping the lore alive Smough. Thanks

[@cellsentinel239]

I was so surprised to see a bb lore video 1 day ago I had to look again. Thanks so much for your efforts

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure my friend. It has been a treat revisiting it.

[@KK-my6hw]

I always thought the Yharnam the game takes place in is itself another layer of reality instead of what would be thought of as the normal human layer of reality. That's what seems to be happening after waking up from the opening cutscene into a different reality, at least what I always thought since first playing the game. It also goes with the one ending where Gehrman frees you from it and you wake up to a new dawn while the doll wishes you well in the waking world.

[@jacobhoover1654]

When gehrmen tells the player to wake up in the ending it's because you are in the hunters dream at the time. There's nothing saying the whole game is a dream but let me know if I'm wrong.

[@KK-my6hw]

@@jacobhoover1654 You wake up in the world of the unending hunt after the opening cutscene and the Moon Presence itself is guiding you to it. If you end the stillbirth of Mergo and fail to ascend into a surrogate child the Hunter is either released back into the Waking world or become the servant overlooking the hunt if they resist. As the game goes on the people you interact with get more and more aware of how long they have been there and how long the hunt and night are going on, and how wrong the reality is in not just the dreams/nightmares, but Yharnam itself. When you kill Rom who is hiding the true nature of that reality everyone starts to go completely insane or lost in a realization. Some if you fight them like Eileen will even say they are tired of being stuck in this dream outright. In the opening cutscene the man even tells you to think of whatever happens after that point as a bad dream, before the messengers pull you in and the the dolls comment that whoever she is speaking to have found a new Hunter, either the Messengers themselves, or whatever they are working for. The Doll will also comment about a Hunter that returned to the Waking World she knew only after unlocking the Sunrise ending in another playthrough. Edit: It's also worth noting you directly interact with the dead and ghosts even in the main reality of Yharnam like the Door Keeper who opens the door for you. You even get insight when you realize this once the door opens.

[@wulfratha]

Excellent work as ever buddy! really enjoyed this. One little comment: although as you're correct there are different interpretations to Munch's the scream, I think the consensus tends to be that it isn't the figure screaming but reacting to a scream - this is why he's holding his ears. Munch himself described it as an "infinite scream passing through nature". It actually hadn't occurred to me that the Pthumerians might be based on this image but it actually makes sense - even more so if you consider they're reacting to some kind of universal primal scream - possibly mergo's birth/death screams? - I dunno, it feels like it kind of fits even if I can't explain it. Great job!

[@SmoughTown]

Got you! Thanks that's really interesting actually! "I dunno, it feels like it kind of fits even if I can't explain it." - is absolutely how I feel about the connections between the painting and Pthumeru haha

[@wulfratha]

I think I could apply that to about 90% of my SoulsBorne lore theories to be honest! Keep up the good work!

[@GravelordWrust]

Smough dropping the Monday magic! Cheers, legend!

[@floristov]

Thank you for this, i love chalice dungeons and the history background.

[@dominicp9296]

Another excellent video as always my friend thanks for your hard work

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers dude, that means the world

[@user-qk4kg7xw8o]

Amazing Video :)

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks bud

[@user-qk4kg7xw8o]

@@SmoughTown Your Welcome

[@randymarshislorde]

Does anyone else get GENUINE anxiety relief from watching Smoughtown videos?

[@SinclairLore]

Great stuff as always!

[@kaitlynblount7683]

Man I thought I'd really explored a lot of the chalice dungeons but clearly I haven't. All I know is I think I got stuck on the Pthumerian Elder and gave up and just started doing a bunch of others. But damn some of those bosses are SO HARD.

[@melkerbotin7098]

i love your videos, thank you for blessing my day with this🙏

[@charlesthreatt7096]

Keep it up. I have never even played these games but your lore videos are fire

[@neofluchs4714]

Thanks.. another bloodborne lore video i can enjoy

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure my friend, thank you so much for being here and for the support.

[@-Gilver]

God that opening song always terrifies me Nice touch with the start of the video

[@faust5894]

Just restarted my millionth character for this game last night. Awesome lore, and thank you for keeping the BB content going. I don’t understand how this game hasn’t been remade/gotten a sequel by now…

[@Chiphiroth]

I'll watch it in time. Awaiting for the lore of the old Hunters.

[@SmoughTown]

Much appreciated!

[@Florjb0rjTheFloorboard]

Have yet to watch, but you truly are one of the best lore keepers of the ShadowBornSoulRing series

[@SmoughTown]

Really kind of you to say, thanks so much for the support

[@animeproblem1070]

No i think it's fairly clear by the name itself that mergo's wetnurse is supposed to be the great one in charge of raising and protection Mergo not the actual great one parent that be like calling your parent your maid its clear that the wetnurse is supposed to be a surrogate mother to mergo in place of queen Yarnam

[@maltsutty]

Always here for BLOODBORNE lore . Thank you for continuing to cover BB as it has the best story in any game I’ve ever played 🎉

[@SmoughTown]

Yo thank you so much for being here! I can't wait to dive into more subjects!

[@richter6699]

You're the man, Smough! I love that you're still deep diving into the older games. Bloodborne is king 👑

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks buddy!

[@kodywatts6886]

So hyped for these Bloodborne videos! I finally got around to playing it a few months ago and I’m addicted ( I was an X box kid growing up)

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks my friend! Yeh I feel you, it's so hard to stop playing bloodborne when you start!

[@topcover7390]

Great video! I could listen all day.

[@R3B3LF1GHT3R]

Its great to see some Bloodborne content from you in 2023, thanks for keeping one of the best games fromsoft made relevant in today's age

[@thatguywesmaranan]

SMOUGH!!! thank you for another bloodborne video, ya absolute feckin' legend!!!

[@reaperinsomniac]

This was an excellent video. These speculations sound legit in themselves.

[@93lozfan]

No matter where I look I can never find anyone talking about the infant skeletons in the tombs. My hunch is that there was a ritual to take ptumerian children and turn them into a support force for the pthumerans, the great ones, and maybe unintentionally are now the messengers that help the hunters throughout the game.

[@corpsebanger]

Right at bedtime, thank you for all your deep dives!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks bud! Hope you enjoy this one. Sleep well

[@athila.paixao]

Thanks for sharing this video. I love this game so much, I learned so much for life in general and yet I still feel like I don't know enough about it.

[@SmoughTown]

My pleasure my friend - so pleased it was meaningful to you. Much love

[@sarahthesarah2850]

Very well done. I enjoyed this

[@johnsilverman656]

I had never thought about the ascendancy aspect of the Tombs before… that these tombs were made to house the Great Ones’ bodies after they ascended to higher plains That makes so much sense. I would point out that we don’t get into Upper Cathedral Ward until after killing ROM, but your theory that the ROM we killed was the dream consciousness and the dead body at the alter was her original physical form makes so much sense that I take back any “um actually” thoughts I might have entertained for a moment. So good to see Bb lore making a come back!

[@SmoughTown]

Thanks bud; yeh totally it was only an idea that I developed as I started working on these lore videos again and seeing the work of the creators i referenced. More BB to come, glad you enjoyed!

[@popesinbengal]

Best game of all time. Thanks for giving it the attention and respect it deserves. Fear the old blood

[@josiahgarber3761]

If the Wet Nurse is the Mergo’s surrogate parent, I wonder why Mergo was crying while under it and then happy after it died? Is it truly the parent or is it someone else? Is the Wet Nurse keeping Mergo from “growing up”?

[@impartialthrone2097]

I personally see the Wet Nurse as being more of a protector of children rather than Mergo's Great One parent. Hence why the protectors of the Queen meant to bear the Great One's child would model themselves after her, why the Pthumerians might have decorated with bird cages, etc. I must say though, that I don't think the Nightmare of Mensis is based on a city of Pthumeru, but rather Loran. After all, there are Loran Silverbeasts there. Everything else can reasonably be assumed to have ventured there recently. Mensis got there through the ritual, the spiders are Mensis scholars transformed by Amygdalae or other Great Ones, Mergo's Attendants probably got there in whatever way the Shadows of Yharnam did, perhaps summoned there by Queen Yharnam's mental projection to try to rescue Mergo. Also, I think Mergo's Great One parent is actually the Moon Presence. My reasoning being that the Hunter's Mark is associated with the Moon Presence, as it places it in the minds of its agents, and this same mark is found under Queen Yharnam's altar, so she potentially drew out the symbol as part of their blood contract, or to call on it for help. Also, Moon Presence considers our mission to have been fulfilled once we've freed Mergo's trapped consciousness, so I read its motivation as benevolent, at least towards Mergo. So many people interpret the Moon Presence as hostile towards other Great Ones, but I think Orphan's ending was done the way it was precisely to clarify what's happening with Mergo. We aren't cruelly killing these children. They're trapped in Nightmares, essentially stuck in a purgatory, and we're doing the morally good thing by freeing them via death.

[@TheMoogaKing]

I was waiting all last night for this!😮

[@Dabzilla7100]

Love the new Bloodborne content 👌

[@SmoughTown]

Cheers dude