Yharnam (pronounced as /ˈjɑɹ.nəm/, YAR-nəm) is a fictional city and the primary setting of Bloodborne, a 2015 video game developed by FromSoftware.
The bulk of the city is laid out vertically, with the newer areas of the city having been built atop older areas. Old Yharnam is on the bottom, Central Yharnman is in the middle, and the Cathedral Ward (the headquarters of the Healing Church) is on top. Yahar'gul, the Unseen Village, is run by the School of Mensis and exists alongside Yharnam. At the highest levels of Yharnam, the Upper Cathedral Ward is an area controlled by the Choir, a secretive branch of the Healing Church.
The primary social institution in Yharnam is the Healing Church; it is also the source of blood ministration. It was founded by a group of academic elites. The actual religiosity of the organization is dubious, with scientific research taking precedent over spiritual worship. Despite the heavy use of Christian imagery in Yharnam’s architecture, the Healing Church actually worships “indifferent, malformed aliens” instead of “the image of a loving, personal God become man”. This ultimately leads them to madness.
Julie Muncy of The A.V. Club praised the level design of Yharnam, stating that “If Bloodborne deserves to be remembered for anything, it’s the meticulously crafted geography of its first half. Those opening hours take players on a journey through some of FromSoftware's best designed levels, beginning in the intricate Victorian hellscape of Central Yharnam before winding up toward the Grand Cathedral at the city center and beyond to the wooded frontiers outside the city gates.”
Blood Minister: "Oh, yes… Paleblood… Well, you've come to the right place. Yharnam is the home of blood ministration. You need only unravel its mystery. But, where's an outsider like yourself to begin? Easy, with a bit of Yharnam blood of your own… But first, you'll need a contract…"