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Geostomp posted:To be fair, most of the puppy kicking came from his zealots and maniacs that he tricked into acting as his lackeys or maniacs that actively hated his guts. That's not to say that he's not a bastard, just not quite so far gone down the MWAHAHA as to completely preclude complications. Beyond the point of being sympathetic, yes, but not beyond the realm of having any point whatsoever given that we're on the cusp of WWI breaking out. If you're knowingly recruiting a bunch of evil zealots and/or maniacs and send them to do things, then, just maybe, it's possible you're kinda partly responsible for the evil poo poo they do. Also the whole "giving out a magic recipe to resurrect the dead that requires you to make stew out of a lot of people and doesn't quite seem to work right and also the guy you're giving it to is slightly loving crazy about his mother who just happened to die from what he says is a curse shortly after he moved into your old house". That's a bit hard to ignore.
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Nov 13, 2018 00:29
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Also, you know, the smoking crater where Shanghai used to be.
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Nov 13, 2018 01:42
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You can't do whatever it is Cardinal Simon is planning on doing without breaking a few eggs.
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Nov 13, 2018 01:47
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Illuyankas posted:Also, you know, the smoking crater where Shanghai used to be. Oh yeah I'd already forgotten about Akira happening a little bit earlier than planned in this timeline. Although to be fair Albert Simon probably bears less responsibility about that whole thing than the PCs do, unless I forgot something.
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Nov 13, 2018 01:54
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Deep Dish Fuckfest posted:Oh yeah I'd already forgotten about Akira happening a little bit earlier than planned in this timeline. Although to be fair Albert Simon probably bears less responsibility about that whole thing than the PCs do, unless I forgot something. Albert was the one who finished summoning Seraphic Radiance after Dehuai finally died.
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Nov 13, 2018 02:10
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Bah, a minor detail at most!
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Nov 13, 2018 02:50
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Albert, much like griffith, did nothing wrong! And by nothing I mean EVERYTHING.
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Nov 13, 2018 03:05
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 And so you see, by killing as many humans as possible, we will make more room for puppies and kittens.
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Nov 13, 2018 03:07
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You'd think the guy would be a little more apologetic to Alice for, you know, killing her father, god knows the guy probably has enough power to knock him to his knees or whatever and take her hostage, but nope, he goes off and villain monologues about how the world is a bad place and he's going to save it. You gotta wonder how long he's been thinking this too. Looks like he hasn't aged a day from that photo, maybe he's refined the whole immortality thing that Roger started.
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Nov 13, 2018 04:34
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The timing of the game does lend some weight to Albert Simons words even if they are just a generic villain monologue.
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Nov 13, 2018 04:42
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Hunt11 posted:The timing of the game does lend some weight to Albert Simons words even if they are just a generic villain monologue. I don't know about that. "The power-mad elites of the world are about to kill millions! NOT IF I KILL MILLIONS FIRST!"
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Nov 13, 2018 05:07
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StandardVC10 posted:I don't know about that. "The power-mad elites of the world are about to kill millions! NOT IF I KILL MILLIONS FIRST!" Can't have evil in the world, if there's no-one left alive to commit evil. *doffs top hat*
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Nov 13, 2018 05:18
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StandardVC10 posted:I don't know about that. "The power-mad elites of the world are about to kill millions! NOT IF I KILL MILLIONS FIRST!" I mean, have you seen the man's hat? As a power-mad elite, he would know.
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Nov 13, 2018 05:24
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Pesky Splinter posted:Can't have evil in the world, if there's no-one left alive to commit evil. *doffs top hat* Honestly he may in fact be going for that. Albert Simon must have magic that cleans up his clothes too because he can messily explode people with his mind or his summoned demons, but there's never a spot on him.
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Nov 13, 2018 06:18
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StandardVC10 posted:I don't know about that. "The power-mad elites of the world are about to kill millions! NOT IF I KILL MILLIONS FIRST!" It’s would probably work more if he had started as WWI had been ongoing or right after it ended. Seeing that level of savegry and knowing it’s just prelude for an even worse war would make nihilism seem a lot more reasonable.
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Nov 13, 2018 14:04
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Episode LVII: Gravestones.jpg) Wales. It's just plain sinister is what it is... So let's avoid going there for as long as possible by embarking on a backpacking adventure across Europe. A handful of new sidequests have unlocked following the events in Calios Mental Hospital. Before we travel back to the European mainland to sort that business out, there are a few new tidbits back in the hospital/doom fortress itself.  Music: Castle of Silence .jpg) .jpg) Chiefly, if we return to the torture chamber room there is now a man strapped to the electric chair. Let's see what his deal is... .jpg)  <becomes Lottery Member No.4> Want to...? ... ... ... Count me in..jpg) There's nothing funny going on with this Lottery Judgment Wheel other than another item name formatting error. At least they're keeping consistent with the area... .jpg) The top prize here is the Eternity Card which offers up to a 50% Discount on store purchases and a 25% Raise on sold goods. Almost ANYONE could be a guild member. Why we may have already secretly met one and we wouldn't even know it... .jpg) Oh, yeah, I've got no problem talking. It's just in this type of place, being quiet adds atmosphere. And strapping yourself in the electric chair? Does that add to the atmosphere too? Oh, no. It's just my kink. ... ...Fair enough..jpg) We actually need to do something a little bit counter-intuitive here. We're going to spend another Lottery Ticket here and intentionally lose. .jpg) We still get a prize, of sorts, in the form of a small pack of tissues. This may come in handy in the near future. We'll just stash those away for a later date. .jpg) If we return to the room where Koudelka was being held and position Yuri PRECISELY in the location in the screenshot above (seriously, it's like a single specific step you need to stand on, it took me like 30 seconds to make it trigger and I knew exactly where to look) we can now pick up... .jpg) A new sword for Keith. Remember Keith? He was the vampire guy we never use and doesn't really talk ever. He just kind of hangs out. I suppose we can give him a gift. This weirdly lowers Keith's Physical Attack by -15 but does provide a rather sizable +35 Special Attack. .jpg) That's it for Calios Mental Hospital -- for the rest of the game too, unless I am forgetting something. I'm fairly certain there is never a reason to return to that location, unlike almost everywhere else in Europe. As we'll soon see! Our next stop is another trip to Rouen. Music: But-Dad-Dead-Bed .jpg) Specifically, we want to go into the town inn and head upstairs back toward the room the boys were staying in during the initial visit to town. As soon as we approach the room, we overhear... .jpg)  B-but this is really nice, too... You just don't get it, do you?  Yuri can now opt to be a big ol' busybody and burst into the hotel room to see why this couple is arguing. They don't seem to take issue with this in the least. .jpg) You show me this weird blue stone and start talking about how you're going to carve it into a ring. You said you were going to give me a diamond ring! You have no consideration for my feelings!.jpg) So Yuri now needs to sort out this couple's relationship woes. How is he going to do that, you ask? Is it going and tracking down a diamond from some spirit cursed cave somewhere? Pfft... No. That's far too pedestrian Yuri Hyuga. .jpg) .jpg) No, instead we're going to return to the confessional where Alice discovered Cardinal Simon's identity and pretend to be a priest in order to give marital advice, naturally. .jpg)  V-very well. Tell me what's on your mind..jpg) When I thought about the woman I loved, I also thought of something that would make her even happier. I have a stone, a family heirloom, that embodies the power of water. I made it into a ring for her. She exploded in anger, telling me I had broken my promise. Now she won't even speak to me. <shrugs> Oh, man, I just don't know what to do. That's rough, buddy.  E-excuse me, Father...?  Ergh... I mean! Listen to me, Stray Lamb..jpg) So what we actually want from this quest is to our hands on that family heirloom stone he mentioned. Depending on our choice here, the means (and by that I mean the PRICE) of getting that stone will change. Let's try the first choice and see how that plays out. Yuri gives the sage life advice of... .jpg) If you can't build a relationship in which your partner feels loved, it's just selfish infatuation. For the future as well as for your wife's trust, you should honor your pledge. Give her a diamond. Thank you, Father. I now see the path I must follow. I better not get like cursed AGAIN for pulling this... I dunno how this Catholic Church junk works....jpg) If we return to the couple's room back in the inn, we now come upon... .jpg) Well, it's great, no matter how you look at it. I wonder if this is what marriage is all about. You're asking the wrong guy... Though come to think of it, I don't actually have any friends that could help with that either... Huh. That's kinda sad now that I think about it....jpg) She somehow seems to be in a better mood, too, but there's still a bit of a problem. Namely, how will I ever find the money for a diamond ring? I think I'll have to sell this one... How about it? For 3,000? Fine, I'll take it. I got this discount card from a guy in a torture chamber in England, so I can at least probably get most of my money back if this thing is a dud. <nods> Thank you. Now I can buy a ring..jpg) And with that, we gain the Water Gravestone, which is our ultimate objective. But... .jpg) What if we took a different path in Yuri's Life Advice Session? What if Yuri just decided to ruin this relationship for shits and giggles? What then...? .jpg) ...there's always something that is yours alone, something that you can never share with other people. Of course, two people can learn to accept each other and eventually come to share some of these things. However, the older you get, the more you lose your flexibility, and the harder change becomes. If you were to change your whole way of life it would be a different story, but... for you, one of the shortcuts to happiness might be to find a woman who's more compatible. Split up with your wife. <Deciding John> I see, Father. This is going to be really hard for me, but I have to think of her happiness, too. I'm sure that's for the best... Probably....jpg) Two minutes later we find John stumbling through the streets now. Wow. That was the quickest divorce in recorded history... .jpg) Hmph, I might regret this later on. How about 10,000 for this stone? You better not have vomited on this thing. <hic> No promises... Fine, I'll take it. Gee, thanks! Yeah, it's all about money..jpg) That clearly wasn't the best option... .jpg) Let's back up one final time and try the middle option. Maybe this time the wildly out of character love guru Fake Father Yuri will get it right. b.jpg) You don't have self-confidence, so you always depend on someone or something other than yourself. When you fail, you make excuses, telling yourself and everyone else that it isn't your fault. It seems to you as if people don't notice your weakness, but in fact, they can see right through you. You yourself might be in love, but can anyone or anything other than you express that love? Don't be afraid of getting hurt. Just tell her you love her in your own words. <New-man John> (mumble-mumble) Uh, thank you, Father. I was wrong. From now on (mumble mumble), I'm going to live my life responsibly and express myself in my own words. Thank (um, uh) you. Um, mumble, hic! Wasn't this place supposed to be locked up? How'd he even get in here ahead of me...?.jpg) Why are you like this Yuri!? Bah... Whatever! Let's just return to the couple's room one final time... .jpg) I love him, I love him, I love him. And yet, he somehow doesn't really need me. Oh, well, whatever. After all, love is what life is about, right? <shrug>.jpg) Never mind about that. I appreciate what you did for me then. Thanks to you, my wife, I mean, Honey... has been in a much better mood. I'm embarrassed to say this, but it feels like true love has blossomed. But this is the way we were meant to be. Oh, this and that... Cool. I almost suggested you two split up but had this nagging feeling that would impact my wallet... ...This is my family heirloom, the stone that embodies the power of water. But from now on, it will be just the two of us, with no waters dividing us. Oh, darling, that bit with the priest was just a gag. But I do love you! And I love you, Sweetheart, Baby...  Imma go before you two just like start rawdoggin' in a few seconds even though I'm still standing here... This is just a little something to show you how I feel. I hope you make good use of it because we've found something even better. .jpg) In any event, no matter what the outcome we get our hands on the Water Gravestone. As soon as we level up our Water Soul Energy to maximum, we can now obtain the Level 3 Fusion and then continue to probably never use it just like the Level 1 and Level 2 versions! .jpg) That's a wrap for Rouen. Let us never speak of that again. Our journey now continues eastward back to the mean streets of Prague. Music: City .jpg) Well, I suppose it's really the mean street of Prague. Specifically, to the only building we can actually enter in all of the city -- Gismot's Pub. .jpg)  I was just beginning to wonder if maybe he came upon a monster in there again. Could you go check? Could you put, I dunno, a frikkin' LOCK on your bathroom doors?! I feel as though restricted access to the lavatory would impact patron business. More than people getting attacked by toilet monsters? Indeed. Fine! Whatever... I'll go check on the guy. I ain't cleaning up any messes I make....jpg) poo poo! Arcane Olga is still alive!? I thought we saw the last of her in Cai—oh... Wait. Never mind. It's just the solitary old woman model in the game. False alarm, Fake Sea Mother. Now, about that men's room... .jpg) Hey! You okay? Scream once for an evil spirit possessing the john. Scream twice for a monster crawling OUT of the crapper. Stay silent and I'll assume you're dead and kick open the door. It'd be great if you covered up your junk either way... N... No... What is it? What happened? Was I not clear about the screaming system? ...The--the-the... Yuri takes a fighting stance. .jpg) There isn't any paper... You went in unprepared and now you're paying the dark price, huh? The only way to progress this sidequest is if we happen to be holding some Tissues. Thankfully for Guard Darcie here, we just so happen to be carrying a choice pack of makeshift toiletry straight from a fine English medical facility. So... Yuri opens the stall and hands Darcie the pack of tissues... .jpg) Th-thanks... I won't forget what you've done for me. And I won't forget to state my intentions before crackin' open a bathroom stall door. Not even gonna make the slightest attempt to cover up your junk, huh. Well, you've already seen it all, so... I've gotta stop being helpful to random folks...Yuri heads for the exit to the bar. Guard Darcie runs out of the bathroom and up to Yuri before he leaves. .jpg) <hands Yuri a stone> This stone was found on a river bank. When you hold it, you feel like you're a mountain stream. ... ...Even if it was in a filthy toilet, eh. Did you, uh, wash your hands? I hate everything about this... <walks outside> Oh, what a relief! .jpg) Welp. Our reward is the Air Gravestone. You cannot even tell it's covered in piss since it's already yellow! .jpg) We have one final sidequest available back in Bistritz. We already grabbed the Gravestone from the Blue Castle and there's nothing new going on there yet, so we'll be skipping that location in our revisit tour of Europe. Music: Coffee With Bullet .jpg) For this sidequest, we want to go take a visit to the shop on the other end of town and speak to Nina, the little girl from this story arc. Remember that business with the mysterious bag of seeds her father received in the mail and the creepy dipshit mayor was convinced was... gold dust? Man, that guy was a dumbass. Anyway, if we speak to that little girl now... .jpg) N-no...? Who are you? We've literally never met before... There were some other weird-looking seeds mixed in with them. Thinking they were Seeds of Happiness, I sowed them. And these cute little buds popped up. Everything about that sound intensely sketchy random child....jpg) If we step back outside from the shop, there is a tiny sparkling point of interest right next to the entrance. Yuri is given the option of watching over it or stepping on it. Given his recent chaotic courses of action, who knows what he'd go with here. But if we want to successfully complete this sidequest, we need to watch over the seed. .jpg) Yuri proceeds to water the plant with err... Well, he makes a motion with an empty fist like he's using a watering can, but... Is it the sweat from his glove? Is it soaked piss from the Air Stone? It's hard to say. .jpg) .jpg) Either way, we now need to leave town. The path to Blue Castle, right next to the shop, will dump us back on the Europe Map. But we're not done in Bistritz just yet! .jpg) .jpg) If we re-enter the town and go inspect the seed sprout again, a new message appears and we're once more given the option to watch over the plant. .jpg) Let's do that again and then skip town. In order to progress this sidequest, we need to keep returning to the plant, watering it then leave Bistritz to advance it to the next phase of growth. It only takes like a minute to load the map, re-enter and run to the plant for the watering animation before leaving. Still, not the best implementation of a quest. But, at least we don't need to quit the game or anything... .jpg) I'm sure the intent was you were to return periodically to water the flower. A lot of games have quests with that sort of intent, where you do a little bit of a quest at a time between advancing other parts of the game. Nobody in the history of playing video games has ever done it that way... .jpg) This better not turn into a giant evil flower. Ditty if it turns into a giant flesh orb. I'm not doing another goddamn rhythm game. Yuri returns to the plant for the fifth time and finds Nina in its place... .jpg) I thought that was strange since they were doing so well. So I dug them up. And now you're possessed by some demonic spore, right? ...No? I-Is that a thing that can happen? Definitely. Had to fight a whole town of plant possessed guys a couple years back. Ain't trusted vegetarians since then. ... ...So this plant... When I got to the roots, they were wrapped around some strange stone, like they were protecting it. It was a green stone, and somehow it looked like you. What!? You mean like it was me but with kinda green skin? Goddammit. Do I gotta fight another plant clone? One was enough! What? No. I meant it reminded me of you... ...Kid, we've known each other for like five minutes. That doesn't matter. It kinda does if you don't want to come off as creepy and weird. You're creepy and weird. So here, you can have it. Take good care of it!.jpg) There is our final Gravestone collected for today. That's all of 'em available at this point in the game. The Light Gravestone is as of yet inaccessible until we advance a little further in the plot. .jpg) So when spring comes, everyone in the village is going to sow those seeds and tend them carefully. Then there'll be lots and lots of happiness! It'll reach all the way up to Dad in heaven! Uh-huh... That's nice. Gonna leave this town and never come back now. Thanks for everything you've done, mister! I didn't do anything! We don't even know each other's names! Good-bye! I'll always remember you! .jpg) And that concludes all the available sidequests at the moment. I wanted to knock those out as soon as they're available. After certain upcoming events, we're gonna be rear end deep in the endgame flood of sidequests so let's get through as many as we can early. That said, that concludes Chapter 19 of Shadow Hearts. Tune in next time for Chapter 20: Nemeton Monastery! The dark shadow of Wales is cast upon us...    Halley Portrait - Orphans just have to live with birds making nests in their newsboy hats. Such is their lot in life... The Dark Id fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Nov 17, 2018 |
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Nov 13, 2018 18:30
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I'm still not clear how the mystical graveyard that represents Yuri's possessed soul somehow requires these random magical rocks that have either existed for centuries or somehow sprouted from a bag a wheat seeds in the real world, but anything that gives us more demonic power is fine by me. Also, who passes up a magical water rock for a plain old diamond?
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Nov 13, 2018 21:32
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Even compared to everyone else, Nina is one of the few people that actually looks like an anime character in this setting. Of course she's gonna be a little off. The big eyes are gonna be a hint that she has magic powers or some poo poo.
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Nov 13, 2018 22:48
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Honestly thought the bathroom guy was just gonna have passed the air stone like a kidney stone and Yuri was gonna have to grab it out of the toilet. Glad it was only a little gross instead.
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Nov 14, 2018 00:49
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Maybe the air stone was what was giving him trouble. It was making him gassy and irritable.
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Nov 14, 2018 20:17
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The air stone is a crystalized fart. That's all I've got. A fart joke.
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Nov 14, 2018 20:34
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IMJack posted:The air stone is a crystalized fart. It's a yellow crystal dropped in a toiletbowl. It's a kidney stone.
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Nov 15, 2018 16:54
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Neddy Seagoon posted:It's a yellow crystal dropped in a toiletbowl. If there's ever was a rock that holds demonic essence though.
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Nov 15, 2018 21:35
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Neddy Seagoon posted:It's a yellow crystal dropped in a toiletbowl.  BioMe posted:If there's ever was a rock that holds demonic essence though. You're not wrong.
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Nov 15, 2018 23:45
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Oh hey, kidney stone talk. Someone get Cjacobs in here.
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Nov 16, 2018 00:14
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As an expert on the subject of kidney stones and extracting-kidney-stones-the-hard-way, I can confirm all of the necessary properties are present including their demonic nature. Did you know that kidney stones have spiked barbs and look like some kind of horrible medieval flail when examined under a microscope? And yet, medieval torturers could only wish they had means so effective.
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Nov 16, 2018 00:41
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I suppose tere's also the question of why that guy took it out of the toilet. Was he scrambling for something to offer to Yuri or was he gonna keep that before his paper problems?The Dark Id posted:you should care you your pledge. Hard to find a reference spot where someone picked the diamond option, should that be "what"?
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Nov 16, 2018 01:00
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Zagglezig posted:I suppose tere's also the question of why that guy took it out of the toilet. Was he scrambling for something to offer to Yuri or was he gonna keep that before his paper problems? It's definitely "about". For reference, this was the line: The Dark Id posted:
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Nov 16, 2018 01:13
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: If you can't build a relationship in which your partner feels loved, it's just selfish infatuation. For the future as well as for your wife's trust, you should care you your pledge. Give her a diamond.
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Ha! Well, that was a prompt response.
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Nov 16, 2018 01:39
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Now TDI's got all the discount cards, they all have flavour text that changes if you gently caress up and make them inactive; Inactive Snake Card "Inactive Snake Card...Darn!" Unfortunately this card is now inactive. I wonder if the merchant in Zhaoyang Village where I got this is okay? Still, I hope I never have to go there again. --- Inactive Star Card "Inactive Star Card...Too bad!" Star guild card which has become inactive. I shouldn't have been so greedy then, but oh well... --- Inactive Moon Card "I, I lost this one too. Not my Moon Card!" No...My Moon Card is inactive! That Bistritz place here I found this was really weird. I wonder if that wheat has grown okay. --- Inactive Sun Card "This Sun Card is inactive. ...Should I toss it?" Inactive Sun Card. So I've finally lost this one too. Ah...memories of London --- Inactive Eternity Card "It says "Eternity"! How can it be inactive?" Hmph! They call that "Eternity"!? I knew I shouldn't have trusted that guy from the hospital: "Hey kid, look. It says Eternity" on it. --- Yuri's pretty sassy over losing that Eternity card. Pesky Splinter fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Nov 16, 2018 |
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Nov 16, 2018 02:29
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Yuri’s going through all the emotional phases of viewing expired coupons. It’s perfectly healthy.
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Nov 16, 2018 03:51
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Re: Yellow Gravestone: The guy said he found it on a river bank, so maybe he had it in his pocket and it just fell in? Granted, that's not much better. In fact, that probably makes it worse. As for Deathblade Jiru: I've heard the gimmick attached to this weapon is that the third hit has 100% Instant Death attached to it. If a target doesn't immune ID (read: bosses), then it's dead, full stop. Basically means you have to carry two weapons for Keith though - Jiru, and a weapon to use that actually has damage on it.
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Nov 16, 2018 08:50
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RE: Kidney Stone discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrNI0W8ZdqI
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Nov 16, 2018 09:08
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 Episode LVIII: Bacon Juice .jpg) Aberystwyth, Wales. It's just plain evil country. But if we want to progress the plot, we are going to have a trek to that blighted land in search of an old man who definitely isn't the Yoda rear end real Roger Bacon from Koudelka. Yuri and Alice are mandatory for this stretch of the game. But I've swapped out Halley for Margarete because I'm extremely sick of watching Halley's magic animations every single fight. I already did that song and dance with his mom in Wales once. We don't need an encore. New Music: Callback from Jesus (This is a real nice track. Also there hasn't been new music in ages, so give it a listen.) .jpg) .jpg) Ain't never had to punch an alien before... I think. I mean, I've fought some weird stuff. Never really asked where it came from... There coulda been an alien or two mixed in there, ya know? Hmm...?Yuri starts marching up the structure's stairs. .jpg)  What? Like some sort of robot? I've heard some wild rumors about Wales over the years, but transforming robot houses weren't one of them... Are you kidding?! Don’t tell me you believe that junk?! Oh boy.Yuri walks back to the rest of the group. .jpg) You're supposed to confidently kick in the door and see what's what! Huh? But, you know, it’s dangerous… What if they transform? Getting grounded up in some kinda transforming robot house would be one of the lamest ways to go out that I can think of... Nothing is going to transform!! How do you know? Are you an expert on weird transforming robot homes? I've heard talk the Welsh put traps like that in their houses to keep out intruders. Robot traps!? There's no robot anything here! What is WITH you two?! Robot transformation fears. <nods enthusiastically> I'm really regretting being put back in the active party again... You all turned WEIRD hanging out with that thieving esper brat the last couple weeks. Well, it might be dangerous if you get too close. Come on, let’s go! Naw. Now I'm feelin' called out. I'm going in! But... Already fixin' to kick in the front door. That's more like it, sonny boy!....jpg) OK, let's do some breaking and entering into the house the slightly advanced looking for 1914 techno house. What's the worst that can happen? .jpg) There’s a strange machine here… I think this house is going to transform. Yeah, and then the whole thing’ll rocket off!! Maybe we'll end up on like... the moon. Ain't never gotten in a brawl in space. Gonna put that on my bucket list... <looks at Yuri> Where did you grow up?! Hey YOU are the one who got the idea of some kinda transforming robot house in my head. How is it that a plausible possibility but a ROCKET house is a bridge too far...? Yeah... well... Let's just try to stay on task and find this old man. He's clearly not here....jpg) We can investigate a few points in the house but there is nothing that can be interacted with just yet. Yuri doesn't know how to work a treadmill. Also, if you'll look closely at the statue at the head of the treadmill... .jpg) That's the statue that was holding the Sacnoth Sword -- the ultimate weapon in Koudelka. Which was only obtained by... beating the optional super boss of the game. Koudelka has many questionable design decisions. .jpg) Look, Yuri really wants the party to get an airship like a proper JRPG. Sadly, he will go through this game disappointed. Airship tech doesn't show up until the sequel.  .jpg) This has been Yuri's response to every piece of paper with text on it he's encountered his entire life. Unless there is a Judgment Ring prompt tied to it before opening the book. He's very picky about his literature requirements. .jpg) .jpg) The only real point of note in here is beneath the stairs at the far end of the structure where we find the final wayward Gravestone -- the Light Gravestone. No stair climbing, marriage counseling or getting piss all over our hands required. It's just tossed beneath some stairs like some loose change. Sure, why not? .jpg) There may be more to that extremely out of place house later on. For now, let's climb the path to the bluffs and explore the ruins of Nemeton Monastery. .jpg) There isn't a whole lot left of the joint. The gang from Koudelka might have committed a minor bit of arson on the way out the door. In the first game, only the bell tower was destroyed but apparently, the fire spread to the rest of the area and the whole thing burnt to the ground after everyone left. Whoops! .jpg) I'm fairly sure this is supposed to be the back gate to Nemeton Monastery. Apparently, if we looked the other direction there was a cliff dropping straight into the sea a few steps ahead of the camera angle. .jpg) Speaking of Koudelka, James O' Flaherty's grave is found on the cliff edge... or at least a marker for it. There wasn't really a body to be buried since the guy kinda got raptured by God. I assume Koudelka and Roger Bacon were nice enough to set that up after Edward stole Koudelka's horse and buggered off into the sunset to get an early start on being a deadbeat dad. .jpg) Directly across from James O' Flaherty's grave is a treasure chest with a rather morbid piece of armor. I wonder how good insolation clergymen scalps provide... It seems a questionable lining for a coat. Also itchy. This particular item kind of confused me on my first playthrough of the game because it is specific to Keith. The description might suggest this notion but... the only way to read the description is to return to London, swap Keith back into the party via Wanderer Meiyuan and only then does the armor show up in his available equipment options and the description can be read. Opening the chest just says Mantle of Nobility and that's it. Either way, this provides 78 Physical and 72 Special Defense plus the aforementioned halved Earth element damage. Character exclusive armor will start popping up as we reach the end game. Everyone in Shadow Hearts has an ultimate weapon and an ultimate set of armor. I'm not sure why Keith gets an early exclusive armor here. Oh well, we've dwelled on this enough. Let's head into the ruins proper... .jpg) So this is the evidence of the monastery's research to raise the dead, just as Halley said. Err... if you say so. Just looks like some crumbling ruins. I dunno where you're getting necromancy evidence from... You know, it's just a general vibe. <steps forward> There was something here… But now, this entire place is like a graveyard. … I'm still not seeing it..jpg)  Oh yeah? You can hear the cries of the dead roaming this area? Who’s this?!A dapper EXTREMELY old man wanders into the middle of the group. New Music: Bacon's Juice (Warning: Whimsy Incoming) .jpg)  Happy things. Unfortunate things. Lucky things. Poor things. Misunderstood things. Necessary things. Unneeded things. All of them have returned to the earth and the heavens. <turns away from the old man> Wh-who are you?The old man walks up to Alice. .jpg) <shakes head> What? Um… I don’t think I should look into your eyes. I've had bad luck with bald old men the last few months. But you cannot even see what is underneath this hat. Nobody with hair wears that sort of hat. ... ...Touché. Well, wasn’t that blow a stinger! Hahaha… What’s it called? Verbal abuse?The old man walks back to the middle of the group. .jpg) Hey… Now just what is it with you? What's your deal? You gotta name? Is that your house down there? Can it transform into a robot or a rocket ship? Me? I’m… I….jpg) We're given the opportunity to name Strange Creature. .jpg) It's worth mentioning his naming screen portrait is doing the exact same pose as Rude Hero Yuri's had when we named him. Anyway, we'll just stick with Strange Creature because... .jpg) Well, SO----RRY! Maybe if we had more time, then we could've been friends. I'll barely finish on schedule even as is. But, boy, it would've been fun to adventure with you! What are you babbling about?! Who is he talking to? Maybe it's a ghost? I can't sense anything. <nods> I guess it doesn't matter. <swipes the air> What doesn't matter?! Will you leave that fourth wall alone, ya old geezer?! It ain't done nothin' to nobody! Um...The Strange Creature returns to the middle of the group. .jpg) My name is Roger Bacon! The eternal prodigy, lover of science and learning! <shakes head> Huh?! What? Roger Bacon?! Yes. How many jackasses are named Roger Bacon around here?! Just the one. Are you here for a delivery? Do we look like deliverymen? We're in Wales. Only the bravest sorts can be pressed into delivering a package out here. So, where do I sign...? We're not here for any delivery, dammit! <sigh> No toaster, huh? Breakfast will be disappointing. <steps forward> Koudelka told us to come here..jpg) Koudelka? You mean… that Koudelka? You even know who Koudelka is, old geezer?! <nods> O-of course I do! I wouldn’t forget that strange girl… Koudelka Iasant, correct? Magical Romani girl? Red hair? Fiery temper? Cannot hold her liquor? Ergh... Maybe? We only like actually met her for all of five minutes. Though she had been yelling stuff into my brain for a few years. That sounds like a mental disorder. But OK... I see… So, the time has come. Why don’t you all come inside? It can’t be that… I’ll be waiting. Come see me, okay?Roger Bacon wanders off. .jpg) Roger Bacon. At least that’s what he said. OK. I'm not the only one extremely creeped out we were just talking to like a shriveled up mummy, right? Nope! Eh, I've seen worse...Music: Callback from Jesus .jpg) .jpg) Before we depart the ruins, there's a new item hidden in the rubble. It's like an Elixir Phoenix Down! There are now five different versions of the restore from KOed items. This game is decadent with its number of slightly varying consumables. .jpg) Also in the rubble is a sealed hatch to an underground chamber. I'm sure that'll never come up later. .jpg) There's not actually any significance here, but this hatch seal is quite similar to the title screen of Koudelka. So that's neat. .jpg) In any case, let's head back to Roger Bacon's home and see what he has to tell us. .jpg) <nods> Um… Mr. Roger Bacon? Please call me Roger. What is it, Alice? How do you know Koudelka? Ten years ago… those ruins were called Nemeton Monastery. I thought it was fifteen years ago... Bah. When you're as old as me, a few years off doesn't make a lot of difference... In reality, the monastery was a jail for political prisoners with life sentences. In time, its role as a prison faded away and the building was bought by a man named Patrick. Then, that dreadful incident happened… Dreadful incident? Patrick moved into Nemeton with his beautiful wife Elaine and a pair of servants. But one day, some bandits broke into their home and took Elaine’s life. Patrick couldn’t accept her death, and delved into deep research of black magic… Then he and his servants became some of the most prolific serial killers in history for a few years there. Boy, did I pick the wrong place to take a nap for a few centuries... He finally raised her from the dead, but what returned was not his wife – but a hideous monster! Koudelka defeated that monster and released Elaine’s soul. Is probably what she told you... In reality, they got their butts whooped. Only a sacrifice from one of their party and an intervention from the Lord stopped the monster's rampage. Hey… That story is the same as Jack’s from the orphanage! Except without the God bit and we kicked the monster's rear end. And it was someone's mom, not their wife. The rest is on point though. What happened to the Patrick guy? Did they fight him too? He turned into a plant monster. ...How'd that happen? Don't dabble with the dark arts, kids. Does that Emigre something-or-other book have anything to do with it? You… you know of the Emigre Document?! Patrick used it extensively in his research. How did Patrick get ahold of the Emigre Document? I’m not sure, but I think he bought it from someone. A man stole that book from the Vatican. His name is… Roger Bacon. Who? Me? But he’s actually Cardinal Albert Simon. Maybe he sold the document to Patrick.Music: Wind Which Blows From the Dark II .jpg) Albert Simon?! Tall? White hair? Mid-50s? Affinity for top hats? That's the one. <nods> I see. He has been concerned these past years with the study of the deepest Laws of the Universe. I knew it. He hasn’t given up yet… We're fighting Albert. That guy sucks. You know Cardinal Simon? Yes. I know him well. He was a student of mine. A student? Really? Guess you weren't teaching an ethics course, huh? <nods> It’s true. How long ago was it, now? I’d say about 300 years before I slept here. It’s about the time period when he followed the crusaders and fought against the Ottoman Empire!.jpg) :alert: Click here for video! :alert: (You should watch this. It has voice acting. Disappointingly, Roger isn't nearly as hammy as he was in Koudelka.) Music: God Knows Bad News .jpg) Of all my disciples, he stood out as the finest. In fact, he was too good. Having come from the lowest and poorest class of society Albert lifted himself up and applied himself diligently to study so that he could change the world. I saw GREAT promise in him, and I taught him EVERYTHING I knew: law, philosophy, science, astronomy, alchemy....jpg) But in time he began to question certain contradictions he saw in the world -- the ruling classes and the subjected masses. He came to reject a world where a person’s place was determined by his birth and he lost patience with me when I attempted to moderate his views..jpg) In the end, he brought me up on charges before the court of the Vatican! But... it was HE who the Church condemned. Of course! In an age of absolutism, anyone who called for the granting of rights to individual citizens could do nothing but anger the powers that be -- whether they be the church or the state..jpg) Any such person was destined to be condemned as a heretic and locked away forever or tortured to death..jpg) The truth is... I knew that he was right. But I also knew that a world in which everyone could live as equals was nothing but a pipe dream. Perhaps it could be achieved in time... as knowledge spread more widely among the people. But for that age, it was an idea much too far ahead of its time...Music: Wind Which Blows From the Dark II .jpg) Albert changed after the trial. His cynical smile did little to hide the darkness behind his eyes. Ignoring my advice, he pushed himself to the limit and ended up becoming trapped by the black arts. I knew there would be trouble the first time he gave up the robes for a suit and top hat... He unsealed forbidden magics and worked to fulfill his dreams: the total destruction of society. But… I feel like I can understand how he felt… in a way… He's not wrong and you kinda threw him under the bus. I'd be pissed too. But, too bad he's such a total dick about it. We can’t leave him be! Albert will do something drastic… using Koudelka’s power. We have to stop him! I know, but we don’t know where he is. It's surprisingly hard to track a guy that can teleport. I really regret teaching him that one... Yeah! Same! Hey, you didn't teach him how to do that lightning crap too, did you? <rubs neck and mutters something> You're on NOTICE, old man! Yes, yes. You've very scary. Let's stay on subject. If I am right, he is close. What?! I’m sure Koudelka realized what Albert was about to do. In that case, we don’t have much time….jpg) <nods> Yeah. But I don’t know how long we’ll last fighting him. But I won’t give up until we settle this. Okay, then. I shall assist you. I’ll take you to Albert. Roger! Really? Well, you know... I'm feeling a WEE bit responsible...Roger fiddles with a control panel and a vending machine in the back of his house lights up. .jpg) This teleporter isn't completed yet, but the vending machine works fine. Get whatever you might need. The prices are quite reasonable. ...You're charging us? Really? Ma'am do you have ANY idea the shipping costs of getting any supplies sent to a haunted ruin in Wales? Now THAT is highway robbery..jpg) Welp. We now know Albert Simon's reason for being such a dick and have met the real Roger Bacon. Tune in next time as the gang gears up and begins tackling one of the longest dungeons in the game as we soon approach the endgame of Shadow Hearts! Stay tuned!   Video: Albert Simon Backstory (Hey go watch this. It has voice acting!) The Dark Id fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Nov 17, 2018 |
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Nov 16, 2018 18:44
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Mmm... Bacon
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Nov 16, 2018 18:56
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Proper Welsh Bacon
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Nov 16, 2018 19:17
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The authorities are unjust, better do a whole bunch of demonology and mass murder
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Nov 16, 2018 19:26
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Really Pants posted:The authorities are unjust, better do a whole bunch of demonology and mass murder He had the right idea before he got jailed for it, but then he went to the Dark Side real fast. Also, what's up with that transforming house bit? Maybe it's something that the translation team got cute about? Space Kablooey fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Nov 16, 2018 |
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Nov 16, 2018 19:47
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Really Pants posted:The authorities are unjust, better do a whole bunch of demonology and mass murder Well, you know, some of the best villains are the ones where the premise sounds reasonable and then their solution just goes right off the loving rails, eight o' clock, day one. "The authorities don't deserve absolute power and the world would be better if it were more egalitarian and less violent." Good, good- "Time to do a shitload of evil wizard stuff, then!" No, Simon, no!
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Nov 16, 2018 19:52
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I brought it up back in the Koudelka LP but its interesting how after finally reading the Koudelka sequel manga some time ago I can see how Shadow Hearts 1 takes ideas from it, namely Albert. You see the main villain of the Koudelka manga, DeGaulle, is also a top hat wearing rogue apprentice of Roger that convinced Patrick to use the Emigre Manuscript to resurrect Elaine, though his motivation is much more of the "I just want to see the world burn" variety then any pretense of trying to make a better world. The Koudelka manga had the British Royal Medical Society pulling the strings of the events of Koudelka, which DeGaulle was a part of. It's also funny that the end of the Koudelka manga has a historical person pop up who would also appear in Covenant.
Accordion Man fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Nov 16, 2018 |
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Nov 16, 2018 20:00
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