Part 131: Episode CXXV: Getting Armored Up

Episode CXXV: Getting Armored Up



Let's take a breather from dungeon crawling and instead switch focus on gaining some ultimate equipment for a healthy chunk of the gang. As you'll recall, we set out to Tiffauges Castle initially as an excuse to cheat do focused training on our Pedometer Steps. So let's return to Healthy Rooney in Florence and see if our efforts paid off.


Music: Town of Twilight ~ European Town



Keep up the good work! Don't stop your excellent fitness walking!
How did you gain so many steps in such a brief period of time? That's an impressive increase on the Pedometer in just a day's time.
<rubs neck> We umm... learned some new... Step tech, you could say.
Well, whatever you are doing, keep it up!
<already un-equipping Pedometer and walking off to sell it> Uh-huh.





Our reward for passing 10,000 Steps is a Microskirt, the ultimate armor set for Karin. Which is identical to the absurdly short skirt she is already wearing, just with +170 Physical and +166 Special Defense. The Pedometer quest yielded Margarete's ultimate armor for 10,000 Steps as well in Shadow Hearts 1 and the quest and 10,000 Step requirement continues into Shadow Hearts: From the New World for another character's ultimate armor.



Help me spread the word! Show the whole world how much fun fitness walking can be!

That all said, even running through a dungeon that was composed 90% of lengthy corridors and getting a 5X multiplier per Step by cheating our asses off, we still only barely squeaked by getting the desired quota. Noting that, the Microskirt was an automatic gift reward. We can still spend the remaining 10,000 Steps on the normal Pedometer Step Exchange. Which in this case will net us a Pure Extract for 1000 Steps. But more importantly, for 9000 Steps we can obtain...



A unique accessory, the Ultra Belt -- the best Belt class accessory in the game with +10 Attack Power and +6 Special Attack Power. This was known as the Belt of Power in Shadow Hearts 1 and it was also the 9000 Step reward. Except we had to spend 10,000 Steps there to gain Margarete's ultimate armor so we never picked that up because getting 19,000 Steps is the realm of crazy people or someone playing New Game Plus.



Time to shift gears and continents, while we're at it. Since we found Alicia in Wonderland, Lottery Member #4, and already sorted out Bitter Ludwig, Lottery Member #3 way back in Disc 1 at the initial stages of the Fort of Regret sidequest, that leaves only two Lottery Members left. We need to win a prize from Members 3-16 in order to unlock the final two Lottery Members. This means we can ahead and compete the Lottery sidequest now. Which takes us back to the Kawashima estate of Mukyo-An back in the Imperial Capital of Japan.


Music: Rising Sun ~ Japanese Town



We're not here to see Naniwa Kawashima. His role in the story evaporated as soon as we sorted out Minister Ishimura via guilt trip kicking the shit out of him. No, we're actually here to see Yoshiko Kawashima. The secret Chinese princess one, not the dead one that had a weird clone made of her by a subordinate with an unhealthy crush.



Huh? Work? W-what are you going to do?
I'm going to be a Lottery Society girl! I want all the handsome young men to think, "Wow! She's cute! I hope I get lucky with her!"
...You really need to work on that phrasing...
<jumps back> A lottery girl?! B-but it'll be so... degrading! You'll... you'll have to parade around in a bikini, and...



Like this... The lottery began with two people would split a rice cake at New Year's to predict their fortunes! ...Little bits of trivia like that, see!

Yeah, you're going to have to get good at magically knowing a Lottery Ticket is in people's pockets and blurting out you're a Lottery Member.
That seems blunt.
I'm just saying how it usually goes when we do this.
You can be my first customers! So... do you wanna do the lottery?
<turns to Yuri> What do you think? Should we do it?
Why not? Let's do it!
It's not like a little girl is unusual for this. We just did a ghost little girl in that weird castle yesterday. And that wasn't even the first ghost doing the Lottery. Or little kid.
I'm having my doubts about this Lottery business.



Since Yoshiko is new to this Lottery gig, she just has a Normal Lottery Ring with no tricks.



The top-billed prize is Thief's Earrings, which are only available here. These grant +1 to all the usual accessory stats. But more importantly, they increase the Cash and item drop rate by 20% at the end of battles. I'd like to know more about this Carmen Sandiego ass thief that pilfered an entire country.



Come back and try again sometime! I'll do a better job, I promise.



Yeah, Yoshiko. That's cute, kiddo. But we're never speaking to you or your weird adopted father that renamed after his dead daughter. But now that we've hit up Lottery Member Number 2, even if she rudely didn't announce herself as such, we can now finish out this quest. This takes us back to Joachim's old haunt of Le Havre. Particularly, we want to return to Granny Lot's bar grounds and talk to the kids there again.


Music: Town of Twilight ~ European Town



Hey! It's Joachim and everybody!
Welcome back, guys!
<hangs back> ......
<looks at Joachim> Hey, what are you up to?
Yeah, you two! Listen, is that pink bat still here?
Yeah, she's here.
She keeps eating all of Granny Lot's food. She's going to get fat if she keeps it up. Or get swat with a broom.
And now there's another one too!
Another one?!
Yeah! It's really pretty! A nice silver color!
Huh... A silver bat... Why does that sound kinda familiar...?
<approaches the kids> Silver? No... it can't be!



<jumps back in surprise> ?!



Hey, Yuri! It's been a while, huh?! Has my imbecile bro been causing you problems?
Kevin?! Is that you?!
...Keith...
...Right. You know I suck with names. Hehe. Suck. Ergh...
Keith?! Is that you?!
Hey! What's an imbecile?! I don't understand!
Imbecile means a pain in the butt! Look, I'm talking to Yuri right now! Keep quiet, would you?!
Unless you want a repeat of the fight in Blue Castle.
Oh, you're still mad at me...
You broke my ultimate weapon! Yes, I am still mad at you! How about I break YOUR ultimate weapon?!
No! That would endanger the lives of countless astrosailomariners!!
...What...?
Don't worry about that, man. What are you doin' around here? Weird I bumped into you and Margarete the same week.
Oh? You did? What is she up to these days?
Spy stuff. Leaving sexy outfits with creepy old men. The usual.
That sounds about right. As for me...?
I'm here for one thing, and one thing only. It's pretty embarrassing, but I just got appointed president of the World Lottery Society. That's why I'm here.
The president?! Were you promoted?
Yeah. The last president was getting a little old, so he retired... I was just next in line.
I see. Wasn't he like 700 years old?! He should've been dead ages ago!
<becomes Lottery Member 1> You're right, there, Yuri! Anyway, how about doing the lottery, huh? For old times' sake?
You bet!
For old times' sake.



Our old pal Keith the Silver Bat is the final Lottery Member, there is no Member 0 this time since Roger Bacon has retired. We're going to grab both of the top two prizes as they're both unique items. We need to contend with a Fickle Lottery Ring (speed increases and decreases.)



The Meteor Mask is the second-best headgear class accessory in the game with +10 Physical and +6 Special Defense and you get to look like a fantasy mid-boss level goon affiliated with an evil church and/or cult. A less elaborate but identical stat-wise version called the Comet Mask appeared during the Lottery quest in the previous game.



But our real prize is this set of Voldo from Soulcalibur ass bondage gear that draws all the admiration of all the hunky boys with its +178 Physical and +158 Special Defense. This serves as, naturally, Joachim's ultimate armor. He thankfully doesn't get a different sexy costume like the Dating Outfit for Karin...



I'm gonna stay here with sis for a while. Come by any time you need anything. Yuri... The world's undergoing some pretty big changes right now. It's enough even to straighten me out! I wanna help you guys, but I've got the responsibility of being president of the World Lottery Society now...
It's cool. Our party is pretty full. Just got to stop Kato from doing a Time Crash or something crap.
Kato...?
Oh yeah, he dropped out of the story before you joined the last party. Don't worry about it. You've got your own thing going on. I've got mine.
Don't worry! Any problems in the world, your big brother can fix them!
It's true. Your brother's solid. You can rely on him, for sure. He's a little... you know...though!
...I guess so. My bro would beat me in a fight, that's for sure! He is a little... you know... though, isn't he?
Hey! Lay off it, guys! What d'you mean, "you know"?!
You know.
...You know.
I do not know!!
He knows.
<nods>
Okay, bro, it's up to you this time. Just don't get in anyone's way, okay?



All it was back in the castle was succubus sex and vampire thrall sex and big werewolf sex and ghost sex. It all got so boring so quickly.
Yeah, I don't need to hear about that, Keith! And maybe keep that talk down away from the rugrats, eh?
Ack! A good point.
Come back soon!
Take care, Joachim. We'll be waiting for you!



And thus we never return to Le Havre! Sorry kids and former party members. Your relevance has ended. Our next stop in backpacking across Europe is a return to Petrograd.


Music: Anastasia ~ Going Her Way



Now that we've finished Anastasia's character-oriented side content we can return to the Winter Palace to grab an upgrade for the princess.



Particularly, we want to return to her parent's bedroom just past the Winter Palace throne room where we shat on Rasputin's plans by showing receipts with all the old shit-talking the Romanov bloodline tweets he made back in the day. Along the way, we find that Gerard Magimel has oddly set-up shop in front of the throne.



Tee hee. Because the merchant that used to be here got carried off by the revolutionists! Ooh, so scary! Well, that's what he gets for making all that money. I, on the other hand, see things from a customer's perspective.

Nothing like filling in the void of war profiteering. This version of La Cage Aux Songes is unique in that Gerard sells Third Keys for 30,000 Cash a pop (15,000 if we were to get the 50% Discount.) Which given our current million Cash war chest, isn't too damn shabby. But we're going to move on to the bedroom where we get a new scene.



<gets his groove on> Sis!



...Wait a minute. Where'd you learn to walk like that? Seems to me I've seen that walk on a certain someone...
Hee hee! That new merchant that came to the palace taught me. What do you think? Pretty cute, huh?



It's very cute!
I'm not sure if mother and daddy should be letting you hang around that ma—
Anastasia, you're back!

Empress Alexandra and Emperor Nicholas II enter the chamber. Alexei sashays up alongside his parents.



What a happy coincidence! Your mother and I were just talking about you this very morning. Have you been all right? Haven't caught any colds or anything, have you?



Why, we just subjugated a stupid ancient evil demon in a cursed ruin in Wales last week.
That's my little girl.
<steps forward> Here, Anastasia, take this. It's a robe I want you to have. Your family will always be praying for your safety, my child.





And so Anastasia joins the Ultimate Armor club with the Prayer Robe which bestows upon the royal gremlin +163 Physical and +173 Special Defense.



I'm sorry I've been so cross with you, Anastasia. When I look at you, I see myself as a young girl, you see... I made my mother worry too. But now when I think back on it, it was because I was lonely. Have you been lonely, child?
Mother...
I've got my own personal sidekick I can boss around and kick at any time. It's like having a well-trained dog with me all the time. I'm fine!
<maintains kayfabe but frowns internally>
I've decided I won't treat you like a little girl anymore, and I'll try to open up and share what's on my mind.
All right, Mother! And I'll try to be more considerate of your feeling from now on too.
Anyway, I'm thinking of moving to Japan for good to stay with this boy I like.
...Excuse me?
Buh-bye! Be back whenever!



And so we leave behind the Romanov family as they fade into the background... to all get executed by the Bolshevik revolutionaries in less than three years. Anyway, we're going to take one last trip today back to Domremy, France where our adventure began.


Music: Town of Twilight ~ European Town





Word in town with the villagers is that the ghost of Jeanne has been spotted in the church where Yuri used to squat and beat up the German Army before he got cursed by the Holy Mistletoe. Considering we know Jeanne is, in fact, a ghost... this warrants looking into.

Yuri and Blanca enter the Domremy church.



Yuri collapses to the floor.



Blanca...

Yuri passes out completely. Meanwhile, Jeanne's ghost materializes behind Blanca.







Awroo?! (Jeanne?!)



Awroo! Awroo! (It's Jeanne! Jeanne is here! Get up fool!)
You don't have to wake Yuri up. I made him go to sleep for a while. It looks like he hasn't decided his answer yet.
And he knows about me being a ghost.



Guess what? I'm inside Yuri's soul. I've been watching over you and everybody from here this whole time!
*whimper* (You have...?)
Awroo... Awroo. (Yuri mentioned something like that... But I don't know if I should believe half the insane things he says.)
Almost everything he says has been true, strangely enough.
...Awroo... (...More like disturbing...)
You've been on a long, long journey, haven't you, boy? But it's almost over. He'll come up with his answer soon.
Awroo? (His answer?)
<nods> That's right. The answer to the question he's been asking his heart. The question of "What is happiness?"
Awroo... (Happiness, huh...?)
Yeah, Blanca, do you know what happiness is?
A-awroo, awroo! (To me, happiness is helping the people I love.) Aw-awroo! (I don't need anything else but that.)
Awroo... Awroo. Awroo... (Don't you dare tell the rest of the humans, especially the one dirt-napping... But I am fond of them. Despite everything...)
...Good boy. You know that, and that's why you've found happiness. Hee hee! What a smart boy you are!
<looks down> *whimper, whimper* (I'm not smart. If I had been smart, I would've protected you...)
*whimper* Awroo... (I knew I shouldn't have gotten into that big bag of bratwurst. I crashed hard afterward and slept right through the attack...)
<shakes head> Don't worry, Blanca. I'm really happy now. I can be in Yuri's heart, and your heart, forever! It's really warm. Listen to me, Blanca. Don't ever stop being happy, okay? No matter what happens, make sure you go back to your new master, okay?
<looks up> Awroo... (Jeanne...)



<kneels over and kisses Blanca on his snout> I love you, Blanca!
Awroo?! (Ack?!)





And with that, Jeanne waves goodbye to Blanca and is spirited away into the afterlife the endless graveyard textured dark void of foul memories, demons and curses that is Yuri's increasingly crowded soul.





But not before leaving behind Blanca's ultimate armor -- the Charm Pouch. This sack of magic acorns given by a ghost child that died in the vaguest of fashions grants our good boy +166 Physical and +170 Special Defense.

Yuri wakes up and climbs to his feet.



I think I saw Jeanne in my dream...
Hey, where did you get that sack of acorns? Can I have one? I'm a little hungry...
Grr! Awroo! (Absolutely not! Forage for your own nuts!)
OK, geez. Why are you such a fussy boy today?



And that concludes today's session of mopping up endgame content. Tune in next time for a spooky mansion, character development for someone who hasn't had any since three hours into the game and more dead children as Shadow Hearts: Covenant continues!







Kawashima and Kurando Art - Just hanging out at a market doing... something? I think he might be repairing her sandal?...Maybe?