Part 140: Episode CXXXIV: Solomon the Embodiment of the Creator

Episode CXXXIV: Solomon the Embodiment of the Creator



Look. We've got to do it. We've got to do more of Solomon. It awaits. We cannot avoid it.


Music: Spiritualization ~ Holy Land of God





We have a new tier to contend with -- Embodiment. The first run is a single character through a six-round gauntlet.



I see no reason to send anyone but the best, most versatile character in the game. And have them just use Neo Amon to curb stomp the entire gauntlet as the game unlocked this after the Immortal Mountain and we've done the bulk of the end game and that's not our fault.


Music: Vicious 1915 ~ Battle in Europe



The lads we need to take care of in this gauntlet. We've got the Titanium Soldiers. The boys from Azabu Kamiyashiki were the final line of defense before Yuri kick guilt-tripped the foreign minister of Japan.



They are flanked by the Lava Lump and Samurai Ghoul that defended the Immortal Mountain of Fuji.



Following that, we have a unique fight in the form of taking on Raiden of the Mutant Apes. Who has a whopping 675 HP and the Earth element and Yuri will knock the fuck out in a single turn because they have 675 HP... If given a chance they just have their normal attack string and Anti-armor Bomb grenade they had while playable.



Next is yet another Samurai Ghoul but this time it has a somewhat more fearsome Scorpilus as its partner. Somewhat. It has more HP than the last critter but uhh...



Then we have Hien of the Mutant Apes. We've never properly fought the Mutant Apes (and never do as they are in standard form and Oka is out of the running since she's dead.) Hien is a Wind elemental with 621 HP and whoops Yuri already punched him the fuck out.





The third bout is Great Gama. His third bout form from Nihonbashi we fought ages ago. He's a Light Elemental with 880 HP. It might have wasted more time than anything to have Yuri shift into the Neo Amon Fusion for most of these. He's dead in a single physical attack combo.



Anyway, that happened. That was one of the last rounds of the trials. It was very easy. Far more than the last few runs. It's a little confusing.





Our reward is another turning accessory from Shadow Hearts 1 -- Dark Angel. This gives +2 to Physical Attack but most importantly it is a 20% increase to overall SP thus is meant for Yuri or Kurando but let's be real, it's Yuri.





Embodiment only has two levels to its trials and we're going to burn through it all now. The main crew of the LP is going all-in for this one.



So up on the docket: We've got a pair of Towds from Purgatory. We ought to close up the otherworld portals Garan opened at some point.



Blooming Phoenix makes an appearance times two with another Lava Lump and Samurai Ghoul for the last hurrah of Immortal Mountain fuckers.



Gordon, with these deaths I can say we've killed the entire Japanese Imperial military! These last six Titanium soldiers are finally it.



OK, that and a Mecha Lord Azabu Kamiyashiki but that's wasn't a commissioned officer.



The Queen's Garden crew of Bethlehem, Graffias and Morgan show up. Do you remember the Queen's Garden? I am struggling to recall it much.







But I do recall King Tamakos who rounds out the prior to the endgame crew completing the Embodiment arc of the Solomon's Trials.



And we're done here.


Music: Spiritualization ~ Holy Land of God





And this nabs us the Electro Band a Joachim exclusive accessory with +2 to all stats but most importantly gets him to Grand Papillon quicker. Don't ask me the vagueness of "quicker" it's just... quicker. There are five different calculations influenced by stats and the character month and hour or if it's leap year determining Joachim's transformations. I don't know.



At last the time has come... It's time to break the seal of the final trial...
It's really the last one?
Yes, it is. The last one!
<puts hand on hip> More trials aren't suddenly gonna turn up later? You're not gonna say, "King Solomon has spoken!" or anything?
We are at the fifth time of there being more trials after I finish the last one and get curious and it's been diminishing returns for prizes... Really, my second best weapon for three trials deep? I already had the best one.
This will be worth it!
Yeah, nobody has ever told me that before and let me down...



You promise? Even if you come up with any more, I'm not doing them!
I said it's the last one! If you keep that up, there will be more trials!
...You're getting mad a lot lately!
I can't get mad! I've given everything, even my emotions, to King Solomon... Now, the final trial...
Maybe I'm over-leveled but it's not even that challenging of a sidequest and the rewards are crappy.
What if we offered an ultimate armor set?
The only people left for that are umm... Gepetto, Kurando, and Lucia, I want to say. Not super thrilled if that's the best you got.
You never know...
It's my duty to test you. Do you want to attempt a more difficult trial?





Creator is the final proper Trial of Solomon. Four rounds. Full squad. We're locked in. Joachim is actually mandatory for this fight set for a reason we'll come to. Well, entirely mandatory but it's by far the easiest way to sort out a problem. Just bring the big boy, OK?


Music: Vicious 1915 ~ Battle in Europe



So our foes... Hey, remember Sapientes Gladio from Disc 1? Here's Veronica Vera from the Wine Cellar of early Disc 1. You know... the one Joachim took out solo? Yeah, she's already dead she has 220 HP.



And then Lenny and a Claw Commander from a dungeon after that. Also dead in one round. Lenny, get a move on to America. What are you doing?!



Joachim has an existential crisis fighting Grand Papillon. Especially as that is a boss that came before the last two?! What are we even doing here? He has 355 HP. I could get Lucia in here to smack them to death in a single turn.



Oh, and there is this after that laughable early Disc 1 curb stomp. The Tin Lion. It has 10 HP and is Water elemental. Oh, and it is.... completely invulnerable to everything in the game outside two very specific things.



And if it gets a turn it does well over the max HP limit and will one-shot a character instantly and if you don't have the counter to this you're fucked. Full stop. Fucked. There are two methods to beat this thing and the game does not signpost it look it up or die. It's one of the only enemies in the game weak to Petrify. So you need to have the Petrify Ring Add-On and hope that hits for a 0 HP damage attack. You have not done this ahead of time. Nobody has.





Or the actual only reasonable method. Joachim has an otherwise utterly useless 10 MP attack. Drain Touch. It's his default Muscle Art. It drains a very, very small amount of HP and heals him. Keith had a similar move in the first game. It's a complete waste of a turn since it only drains around 80-100 HP. Except... it gets around all of this enemy's immunity and instantly kills it in this solitary instance. The ability only exists to use it for the final Pit Fight challenge...



I have no idea how you'd figure this out on your own. It's stupid. Solomon's Trials are stupid. But goddammit, we're done with them. Except...


Music: Spiritualization ~ Holy Land of God







And that is how we gain Gepetto's ultimate armor with its +158 Physical and +178 Special Defense. This thing is referring to Matěj Kopecký a Czech puppeteer of renown from the 1800s. According to the internet. I have no fucking idea if that's true. I don't think anyone alive is well versed in puppetry and isn't a serial killer. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Jigsaw.



You must decipher the enigma... You must unlock the Key... Then there's one final duty I must carry out...
Is it a super boss?
......
...Yes.
Figured.



And we're not doing that today. We need to go train. We need to get stronger! We need to lift. We need more muscle! And power! And honor! With burly men. Many strong men await!



Many strong men await...

At...

...THE MAN FESTIVAL!