The Let's Play Archive

Shadow Hearts: Covenant

by The Dark Id

Part 17: Episode XVII: Grand Papillon - Friend of All Children!

Episode XVII: Grand Papillon - Friend of All Children!



Yuri and the gang... aren't quite sure to make of all this new nonsense. But they aren't given too long to dwell on it, because...




Music: Vicious 1915 ~ Battle in Europe




It's immediately time to take on Grand Papillon!! I'm contractually obligated by NJPW to add the two exclamation marks when addressing Grand Papillon!! This burly goofball is a 355 HP packing Earth elemental enemy.



Related: "Papillon" just means "butterfly." Hence the mask he is wearing and all... But while double checking because my French is atrocious at best, I found it is ALSO a French breed of toy spaniels having a long, silky coat and large, erect ears held so they resemble the wings of a butterfly. So that's fun to learn.





To counter this Earth class wrestler, we'll have Yuri give the Malakia Fusion a trial run.





From there, we'll have him use Howling a 7-hit Wind elemental spell that... is making donuts. That's like a fifth of his health gone in one turn.



While we're there, we'll have Karin use her Sword Arts...



...and Blanca with his Soul Comet. Both of those Combo with Howling pretty well if we want a bit of extra damage alongside Yuri's attacks.





Meanwhile, we can have Gepetto pitch in with support in buffing Yuri's Special Attack Power with Surge. Not that he really needs it, but hey. Buffs are fun!



You may have noticed Grand Papillon!! hasn't been mentioned much yet. That is because he is S-L-O-W as far as turns go. As in he got like three this entire fight... and the third turn was mostly from fluffing about to see his abilities. He DOES hit like a truck for this point in the game though, doing in excess of around 50 HP of damage in a combo which includes suplexing his coffin on someone's head. Poor Gepetto in this case.





But that's fine. Remember, we gave Gepetto a cure spell and that more or less instantly negates any damage the early portion of the game. We'll have him on heal support the rest of this brisk fight.





Grand Papillon's only other ability, after he takes a sufficient amount of damage, is Drain Touch which does a comparable amount of damage as his main combo. However this one...



...heals him for the same amount of damage. Thankfully, he only seems to utilize this once. It's worth noting that this was also the default ability of Shadow Hearts 1's bored vampire party member, Keith Valentine. Hmm...





I failed!

In any event, that's about all there is to the Grand Papillon battle. Those muscles are impressive but you are against a guy that punched out a god. And go completely de-leveled, but that's beside the point.


Music: Result ~ Victory




What a waste of time...



Yuri points to the Wrestlemania sign following his victory against Grand Papillon!!


NEW Music: Gathering God ~ Thrill
(Theme of This Game Might be Way More Goofy Than Its Predecessors.)



Following his defeat, Grand Papillon transforms into a... golden bat... Wait...



Huh...?



Hehehehe! You pack a pretty good punch! Time for me to go now, kids. We'll meet again!

The Golden Bat flies off into the night.



H-he turned into a bat...
Aw...roo...?



Well, he's certainly good at runnin' away.
...Hmm. I'm sure I've met him before...
I've GOT to stop spacing out during character sidequests...

The next day...


Music: Town of Twilight ~ European Town




...He changed into a bat?! What a very odd character, indeed! But you people must be awfully good to drive the great Grand Papillon off! I'm truly impressed with all of you!
.........
The multitude of ellipses truly shows your dedication, sir.
...

<turns to Cole> Okay, Cole. Show these people to the shop. Get this over with quickly.
Yes, Mayor.

Cole approaches Yuri and the others.



<nods> Fine.



The bandit changed into a bat? Sounds like some kind of magic trick.
The ref should have called that out.
All right, folks. Hurry up and catch that bandit, you hear? And you'll be handsomely rewarded!
We're talking a Money in the Bank match here.
Ehh... Any of you getting these references?
...They're making references?
Awroo! (You've not earned a hot tag from me.)
You're just imagining things.
OK...




As Cole the Vigilante Leader asked, we need to cross Le Havre again to the south end. Where...



What did you want us to come here for?
You gonna buy us a meal or something?
Joint was closed last time we were here. Who doesn't open for lunch...?
Shhh! Look at that.
Hmm?

The party looks toward the bar at the end of the area.



No. That's the name of the tavern! Not that. Look there!
How do you even read that from this angle?
Just because I'm wearing glasses doesn't mean my eyes are shot.
...I mean like physically.


A door opens.

Huh?!

A large, blonde dreadlocked man and a couple of children exit the tavern and converse.



Hmm. I just know I've seen that guy somewhere before...
For some reason the color blue is coming up in my head... I dunno. This is gonna bug me all day...



If you know where he is and who he is, why don't you guys catch him yourself?
.........
G-Gotta keep kayfabe...
It's what creative wants this storyline.

<turns away> ...Um, good luck, now!
Hey!
<turns back> We're counting on you! We know you can do it! Bye-bye!

Cole and the Mayor split the scene.



What do you wanna do? Wanna close in?
Hmm, something's odd... If he really was such a big, bad bandit, would little kids be hanging around with him?
Are... are we the baddies?
Awroo! (I cannot believe I signed up with the NWO.)

But we already took half the money.

Yuri starts walking toward Grand Papillon.



Let's at least try talking to him, anyway.
Worst that happens is we have another kinda easy mid-boss fight.
...I suppose.




Hi, there!

Music: ENDS. The party enters the tavern.



But Joachim isn't a thief!
Yeah, now get outta here!
<puts his hands forward to relax them> Okay, okay! Just relax! Don't get so worked up!
Let's just talk this through... did I meet you in like Prague once...? No, that's not right...



I don't know what the mayor told you, but...
<enters fighting stance> I'll never let you take us alive...
Whoa! Whoa... That seems like a big decision for you to make on your own, Joachim...
Huh... So, you're just... always like this, eh...?
My fighting spirit cannot be broken!




<concerned grunt> Tell me why you're stealing and causing so much trouble in the town.
...And why you turned into a bat. W-what was that about? Yuri, you can't do that, right?
Not recently. Used to be able to turn into a kind of bat... man. Does that count?
...Forget I asked.


The door opens behind Yuri and Karin.



Joachim is protecting the store and the children from the mayor and his cronies.

A short while later...


Music: Memories of Melodies ~ Peace




<laughter>
Hey!
The store?



It's my treasure, I'm afraid. The mayor wants to get his hands on it.
<exchange looks like they're getting into some bullshit>
Oh yeah? What is this treasure, anyway?
The deed to this store.



Three months ago, on his deathbed... the man who built this store told me about a treasure buried beneath here.
Treasure. ...Is it really true?
Well, I've been living here for 30 years, and that was the first I'd heard of it. But ever since, they've been bullying me to get me to give up the store.
But I've been getting sauced every day since noon for fifty years so... maybe?



<exchange a look>
So the vigilante group?
...We're the baddies, huh?



<nods> Yes, that's right.
<motions to Joachim> So that's why Grand Papillon?
Right again.
And you're always like this, huh?
<knowing smirk> You already know the answer.




...Huh...
......
Should we go and take back the money?
<shrugs> Ehh... Sure, why not.
...I don't want to be the baddies.
...What she said.



Music: Town of Twilight ~ European Town






We can take a brief look around the nicely detailed for a PS2 game Mouette de mer. But there's nothing to be done here other than a brief chat with Granny Lot. Also learning here name is Granny Lot, I suppose. :v:





Thus, we trek once more across the port city's three map screens to find the Mayor and his entire goon entourage hanging out in front of their mansion. That's probably not a great sign.





<steps forward and returns the Mayor's money>
What? What's the meaning of this?
<shakes head> We changed our minds. Sorry, but we quit the vigilante group.
Hey! Are you guys going back on your word?!
No, we just found out the truth, that's all. And you're the ones who are in the wrong here!
You're the baddies! Not us... except briefly. I've already deserted the German army I can't be involved with this!
<shakes fists> Arghhh! And I almost had my hands on that treasure too! Don't think you'll be leaving here alive! ...Cole!
...You're supposed to like deny you're a dirtbag and say there's been a misunderstanding. Y'all are bad at this.
Men, take care of 'em!




Music: Vicious 1915 ~ Battle in Europe




Time to take on two Fat Thugs and three standard addition Thugs. They have 38 HP and 41 HP respectively. Don't worry about their elements.







In theory, if left alone these thugs can form up for massive combos against a single target by... well, just kind of smacking them with a 2x4 piece of wood several times in a row. But they manage some crazy air combos doing it.





In practice, the party effortlessly curbstomps the lot of them before they can even act.


Music: Result ~ Victory




Keep your eyes where they belong.



Karin, this quote and your outfit... I'm just saying. You can't have it both ways. I'm barely scrubbing footage I recorded for screenshots and I already have it ingrained you also are wearing bright blue panties under the rest of that awful outfit because it's there every instant you animate. Why are you like this?


Music: Vicious 1915 ~ Battle in Europe




He he he... No...!
What do you mean "no"?!
...That broad jumped twenty feet in the air and blew up three of my men. You are not paying me enough for this.

You ready for some more?
No! We, uh...
Fine. We're leaving.
Yes, yes. Fine...

Gepetto, Karin, and Yuri leave the scene.



Blanca stays behind briefly to tell them what for!



Guy without a character portrait vows revenge. This will definitely go his way if he tries.





Now that we have left the Vigilante Group via acing like two-thirds of the local mafia thugs on the way out the door, everyone has another round of refreshed dialogue on our way back to Joachim and Granny Lot.



He was studying under that odd wrestling teacher that used to live here, but then the teacher left on some trip...
Geez... was it Rouen where that sidequest was with that bat...? No... No, that's not right either. This is still bugging the heck out of me.



Come to think of it, I haven't seen those hooligans around...
Yeah, they're dead...
...Oh.
...I got like eight Soul Energy. I'm pretty happy with the result.




Ah... right. There was a downside to morality...



Got the mayor to see things our way.
I don't think he'll bother you anymore. We gave him a good talking to.
Most of those vigilantes have... disbanded.
...That's one way to put it.

Really?! That's great! Come on in and rest, everybody.

A short while later. Granny Lot comes running up to the group.



What's the matter, Granny?! What happened?
The children!! Yuma and John!
Who now?
The children that were here!
...They had names?
Of course, you fools!

Calm down, Granny! What happened to the children?
The vigilante group... Those hooligans took them! They said if we wanted them back, we had to bring the deed to the wine cellar!
<stunned gasp>
Are you serious?!
Those scum...
We can't let them get away with this, now, can we? We should help.
Awroo, awroo!
You bet. Of course we'll help!



Also helping: Our newest party member -- Joachim!





Now that we have more than four party members, we need to start deciding who will be on the active party. It's none too useful right now but Shadow Hearts: Covenant actually lets the player assign up to three different teams of party members as the situation warrants that can be quickly swapped from the (between battle) menu. For now, both Joachim and Yuri and mandatory members of the party. Karin and Blanca will also be joining us for the next stretch of the game. Sorry, Gepetto. You're just too damn fragile HP wise right now. Blanca is going to be inheriting your support role duties.





By the way, our new large boy here is Joachim Valentine. Yes, he was the Golden Bat from the character sidequest of Shadow Hearts 1's endgame. Yes, he is also Keith Valentine's brother. One through-line of all three Shadow Hearts game is having a Valentine sibling party member. Also, by the way, he's a vampire. His sole MUSCLE ART at the moment is the Drain Touch we saw during the mid-boss fight against his Grand Papillon persona. It's a 20 MP HP drain. Joachythms another ability we yet to have access to at the moment.





Joachim also comes with some unique (at the moment) equipment. Like this giant piece of timber meant to look like a huge coffin as his melee weapon. Joachim has a... unique class of weapons that are itself its own sidequest. That's getting ahead of us...



Heavy Metal manifested way earlier in the Shadow Hearts timeline and Joachim is at the forefront annihilating people in mosh pits.



Also, a bracelet to prevent paralysis. Nobody likes to see a botched wrestling move except in Youtube compilations.





That all said, that concludes our time in the first visit to Le Havre. Tune in next time as our adventures continue to France's Wine Cellar. They just have one huge one in this universe. Don't ask... As Shadow Hearts: Covenant continues!



That was a short chapter but a LOT did happen, really. So...



Monsters:



The kid from ICO grew up rough.



Perhaps the darkest monster entry of all.

Characters:



Same.



To be fair, Yuri just stood and stared into the middle distance during that whole sidequest. Although, Keith WAS introduced with a greedy mayor trying to steal treasure from a widow lady...



Since that's what you want to see when you go to a bar. Orphans.



Wait... Is Grand Papillon her Stand...?



He lost both his parents and a character portrait in the war. Seriously, he's like one of the only Characters entries that doesn't get one. What an unloved cretin of an orphan.




Video: Episode 17 Highlight Reel
(You should watch Grand Papillon!! in action!)





Fat Thug Concept Art - What it says on the label...