Shadow Hearts: Covenant Part #48 - Episode XLIV: Bacon Tech

Part 48: Episode XLIV: Bacon Tech

Episode XLIV: Bacon Tech

You know, it's kind of crazy Lenny is only the second character death thus far (and also he's not actually dead) considering how much of a blood bath Shadow Hearts 1 was from the word go.

Anyway, we should probably get that iron mask off Roger. He's a brittle old man. Or indestructible, maybe. He did jump off the moon and crash back down to Earth completely fine that one time. It's hard to say.

Huh! He looks the same underneath!

Did the mask transform him in some way?
Nah. He just looks like a man-raisin. You get used to it.

Keep your comments to yourself! Besides, you're late getting here!

......

Hey, who's this weird-looking gentleman?

<stands up> What a rude young lady!

I'll have you know I am not weird-looking! I am... vintage!

My name is... Uhh...

Like in the first Shadow Hearts, we're given the option of naming this "Odd Creature." In fact, this is nearly the same screen as the first Shadow Hearts, just with Roger's updated outfit.

By default it is Roger, but I feel we can do better.

OLD Music: Bacon's Juice (It's Roger Bacon's unfortunately named theme from Shadow Hearts 1.)

Master philosopher, alchemist, and eternal Love Child—

Music: ENDS

Enough of that! We don't have time for your long-winded self-introductions!

Eh? What?! What are you talking about?!

Remember that time we ordered a pizza and you gave like a ten minute introduction after you opened the door that segued into talking about the history of the burnt down monastery and on and on. The tip I had to give that kid for enduring that. Yeesh...
I feel it was an educational experience for the young man.
He was middle-aged by the time you were done.

Gepetto walks over and pokes Roger.

Aaaah!!

Doesn't look like his bones are broken.

Hey, you old goat! Watch where you're touching!

<raises his fist> I'm not doing it because I want to!

And where do YOU get off calling anyone old? You look like a dried up mummy!
I would say I look pretty well for being 701 years old, thank you very much!

Roger's eyes go wide and he turns to Yuri.

You didn't give it to him, did you Yuri? You didn't give Nicolai the book?!

Er, well, you see, um.

...I didn't so much "give" it to him as I happened to have in on me while... incapacitated... and it... maybe, umm... kinda exchanged hands during that time...

Huh?! ...You gave it to him...

<shakes head and turns to the camera> I was tortured for several days and didn't talk.

The big fellow had those clawed soldiers enact Shakespeare plays. More like butcheries of the plays. Do you know the horrors of subpar stage performances for hours on end? Flubbed lines. Missed cues. Endlessly... Yes, torture...

Tortured until my soul cried out—

Yuri smacks Roger in the back of the head again.

Stop your complaining! We'll get it back already, okay?!

<falls to his hands and knees> Oh, it's terrible! If we don't do something, there will be another terrible tragedy! <sobs>

It's not the first time that lousy evil book got lost. Remember, I found it last time from some rugrat camping out in an orphan crockpot in London? And nothing bad happened.
You just said the phrase "orphan crockpot."
...Yeah, OK. Maybe that wasn't great. Still.

Karin walks over to Roger and squats down.

Get ahold of yourself! First we have to get out of here. Then we can talk, okay?

(...That's quite the view you're giving me, miss.)

She's right! We should leave before they come back.

<stands up> Hmm... Well, okay.

Music: Bacon's Juice

And with that, our time on St. Marguerite Island is concluded. For now... Unfortunately, this place does host components of several sidequests much later in the game. But that is not for a long time. This title might do the same thing as the original Shadow Hearts and just shotgun blast sidequests all over the map once the final dungeon is available. And yes, doing a ton of side content will be with the world on the brink of calamity at a very specified time period that won't hold up.

Music: Old Smudged Map ~ Europe

That said, while we're done with the island prison at last, we're not quite finished with this chapter. The game spits us out on the world map, but the only available option is returning to Cannes. I'm uncertain why they didn't just automatically send us back there, but whatever. As soon as we enter Cannes we're immediately dumped into the Exposition Zone.

Music: ENDS

A number of secret societies were born at the turn of the 20th century.

Many of them were derived from the Jesuits or the Rosicrucians. Among them, Sapientes Gladio was one of the most interesting.

At first, they worshipped the Lord humbly and worked for equality. They valued each other's opinions and were an extremely idealistic group.

They broke down barriers between races, and just when it looked like they would extend their influence, it happened...

With the appearance of one man, the activities of Sapientes Gladio were perverted into something else. The man who became the new leader pushed his own elitist agenda, so that only those who could prove their superiority could join the group.

They sent the message that, in the name of their secret society's ideals, they would do whatever was necessary...

...So they're terrorists!

Exactly right. Sapientes Gladio, as they are now, is nothing more than a group of dangerous terrorists.

To make no mention of a lack of unified aesthetic. A bunch of shock troopers with giant claws and bodysuits. A giant biker guy. A dominatrix. A priest. What are they even going for with that mix?

If we don't stop them, something terrible will happen...

<nods head> Mhm.

Also they cursed me, by the way. We should probably figure out how to sort that out...
...You got cursed AGAIN?!
<rubs neck> Look, this kinda thing happens from time to time.
Yuri, I am 701 years old and have NEVER been cursed.
Whatever... Bite me.

But why you, Roger? Why was Sapientes Gladio hunting for you?

Good question. They wanted three things. My life...

...The Émigré Manuscript, and...

And what?

<turns away and nods> Hmm. I think... it would be better if I showed you that.

Music: Town of Twilight ~ European Town

I have to walk all the way back to Wales AGAIN?!
I'm sorry the first trip was a hassle.
This is the third trip in as many months. How do you think I got the Émigré whatsit?
I keep telling you that you need to be more efficient with your time.
...Do you want another smack?
No...
Then we should probably go.
Understandable.

We're now free to leave Cannes. But there is one small matter to attend to in town. Remember, we did solve that treasure hunt riddle with Loud Croft. Let's go rub our superior pixel hunting skills in his face.

What?! You found it?! Oh, jeez, I don't believe it! I can't believe you beat me!

Technically, my dog found it. But details...

Let's do it again!

Could we not, though?
I'm already shoving a piece of paper with a riddle into your hands!

The rules are the same as before. If you find the treasure, you win. If not, I win.

Okay, but I don't really care about having a competition with you...

I am fully within bounds to just ignore you for the rest of my natural life.
But you're gonna do it, right?
......
...Maybe.

We are now given Treasure: Love. This is less a riddle and more you posted all the letters backwards to be annoying. So you don't have to work out reading this yourself, unscrambled it says...

Behind the pillar where there is a view of the town that has stone houses and a beautiful sunset.

Not really a spoiler: It's somewhere we've yet to discover. We'll just keep that in mind for a future date.

With that taken care of, we are safe to leave Cannes. Exactly one NPC has new dialogue and it's the guy who told us he saw them taking an old man to the prison island. He just says, "Oh snap you saved him? Cool!"

Music: Old Smudged Map ~ Europe

We can now go wherever we want but... yeah, there's nothing else to do at the moment, to be frank. Joachim is still not quite beefy enough to take on Great Gama Round 2 and likely won't be until near the end of Disc 1. So, let's just head straight back to Wales and see what Roger wants to show us.

Music: Spiritualization ~ Holy Land of God

We should probably ask him why he scrapped his old house and made an even more weird sci-fi oddity. But perhaps we'll find a reason shortly.

Entering the building, Roger gives us some incredibly vague instructions. You couldn't point in a direction or anything, my guy? Or just... push this secret button yourself?

He actually wants us to click in a weird nook on the far eastern side of his house. I definitely didn't just hug the walls clicking the search button non-stop like the Doom Guy looking for secret areas.

A hole opens up in the center of his room revealing an elevator. Or a sinister cage to trap an unwitting adventurer wandering into his domicile. It could go either way.

Roger apparently can use Instant Transmission as he has vanished as soon as the elevator appears. I guess we'll have to do things the old fashioned way.

The elevator takes us to a deep sublevel basement. There are paths to the east and west.

To the east is a strange locked vault. This will definitely not be the future site of incredibly bad ideas in the far future. No sir.

Anyway, to the west we find...

Is this what they were after?

Yup. It might look like an ordinary airship, but this baby's got a lot of heart.

What does that mean?

...And since when are airships "ordinary?" I've seen two ever including this one and that's just been this month.

<turns to Roger> What the hell is that?

All you need is a bucket of water and she'll fly for 3000 kilometers! It can do vertical takeoff and landing too!

<turns back to the airship> Hmph.

Whadiya mean, "Hmph"?! What kind of reaction is "Hmph"?!

This is technology over a century ahead of its time I made from scrap metal in bloody Wales and you're going to "Hmph" it!?
Hmph.

I-it really is wonderful...

Truly.

Meh... The paint job is lacking.
It... does look a... little rusty.
Awroo!! Awroo!! (It's a marvel!! These humans are fools!!)
Blanca says "Hmph" too.

You people have no understanding of the intricacies of science!

<nods with a look of agreement> I do not.

Yep. So, Roger Bacon, in apparently six months' time, has developed nuclear fusion technology and a VTOL jet in 1915. Remember when this series started as a low-key macabre horror about three jerks having a REALLY bad Halloween in Wales?

Yeah, me neither...

By the way, Sir Roger, you do know where Nicolai is going, don't you?

Of course I do!

Why would I have you all pile onto my miracle of science super plane otherwise?
Hmph.
This is why you're sitting in coach, Yuri.

Where?

The hangar door opens.

To where the leader of Sapientes Gladio is! He's headed for... Petrograd, Russia!

Russia?!

Correct.

This is gonna get stupid, isn't it?
Also correct.

A launching rail of shorts extends and the engines of the jet fire up.

Okay, it's almost time for liftoff! Hold on tight, everyone!

Bacon Jet?!

Music: Take Off! ~ Airship (This only ever plays in this cutscene. Bacon also invented House music.)

Is this thing safe?!

Eh. Don't talk to me right now!

That's not the answer I wanted to hear!
NO TALKING!

<whimper>

The Bacon Jet stabilizes.

Okay, that's better. That was one of my smoothest takeoffs!

How bad were the last ones if that was smooth.
Hmm... Well, this is *technically* Bacon Jet Mk III.
...I regret asking.

<sigh> ...So who is this leader, anyway? What's he really after?

His name is Grigori Rasputin, and his goal is to take over the Russian Empire.

That's right, baby! We're going to go beat up the Mad Monk himself -- motherfucking Rasputin! Were this an anime, this is the end of Season 1. Look forward to history taking a turn as Shadow Hearts: Covenant flips a table and does whatever the fuck it wants!