Part 38: Rouen, part 1

Rouen, part 1


I hear France is lovely this time of year. Er...what time of year is it, anyway?


But first, we get a glimpse of what Bacon is doing. Charming place he's got there.

Ahh, you're back. So, how did it go?

It's shameful. I couldn't return with that girl.

Heh heh heh. Don't worry. We've just begun. We still have plenty of time to hunt her down.

Oh, yes. That Harmonixer fellow seems to have returned to his normal self and rejoined the party.

I couldn't see how far the girl delved into the man's soul, but... She brought him back from the spirit's grave.

The kid doesn't look like much, but he's actually quite a troublemaker. We need to get rid of him early on.

Lord Bacon! You can't tell me you're afraid of that young boy.

He will be... He will be.

Well, I'm not entirely sure what to think. The trouble is that the soul of the Seraphic Radiance remains sealed somewhere deep in his being. Fortunately, he hasn't yet awoken to his true power. But if he ever does, he'll be a fearsome enemy.

Have you all guessed what the most powerful Fusion Yuri can get is?

The Seraphic Radiance?

An ancient god summoned up by an old man in Shanghai. One of the guardian deities of this planet. No mere human should be able to bring the god into submission, and yet he managed to do it...

So what power is it that protects him? That's what I want to know.

Hmm, I wonder...

Hmm...

Lord Bacon, she still hasn't given in yet, has she? She may die if you continue to torture her like this...

Wait, what?

I think you should warn the inquisitors.

You needn't worry. She's not the sort of witch to succumb to this level of torture. If anything, she's the one with the upper hand. She's merely toying with her inquisitors who wield the whips.

Bacon is a first-class ass.

......

How about a nice cup of tea in the other room?

And yet, he's so charmingly urbane at the same time. Must be a British thing.


Meanwhile, our party has reached Rouen. Isn't Margarete going to be surprised to see us!

I wonder if Margarete has arrived yet? Well, let's try the inn.



Is something wrong, Alice?

Oh no, I'm sure she's just thrilled to be back in the place where she saw her father burst apart like a piñata stuffed with firecrackers.

Hmm? Oh, nothing.


There aren't very many people wandering around. Why do we always come to these places in the middle of the night?


Yoink!


Curious.


Happy Leonard: But, my lad, Father Doyle, who took care of this church, was afflicted with a sickness of the heart. He's shut himself inside, and won't show himself to anybody. Even the church is closed up.

Why do I get the feelin' we're gonna hafta talk to this kook before we can leave?


Baby.


You could say that. That's all that's outside for now. Let's go to the inn.





Is she staying here?

Innkeeper: Miss Margarete? Please wait a moment. Yes, she is staying here. But she's out for the moment.

Ah-hah. So, she beat us here!

Okay! Guess we'll be staying here, too! Some rooms, please!

Innkeeper: Absolutely. We haven't had a lot of customers lately, so I can give you a deal! You seem to have a lady with you, so I'll prepare two rooms upstairs. Use them as you wish.

Alright! Keith and Zhuzhen, you can take the first room, and that leaves-

Shut up, Yuri.

_{...you're no fun.}

Thank you.



Innkeeper: Aren't you the young lady who stayed here with your father about half a year ago?

...Yes.

Innkeeper: I still remember that incident. Such a terrible incident... Oh, that poor priest, rest his soul. But at least you're safe, child. It's a blessing of God. Now go along and rest in your quarters.

Oookay then...



Wh-What the...?


Ah, crap. We're going to have to go talk to the assholes again.


This can't be good.



Ho..ho..ho..! How foolish! You were on the verge of entering paradise, where you would no longer experience pain or suffering!

Heheh! Well, I see you're still a bunch of blabbermouths. I couldn't care less what you say about me!! Hmph!!

Bwa..ha..ha..! How strange to hear such lines from one who not so long ago was so eager to die! You should be thankful to that little girl!

Yeh..heh..heh..! That's right. For she has taken upon herself the burden of your karma.

What do you mean?

Tsk, tsk, tsk! To save your soul from the God of Death, the one who wears the fox mask, this girl offered her soul to us!

What'd you just say?

Ho..ho..ho..! When Malice reaches its peak...we'll come for that girl's soul, in place of Fox Face!

From this point on, Yuri will only gain Malice if Alice is in the battle party. When the talisman turns red, you'll randomly get into fights with one of the Masks. Each Mask starts the fight by giving your party an unblockable ring ailment. They're also stronger than Fox Face. There is a way to weaken the Masks and prevent the ring ailments to make them easier to defeat, and, if you want the good ending, you have to defeat all four of them.

Bwa..ha..ha..! There is no escaping from us! No matter where she runs, her life will eventually burn out. Even if she's within your very arms!!

Damn you!! I won't let you lay a finger on her!! Your curses are as worthless and phony as a three dollar bill, you got that? Now apologize!!!

Aw, he really does care.

Yeh..heh..heh..! You wish to challenge us? How very interesting! No matter how hard you try to protect her, you will fail. All you can do is sit helplessly by and watch this precious life depart.

Arrrrrgg!! Now I'm pissed off!! You want some of me? I'll take you all on!!

Tsk, tsk, tsk! We'll be watching your vain attempts to drive off our spell.




I hate those guys.


Yeah, something like that.

N, no...don't worry. I just had a bad dream.


I don't think he's fooling anyone.



Being cooped up in a carriage for so long is hard on this old man. My rear end is sore as all-get-out.

Yeah, I could have done without being forced to think about Zhuzhen's rear end.



Me too. Let's go check on her.


Of course, Yuri just walks right into her room without knocking.





Where did she go by herself?


While Yuri ponders that, we find Meiyuan in one of the first floor rooms.


And this guy is hanging around the lobby. In the shop part, he's got new armor for everyone and new weapons for Alice, Zhuzhen, and Keith.



Innkeeper: She said she was going to meet a priest friend of hers.

Aw, dammit.


The church is still closed in the front, so we need to go into the alley that Alice didn't want to go into when she was safely with the rest of the party.


There she is. You'd think that after the bathroom incident, she wouldn't go wandering off alone.





Hi, Yuri. Sorry to disappear on you like that.





Yes. This is where my father died.

Alice...

He died to save me...

...

Hey, Yuri's getting better at learning when to keep his mouth shut.

It's just as if it happened yesterday. That evening, Father and I were waiting here for someone. But before that person arrived...

That Man's Voice: I showed up.





Bacon!

After all this time, they really shouldn't be surprised at Bacon popping up everywhere.

Heh heh heh... Long time no see. I've been looking forward to seeing you again. Both of you.

Congratulations on your rebirth, Yuri. Returning from the graveyard of souls is a laudable feat. Though, of course, Alice here had to sell her soul to the God of Death in order to make that happen.

Bacon was probably hoping to shock Yuri with that news. Too bad for him that the Masks already had that fun for themselves.

Hah! I'm not afraid of that masked freak!

Well, thanks for showin' up here. It saves me the trouble of huntin' you down. It's payback time for killing Alice's father!

At ease, young man. I have no desire to fight the two of you today. I merely wanted to announce myself.

Hah, don't hold back on our account, old man. We're ready to go! Or are you afraid?

That Female Voice: That's right. I'll give you a full course on the house!


She sure likes jumping off of things.



Hello, kids! So, you're okay, huh? We'll talk later.



Another of your friends, is it? You youngsters multiply like viruses. Fine, I'll play along. Step forward, my servant!


We get into a short fight with two monsters called "Bifronze". They're just ordinary monsters, and the battle is over in one round.



A word of caution. I will no longer merely be playing along in future fights, so be on your guard.



Bastard! He got away again!






...the hell?





Ahhhh! It's a ghost!

Wait!! I'm not!!

So, you're real? You look solid. I guess you're not a ghost.

He he. Yup, I'm just as ya see me.



Well, I'm glad to see you're alive.



He's doing well. He's waiting for you at the inn.

Great. I've got some crucial information. Let's head back to the inn!


I think she broke him.





I sensed a massive cloud of evil descending on the town, so I was a little worried!

We ran into Bacon again.



No, they said hello and went away.

They have a weird way of saying hello.




Uh-oh. Run, Keith, run!

Oh, this guy? He's the master of the castle where I stayed.

Yes, I'm the one who took care of the moocher here. My name is Keith. Enchanted, mademoiselle.

I'm Margarete, the moocher's babysitter. Nice to meet you, Keith.


Poor Yuri. At least he still has Alice to not make fun of him.

Why did you go out without saying anything, Alice? We were worried.

...

I mean, uhh, please don't be angry with me, and if you'd rather not talk about it, fine. But maybe if we knew more about what your father was trying to do, certain details may fall into place.



That day...my father and I were supposed to meet with a certain person.

A certain person?

My father said this man was a warlock as powerful as Bacon.

My father and I traveled all over Europe exorcising demons. But...my father was working on secret missions for the Vatican.


Wait for it...

Umm, what's a "Vatican," anyway?

It's in Italy. It's the seat of the Pope--the leader of the Catholic Church.

Oh yeah?

What's a "Catholic"?

So, did you actually meet this person?

No. Bacon appeared before he arrived.

Can I have your attention, everyone? I don't know who he really is, but I have been investigating Bacon closely for the past several months.

Is this a story? I love stories.

The first person recorded in history by the name of Roger Bacon appeared in England in the 13th century as a priest in the Franciscan Order; his scholarly training was at Oxford and Paris Universities. His skills as an alchemist and warlock were superb, and his name was known throughout Europe. At that time, he was branded as a revolutionary, but there were also many who felt he was persecuted. It seems he was very critical of the Church and was even imprisoned for it.

Huh? That guy is 700 years old? So, he's not human after all?

But, as I looked deeper into his past, I began to notice some odd things. Roger Bacon may be a peculiar fellow, but in many ways, he seems like a very upright individual. It seems that for years he has also aided leading scholars in the fields of medicine and chemistry.

Upright!? Anyway you look at it, that guy's twisted! Why, then, did he kill Alice's father?! It doesn't make sense.

That's it! That's the problem. Finally, in Nuremburg in 1540, something happened that completely changed his life. At the time, all of Europe was caught up in the mass insanity of the witch hunts...

Bacon was accused by one of his pupils.



A pupil warned the tribunal that Bacon's research had gone too far, threatening to corrupt society. It finally ended in his exile. After that point, we can only catch glimpses of him throughout history. Such as now, as a force of evil.

I see. I guess he got sucked down into the murky black depths of sorcery. So, the question is, this person that Bacon was trying to prevent Alice's father from meeting... Who on earth could it be!?

...Wouldn't it be best to ask that person directly?

Alice. The person who introduced Father Elliot to this mystery man, it was Father Doyle, wasn't it?

Yes, but the church was closed and we couldn't get in.





Voice of Arcane Olga: Ha ha ha... You fools. Lord Bacon spared your life. Yet you still intend to go to the church? I won't let you! Ha ha ha!

Hey! This was a private conversation!



That voice!!

Arcane Olga... She's watching us from somewhere! Let's hurry!!

At this point, we have to pick a battle party. We can choose two members this time, so I put in Keith, who got the most votes, and Margarete, who came in second.


I can also pick this up from the guys' room now that Keith isn't standing in the way anymore.


Out in the street, everyone is frozen in place and not speaking. We can now get in random battles with the Bifronzes we fought earlier and a monster called Camazotz. The Bifronzes use a Knockback attack, and the Camazotzes (Camazotzi?) can cast Lightning.


When Margarete rejoined the party, she had a new weapon, new armor, and a new spell called On Switch. It drops a pan on an enemy's head for a large amount of damage.


Now that we're free to explore the alley, I grab this Ticket from the barrels before examining the door.





Open, damn you!!


We have to do a Ring Test before we can get in.


Easy. So, I guess we pick the lock now, or...


Or we could just kick it in.




The back door opens into an empty hallway. We continue through to the chapel proper.



Hey, are you the priest here?



Father Doyle!! It's me, Alice Elliot!!





Alice was kidnapped by the Devil a long time ago. S-She can't be alive...

I'm sorry to scare you, but it is me. I'm finally back in this town.

Is it really you, Alice?! N-No, I don't believe it. You can't fool me! You're just an illusion! You must be the Devil--come to take my life away!! Ohhh, woe...

Right. Maybe we should just leave him alone to have his episode while we slowly back away toward the exit.

Please, Father Doyle. Tell me about the man my father was trying to meet that day. I want to know. Whatever it takes, I must stop Roger Bacon.



Wait! I-I'll tell you everything! J-Just please spare my life... P-Please...! Don't kill me...

This is quite serious. He thinks we're all Bacon's lackeys. He must have gone through some unimaginably dreadful experience.

Father, relax! We're not gonna do anything to you. Just answer our questions. That's all we want, okay?



Okay, okay. Anything you say...


I think he's crossing himself. I'm not sure why.



It all started 23 years ago.

And here comes one of the major tie-ins to Koudelka.

In 1890, three secret books of magic were stolen from the Vatican. The books contained forbidden secrets of sorcery and alchemy...

Long held under lock and key by the Pope, the disappearance of the books caused the Vatican to panic. They immediately called in two of the finest exorcists to find and recover the secret books.



And the other was his friend, Father James O'Flaherty.

Father O'Flaherty...

The two of them wandered through Europe for many years in search of the missing volumes. They traveled together at first, but when a daughter was born to Elliot, they traveled separately. Then, in 1899, Father O'Flaherty disappeared in England.

I remember that! I was only 5 or 6 years old. It was all in that last letter he sent to my father. It said that one of the books had been purchased by a scholar living in Wales, so he went to take a look. But no second letter ever came.



Afterwards, Father Elliot began to hunt for the criminal himself. And then, he finally found him.

And it was Roger Bacon!

Yes. But Father Elliot was terrified of Bacon. As well he should have been. Bacon's a thousand-year old demon! There's no humanity left in him. Your father had to protect his wife and daughter, but he knew that if those books were defiled, terrible forces of hell could be summoned to earth...

I don't think Japan quite "gets" that Catholic priests don't marry.

So, that was the Demon's Gate Invocation... Curse you, Bacon! You steal a holy book and then defile it in your foul experiments!? Blasphemy...

In order to discover Bacon's weak points, he continued to look for someone who could help him. That person was also a great warlock and had a history of conflict with Bacon. Fortunately, I was able to contact him. I was certain that he would prove to be a powerful ally.

Huh? So, this other guy you're talkin' about... Who is he?

Cardinal Albert Simon. Alice, that is the man that your father was waiting for that evening.



Albert Simon...

So, this cardinal that Bacon didn't want your father to meet...

Father, where is Cardinal Simon now?

I believe he...


Ah crap. White screens never lead to anything good.


See?





Olga!

I think it would be best if we finished this here! Lord Bacon will be pleased to be rid of unwanted pests. Well, are you ready?

Hah! What a laugh. When I'm done with you, there'll be nothin' left!


And now we get another fight with Olga. She's still dark class and likes to attack with Lightning and a spell called Black Fog, which will poison the party if you don't use an accessory like Shell Bracelets to prevent it.


There was a tie between using Ifrit and Baldo, so I picked Baldo since he has a group healing spell. He also has a Light-based attack, Nova, which is particularly effective against the hag.


Although tougher than the bathroom fight, eventually Olga is damaged enough to float away.









Uh... Uh...Alice... The cardinal...is in...London...

Father!!




Alice Elliot: single-handedly putting gravediggers out of business since 1911.

Looks like our next stop is London!


Next time on Shadow Hearts: the bastard child of Charles Dickens and H.P. Lovecraft


Rouen, part 1 on Viddler
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3 (boss fight)

NPC Scorecard