Balthizard
Take it easy.
Balthizard, Chapter 4
Balthizard (JP: バルタザード Barutazādo) is a Darkner enemy found in the Dark Sanctuaries. It is first encountered in a hall full of stained glass windows, where it swings from the ceiling to attack the party. Balthizard is the Darkner representation of the incense holder hanging from the ceiling in Alvin's office within the church.
Balthizard is a stocky creature that has the features of a turtle and a censer. Its top half is a dull pink and its underside is purple. Its tail, horns and spines are purple smokestacks, and the tail and horns emit a pinkish smoke. The smoke plumes are red and heart-shaped when Balthizard is spareable. Similar to Guei, its face is split into four segments by a black cross. A small white dot that resembles an eye moves from side to side on the horizontal portion of the cross.
Balthizard appears to be based on a thurible, which is a metal incense burner usually held on a chain and swung during church services in some Christian denominations.
While generally relaxed and easygoing, Balthizard can be easily excited by lighting the incense in its body.
"Balthizard" is a combination of the given name "Balthazar" and "lizard", although the enemy more closely resembles a tortoise. However, lizards are often associated with fire through myths such as the salamander or the dragon. In the Bible, Balthazar was one of the Three Wise Men, and the one who gifted myrrh (used as incense) to the baby Jesus.
Its Japanese name,「バルタザード」(Barutazādo), shares the same origin as its English name, though it is formatted closer to "Balthazard". Coincidentally, "Balthazard" is a rare Louisiana Creole and Provençal spelling variant of the name Balthazar.[2]
Balthizards are standard enemies encountered throughout the Dark Sanctuary and 3rd Sanctuary. The party and the Old Man encounter an unavoidable set of two Balthizards in a narrow hallway in the first Dark Sanctuary. The Old Man inquires about the fight, though Susie insists that he should leave. He complies and walks slowly off screen, with the eye of each Balthizard following his movement. Their eyes follow his movement whenever he reenters or leaves the right side of the screen due to the "OldMan" ACT being used.
Upon the first usage of the "OldMan" ACT by Kris, the Old Man returns and asks how the fight is going. He also asks "Ya winning, kids?", a line that references the Are Ya Winning, Son? meme. This distracts Susie and cancels her battle action. The Old Man requests for the two Balthizards to go easy on the party, which increases the enemies' MERCY by 50% and lowers their attack power, before he leaves again. During the second "OldMan" ACT, the Old Man returns and offers the party candy. Susie resists the urge to accept the candy, which results in the Old Man fully healing everyone else except her with candy, even the two Balthizards. The candy also increases the Balthizards' MERCY by 50%, making them spareable. The Old Man leaves once again. Susie changes her mind and asks if anyone still has candy, though the two Balthizards reply with a blunt "No."
Balthizard appears in the 3rd Sanctuary as part of Chapter 4's smorgasbord encounter, along with Mizzle and Guei. Its narration quote is "Water, fire, air.", with Balthizard representing "air".
A Balthizard appears in the newly built church in Castle Town, where it is hanging out with a Werewire.
- Another Balthizard
- Guei
- Mizzle and Guei
- Balthizard creates a ring of smoke around the SOUL that ignores invincibility frames. This attack only occurs when there is another enemy attacking as well.
- Balthizard swings back and forth like a pendulum above the bullet board, dropping puffs of smoke if Balthizard was not LitUp, and fireballs if they were.
- The flaming projectiles will ignite the ring of smoke of other Balthizards, destroying parts of it while creating more projectiles.
Shake
Left & Right=Mercy
Prompts the player to rapidly alternate pressing left and right and builds up MERCY up to 60%. Using this ACT on a Balthizard with an already partially filled MERCY meter will cause the action to cut short if the Balthizard hits 100% MERCY mid-action. If the Balthizard already has 100% MERCY before this ACT is used, it is automatically spared.
ShakeX
Left & Right=Mercy
Gives the same action prompt as Shake, but increases MERCY up to 90%.
LightUp
50% & TIRE others
Ralsei ignites the Balthizard with fire particles emanating from his hand, which increases its MERCY by 50% and inflicts TIRED on any other enemies.
OldMan
I'm old!
This ACT appears after meeting the Old Man in a single encounter.
- Using it the first time will cause the Old Man to wander on screen and tell the Balthizards to take it easy on the party, which lowers attack and increases MERCY by 50% for both enemies.
- Using this ACT a second time causes the Old Man to come back and offer candy, which Susie refuses but the rest of the participants accept. This fully heals Kris, Ralsei, and both Balthizards and increases their MERCY by 50%.
- Using this ACT a third time has no effect.
S-Action
Increases MERCY by 30%.
R-Action
Increases MERCY by 30%.
- Slow down. [Before LightUp]
- Take it easy. [Before LightUp]
- Glory, memory. [Before LightUp]
- Sit back, relax. [Before LightUp]
- A nice massage. [Shake, Before LightUp]
- Ah! That wakes me up!!! [LightUp]
- Let's burn rubber! [After LightUp]
- Strike while the iron is hot! [After LightUp]
- Inferno, Inferno! [After LightUp]
- What a blast! Hoh hoh! [Shake, after LightUp]
- [OldMan #1]
- [Old Man] How's it going? Ya winning, kids?
- [Susie] Not now, old man! We're in the middle of this!
- [Susie] I was about to... dang it, you made me forget!
- [Old Man] Now you go easy on them, you hear? They're still learnin'.
- [OldMan #2]
- [Old Man] You kids mus' be getting hungry battling. Some candy?
- [Susie] Hell yeah, we'd --
- [Susie] No! No way, we don't need that now!
- [Old Man] Suit yourself!
- [Susie] ... anyone, uh, got any left?
- [Balthizards] No.
- An ancient aromancer. Punishes intruders with beautiful scent. [Check]
- Balthizard swings in! [Encounter]
- Smells like scented candles. [Encounter with Guei]
- Water, fire, air. [Encounter with Mizzle and Guei]
- Balthizard clambers slowly. [Neutral]
- Balthizard releases a plume of sickly sweet nostalgia. [Neutral]
- Balthizard breathes a fog of sunbeam on a warm wood. [Neutral]
- Balthizard spins the scent of a rainy, grassy day. [Neutral]
- Balthizard coughs plumes like old pillows on golden hair. [Neutral]
- Balthizard releases a scent of candles and chamomile. [Tired]
- Balthizard burns with taco-scented excitement. [After LightUp]
- Balthizard laughs plumes of heart-shaped gas. [100% MERCY]
- Balthizard coughs scentlessly. [Low HP]
- Press Left and Right rapidly to shake! [Shake, ShakeX]
- Ralsei lit up! [LightUp]
- The room got smokey!
- Susie shakes Balthizard! [S-Action]
- Ralsei shakes Balthizard! [R-Action]
- You used Old Man. [OldMan]
- [OldMan #1]
- (Susie forgot what she was about to do! Her move got cancelled!)
- (The enemies' attack power went down!)
- Everyone except Susie got candy! [OldMan #2]
- Called the OldMan! Nothing happened! [OldMan #3+]
Balthizard hiding inside its shell
Balthizard after using the LightUp ACT
Balthizard as a statue in the 2nd Sanctuary
- ↑
An ancient aromancer, it generates magic incense and stores it in its steel shell. Easygoing, it gets along well with Guei.
— Recruit description - ↑ Behind the Name - Balthazard