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@Ragdo11706 I did look at some info regarding the eye of Ra, nothing specific I can really add but as with the scarab beetle, there are a lot of links to rebirth. That's what I found really intriguing about the scarab beetle. Not only do we have the statues in Shadows that link to this Egyptian mythology, but the amount of links to rebirth, transformation, and larvae which are incorporated in the Apothicon language/ Apothicon Servant. And also links to keepers of the underworld or 'gatekeepers'. The Scarab was seen as a way to help guide souls through the underworld and into the afterlife.

It's not that it's awful, you are simply not used to it. I feel the same way about the xbox controller.

*We're coming up on the four year anniversary of this thread (had to repost on new forum) so I've revamped it with new Der Eisendrache information, please read until end as much of the beginning is slightly incorrect now* Shi No Numa and Takeo: The Entwined History In World War II, there was a biological weapons research and human experimentation team known as Unit 731, and they had many compounds. One of the compounds was in the very southern parts of Pingfang, Manchuria, where their excuse for the facility's existence was that it was a lumber mill, so they had logs and wood everywhere. Rumor from around the compound is that they referred to their human specimens as "logs." In the Rebirth intel for the campaign, it states that there was "Japanese biological research in Manchuria on the part of the Imperial Army's covert R&D group Unit 731." The Imperial Army was taking part in it, you say? Seems appropriate, seeing as Takeo Masaki is a Captain in the Imperial Army, judging by the stars on his uniform. Also note that Shi No Numa has wood all throughout the complex, not to mention The Flogger, made from wood. Some of you might say that there was no human experimentation going on inside Shi No Numa and that Takeo Masaki likely had no involvement in it, if it was there. However, I will kill two birds with one stone here and quote something from Takeo's biography, given by Treyarch: That sounds pretty disturbing to me, doesn't seem like a stretch for him to be involved in human experimentation. As noted in the Rebirth intel, it states there was Japanese research in Manchuria. However, some will point out that in Kino der Toten and on the Call of Duty website, quotes reference Shi No Numa as being in Japan, as opposed to where Manchuria was, which was China: "I found another rock. Maybe they stole this from Japan..." - vox_plr_2_egg_pedastool_1 "... we've pinned what sounds like an SOS signal to a remote jungle location in Japan." On the original thread, though, I feel as though AlphaSnake put it very clearly: Then, in a Origins Letter from the Field, Takeo mentions that he fought in the "battle of Muken" and his "leadership & victory" had been brought to the Emperor's attention. Now, there's no such "battle of Muken" in World War I, so what it appears he's talking about is the "Battle of Mukden" that took place between the Japanese and Russians in 1905, which the Japanese coincidentally did get a victory. If you're curious what Mukden is, it was the capital of Manchuria, which puts Takeo in Manchuria. Two counterarguments that I can't reconcile are the sound files of the Kookaburra and Hyena, both of which aren't found in Manchuria, but can be found in New Guinea, as Matuzz points out in his thread (I can't locate the CoDz version). DER EISENDRACHE EDIT New information has recently come to light with Der Eisendrache. In a radio, we heard one Dr. Groph discussing a Division #9's more ambitious weapons designs (prior to discovering Element 115), so it was immediately assumed by me and many others that Division #9 meant Germany's own 9th SS Panzer Division. I mean after all, the SS has heavy Group 935 ties and the division is a Panzer division. Then, we got a cipher (partially) saying that "After the success at the Rising Sun Facility, Division #9 is moving with Phase #2" and that the "island facility" was also operational. Immediately, the frame switched from not a German 9th Division, but a Japanese one. If that wasn't enough, it was found shortly thereafter that scraps of paper were littered through Der Eisendrache, each with Japanese writing on it. The translation is rough (reason in link above), but Takeo is writing to the Emperor and the very end mentions that he is now on the island. Additionally, he makes clear that Division #9 is present. @Matuzz, being the skilled theorist that he is, then went and found the Imperial Army's 9th Division (and wow). Their 9th Division went to both the Battle of Mukden in 1905 and were permanently re-located to Manchuria in 1940. I may have been off about the initial Unit 731 information four years ago, but I seemed to be on the right track with Manchuria! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed,

@Ragdo11706 yeah, that's what I was trying to get at with the zoroth/keeper quote. It seems inconsistent at best, and there have been games where I have followed an identical pattern to the previous game and not been able to trigger the quote. @83457 Really good call on the scarab beetle. I had never heard of that before, I have found a way to link that information to an object/item in Shadows, but it is long winded, so I apologise in advance! Firstly, I finally got an image of the other side of the WW power up. Getting 1st person and the power up to spawn is not easy, this took me 7 hours and 90 rounds to obtain! And its slightly disappointing in that it looks like a closer image of the beetle from the scarab beetle image on the other side of the power up. Scarab amulets were designed like this, with one side representing the beetle and the flat base inscribed with hieroglyphs to form an impression seal. The scarab beetle relates to the ancient Greek god Ra, and the book of the dead. Ra was believed to roll across the sky each day, transforming bodies and souls. The scarab beetle rolls dung into food and as a chamber to lay eggs that are later transformed into larvae. The scarab was seen as a symbol of this heavenly cycle and the idea of rebirth or regeneration. Ra/Horus was depicted with the head of a falcoln/hawk and was seen as ruler of the sky and the underworld. I wonder if this is the inspiration for the grapple hook symbols in Shadows of Evil. Ra's daughter was called Bastet and was known as the 'cat of Ra'. Statues symbolising the 'cat of Ra' can be bronze or black with the scarab beetle carved on the forehead or wearing a scarab necklace, or wooden statues almost identical to the ones in the Ruby Rabbit in Shadows. It could just be the use of symbology in certain aspects of the zombies story, and I know people have already tried to interact with the statues, but I think it's as good a lead as any. Maybe the 4 statues have something to do with the upgrade?

A soloable EE ?!?! Do my eyes deceive me!! HAPPY!

That cutscene is majorly depressing...I felt sad for Groph as well weirdly. I guess this dimension/earth is not the one they are saving.

No that isn't it. I had a PS2 for years and freaking hated that thing. It's the shape, it is very uncomfortable to use for people with larger hands i'm thinking

@DaveLo07 @83457 As far as the trigger for each of the "Upgrade_Ready" Quotes, I'm pretty sure I've worked them out, as well as stated them somewhere within these forums at some point. Basically it depends on the status of the "Apothicon Egg" when you receive the quote. The only one I've never been able to get consecutively is the, "Zoroth Orota" quote. This one I feel as if you need to build the "Apothicon Servant" on a parasite/Elemental Round where Maggie also spawns in. Then head to a ritual site and activate it, upon doing so should result in this quote. You shouldn't have to ever fire/feed the "Apothicon Servant" either, Unlike the other 2 quotes. _______ I've seen the animation for the "Cocoon" & to me it looks like the same thing as Widows Wine. The only difference being the red/Brown color mixed in. With that being said, to me it seems like you need a bunch of keepers together, use widows wine and somehow that'll spawn a cocoon. I'm not exactly sure but it would make sense being it shoots a red orb once upgraded that's similar to the keepers, and we known that "Arbgwaoth" mean power-up. This immediately makes me think of the Spider Drops from Widows Wine. Obviously with the release of Der Eisendrache we now know how important the Keepers really are. Which I believe I've said before, their keepers they keep things, everything in Shadows we acquire from them. Why wouldn't we get the "Cocoon" from one either.

The top of the...thing has an Egyptian Scarab (beetle) symbol. The smaller symbols don't really look like regular Egyptian hieroglyphics, but it may just be that they are too small to make out, or my lack of knowledge of hieroglyphics (I'm into languages and history of the world, but I'm no expert).