| abstract | - Crackows (more correctly spelled: crackowes) were a style of shoes with extremely long toes very popular in the 15th century. They were so named because the style was thought to have originated in Kraków, then the capital of Poland. They began in the late 14th century and fell from fashion after about 1480-90. They were worn by men and women, but men's were sometimes extravagantly long and often considered dangerously phallic by authorities. Sometimes the point of the shoe would need support from a string tied to the leg (just below the knee) to stop the point getting in the way when they were walking. Another name for crackowes is Poulaines. A related item were sabatons which were pointed plate armor covering a knight's foot. In Russian folklore, the Koschei was an evil being that was described as looking old. It was noted for its difficulty to kill. Its soul was hidden outside of its body, in a needle, in an egg, inside of a duck, which is inside a hare, which is stored in an iron chest underneath a green oak tree located on the island of Buyan. If the chest were to be opened, the hare will dart away. If the hare is killed, the duck will emerge and try to fly off. If people kill the duck, they will manage to get the egg. Anyone with that egg holds power over the Koschei and has the ability to weaken the Koschei and make it lose its magic power. Breaking the needle will kill the Koschei. It primarily went after young women. It is suspected that Square-Enix selected Thornsong as this NM's move due to the needle being where its soul was hidden.
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