Receiving the cell key will open some doors. In Alabama there is a room with a man claiming he knows a secret. The secret is on the top floor of nearby tower. The hero helm. The explanation is a bit unclear. The real way is to stand by the chest from its right. Go to the right until you “hit the wall” and then go south until you fall from the tower. There is the secret room.
The hero shield is in a tower south of Colma, reachable only by ship (crossing a river). It also needs the Cell key. The tower itself is a labyrinth of rooms and stairs. There are 4 chests inside.