The Spirit of Ah K'ulbatil

The Spirit of Ah K'ulbatil is the third part of the Iktomi Spiritseeking Scrolls Event.
==Steps==
# Wait until two days later
# Head to Leyla's cave
# Head to where the witch doctor Matla is
# Return to Leyla's cave
==Dialogue==
;(Talk to Ororon)
: Citlali: Greetings again, everyone.
: Paimon: Citlali, you're here!
: Citlali: I got the ceremonial sword from the chief. It has a certain power that's needed in situations like this.
: Citlali: ...You haven't forgotten what we're doing today, right?
: Paimon: Of course not, we're gonna wake Leyla up! ...And then ask him just what the heck he was playing at.
: Ororon: And I've prepared the rest of the tools for the ceremony, per Granny's instructions. We've dotted all our i's and crossed all our t's, so today should go off without a hitch.
: Citlali: Good work, kiddo. Then without further ado, let's get started.
:
: Citlali: I give offerings from the mystic smoke: The gift of stars on a moonless night, a wreath of dreams in the swirling wind.
: Citlali: Glory be to the Ruler of Death. Fade. Fade. Fade. Thrice uttered, and thrice repeated.
: Paimon: Whoa! Is this one of her magic spells? This whole place suddenly got cold! What's happening!?
: Ororon: Keep your voice down. We mustn't disturb her.
: Citlali: We, the children of the priest-king, swear to abide by the ancient pact, and tear through the veil of the Night Realm.
: Citlali: I am Citlali, hear my command. I am the shepherd of doomsday, I am Ah K'ulbatil.
: Leyla: ...
: Ororon: Look! Leyla's spirit is back. It's coming towards his body.
: Citlali: I shall pierce the cloak of night with flintstone, and banish all souls that do not belong to the land of the dead.
: Citlali: Leyla! Obey my command, and return to the land where the sun shines. Return to your own path!
: Paimon: D—Did it work?
: Leyla: Huh... Huh? Where am I? And... who are you?
: Leyla: Whoa! ...G—Granny Itztli! I mean...! High Priestess Citlali! Please, have mercy!
: Citlali: Guilty conscience, huh? So you know full well what you've done.
: Citlali: Do you have any idea how close you were to never making it back? Or maybe you thought life would be more fun as an inanimate object?
: Leyla: I—I'm sorry! I messed up... and I'll face the consequences.
: Citlali: Oh? You sure about that? Then say goodbye to your parents. Tell them this:
: Citlali: "Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I've realized I enjoy life as an empty shell so much that I've decided to get Granny Itztli to turn me into a stone statue, so I can stand guard over her house for the next hundred years."
: Leyla: No, please! Please don't, I'm begging you! I'll never do this again, I promise! Thank you, High Priestess Citlali, thank you for rescuing me!
: Citlali: Hehe, don't thank me — thank my grandson. If he hadn't sensed something was amiss, I wouldn't have bothered getting involved.
: Ororon: You're more than welcome, Leyla. And don't mind Granny's — she's all bark and no bite. We're just glad that you're okay.
: Ororon: Besides, someone tricked you into doing this, didn't they? That Kokuchuu guy. He's the real culprit here.
: Leyla: No... Mr. Kokuchuu had nothing to do with it. It was all my doing.
: Paimon: Huh?
: Leyla: Well, I mean, he suggested the method of using a powerful spirit relic as a medium. But it was my decision to go through with it. I wasn't coerced or anything.
: Leyla: I'm sorry. I'm the one to blame.
: Citlali: Hah, the brainwashing is strong with this one.
: Paimon: Um... So, did Kokuchuu provide the relic?
: Leyla: He did. He said it was a treasure related to the Mare Jivari.
: Paimon: Right, so that proves it — he was using you! He coaxed you into doing the clairvoyance for him!
: Leyla: But I'm a spirit-duffer who can't cast a single spell... What use would I be to him?
: Leyla: Guys like me couldn't sense a spirit even if we spent the rest of our lives sitting and meditating.
: Leyla: But Mr. Kokuchuu said that if I brute-force the spell and immerse myself in a spiritually rich substance, I might be able to catch a glimpse of one. Seemed like my only option...
: Paimon: Still, brute-forcing a spell when you're a spirit-duffer is like... forcing yourself to run a marathon without any legs! If it wasn't for Citlali, you'd have been lost forever!
: Leyla: I know, I'm sorry... It's just... everyone in this tribe is so amazingly talented, and then there's me... I just didn't wanna be the odd one out anymore.
: Ororon: I totally understand how you feel, Leyla...
: Ororon: Some seeds effortlessly grow into beautiful cabbages, while others struggle with all their might and never even sprout.
: Ororon: Who knows why this is the way things are... Maybe that's just life? Life is full of things we can't change.
: Ororon: I know saying this doesn't change anything either, but I hope it makes you feel a little better.
: Citlali: Let's pause this discussion for now. We need to get you to Matla's for a checkup.
----
;(Talk to Matla)
: Matla: Okay, looking good... Seems like this guy got off lightly. Just make sure he eats when you get back — he must be starving.
: Ororon: That's a relief. I've heard of cases where people's bodies started necrotizing after they spent too long meditating.
: Paimon: What a horrifying thought...
: Ororon: Mm. Anyway, Leyla, even though we didn't know each other before all this, I'm still really glad that you're okay now.
: Leyla: Well, maybe you didn't know me, but... I've heard all about you.
: Leyla: The same goes for High Priestess Citlali, , and Paimon. I've heard all the stories...
: Paimon: Huh? Even us?
: Leyla: This might sound corny, but you're exactly the kind of people I've always dreamed of becoming... But it's clear to me now, that was just wishful thinking.
: Leyla: Honestly, why'd I have to be born a spirit-duffer? Hehe, nah, it's alright really. I'm used to being useless by now. Thank you all for saving me.
: Leyla: Ororon, I think you're right — it's just a fact of life. I promise I won't take another risk like this in the future. I've brought you more than enough trouble already.
: Paimon: Aw, Leyla...
: Leyla: Haha, it's okay! There's no need to comfort me.
: Citlali: Hey, you little rascal. What are you talking about? Look at me.
: Leyla: Huh? What's wrong, High Priestess Citlali?
: Citlali: I said look at me. Take a good hard look. Sense anything strange?
: Ororon: Granny, what are YOU talking about?
: Paimon: What do you think, ? Another case of "happy to help" written on someone's face?
: Leyla: ...Hold on, I think...
: Leyla: Either my mind's playing tricks on me, or... her entire body is an illusion.
: Leyla: No... It must just be my imagination. I wouldn't be able to see through something like that.
: Ororon: Wait, I know this trick... It's the same one I used a while back. Granny snuck away from right under our noses...
: Citlali: You see? You can perceive some spiritual abnormalities now. Congratulations.
: Leyla: R—Really?
: Ororon: But where are you going, Granny?
: Citlali: Where do you think? I'm going fishing, you dummy.
: Citlali: Someone triggered the trap I set in the cave. Looks like our friend Kokuchuu took the bait!
: Paimon: What?
: Citlali: Sorry, can't talk now. You'll find me in the cave.
----
;(Approach Citlali)
: Citlali: ...
: Citlali: (I don't believe it! He got away! Oh, this is terrible... Why'd I have to go and act so cocky about it? Ugh, I'm gonna look like such a fool...)
: Citlali: (This Kokuchuu must be a real escape artist or something. But I can't tell them that. I'll have to think of something else...)
: Paimon: Citlali! Did you get him!?
: Ororon: Given that she's the only person here... I'm guessing no.
: Citlali: ...I...
: Citlali: ...I thought I'd let him go. For now.
: Citlali: But I left a mark on him! So if he comes around here again, I'll be able to track his every move.
: Ororon: Oh, so Granny had only pretended to leave the cave... When in fact, she'd set up a whole trap for him and was lying in wait.
: Paimon: Ah, so just like how you caught Ororon!
: Paimon: But how did you know Kokuchuu would come here?
: Citlali: Because I planted the bait here. The Mare Jivari map and the bow shard — left them both on the table. I had a feeling those were what he was truly after.
: Citlali: And sure enough, my trap was triggered just moments after we left.
: Paimon: So you really did set up traps here after all, huh?
: Citlali: Of course. It's just that they'd never do anything to either of you.
: Ororon: See? What did I tell you?
: Leyla: So, Mr. Kokuchuu, you used me after all... This whole time, all you wanted was to find the location of the Mare Jivari.
: Citlali: That's right. I've been wondering about the shard he left ever since I came across it. Why did he leave it there?
: Citlali: The moment I confirmed the Mare Jivari's location, that's when I realized: It was bait.
: Citlali: He was counting on Leyla's spirit getting lost, and the tribe coming to his rescue. Then, by helping Leyla, we'd be helping him...
: Paimon: Oh! So he was fishing too! It was all a ploy to lure in an actual clairvoyant who could look into the shard for him...
: Citlali: Yep. And somebody fell for it hook, line, and sinker...
: Ororon: I'm sorry. I took the bait...
: Ororon: But so did Granny.
: Citlali: ...! The nerve! I only got involved because of you, you little scamp!
: Ororon: Either way, Kokuchuu played us like a fiddle. He managed to accomplish his goals without taking any of the risk himself. Pretty sneaky.
: Paimon: You can say that again! Imagine if he'd tried to approach Citlali directly. She'd have seen through it right away!
: Paimon: Although, actually... Citlali, why did you let him go...?
: Citlali: Uhhh... Because I couldn't risk using my full abilities here. He was a pretty slippery character, and if I'd kept him here by force, there could have been unintended consequences.
: Ororon: Was it my fault for picking a bad place...? I'm sorry.
: Ororon: I went looking for somewhere with a wealth of spiritual energy when I first decided to help Leyla, and ended up choosing this mad sage's hideout.
: Paimon: ...Mad sage?
: Citlali: Yeah, he's napping right behind that wall. We'd have a whole new situation on our hands if we woke him up. That's why I decided against using my full abilities.
: Citlali: I do have some good news, though: I snatched the shard and map back before he bolted. So I may have restrained myself, but I certainly didn't let him walk all over me.
: Paimon: That's great! So he left empty-handed, haha!
: Citlali: Uh, yes, sort of... The bad news is, he did get a look at the map before he left. Not that the Mare Jivari's last-known location is a huge secret, but still...
: Paimon: Yeah, that's kind of worrying... What if he's got some sorta diabolical plan?
: Citlali: Don't worry, I'll keep tracking him.
: Citlali: Also, Leyla — if it's all the same to you, I'd like to give the shard and map to as a gift. They might prove useful at some point in journey.
: Leyla: Absolutely! That's completely fine. deserves it.
: Are you sure? This is a very generous gift.
: Citlali: Ehh, none of us are interested in them. And if there's any chance of them leading you to the Mare Jivari, I'm sure an adventurer like you wouldn't want to pass on that opportunity.
: Citlali: Granny Itztli has a sense for these things.
: Leyla: So, um, Granny Itztli... Do you think I'm still a spirit-duffer?
: Citlali: What kind of a dumb question is that? You saw through my illusion, didn't you? I mean, that's partly because I deliberately made it imperfect, but even then, a spirit-duffer wouldn't be able to see through that.
: Citlali: Ororon, give this guy some lessons when you've got the time.
: Citlali: Leyla, put in the work and we'll see how far you get.
: Ororon: Amazing... Life is so full of surprises. As long as you keep moving forward, you might just run into some fertilizer in the middle of the road.
: Ororon: I'm so happy for you, Leyla. Let's both give this our best shot, and who knows — we might both be beautiful cabbages one day.
:;(Quest completes)
----
;(Talk to Citlali, optional)
: Citlali: Hm? You alright?
: Citlali: I have to return the ceremonial sword to the chief shortly, but I'll leave everything else in the camp as-is for now. Feel free to make use of it.
: Um... I have the latest volume of "Mirage Warriors" here...
: Citlali: ...Huh?
: ...Along with a special-edition spinoff of "The Case Files of Miss Orith."
: Citlali: HUH!?
: Wanna read them together?
: Citlali: Uhh...
: Citlali: (What is this? What's going on? How did know I like those books? Don't tell me... Has been trying to find out what I'm into?)"Don't tell me..." is missing from the voice-over."
: Citlali: (No, that's ridiculous, don't be silly... I bet Ororon sold me out, the little scamp...)
: Citlali: (Still... remembered, that's gotta mean something, right? Why make a note of some mundane detail like that?)
: Citlali: (Ugh, focus! asked me a question! Umm, umm, umm... Argh, how do I respond?)
: Citlali: Ahem...
: Citlali: Sure, why not. I should have some time later. I'll let you know.
;(Talk to Leyla, optional)
: Leyla: I'm going to apply myself hard, and learn everything I can from Ororon. He'll make a cabbage out of me yet.
: Leyla: Although to be honest, I'd rather become a carrot... More nutritious, y'know.
;(Talk to Ororon, optional)
: Ororon: Thank you for everything. This would have been so much harder without you.
;(First time)
:: Ororon: These are for you. They're all home-grown. Hope you like them.
:;(Obtain )
==Trivia==
===Etymology===
* Ah may be a variant spelling of the Mayan word "aj" which is an agent prefix that is usually translated as "he/she of (something)" and K'ulbatil means "border" in K'iche' Maya. Thus, "Ah K'ulbatil" roughly translates to "he/she of the border." This correlates with Citlali's ability to manipulate the borders of the Night Kingdom.
==Notes==
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
pt-br:O Espírito de Ah K'ulbatil
ru:Дух Ах К'ульбатиль