Kukulkan, also known as Waxaklahun Ubah Kan or as the Sage of the Stolen Flame, is a quest-exclusive NPC who first appears in the World Quest Moment of Awakening in Series Lost Traveler in the Ashen Realm: Act III - The Tonatiuh Quivers. He is a historical character in Natlan who stole Phlogiston from the dragons and taught humans how to use it.[2]
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Body-wise, Kukulkan has brown and beige scales. His upper torso is humanoid, but his lower body is serpentine and has no legs, ending on a tail with a green feathered tip. He has four fingers in each hand, with talons in their ends. He has a pair of long, flat horns and two bundles of two-toned green feathers growing from the sides of his face.
Kukulkan wears white and grey robes, with triangular patterns on his sleeves and a scaled pattern on the part that covers his lower torso. He has two stone structures imbued with Phlogiston floating behind his back, similar to those some Sacred Source constructs have.
Kukulkan is able to disguise himself as a human, as shown with Bona; it is highly implied that both Manqu and Titu were also some disguises he used.
Quests and Events[]
World Quests
- A Finale Emberforged
- Lost Traveler in the Ashen Realm
- Act III: The Tonatiuh Quivers
- Moment of Awakening (as A Somewhat Strange "Person")
- Act III: The Tonatiuh Quivers
Story[]
Kukulkan was given life by his older brother, the Pyro Dragon Xiuhcoatl from an offshoot of the primal flame, on the same day the latter himself had been born.[3] He fought in the war between the ancient dragons and the Heavenly Principles.[4]
At some point after Xiuhcoatl was incapacitated, Kukulkan was appointed to serve as Regent for the dragon civilization in Natlantea.[5] Foreseeing the fall of his kin due to using violence to enforce their might and believing that they would only find salvation if they shared their knowledge with other races, he stole a seed of Phlogiston and set out to find a land that had "yet to know the touch of filth and decay."[6][7]
Kukulkan travelled the lands until he came upon humans, the "weakest of species." Impressed by their tenacity, he decided to teach them how to use Phlogiston, as he knew that it would not only civilize them, but also order their destinies. He first taught his disciple Chaac, the first human to have visited him, how to use Phlogiston; then, the two raised the land with the power of the flaming Phlogiston seed Kukulkan had stolen, creating the Hanan Pacha (now known as The Upper Sanctum). People from all corners of Natlan were drawn to the islands out of curiosity, and there they learned the art of using Phlogiston from Kukulkan after passing his trials. The first wielders of Phlogiston would come to form Natlan's first permanently settled human tribe.[7] Kukulkan also created the Sanctum of Rainbow Spirits to teach human warriors how to wield Phlogiston.
At some point, Kukulkan, in an attempt to further understand humanity, would have his son Och-kan, a "dragon mixed with a human soul" who was raised among human tribes. He hoped that Och-Kan would one day slay Xiuhcoatl and ascend the throne to become the new Dragon Sovereign, leading both dragon and humankind into a new epoch.[4]
Kukulkan's scheme to grant Phlogiston to the humans was eventually uncovered by the dragons, for which the Thirteen Lords and Three Princes attempted to impeach him. However, the proceedings were put on halt when Xiuhcoatl made an appearance at the trial.[1]
Eventually, however, despite Kukulkan's hope that humans would use their knowledge of Phlogiston to build civilization, the tribes instead used the power as weapons to ignite conflict against each other, causing the disheartened Sage to withdraw from the world and history.[8] The trials also became unnecessary after the Pyro Archon seized the authority of flame, and both the Hanan Pacha and the Sanctum of Rainbow Spirits have long since been abandoned, inaccessible to both humans and Saurians.[9][10]
Kukulkan once sought to prevent the activation of the Huitzilopochtli array, a device which would convert all of Natlan to Phlogiston, thus preventing Abyss from ever returning to Teyvat but also destroying all of Natlan in the process. Its creator, Xiuhcoatl, planned to activate the array and destroy the world so it could begin anew. Though Kukulkan once opposed this plan, and had even formed an alliance with Xbalanque to prevent its activation, Xiuhcoatl predicted before his death that Kukulkan would come to understand his decision, and one day walk the same path. Indeed, after witnessing the death of Xiuhcoatl, the decline of Dragonkind, and humanity's inability to unite against the Abyss, Kukulkan became jaded with the state of the world. Convinced that humanity would meet the same fate as the dragons and fail to destroy the Abyss, he began searching for a way to activate the array.[1][3] As such, he devised a plan to trick a human and a Saurian with the Flamelord's Blessing, the "Chosen of Dragons," into attaining the two Golden Entreaties and unsealing the Great Volcano of Tollan, then giving the Saurian the choice to activate Huitzilopochtli.[3]
Kukulkan approached his son and warned him that his tyranny had turned his people against him, and offered him a chance to activate Huitzilopochtli. However, Och-Kan refused, revealing he had hidden the Entreaty within his possession. Kukulkan left, but said he would return to "collect his soul." After Och-Kan was overthrown by the Scarlet-Eyed Youth and his allies, Kukulkan made good on his promise. He took Och-Kan's body — which had been separated from his mind within the Core of Chu'ulel — and poisoned it with Abyssal energy, turning it into the fell dragon which would circle the ancient region of Ochkanatlan for centuries. Meanwhile, Kukulkan had created the legend of the Jade of Return, an item which could supposedly repel the Abyss. In reality, however, the Jade of Return was one of the two Golden Entreaties needed to activate Huitzilopochtli which Och-Kan had hidden on the Tonatiuh. Kukulkan had devised the legend to lure countless humans to Tonatiuh, all for his own 'personal experiment'; anyone who entered the city would be devoured by the fell dragon and their souls used to fashion "masks," which Kukulkan used to traverse the world in human disguise. The Ochkanatlan Adventure Team and Bona were lured to Tonatiuh in search of the Jade of Return, and all except Liriwu would would meet their ends due to Kukulkan's machinations.[4]
Kukulkan eventually became known to the people of Natlan as a human being, under the names Sage of the Stolen Flame and Waxaklahun Ubah Kan. There are stories of him dating from the tribal era, Ochkanatlan, and even the Cataclysm.[11]
When Och-Kan revealed his memories to the Traveler, one memory showed Waxaklahun Ubah Kan on the Legendary Tonatiuh speaking to the Chosen of Dragons, who is soon revealed to be Little One. Waxaklahun Ubah Kan remarked on the fall of dragons and the rise of humanity, as well as his disappointment in his son's betrayal. He then told Little One to take the token of oath to the "sacred mountain," and that they would meet again when all was done; when that time came, it would be Little One's duty to decide matters.[4]
After Little One acquired both Golden Entreaties with the help of the Traveler, they headed to the Great Volcano of Tollan to conduct the rite to wash the Flamelord's Blessing away. After cleansing the Abyssal corruption from the Sacred Mountain, they descended into the volcano's depths and offered the two Golden Entreaties to Huitzilopochtli, which ignited the Sacred Flame. After entering the light of the Sacred Flame, however, the Traveler and Paimon were trapped by a Primeval Source Dragon Mech; they had been duped by Waxaklahun Ubah Kan, who had devised the rite to trick a human into unsealing the volcano and bringing him the Golden Entreaties to enact Huitzilopochtli all along. Waxaklahun Ubah Kan then brought Little One to his domain, where he introduced himself as Kukulkan and tasked him with activating the Huitzilopochtli array.
Ultimately, however, Little One decided not to activate Huitzilopochtli, as he cherished the time he had spent with the Traveler and Paimon and did not want to put them at risk, or destroy the rest of humanity. Though Kukulkan warned Little One that he would soon lose the wisdom and power he had attained through the Sacred Flame's aid, and that his actions might doom all of Natlan, Little One still refused to activate the array. Little One then escaped the domain, ignoring Kukulkan's demands for him to return, and helped free the Traveler and Paimon. After the trio defeated the Source Dragon Mech, Kukulkan remained in his domain, remarking that he finally understood his older brother's feelings. He admitted that despite all he had done he still believed in humanity, and that Little One had made the same decision both his younger self and Och-Kan once had. Due to Little One rejecting the power granted to him, Kukulkan fades away, but is content with the outcome of Little One's choice.[3]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Natlan graffiti was allegedly inspired by the Sage painting vibrant murals on the cliffs of Tequemecan Valley using Phlogiston.[12]
- Some Natlanese like Chikya believe that Waxaklahun Ubah Kan was actually a human.[2]
- The story of Waxaklahun Ubah Kan stealing Phlogiston from the Dragon and giving it to mankind as a symbol of advancement in civilization are most likely inspired by the real-world myth called the Theft of Fire, in which fire were stolen and given to mankind as a symbol of civilization, knowledge, and technology.
Etymology[]
- Kukulkan (Yucatec Maya: Kꞌuꞌukꞌul "feather;" Kaan "serpent") means "feathered serpent."
- Kukulkan is a deity in Mayan Mythology, which is also known as Ququmatz in the K'iche mayan.
- Other mesoamerican feathered serpent often associated with Kukulcan is Quetzalcoatl (Nahuatl: "precious feathered serpent;" Quetzal "Precious feather;" coatl "serpent") from the Aztec Mythology.
- Waxaklahun Ubah Kan was the Maya name for the War Serpent, of Teotihuacan origin, which could be translated as "eighteen are the heads of the snake"[13] referencing its many incarnations. It was usually used as a symbol of royal power in war[14] and it is believed that it later became Kukulkan, the feathered snake.
- The name Waxaklahun Ubah Kan comes from the Yucatec Maya language.
- Waxaklahun (Yucatec Maya: Waxak "eight"; Lajun "ten") means "eighteen."
- U (Yucatec Maya: U) is a third-person singular possessive pronoun, "his."
- Bah (Yucatec Maya: Baah) means "image" or "head," with the latter serving as a titular adjective to denote a high rank.
- Kan (Yucatec Maya: Kaan) means "serpent."
Other Languages[]
Kukulkan
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Kukulkan |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 库库尔坎 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 庫庫爾坎 |
| Japanese | ククルカン Kukurukan |
| Korean | 쿠쿨칸 Kukulkan |
| Spanish | Kukulcán |
| French | Kukulkan |
| Russian | Кукулькан Kukul'kan |
| Thai | Kukulkan |
| Vietnamese | Kukulkan |
| German | Kukulkan |
| Indonesian | Kukulkan |
| Portuguese | Kukulkan |
| Turkish | Kukulkan |
| Italian | Kukulkan |
Waxaklahun Ubah Kan
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 瓦萨克拉胡巴肯 Wǎsàkèlāhú Bā Kěn |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 瓦薩克拉胡巴肯 Wǎsàkèlāhú Bā Kěn |
| Japanese | ワシャクラフン・ウバ・カン Washakurafun Uba Kan |
| Korean | 왁샤클라훈우바칸 Waksyakeullahun Uba Kan |
| Spanish | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| French | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| Russian | Ваксаклахун Уба Кан Vaksaklakhun Uba Kan |
| Thai | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| Vietnamese | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| German | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| Indonesian | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| Portuguese | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| Turkish | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
| Italian | Waxaklahun Ubah Kan |
Sage of the Stolen Flame
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Sage of the Stolen Flame | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 盗火贤者 Dàohuǒ Xiánzhě | Flame-Stealing Sage |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 盜火賢者 Dàohuǒ Xiánzhě | |
| Japanese | 盗炎の賢者 Touen no Kenja[!][!] | |
| Korean | 불을 훔친 현자 Bur-eul Humchin Hyeonja | |
| Spanish | Sabio Robafuegos | Firethief Sage |
| French | Sage de la flamme dérobée | Sage of the Stolen Flame |
| Russian | Мудрец украденного пламени Mudrets ukradennogo plameni | |
| Thai | ปราชญ์จอมโจรขโมยเพลิง | |
| Vietnamese | Hiền Giả Trộm Lửa | Flame-Stealing Sage |
| German | Weise der Gestohlenen Flamme | Sage of the Stolen Flame |
| Indonesian | Sage Pencuri Api | Flame-Stealing Sage |
| Portuguese | Sábio da Chama Roubada | Sage of the Stolen Flame |
| Turkish | Alev Çalan Bilge | Flame-Stealing Sage |
| Italian | Saggio della Fiamma rubata |
Change History[]
- Waxaklahun Ubah Kan was renamed to A Somewhat Strange "Person."
- Waxaklahun Ubah Kan was released as Dragon Sage.
- Waxaklahun Ubah Kan was introduced.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 World Quest, Chronicler of the Crumbling City, Part 2a: Once, the Sacred Seat of Judgment
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 World Quest, Tale of Dreams Plucked From Fire, Part 2: Seeker No Finding
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 World Quest, A Finale Emberforged, Part 1: An Omen of Annihilation and the Final Entreaty
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 World Quest, Lost Traveler in the Ashen Realm: Act III - The Tonatiuh Quivers, Part 2: Moment of Awakening
- ↑ Interactable, Tanit Camps: Chamber of Deliberation: Sovereign Rulers' Council Records
- ↑ Artifact, Obsidian Codex: Reckoning of the Xenogenic
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Book: Records of Hanan Pacha
- ↑ Weapon Ascension Material: Blazing Sacrificial Heart's Resolve
- ↑ Blessing Domain Entrance Description: Sanctum of Rainbow Spirits
- ↑ World Quest Series Tale of Dreams Plucked From Fire
- ↑ World Quest, Between Pledge and Forgettance: Rite of the Bold
Pacal: Still, how long did this Sage live anyway, Manqu? I feel like there are tales of him from the tribal era to that of Ochkanatlan...
Pacal: ...And even around the Shadow Pin. - ↑ Natlan, Tequemecan Valley, Viewpoint: Among the Painted Peaks
- ↑ Academia: Waxaklajuun Ubaah Kan Translation
- ↑ Mexico National Institute of Anthropology and History, Lugares Inah: Symbology of Waxaklahun-Ubah-Kan