Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice/Episode 1: The Foreign Turnabout/Trial, Day 1



Fresh off the plane from the US, your first stop on your tour of the Kingdom of Khura'in is a bazaar near a grand temple at the centre of town. While you're busy snapping a few photos and taking in the sights, a young boy walks up to you, introducing himself as Ahlbi Ur'gaid, who will be your guide around Khura'in. He gives you a bun in the shape of a magatama to celebrate your arrival, but it seems he wants payment for it... He also informs you that Maya Fey, the person you came to Khura'in to visit, is still busy with her training, and you can't see her for another few days. So, for the time being, you decide to let him show you around, starting with the grand Tehm'pul Temple at the centre of town.

Here, Ahlbi tells you a little about the Holy Mother, the founder of Khura'inism, and brings you inside to show you the famous Dance of Devotion and Song of Ceremony, performed in honour of the Holy Mother. Before entering, however, he gives you a card on which the lyrics of the Song of Ceremony are printed. Inside, you witness the spectacle of "Her Benevolence" performing the Dance of Devotion, but things quickly go south, as Ahlbi is arrested for treason.

Trial begins
The next day, you go to the courthouse for Ahlbi's trial, but are denied entry by the bailiff. In order to try and convince him to let you in, you are given two options. Use to pick an option, and press  to confirm, or use the  to select an answer. You should choose to Tell him I'm a lawyer. The bailiff appears shocked, giving you an opportunity to run into the courtroom. You can choose Tell him I'm Kurinese for a bit of a laugh.

Inside the courtroom, "Her Benevolence" is standing in front of Ahlbi, who is at the witness stand, while a familiar-looking prosecutor looks on smugly. The Judge mentions that the "Divination Séance" has been performed, and hands down his verdict.

Ahlbi Ur'gaid is found...



What? Already? The Judge claims that the Divination Séance is irrefutable evidence of Ahlbi's guilt, and there can be no mistake. Ahlbi pleads his innocence, but nobody will listen. What's his attorney doing? ... Wait, where is his attorney? You can stand this relentless march towards the "highest penalty" for Ahlbi no longer... Objection! You take up the defence, but what now? You're just a tourist in this country, after all, and the Judge even seems amused when you ask where Ahlbi's attorney is. He "doesn't need an attorney"? The Judge says that "Her Benevolence"'s Divination Séances render defence attorneys useless in Khura'in. Ahlbi, meanwhile, tries to tell you to forget about him, and go to Maya instead.

What should you do? Defend Ahlbi, of course (he wouldn't have time to get Maya as he has no idea where she would be). Everyone is stunned by your choice. The Judge advises you to get out while you still can, but the prosecutor, or rather, Chief Prosecutor Payne, decides to allow you to proceed. Apparently, it's been 20 years since a defence attorney last stood in this courtroom. What's going on in this country? Do you even remember Gaspen Payne from the last game? How could he be covered in gold?

Payne gives his opening statement to the court. Ahlbi is accused of both the theft of the Founder's Orb, and the murder of Paht Rohl, a security guard at Tehm'pul Temple. Payne submits Rohl's Autopsy Report and the Crime Photo to the Court Record. You can take a look at these in more detail by pressing, or touching the "Court Record" button on the Touch Screen. The Court Record will hold all the evidence presented to the court, as well as profiles of people relevant to the case, so be sure to keep an eye on what goes in there. Payne claims that the theft would constitute "treason against the crown", as, according to the Judge, the Founder's Orb contains the soul, or "mitamah", of the Holy Mother herself. Since you've never seen the treasure in question, surely there's no harm in asking to see a photo of it, right? Wrong. This only angers the Judge further. Payne informs you that it's forbidden for anyone outside the royal family to view the treasure, so no photos of it exist. He does, however, submit a newspaper article and black and white photos of the Treasure Box, which itself has only been seen by a small number of people. Payne claims that Ahlbi stole the treasure so he could sell it in order to pay his family's expenses.

No more questions from the defence? Of course you have questions. Ask about the weapon. Payne says it was the treasure box itself, which had a bloodstain on it when it was found at the crime scene. Payne claims that Ahlbi entered the treasure room to steal the treasure, but was found by Rohl when he was at the top of the stairs. He supposedly struck Rohl with the box, broke the box open, and escaped with the orb hidden within. The Judge again moves to render his verdict, but upon realising he is now late for his class with his wife, he decides to allow the trial to continue with Ahlbi's testimony. Even Ahlbi seems to hate you, now that he knows you're a lawyer. What happened in this country...? Ahlbi gives his testimony to the court.

Ahlbi's Testimony: The Accused's Account
Ahlbi explains that he knew the victim well, and that like Ahlbi, his family was also poor. He would encourage Ahlbi to stick to his dream, and "don't end up like me". It seems that the Judge has forgotten how cross-examination works... Should you remind him (and yourself)? If you'd like an explanation, choose Might as well..., or if you think you'll be fine, pick Not necessary.

Cross-Examination: The Accused's Account
Present the Treasure Box on the third statement. The photos are in black and white, so how could he know the butterfly was green? You've found a contradiction... but this just makes Ahlbi seem even more suspicious. Ahlbi claims that he wasn't in the treasure room on the day of the murder, but Payne has evidence to the contrary - a Notice bearing Ahlbi's fingerprints, which was found next to the victim. The Judge believes that this evidence, alongside the Divination Séance, is proof enough of Ahlbi's guilt. With no other way out, you demand to be allowed to view the Séance yourself.

Finally, you come face to face with "Her Benevolence", Princess Rayfa Padma Khura'in. She also appears to bear some sort of hatred of lawyers... Rayfa performs the Dance of Devotion, and its powers cause the final memories of the victim to appear in the Pool of Souls. The scene depicts Ahlbi standing before the victim, just before it fades to darkness, and Rohl's life ends with a burst of pain. This appears highly incriminating... The Judge offers not to invoke the "Defense Culpability Act" against you if you give up now. Under this law, if you proceed any further with Ahlbi's defence, and Ahlbi is found guilty, you will receive the same sentence as him. This explains why Ahlbi tried to tell you to forget about him earlier... For the crime of treason, Ahlbi would face the death penalty, and under the DC Act, you would meet the same fate. But you only came here to visit Maya... What should you do?

Choose to continue the defense. This is why you became a lawyer - to stand up for those with no-one on their side. You can't give up on that now. The only way out is to prove that Rayfa's Insights are indeed fallible. Remember the screenshot from the very first game in the "school trial"? There should be more easter eggs a long the way.

Rayfa's Insight
Rayfa explains how to work through the Divination Séance. The vision shows what the victim experienced with each of their five senses, with non-visual sensations represented by words. You are shown the Séance vision again, and immediately notice something at odds with Rayfa's Insight. Didn't she say the murder occurred after the Dance of Devotion...?

Use the arrows on the Touch Screen, or, to move between statements. Move right to the third statement. When the words  Song of Ceremony  are visible on the screen, press "Select" or, and move the cursor to those words using the or , and press  again to present the contradiction.

If the murder occurred after the Dance of Devotion, how could Rohl have heard the Song of Ceremony? Rayfa explains that it was simply a practice session, held during the time between the morning and afternoon Dances. The Judge asks if the song could be heard in the treasure room, since it is so far away from the performance hall. Payne explains that there are speakers in every room of the temple, used to broadcast the song throughout. Rayfa updates her third statement with regard to this information.


 * The Song of Ceremony the victim heard was a practice run through the temple's speakers.

You return to the Séance vision. You can now use to pause the vision, or play it again, and touch the panels indicated on the Touch Screen to skip to sections of the vision. Touch the panel marked in red to proceed.

On the second statement, go to the fifth panel, and select the victim's  Pain , which appears shortly after this. The victim only felt pain after losing his vision - which contradicts Rayfa's Insight. However, as Payne explains, there was a blackout in the area at the time of the incident, which disabled both the temple's lighting and speakers. According to Rayfa, this means the victim was attacked after the lights went out. Rayfa updates her second statement.


 * One can safely assume the accused struck the victim the moment after the blackout began!

Pause the vision, and go to the fifth panel. On Rayfa's third statement, select the  Song of Ceremony . The blackout took out the temple's speakers, too, so how could the victim still hear the song? This must mean he heard the actual song, from the performance hall itself - which means the actual scene of the crime was somewhere other than the treasure room. However, this doesn't change anything about the Séance vision itself, which still seems to incriminate Ahlbi. Why did Ahlbi have his hands over his head, if not to attack the victim? Recall the moment of Ahlbi's arrest, where he also had his hands over his head... When asked to explain, present Rohl's gun. Rohl must have been pointing it at Ahlbi. The revelation that Rayfa's Insight is indeed fallible proves unpopular with the crowd, drawing comparisions to some "traitorous snake" named Dhurke... but, despite Payne's attempts to have you charged with lèse-majesté, the Judge refuses to end the trial. Rayfa reacts poorly to the Judge's refusal, and is forcibly removed from the courtroom.

After the Insight
Payne now asks why Rohl would need to point his gun at Ahlbi, and posits that he had caught Ahlbi in the act of stealing the treasure - at which point Ahlbi killed him. This makes the situation even worse for Ahlbi, and with no more evidence to present, you must resort to asking Ahlbi to tell you the truth. Having seen you put your own life on the line for his sake, Ahlbi finally decides to trust you. He tells you that he had snuck into the treasure room several times to see the treasure box, and comments on how it glows in the dark. This information is added to the Court Record. Ahlbi explains that, on the day of the incident, he was going to the treasure room, when Rohl approached him at the temple's great stairs, which you can see on the Temple Diagram. Suddenly, Rohl drew his gun and pointed it at Ahlbi. Just then, the power went out, and Ahlbi ran out of the temple, at which point he likely dropped the Notice. When Rohl had his gun trained on Ahlbi, he asked Ahlbi "Did you steal it?".

According to Payne, this only makes Ahlbi even more suspicious. Just then, Ahlbi's dog, Shah'do, jumps out of the bag he had been held in. According to Ahlbi, Shah'do says that Rohl "made a mistake", but you can't cross-examine an animal, can you? Instead, could someone else have attacked Rohl? When asked to show where from, present the area behind Rohl. You present a new timeline of events. After stealing the treasure from the treasure room, the culprit tried to escape. But, upon seeing the approaching Rohl, they probably hid in the nearby storeroom. Ahlbi couldn't see anyone in the hallway, but that doesn't discount the possibility... Payne objects, however, and brings forward a new witness, who claims that only Ahlbi and Rohl were in the hallway at the time of the murder.

The witness in question is Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin, head monk of the temple, and expert dahmalan player, who played the Song of Ceremony at the Dance of Devotion you were at. Andistan'dhin was also in charge of keeping the treasure safe, and holds the only key capable of opening the treasure box, the Magatama Key. Andistan'shin gives his testimony on what he saw of the incident.

Andistan'dhin's Testimony: What I Saw, Baby
Andistan'dhin reveals that he was the person who found the body, and that he restored the power after the blackout. The location of the breaker he used is added to the Temple Diagram. You also learn that the victim could not have been killed during the Dance of Devotion, since he was present at it, as proven by a Dance of Devotion Photo submitted by Payne.

Cross-Examination: What I Saw, Baby
Press Andistan'dhin's fourth statement. He claims that, in addition to hearing Ahlbi, he also saw him enter the treasure room. When he heard footsteps, he looked out his window, and saw Ahlbi enter the treasure room through another window on the other side of the courtyard. Ask to have him add to testimony. Andistan'dhin will provide a new statement:


 * Through the window, I did spy, little Ahlbi with my own eye.

On this statement, present the Notice. As it says, due to the increased number of thefts at the temple, the window shutters were shut on the day of the murder. Thus, it was impossible for anyone to see anything through the windows. Andistan'dhin reveals that he was unable to read the notice, as he is unable to read Khura'inese, and has only been in the country for six months. Had he some reason for coming to Khura'in? And if he had actually seen Ahlbi from somewhere other than his chamber, where from? Present the area at the foot of the stairs, where earlier, you suggested the true culprit had stood. This can only mean one thing... you must accuse Andistan'dhin of murdering Paht Rohl. He has the only key to the treasure - what if he lied his way into the position of head monk, in order to steal it? Andistan'dhin isn't pleased with your accusing him of lacking faith, and decides to express his feelings through music - dahmalan metal, apparently. Time for yet another different style of testimony...

Cross-Examination: Soul-Screaming Truth!
Press Andistan'dhin's first and sixth statements. You try to make a case for him stealing the treasure, and being in the hallway when the power went out, in order to kill Rohl once he discovered the treasure was missing, but you have no evidence to back it up. Payne states that the power cut happened by chance, but can you prove otherwise - that the culprit made it happen? Present the breaker. He could have just turned it off - but then, that would have meant he would have had to kill Rohl in the darkness. Unless Rohl was holding some source of light. Can you prove it? Choose I can, because you have something like that in the Court Record. Present the Treasure Box. As you learned earlier, it glows in the dark. But why would Rohl have been holding it? It can only be because he was the thief. Rohl must have made off with the treasure, and been struck from behind when he met Ahlbi. But, of course, you must have proof - perhaps something has some trace evidence on it. Present the Treasure Box again.

The Treasure Box's Secret
You now get to examine the treasure box. You can rotate it by sliding the Touch Screen, and zoom in or out with the left slider. If you get lost, press "Reset" to reset the box to its initial position. First, examine the lid of the box, to close it. Andistan'dhin gets annoyed at this, arousing your suspicion. You try opening the box again, but it proves impossible. Was the lock damaged during the attack? You return to examining the box. Rotate it to the right, and examine the bloody handprint that is clearly visible. This must be the victim's handprint. As for proving it, present the Crime Photo, and then present Rohl's bloody hand, upon his chest. This is the proof you've been looking for, that shows Rohl was the true thief of the treasure box. But this also means that the treasure box was not the murder weapon. Next, you must show evidence that points to the real murder weapon. Consider who must have used it, and what evidence you have that relates to them... Present the Dance of Devotion Photo, and therein, present the instrument Andistan'dhin is holding. He's claimed the one he has now is his only one, but the one in the photo is completely different. This one no longer exists, however, as after Andistan'dhin killed Rohl with it, he destroyed it. Without this crucial evidence, you can't pin the crime on Andistan'dhin. Payne also points out that, since you proved that Rohl was the thief, you've also eliminated Andistan'dhin's supposed motive. You need to come up with something else, and fast...

You remember that Rohl asked Ahlbi "Did you steal it?", and that Rohl was holding the treasure box when he was killed. In that case, what have you just realised about the treasure box? Select It was empty. Rohl must have realised when he noticed that the box was lighter than it was meant to be, and accused Ahlbi of stealing its contents. Once word got out that the treasure was missing, Andistan'dhin would be accused of incompetence, so he decided to kill Rohl in order to silence him. In reality, the treasure had been stolen long before by Andistan'dhin himself. Andistan'dhin gives new testimony to refute this claim.

Cross-Examination: Lying Lawyer
Press Andistan'dhin's third statement. You claim that Andistan'dhin opened the box himself, but you proved earlier that the lock was broken. Or is it? Maybe there's really a different way to open it? Andistan'dhin denies this, and adds a new statement, after the first one.


 * The real method to open the lock, you say?! Delusional, man! There ain't no other way!

Press this statement. There must be some trick to opening the box. Where is it hidden? Choose the key. You look at it, but see nothing special about it, and return to Andistan'dhin his... "Mitamah" Key? Andistan'dhin adds another statement.


 * Only the Mitamah Key unlocks the treasure. Force it, and reap the founder's displeasure!

Here, present the Magatama Key. This slip of the tongue may be crucial, but you must prove how. What evidence makes mention of the mitamah, and the orb? Present the Song of Ceremony. Its lyrics show the trick to opening the treasure box. First, you must flip it vertically. It now no longer fits in the keyhole, but it must go somewhere... You examine the treasure box again. Rotate it to the back, and present the image of the butterfly and mitamah. The mitamah shape is a hollow, and the key is a perfect fit. Once you insert the key, the lock opens. It seems the keyhole on the lock is a decoy, meant to throw off anyone who has not worked out the puzzle contained in the Song of Ceremony. Only Andistan'dhin could have opened the box, and at the crime scene, the box was left wide open. His crime finally uncovered, Andistan'dhin confesses to the murder.

For the first time in 23 years, a defence attorney has stood in the Courts of Resignation and won. Payne is show shock that his wig falls out from his head, reveling a shiny bald head.

Ahlbi Ur'gaid is found...



What really happened
A foreigner, Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin moved to Khura'in upon learning of the nation's priceless treasure, the Founder's Orb. He portrayed himself as a devout convert to Khura'inism, and within six months had ascended to the position of head monk of Tehm'pul Temple. His faith, however, was a lie, intended only to gain access to the Founder's Orb, as the temple's head monk received possession of the only key that could unlock the box containing the sacred orb, and was charged with guarding the treasure. At some point shortly prior to the incident, Andistan'dhin deciphered the riddle of the Song of Ceremony, which provided him with the information needed to unlock the treasure box and access the treasure within. Then, on the day of the incident, he opened the box, and stole the Founder's Orb, leaving the empty box behind.

Paht Rohl, a security guard at Tehm'pul Temple, had also intended to steal the sacred treasure, in order to pay his impoverished family's living expenses. He had committed a number of thefts at the temple beforehand, and had amassed a large collection of treasures. At some point during his career, he established a rapport with the young monk-in-training Ahlbi Ur'gaid, who frequented the temple during his work as a tour guide. Rohl would encourage the young boy to never give up on his dream of becoming a monk, and warned him "don't end up like me" - in other words, he was warning Ahlbi not to resort to thievery. On the day of the murder, Rohl entered the treasure room during his patrol, and took the treasure box. Since Rohl had handled the box before, he realised immediately that it was empty, but decided to take the box anyway, since it was a valuable artifact on its own. Ahlbi had frequently snuck into the treasure room in the past to view the treasure box - a fact Rohl was aware of, as when he met Ahlbi at the temple's main staircase while making his escape, he drew his gun on Ahlbi, asking him if he had stolen "it" - the orb.

Meanwhile, having finished playing at the morning Dance of Devotion, Andistan'dhin was storing his dahmalan in the temple's storeroom, when he witnessed the altercation between Ahlbi and Rohl. He realised that Rohl knew that the orb had been stolen, and knew that if word got out that the orb was missing, he, as head monk and in charge of guarding the orb, would be accused of incompetence and lose his position, if not worse. Andistan'dhin used the nearby breaker switch to cut off the temple's electricity. With the temple in darkness, Ahlbi took his chance to flee the scene. Andistan'dhin, guided through the darkness by the treasure box's glow, snuck up behind Rohl and struck him with his dahmalan, killing him. He then moved Rohl's body to the treasure room, and set up the scene to frame Ahlbi for both murdering Rohl, and stealing the Founder's Orb. Beside the body, he placed a scroll dropped by Ahlbi while fleeing the temple, and the treasure box, which he opened in order to make it appear as if Ahlbi had broken the lock. The scroll and Séance vision cast suspicion on Ahlbi, but the open, empty treasure box would prove to be Andistan'dhin's downfall.

After the trial
The crowd is still in an uproar, still shocked at your victory. Ahlbi thanks you for saving him, but he is unable to explain exactly why the people of Khura'in hate lawyers so much. You explain that lawyers are still needed to point out the flaws in Rayfa's Divination Séances, but on hearing this, Ahlbi warns you to keep quiet, as this is the sort of argument used by the "Defiant Dragons", a group of rebels seeking to overthrow the queen, led by a man named Dhurke. Ahlbi is interrupted, however, by none other than Khura'in's Minister of Justice - Inga Karkhuul Khura'in, who was watching you at the trial. He informs you that Rohl was a repeat offender - a raid on his quarters turned up several stolen treasures. Inga also claims that the rebels were the ones looking to steal the Founder's Orb. To achieve this, they pressurised Andistan'dhin into stealing it, and turning it over to them. Before leaving, he warns you that you're on thin ice, and not to butt in where you're not welcome. There's still some time before you can get to see Maya, so Ahlbi decides to continue your tour of Khura'in for now.