Take Back the Crown

            "Please, rise." The Sphinx said to those who bowed, but more particularly to the princess, "As much as I enjoy the reverence, I am merely a guardian; keeper of this temple." She gazed into the eyes of each person standing in the room, probing, seeing their past, their present, and their future. No dark secret could be hidden from her. When her dark twinkling eyes finally stopped at the princess, she spoke with orotund, "Welcome to the Trinid. Ancient temple of the Sahrmen people, watchers of the Sunstone, and one of the six tribes united under your crown." She said to Lucasta, "I am aware of your noble heritage, but I am afraid I can not simply gift the stone to you. This is your first trial in the Pilgrimage of Kings; an ancient ceremony preformed by your ancestors even when the land was not threatened by outsiders. It is customary that as a young monarch came of age, they would embark on a mission across their land, meeting their people, and seeing the wonders over which they rule, in order to retrieve the pieces of the Algorian crown that were purposefully scattered for these teachings. While your reasons for taking this pilgrimage are of far greater importance than those who came before you, I, as the protector of this temple, will hold true to the tests that must be given and taken. I assure you, all other five guardians will feel the same and will not make exceptions due to the circumstances..." She paused before continuing, "You must prove your worth before restoring the crown. If you can not pass these tests, then you will be proven too weak to match the strength of Kvacht."


            "My trail is a Game of Riddles. I will ask you ten. If you can correctly answer each one, you will gain passage to the stone. However..." the creatures eyes shifted slightly, "Should you fail a riddle, I will eat the one who uttered the answer incorrectly. My punishment will remain the same level of extremity despite the reasons for your quest... I advise you to tread carefully, I have not eaten for a long time." At that last comment she smiled, "Are you ready?"


@Queen of Fantasy (and everyone else)
​
 
Dorian and Kacel'la looked at each other, playful grins spreading across their faces. Both loved riddles: Dorian loved them because it was a good mental exercise, especially when trying to find a correct, yet false, answer; Kacel'la simply had encountered many beasts who played games of riddles and enjoyed life-or-death challenges.


Meanwhile Garrett was trying to decide why he had signed up for this shit. Being eaten alive by a sphinx was not on his list of good ways to go. Especially if to get eaten he had to prove himself an idiot first too.
 
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Oceana swiftly rose at the Sphinx's words, and held its gaze when it looked into her.


But she could feel her entire being shaking as the probing gaze rested upon her.


The elf knew this great creature could see all within her. She was afraid of the darkness the mighty guardian glimpsed deep in her heart.


Clenching her eyes shut she groaned inaudibly in defeat.  She couldn't look anymore. 


Oceana felt the nearly uncontrollable desire to cover herself; she was practically naked beneath the Sphinx's gaze.


When the behemoth lion-woman turned to the next, the huntress released the breath she hadn't known she had been holding.


The idea of riddles to get through however, was much more welcome than an all-out fight.


Steadying herself, the wood elf squared her trembling shoulders and rested a hand on her hunting knife, purely for comfort.


For once, their odds actually sounded good.


She clung to that tiny bit of optimism, hoping it would get her through what was to come.


@Lo Alyssa
 
Nick rode at the back of the convoy, keeping his silence in an effort to avoid igniting hostilities.  It wasn't until the group came within sight of the pyramid that he began to attempt to open up.  Nick smiled up at the massive Trinid.  It had been only about fifty years since he had come around last time... He had spent nearly a week looking through a spyglass, studying, transcribing, and translating the runes at the peak of the enormous structure... From afar.  The Trinid, along with several other locales, had been the subject of his studies on and off through the years, and in all that time, he had never dared to even touch the black rock of the pyramid.


The old scholar just couldn't help but babble cheerfully about the ingenious structure.


"I've learned some pretty potent containment gramarye from the inscriptions on the surface.  There's an enormous amount of power here, and a lot of those runes are there to keep it in check.  It's amazing how they've weaved the gramarye together... Protection, shields, anti-entropy, thief deterrents, power containment... And the capstone is the culmination of all of it.  It even has a rhythm and rhyme to it... There aren't many people who can not only write such powerful gramayre, but can weave the words and sentences... And make it into a song.  Truly a masterpiece... And the engineering!  I still haven't quite figured out how they managed to move all that black granite, and in such large locks, from Eldur all the way across the continent.  Few other stones are as abundant, resilient, hard, and tough as granite, and the black allows it to absorb the heat of the desert and the light of the sun to help maintain the power behind some of the spells..."


He held his goggles in his handling binoculars; in part to avoid accidentally looking at the others with them, but also because their magic detection filters and lenses were nigh useless when looking directly at the Trinid.  The structure was so heavily spellbound that the tiny fraction of leaking traces of power and magical energy appeared as an absolute roiling torrent; an immense flood of magic.  His goggles had been calibrated to be extremely sensitive to pick up on minute amounts of magic... Looking at the Trinid through them was like looking through a kaleidoscope, through a prism, at an opal, lit from behind by the sun itself.  It was a riot of color that completely blinded Nick.


Instead, Nick periodically looked out at the surrounding desert, keeping an eye on the horizon while the others debated on who to send in to scout the pyramid.


After some time when the two rogues (Dorian and Hjialmar?  He hadn't quite gotten everyone's names memorized yet) had gone in, Nick was scanning the horizon through his goggles when he noticed a subtle pulse of power pass underfoot, through the sand beneath their feet... It came from the Trinid.  "What the Universe was that?"  He muttered and began flicking through lenses.  Moments later, a sandstorm reared up from the horizon and began marching inexorably toward them.  "Weather manipulation?  Triggered and controlled weather manipulation?"  Nick felt goosebumps rise on his skin as he struggled to comprehend the level of skill, talent, and sheer power required to not only alter weather so effectively and quickly, but also to control such an incredible spell so completely... And to do so through written gramayre.


Nick was awestruck by the sheer enormity of what had just occurred, but it didn't stop there.


When Nick finally entered the Trinid, the power of the structure was so immense that even he, deaf and blind as he was to magic without aid, could hear the hum of the woven spellsongs and the thrum of the power in the stones.


And then he saw her.  The Sphinx.  His pulse quickened - a primal response, as he subconsciously registered the presence of an apex predator.


While some of the others bowed or knelt, Nick remained standing - in part because he was too busy trying to absorb everything he was seeing to even think to bow.  He had never met the sphinx, but there was plenty of mythology surrounding her.  From what he had read and heard, she was incredibly intelligent and clever, and many accounts held she served to ward off the evil or unworthy from treasures of unfathomable riches or power.


As she spoke, Nick realized not only was she an apex predator, but an absolute pinnacle of civility.  A remarkable duality, to say the least.


When her eyes rested on him, Nick felt something within him squirm uncomfortably, and his right lower eyelid began to twitch.  He nodded and tipped his hood respectfully to her.  "Ah... Ahem... Pleasure to finally meet you, Madam Sphinx..."  He spoke in a quiet voice, and could only hold her gaze for a moment before looking down.  I hope I'll have time to look around...


After the Sphinx explained the rules of her test, Nick raised a finger.  "Um... Do we all have to answer riddles?  Or just the two royals?  Is this a team effort?  Because, y'know... Even a king or queen has to know when to ask for help.  They can't carry the whole world on their backs... Nobody is an expert in everything."  He was just a tad nervous... Being eaten was pretty high on his list of things to avoid... And he also really would rather not let any of the others be eaten either, if he could help it.


@anyone and @Lo Alyssa 
 
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            The Sphinx lifted her eyebrows as Nick spoke up, "Ah, so you are the inquisitive creature who would watch my fane from a distance. Your presence and curiosity did not go unnoticed, I do hope the inner sanctum of my temple is to your liking, so that your curiosity may be satisfied." She gave a roll of low chuckles, "But yes, to answer your previous question, all who have entered here are allowed to participate. After all, a king nor queen can rule without guidance or support."


            "Now I ask again, young princess." The Sphinx turned her maned head to the royal, "Are you ready to play?"

 
The princess blinked, and turned her head towards the group, looking at their expressions before answering the beasts' question. She noticed many seemed nervous, others seemed to enjoy the idea of answering riddles. She looked back to look at the Sphinx and sighed. "Yes, we are ready." She hoped she had made the right decision and let the sphinx ask her first riddle.


@Lo Alyssa @everyone else
 
            "Alright then." The Sphinx smiled, "How about I start with an easy one? One that I have used far too many times."


            She pressed her paw against her mouth and cleared her throat.


"What goes on four legs in the morning,
​


two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?"
​
 
Ok, so not only was this Sphinx was huge, powerful, and it felt like it could peer into the very depths of his soul, but it was a man-eater? And if they got some riddle wrong, they'd die for it? Bo was begging to think that he had better odds against the imps, daemons, and crawlers. He didn't have to be super smart to fight them, just experienced and watchful. Riddles however, were not his strong suit - in fact, he actually never really liked them, for the most part because he knew it was a game he couldn't win (but then again, perhaps he simply disqualified himself by labeling himself inadequate before he got a chance to prove himself). Bo simply stood, watching and observing the conversation between the Spinx and the princess - and then the riddle came.


This is supposed to be easy? He'd never heard the riddle before, therefore he knew even if he came up with an answer, there was no way he could be 100% sure it was accurate - hence his hesitation to even think of one. He did consider, however, that if for any riddle they all were unsure, he could volunteer to give their best answer. However he hoped such measures wouldn't be necessary, but as the Sphinx said - if he couldn't make it through a few riddles, then maybe he was better disposed of in the first place. (Of course, if it were actually to come down to it, he didn't know of how much value he was to the group and how beneficial it would be for the group morale if any of them were to die suddenly in this trial - so soon, and right before the first stone too).


He bit his tongue, thinking. Could it be... a bug? Some of them had short lifespans and could re-spawn limbs and stuff, right?


@no one, really haha
 
Dorian usually was good at keeping his mouth shut and speaking only at the right moment. However, he just couldn't resist giving out stupid answers, even if they could mean his death if the Sphinx wouldn't look too far into it.


"Boy, if you mess with magic and science enough, it can be anything."  He quipped and felt Garrett’s half-terrified, half very dissapointment glare bore into his back. "A possible answer is a chair: It has four 'legs'. You break off two during the day, then try to fix it, but only manage to fix one 'leg' by the evening. And yes, i know the usual answere is a human. I thought you would appreciate some originality once in a century." He answered with a shrug.
 
            The creature's initial reaction was shock, her eyes widened ever so slightly at the answer. Then she gave a burst of deep laughter, "I like the way you think, farmiliar! You do me an honor to amuse me so." She flashed a toothy smile, "Not only did you give me the correct answer, you also thought outside of the box to provide an alternative. That creativity will be an irreplaceable asset on this journey, I am certain."



            She put a claw to her chin, pondering on which riddle she should offer next. Her eyes brightened as she thought of another;


 
​


"What is the start of nothing,
​


and the end of men?"
​
 
Their arrogance, the huntress grumbled to herself in her mind.


Of course she had known the answers to the two but decided to let the rest of the group handle it. She figured the Sphinx expected an answer from each and chose to save her answer for when her mortal companions were truly stumped.


Needless to say she found Dorian's answer amusing though aggravating. 


Oceana, being a scholarly sort, enjoyed riddles greatly and found Dorian's humor on the hairy edge of disrespectful.


@Lo Alyssa
 
Nick nodded his approval to Dorian before chewing on his lower lip, turning the riddle around in his mind.  Not too sure about this one...  He finally sidled over to Svetlana.  "I'm rather deathly allergic to being devoured, so do you mind if I bounce a potential answer off of you before we officially offer the answer?  I'm thinking death... Though, ah, several religions may disagree with me a tiny bit on that."  He looked around, hoping someone would provide a second opinion, and spotted Oceana's irritated expression.  Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he focused back on Svetlana.


Jeeze, you'd think the poor guy had just spewed a racial slur.


@Lo Alyssa and anyone else
 
"The letter n!" Bo's face lit up with a smile and a look of realization as he figured out the riddle, feeling somewhat proud of himself. "It's the letter n! Right?" 


@Lo Alyssa
 
            "A long time ago, I stood by a monarch who underwent this trial. I do know the answer, but I have already been tested, and it would be uncustomary for me to answer any of her riddles. But there is no reason I can not answer your questions." She answered with a wink, "This Sphinx is quite clever. What is the start of 'nothing,' and the end of 'men'?" She emphasized the pronounciation of the words in hopes he'd see the answer. But before he had any time to think about it, Bo spoke up and answered, "Maybe you will get the next one." She whispered.





            The Sphinx raised an eyebrow, and she flashed her claws, "Wrong." The Sphinx said, allowing enough silence to fill the room for effect, "I jest," she said retracting her lethal blades with a laugh, "you are correct, child... Hmm... now how about this one?"





"They come out at night;
​


They are lost in days;
​


Never seen by sunlight,
​


But by moon rays."
​
 
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"Hey, I don't mind.  I'm just glad I didn't blurt out a wrong answer."  Nick glanced at Bo's happy face.  "And I'm glad he got it right."


And then the Sphinx extended her claws and spoke.  Immediately, Nick clenched his fists, priming his blade and shield, and shifted his feet.  "Ok, maybe he didn't get it right, but I'm not about to let-"


"I jest."


"Oh, well... Alright then.  Sure, ha ha ha... Funny Sphinx.  Ok."  Nick stood straight again and took a deep breath.  "Ok, wasn't expecting that... Sometimes I wonder if I'm too old for this crap..."


Though now it gives her a tactical psychological advantage if someone actually does get it wrong...  We'll think she is joking when she isn't...


@Lo Alyssa @soundofmind
 
Oceana held her breath, confused that Sphinx rejected what she knew was the right answer. She was about to protest when the great feline admitted it was a joke.


"A joke." She grumbled quietly before listening up for the next riddle.


These are child's play, she thought. Still she shrugged and held her tongue.


@Lo Alyssa
 
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"Bats... No... I've seen bats in daytime.  Fireflies?  No, those are crepuscular...  Moths?  Hmm, Luna Moths...?  Uh... Vampires?  No, that doesn't make sense, there was that one who didn't seem to mind daylight... And all they really need to walk around in the daytime is to wear a cloak..."  Nick crossed his arms and huffed.  "Never been quick with riddles... My mind just doesn't twist that way.  Word puzzles are not my thing..."  He looked up at the others.  "My best guess would be some purely nocturnal creature or being..."
 
Foxrun hung with the others, letting everything sink in mostly. He listened to the riddles thoughtfully, coming to the same conclusions as his companions with their answers. However, it seemed the others were either being quiet like himself, or hung up on this most recent riddle. He glanced at the alchemist fellow after his list of ,wrong, answers. "It isn't a creature at all." He stated, shocked, before allowing his gaze to meet the eyes of the great sphinx again. "The stars. Naturally the sunlight just hides them." He added the last bit even though it was likely unnecessary. "That or I'm a rather boney snack."


@/ all
 
Valeiah walked into the giant temple with the rest of her companions. She'd never been into a structure so large and breathtaking. It was amazing, and she couldn't stop examining the walls, the ceiling, and even the floor with her eyes.


She felt very uncomfortable once the sphinx laid eyes on her. She could feel her going through every thought in her mind, like she was reading a simple childrens' book. This made her panic.


Valeiah had never been to proper school. She had only learned to heal and how to fight, along with some basic survival skills. She was not clever, not in the slightest. She was also very brash and didn't think about her actions before acting on them.


Was this already where she was going to reach her end? At the beginning of the journey, at the hands–well, paws– of a giant cat? And just because she couldn't solve a riddle.


She imagined how it would feel to have her bones crunched on and her limbs torn apart by her large teeth. Valeiah shrunk at the thought, and tried to hide behind the others in the group. Maybe she wouldn't notice her.
 
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            The Sphinx purred and smiled as she shifted her body in approval, "Right, you are, faeling." Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to think of another. "This will be the fourth riddle."





"Many have heard me,
but no one has seen me,
and I will not speak back unless spoken to.
What am I?"
​
 
Nick glanced at Foxrun.  "Well, I don't usually think about riddles...  Science, math, even magic all follow patterns.  Riddles are a whole different ballgame."  When the Sphinx spoke her next riddle, Nick grinned. Oh, hey, I think I have this one figured out!  "Echoes, right?"  Nick whispered to the others.  "I'm pretty sure this one is echoes...  Uh.  Feel free to try and prove me wrong... I'd rather one of you do it than her..."  Nick chuckled weakly and scratched the back of his head nervously.
 
He raised a brow at the other man "we all have our strengths. You just over think it I'm guessing." He chuckled at the thought then gestured to the sphinx "tell her, not us. Throw a little more conviction in there while you're at it. After all, she's expecting an answer, not a question." He joked back, not anywhere near a whisper such as he had been spoken to. Yet he grinned at the man, a sign that he in fact was correct in his guess. 


@GlytchMeister
 
            Seeing that Nick was nervous about answering the riddle out loud despite having got it correct, Yaroslav stepped forward, rather uncomfortably close to the Sphinx, "I speak on behalf of Nick. Should this be incorrect, just try and eat me. The answer is; an echo." He said confidently.


            The Sphinx raised an eyebrow at the man, "You are quite correct... I am most impressed by your willingness to shield your friends, and offer yourself up to me in their stead." She flashed a toothy grin, "Your bravery, I am sure, will be quite useful on this journey. And you," she glanced at Nick, "your resolve to try despite the fact my wordplay is not your strong suit will also prove useful. Being afraid to try will only hinder those around you, I applaud your efforts. They are obviously very fruitful. Remember that in this group you are complete. Any strengths or weaknesses you have are compensated by those who fight beside you."



            Yaroslav nodded and then returned to his place by his grandmothers side while the Sphinx thought of yet another riddle, "You are halfway through this trial, so answer me this;"


"You will always find me in the past,
I can be created in the present,
but the future can never taint me.
What am I?"
​
 
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Nick's eyes went nearly as wide as dinner plates as Yaroslav stepped forward, offering himself as a meat shield to Nick.  "Bloody hell, man, I joined up yesterday and you're... Gahhh...  I really appreciate that, but... Ya might want to consider the virtues of constructive cowardice... Whew."  He told a couple deep breaths.  "At least I got it right.  Remind me I owe you a tankard or two of ale..."  Nick sighed, shaking his head.  Warriors...  He  looked up at the Sphinx and pondered her words.  "Well, throwing noodles at the wall until they stick is pretty much how some scientific experiments work.  Just keep trying until you get it right."  Nick shrugged a little sheepishly.  "'Course, sometimes the noodles go and explode in your face... or dissolve half your tower... Or teleport the whole damn tower inside itself... That was a tricky one to fix..."  His voice progressively became more silent until he was more-or-less just muttering to himself.


@Lo Alyssa
 
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