by Dean Henegar
“King Lorn of Denlon, why have you summoned me? I respect you, yet I am not one of your subjects to be ordered about. Only my respect for our friendship over the years made me leave my home this day,” Query said with slight annoyance.
“My apologies for the wording of the summons. There are those who don’t understand the respect even a king must give to one of your kind,” King Lorn answered while casting an annoyed glance at his queen. With that one gesture, Query knew who had written the pompous summons that had been sent. Query had never met the queen before and frankly had few dealings with mortals of the land. King Lorn was one of the few over the centuries that had impressed Query, risking his own life without fear the first time they had met.
The king, in his youth, had sought out Query, deftly avoiding all the challenges Query had placed for those who sought his wisdom. When asked for his reward the king only requested that Query come and answer one question for him in the future, which Query agreed to. The king had now called in his favor. The youthful king who was ready to take on the world was gone, in his place now stood a feeble old man. A man who looked to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. If the rumors that Query had heard were true, the king perhaps did.
“You may ask you question, King Lorn. I will fulfil the promise I made to you all those years ago,” Query offered.
“Thank you for so honorably remembering your word. So many these days seem to not be able to. War has come to my people, great Query, a war against a foe more terrible than I have ever encountered. I seek your help,” Lorn implored of Query.
“That, Lorn, is not a question, it is a plea . . . and a weak one at that. Where is the young man so full of life and vigor, seeking to lead his kingdom to glory?” Query replied, rapidly losing patience.
“My apologies, allow this old man to ramble a bit more before I ask the question. We are beset by the lich Fadrix. Once a human sorcerer of incredible power, Fadrix has sought immortality in undeath. Unfortunately for Fadrix and despite his power, the man botched the ritual. While he is now undead and even more powerful than ever, he will eventually wilt and fade over the centuries. He now needs to drain the life from the living to prolong his cursed existence. His armies consume our land, capturing our people and sacrificing them to Fadrix. Each life he takes gives him another soldier for his army and I lose another of my people,” King Lorn stopped for a bit as a fit of coughing overtook him. The man eventually recovered, but Query could smell the scent of death upon the old man. This once powerful king was near the end of his life.
“Sorry for that. My body fails me after all these years. These brave adventurers have risen to save the kingdom and perhaps the whole world. They tracked Fadrix to his lair, and after a fierce battle they defeated him. Sadly, a lich cannot be defeated permanently unless its phylactery is found and destroyed first. These brave few seek your vast knowledge of all things to find out where the phylactery of Fadrix lies,” King Lorn asked as he succumbed to another coughing fit. His queen dabbed away the spittle from his mouth before standing once more and motioning to the guards. The guards brought forth four pillars they placed around the courtyard at precise intervals. Query could feel the powerful teleportation magic stored within them.
“Great Query, this powerful portal stands ready to transport the adventurers to the location of the phylactery once your scrying has located it. Please help us, great one,” the queen implored.
“Give me but a few moments to find it,” Query said as his eyes glazed over, his vision unerringly drawn toward the object sought. Unfortunately for Query, while in this trance, he was oblivious to his immediate surroundings.
With a cackle, the queen grabbed the throat of the king and what little life remained in him was drained. The skin of the queen rotted away and sloughed off, revealing the lich Fadrix. With a motion, the lich activated the teleportation beacons as his guards revealed themselves to be powerful undead revenants which immediately began to attack the adventurers.
“Did you think me so easy a foe. I knew the old fool would seek out Query, the only being who could find my phylactery. I have prepared quite the reception for him,” Fadrix taunted. Query’s normal vision returned at that point, just in time to see the dead king and the gloating lich. The adventurers battled bravely in the background against impossible odds. There was a flash of light from the pillars before Query found himself in total darkness. Even his supreme vision was unable to penetrate the dark. Wards had been placed on the doors sealing him in and dampening his powers.
The visions ceased, and the players could only hear snippets of conversation as the lich occasionally came by to toy with Query. Eventually the visits stopped, and an immeasurable amount of time passed until they heard the dwarves arrive and one of the foolish pathfinders was startled and shot his crossbow at where he heard Query, prompting his decapitation. The vision was then replaced by darkness once again as Query finished showing them his tale.
***
“Now you know how I found myself to be here in the dark. I have an offer for you all. I can feel the wards on the door are weakened. To break them completely will require a deadly test. Answer my riddles, which will empower me to dispel this darkness once and for all. I warn you, should you answer incorrectly I will have to kill you, as is the way of my kind. Should you free us I will grant you the answer to the question of how to help your friend that you asked earlier. I will also grant you each a powerful magic item from the stores I have collected over the centuries. Do you accept my offer?” Query asked.
“What do you guys think we should do?” asked Yendys.
“Let me try one thing first, wait here.” Nitor said. The skald started chanting. The noise moved away from the party, and after some time, Nitor called out from across the room. “Can someone make some noise so I can find you guys again?” Nitor asked. The rumbling sound came from Query, guiding Nitor back to the group.
“Like I thought, it seems we’re trapped in here as well. I tried to find the open doorway and found nothing but solid stone,” Nitor advised the party.
“Correct, little human, the magic used so long ago by the lich Fadrix has been weakened enough to allow you in but is still strong enough to trap you here. Your next question will be why you must answer riddles to get out. I am a sphinx, a very old and powerful one at that. My vision can uncover any secret. None can hide from my gaze. My power is near godlike . . . yet can only be unlocked through a ritual that the gods themselves decreed must be followed if we wish to keep our powers,” Query paused before continuing.
“But why the riddles? I don’t understand the significance of them,” Nitor asked.
“Our power was great. So great that some of the lesser gods became jealous and bound our omniscience to their rules. There is power in a question asked and answered, even more power if the question requires great thought, hence the riddles. The other caveat placed by the gods upon our powers is that one who answers incorrectly must be met with death. If there is no consequence to failure, there is no power to be gained from success. Though the bonds holding me are weakened, I need as much power as possible to free us all from the dark. You have a decision to make: answer my riddles and set us all free, or slowly die in the dark. I cannot die from hunger or thirst, so I face only more boredom. Who knows, perhaps in a few more centuries the lich’s magic will completely wane, and I will walk free. That, of course, won’t help you,” Query said in his booming voice.
“Doesn’t seem like we have a choice. Anyone have any thoughts?” Nitor asked.
“No, I’m not very good with riddles,” added Jacoby.
“I do okay with them, but it depends on what the riddle is about,” said Kathala.
“We got this, let’s go for it, Nitor,” Yendys told the group.
“Very well, Query, we accept your challenge. How many riddles must we answer?” Nitor asked.
“I thought about that while you spoke among yourselves. I have riddles in my mind that none have ever solved. Should
you answer one of those, we would be free. I think it better though if you are challenged by a series of less-challenging riddles. Answer enough correctly and I can break the magic,” Query answered.
Quest updated: Perils of the Pathfinders. Answer Query’s riddles to complete the quest.
“It begins,” Query stated flatly. The party could feel power building as Query prepared the first riddle. A completion bar showing the power gained so far appeared. Once the bar filled, the party figured, Query would be able to break Fadrix’s curse.
“Speak my name to destroy me . . . who am I?” Query challenged.
“Speak up if anyone knows the answer, we’ll come to a consensus before we give our official answer to Query,” Jacoby added.
“Is it unicorn?” Yendys asked.
“Uhhh, no, I’m pretty sure it’s not unicorn Yendys . . . good guess?” Nitor offered.
“I think I have it figured out!” Kathala said. “So, if you speak something you make noise, right? So, if you say the word quiet or silence or something like that you destroy it . . . right?” Kathala said, now sounding unsure of her answer.
“I think you’re on to something Kathala. I would go with silence as it implies no noise whatsoever. Speaking the word quiet can be done in a low voice, not destroying it. I think we should go with silence, any objections?” Nitor told the group.
“Sounds good, go for it,” Jacoby told everyone after there were no objections.
“The answer is silence,” Nitor said.
“Correct,” Query advised as the bar showing the Query’s power moved to fill one third of the bar. Query immediately began with the next riddle.
“Turn us on our backs and rip open our stomach, through this act you will become a wise man though you started as a lummox . . . who are we?” Silence filled the room as Query finished his riddle.
“This one has to be unicorn, right?” Yendys said again.
“No, the answer is not unicorn,” Nitor replied sternly.
“This one has me stumped,” Kathala said dejectedly.
“How does someone change from a lummox to a wise man?” Jacoby asked.
“Through education or learning . . . but that’s not it, doesn’t fit the turning on their back and ripping open stomachs,” Nitor offered.
“Books?” Jacoby said tentatively before deciding it was right. “Yeah that makes sense, books! You turn them on their backs . . . the back of a book is called the spine, opening one could be like ripping open a stomach. It fits all the clues,” Jacoby said, happy to have gotten what he believed was the right answer.
“That fits, let’s go with that if there are no better answers,” Nitor said. Nobody spoke up, so he continued. “The answer is books,” Nitor offered.
“Correct,” Query advised as the power bar filled to two thirds.
“Final riddle. I am told I can fly, I am described as hard, I can be your currency, I can heal your wounds, and very few can stand my test. Who am I?” Query asked, his deadpan delivery dropped as the sphynx allowed excitement into his voice.
“This one is totally . . .” Yendys started before being cut off by the rest of the party.
“It’s not unicorn!” The other party members shouted in unison.
“I wasn’t going to say unicorn, I was going to say a penguin!” Yendys said, annoyed at the whole thing. She hated riddles and wanted to be out this annoying, dark room.
“I have no idea,” Jacoby said.
“Me either,” Kathala added.
“I admit this one is hard, everyone think about it for a bit,” Nitor suggested.
“Uggghhh, riddles are so boring!” Yendys whined.
“Yendys, let’s all try to stay positive. I’m not sure how long we have to answer, but I believe we will run out of time at some point,” Kathala told the frustrated Yendys.
“Query, how much answer time do we . . . ?” Yendys started to ask before she was interrupted.
“You said ‘answer time’ in the correct order. Your answer of time is correct! Well done, little ones!” Query advised quickly before the party said anything else. Everyone had their eyes glued to the power bar, waiting to see if the AI would accept Yendys statement as the actual answer. Suddenly the bar filled, and the quest complete prompt appeared.
You completed the quest: Perils of the Pathfinders. By answering all of Query’s riddles, you have freed the sphinx and yourselves. Reward: 1500 experience, increased reputation with the Stonehold clan, magic item awarded to each participant.
Chapter 16
The chamber filled with light. Yendys blinked at the sudden brightness, her vision slowly clearing. The diminutive halfling gasped as she saw Query in front of her. The sphinx was as tall as a house with the body of a lion, the head of a man, and the wings of a bird atop its back. The creature was covered in a dark blue fur and muscles rippled beneath the powerful being’s skin.
Query, Sphinx Level ???, Legendary Creature.
“So long I have waited for this. You have my gratitude. As agreed, I will provide your rewards. Ask your questions and then I will retrieve your magic items. Please ask quickly as I have much to do now that I am freed,” Query advised. Nitor approached to ask for the group.
“We seek information that will free our friend Raytak. He was falsely accused of treason and we thought the Bloody Blades guild may have had something to do with it. Can you help us find the evidence?” Nitor asked. Query’s eyes glazed over with a blue glow and there was a palpable feeling of power being generated by his glowing gaze. The sphinx sat immobile for several long minutes. Yendys remembered the vision of Query being captured by the lich during this time and shuddered. Eventually the light faded, and Query looked down upon the group.
“I have found what you seek. The guild called the Bloody Blades is no more. They had no part in the framing of your friend and were merely used as a distraction from a greater threat that you will face in the future. The one called Darkfallow was the agent who coordinated this false accusation. He is in the next zone to the east, a place called Bharga’s Crossing. He spends most of his time in the town of Bharga, serving his masters and working to perfect his necromancy. Follow him to his lair in the hills. The man is vain and has foolishly kept notes there detailing his actions. Find those notes and you will help prove the innocence of your friend,” Query advised, pausing a bit before continuing.
“Know this: though your actions will help, Raytak must strike the chains from his hands through his own works. Even now he struggles to reclaim what he has lost. He is determined and fights hard to clear his name and return to his friends. Stay vigilant and beware the evil that stirs nearby. I am forbidden to say any more or to give more details,” Query finished, his demeanor letting the party know that no further questions would be tolerated.
“Now, for the physical rewards I promised. I spent many centuries gathering items of power, things once thought lost to the world. My sight allowed me to see what others could not . . . but alas, even such treasure hunts become mundane over the years and I eventually tired of the activity. You’re actions this day beg for a great reward. After all, I can always collect more if doing so strikes my fancy once again,” Query said, grinning as he considered the group.
Query motioned Jacoby forward, the warrior cautiously approaching. With a thought, Query opened a rift to a personal storage dimension he had created long ago to house his treasures. A glowing white light flared as the sphinx reached into this space. After rummaging about a bit, Query seemed to find what he was looking for.
“Here you are, a strong shield and blade to help defend your friends and punish your foes,” Query said as he handed a large metal kite shield and a polished steel longsword to Jacoby. Looking at the weapons in awe, Jacoby opened the loot information and set it to reveal to the whole party.
Final Bulwark & Last Watch: Legend has it this shield and sword pair were found near the remains of an ancient battle. A lone skeleton of a soldier still stood over the corpse of his king, wie
lding this blade and shield in eternal defense of his liege. Many adventurers and explorers met their end trying to wrest the pair of magical weapons from the guardian. The pair were eventually liberated from the guardian by the sphinx Query, who had seen what the soldier’s motivation was with his enhanced vision. Query did not attack the guardian and instead whispered to it.
“You have honorably served your king. The battle is won, you have been relieved soldier.” After Query’s statement, the skeleton raised his arm in salute, first to his king and then to Query. Slowly, the force animating the dead guardian faded, the bones falling to the earth as the words “I have done my duty to king and country, I am relieved” faded into the wind.
Final Bulwark: This legendary shield is soulbound and cannot be lost on player death. The item-level and abilities scale with the player’s level. Defense +5, physical damage reduction of 1 (reduces the damage that the wielder takes from all attacks by 1, attacks cannot be reduced to less than 1).
The Shield Bash ability’s stun effect lasts for an additional 2 seconds and deals additional damage if the Last Watch is also equipped.
Last Watch: This legendary longsword is soulbound and cannot be lost on player death. The item’s power and abilities scale with the player. Attack +10. When wielded with the Final Bulwark, the sword adds a +2 parry bonus to defense.
If Final Bulwark is equipped, the player can change the weapon’s damage type from slashing/piercing to bludgeoning for up to ten minutes each day.
“These are amazing. Thank you, Query!” Jacoby exclaimed.
While Jacoby grinned at his new gear, Query motioned Kathala forward for her reward. Reaching once again into the storage dimension, Query pulled out a bronze medallion. The medallion was covered in greenish corrosion on one side and was polished to a shine on the other.
The Panacea: These medallions were once created by the sisterhood of Vitae to help focus their healing power. The sisterhood was charged with training healers to serve with good-aligned armies and were dedicated to the destruction of the curse of undeath. A cabal of necromancers took offense at the sisters’ actions and formed a force of undead to attack their clifftop retreat and end this threat to their power.