The Trials of the Sphinx Report

General Summary

Beginning with their short trek into Modessa's lair, the party soon discovered a massive opening in the cavern with spouts of lava pouring into a pool on the left, and cool blue water filling up a pool on the right, with a large, obscured shadow upon a tall podium in the center. After two difficult riddles, the being, presumably Modessa, revealed herself to be a Gynosphinx, an ancient divine guardian tasked with keeping and protecting the forgotten magical secrets of the world. The third riddle proved the adventurers worthy of her knowledge, with each party member individually presenting something they knew that was unique to them. In turn, Modessa presented each party member with insight into a question that had been burdening their soul.   Doyle revealed that the sword he had been carrying with him was cursed with the soul of Cormac LaBarre, and learned that the only way to remove this curse was to remove the soul itself from the sword. Doing so must involve replacing it with the soul of another, and shunting Cormac's cursed soul into a different weapon/item specifically built to contain such a being.   Ro-gin learned of the location of the hand of the earth, in the Feydark, a part of the Feywild far underneath the oceans and rubbles of Erek'ar, called Erek'ur. Here the Voldeun of Gaia lies trapped within the impenetrable tomb of Harold the Cruel.   Torren learned the location of the other shards of the Blackrazor, with Ivaedien's shard in his own possession, Deunok's shard in the possession of Prometheus (elven Steven), and Nevaedien's shard in the possession of Torren's former mentor, Thalia Nuovis, who had fashioned it into her own form of shadowy weaponry.   Rastos learned more of the nature of his son Nyth's involvement with Thalia and the Shadow Cult, and that it is still possible to save him if they continue along their current quest toward Menkalinan.   Finally, Max asked about his recurring connection to Magnus, and received a jarringly unhelpful answer, as Modessa herself did not know much of the creation of this relationship, only of its nature. Max, she claimed, was "a child of fire", and was connected to Magnus beyond their relationship through their shared ownership of the ring of fire.   Upon exiting the cavern, the party had an interesting confrontation with Doyle, as Rastos tried to take the cursed blade from his grasp. However, Doyle's warped personality and need for the blade by his side caused him to resist the party's efforts to keep it away from him. Finally reuniting with the blade after a long deliberation about the risk involved with its association with him.   Eventually, they decide to return up to the temple, and investigate the chamber of lost memories, where all of the memories of visitors of the island are taken and concentrated into the crystal in the center. Soon after the party decides on their next course of action before the morning's departure, and teleports to Niyat after commissioning the forging of 50 feet of chain in the Creation Forge.