(Aramil) : I step forward, placing myself between the rest of the party and the beast. "You will face my blade if you dare try to harm my friends."
(Sphinx) : Put your sword away fool Paladin. You have 3 choices now. One, as long as you stay there, and dont try to get into the door behind me, we can make small talk forever if you want. Two, you can leave now, intace and without loss of pride. Or three, the really stupid choice, you oculd try to understand the massive depth of my intelligence by answering a riddle. If you do this and get it right, you pass, if it is wrong......
(The party converses, knowing the Sphinx to be a powerful beast indeed. They have no choice though, and ask for the riddle.)
(Sphinx) : " I rise in Flame from the Earth. The Wind assails me and Waters lash me. Soon I will oversee all things. From element i have risen, and so through which I can not fall. Vigilance and privalge to attain my call. .........You have now reached the end of the line, answer the riddle or perish.
(Tazel) : This riddle is outdated, and below one of your stature. The Phoenix, falling to the earth, rising form the flames, flying the seas through the clouds, observing all that moves, unable to be destroyed by fire, ice, lightning or anything else.
The sphinx eyes narrow, a piercing glare that strikes right through Tazel, "You are wrong adventurer, now pay the price for your errs.
(Darf) - Hold your damn haunches laddie. The boy gave you an answer that fits all the damn things you said, and ye ain't be of no right of attacking him now. If ye hate losing a game so much, ye shan't be in the right occupation.
(Sphinx) : The answer is the Keep of Four Worlds. Phoenix isnt even close. Besides, how can a riddle have two working answers?
(Tazel) : If i have a flask of water and i drink half of it, is it half empty or half full?
(Sphinx) : Damn it
(Darf) : ye have it now sphinxy, just cause you have more than one workin answer isnt an excuse.
(Sphinx thinks slowly) : Well then, it seems we have a tie, which puts us back at step one, the only fair way is for one of you to ask me a riddle..... NOW
(Silver) : What's red and black and red and black and red and black?
(Sphinx):.........................................
(Sphinx half an hour later) : ........................................
(Sphinx an hour later) : ...........damn humans........stupid dwarf...... black and red my ass..............
(Sphinx 2 hours later) : .........I give up, you win, whats the answer.
(Silver) : A rouge that just got hit by three daggers.
(Sphinx) : That is hardly fair, I think you guys cheated.
(Darf, properly fed up) - DAMN YE BY ODIN LADDY, I GIVE UP. (rolls initative)
(DM) - Darf, you get one full surprise round, then everyone else roll initative.
(Darf) - I will use my feat of strength, then again, then again, for today, that give me a plus + 27 mod to my strength, i will not attack with my heavy 2 HANDED mace. (Rolls a critical, and then connects)
(DM) - You have properly disabled the sphinx, the sphinx's body, the sphinx's remains, and the bloody corpse now in front of you. I hate you guys, you ruin everything, i want you all to die...... but there is a door in front of you.
(Aramil, properly amazed at Darf) - I wil lead the way as we procee, though we must have lost the geomancer by now.
(DM) - You open the door, and you realize you have come to the end of the tower. In front of you stands a portal, still working, and in it you see something of an oddity. You see before you a massive circular piece of land floating, fire abashing it from one side, water form another, a solid junk of it plain earth, and massive gusts of wind can be felt even through the portal from where you are. At the center, stands a tree, impervious to all around you. The portal flares with a white glow, and everything loses deffinition.