The Fantasy Quest Begins
You may remember the first Scavenger Hunt. You may have even been one of the lucky few to solve every crossword and win the special prize. But the past doesn’t matter any more. It’s what lies ahead that’s important. And what lies ahead of you today is the most difficult quest yet.
Today, you are going to pit your wits against the cleverest creature in the world: the Sphinx. It is only by solving her riddles that you can succeed in your quest to reach the Mystical Blue Mountains.
When you approach the Sphinx, she hardly gives you a second glance, preferring to look off into the distance as if she is, somehow, better than you. But you don’t let her attitude ruffle your feathers; you need to reach the mountains, which lie beyond the Dark Forest, and the only way through is past the Sphinx.
You wait for her to give you a riddle, but she barely moves. Clearing your throat seems to have no effect, and a loud cough only results in a long, lazy blink.
“I’m on a Quest,” you finally say. “An important Quest with a capital Q.” When she doesn’t respond, you continue, a little abashed, “Would you let me pass?”
That gets a response. She lowers her head to look at you, and smiles broadly. “No.” The tip of her tail flicks slightly. “Not unless you answer my riddles.”
Aha. Now this is more like it. You straighten up. “If it’s what has four legs, then two legs, then three legs, the answer is a man.”
Her tail flicks back and forth now, like a cat about to pounce. “I’m not the Theban Sphinx, of course. I’m something far, far, worse.” Her smile is particularly toothy. “I’m the Webfiction Sphinx. Ha! Try say that ten times without stopping!”
You try. You fail.
That settled, the Sphinx sits back on her haunches. “If you want to succeed in your quest, you must answer four riddles of my request. And if you get the answers wrong, in one gulp, you’ll be gone.”
You have no choice. You take a deep breathe, draw together all of your mental strength, and nod. “Okay. Hit me.”
You flinch when she raises a paw, but she hasn’t taken your words literally. Instead, she holds out a scrap of paper with a riddle on it. At your questioning gaze, she shrugs uncomfortably. “Saves me having to remember it.”
You read the riddle. It seems to be based off of an ancient celebrated text, Addergoole. No doubt that reading the first three chapters will greatly help you solve the riddle.
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The second stage of the quest is now live — use the solution to the riddle above to access the post and continue your journey!