Nestled away in the far northwest corner of Vermund in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a shrine of epic proportions. Not only is the Mountain Shrine a trek and a half to get there, at the end is perhaps one of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s best secrets: the Sphinx.
The Sphinx is not only an epic beast, but solve a series of riddles it sets, and you’ll get untold fortunes. Not only will you net well over 100,000 gold, but you’ll also get Ferrystones, Wakestones, and some one-use only items that can be absolutely devastating.
The thing with the Sphinx, however, is if you get one of its riddles wrong, you fail and the Sphinx flies away. So, there’s no room for error here, so that’s why we’ve created an epic guide with solutions for all 10 riddles, and how to beat the bugger at the end, so you can get an item of supreme power.
Now, while it’s fail and you’re done, you can utilise resting at an Inn as a backup save, should you fail a riddle - as usually it autosaves just as you fail, so you can’t use the recent autosave.
You’re also going to want to use a Portcrystal at the shrines too (which you can pick up after) and a handful of Ferrystones, to make this as easy as possible. Anyway! Without further ado, here’s all 10 solutions and everything you ever need to know to better the Sphinx at every turn!
In order to find the Sphinx, head towards the Checkpoint Rest Town, in western Vermund. North of the body of water to the east of the town is a path that leads north. That path leads to the Ancient Battleground.
To get to the Sphinx you need to head through the Ancient Battleground and head north to the top of the large fortress. When you reach the top there will be an armoured Cyclops. Defeat the Cyclops and head through the hole in the wall to the north. That will lead you into the Worldsend Cave.
Follow the Worldsend Cave to the end, then pass through the Ancient Ruins and into the Shrine Corridor. Once you’ve reached the end of the Shrine Corridor, and climbed the path at the top, you’ll come across the Mountain Shrine, where you’ll find the Sphinx.
Our best bit of advice for making this a hell of a lot easier (as we inferred in the intro) is to drop a portable Portcrystal at the base of the Mountain Shrine, meaning you can teleport here in an instant when you’ve solved one or multiple of the following riddles.
Now comes the hard part… solving the 5 riddles at the Mountain Shrine. The 5 riddles and their solutions are as follows.
The Riddle of Eyes Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with retrieving the item of greatest value that can be found on the other side of the door indicated by the sphinx.”
“Our eyes are our allies, yet oft do they betray, for eyes tell lies, so I advise, and thence do lead astray. Yet how will your eyes advise you? Venture through yonder door, and retrieve that is of greatest value.”
The solution: The first of the Sphinx’s riddles requires you to head back down the stairs and go into the door that the Sphinx opened - to the west. Now, naturally, you’d assume the way forward is to fight your way to the final chamber in the small dungeon, where you’ll find a chest with a Rotten Apple. That isn’t actually the solution. The item you want is literally above the door as you enter, sitting in another chest - which you’d actually spot after leaving the cave (after retrieving the Rotten Apple).
In that chest you'll find the Sealing Phial, a potion that allows you to swallow people up and carry them around with ease… do not drink this. Give it to the Sphinx instead, and that’s this trial done.
The reward: AWakestone (and the Sealing Phial, which she’ll give back to you).
The Riddle of Madness Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with bringing your most beloved before the sphinx.”
“Love is as twin to madness. They are bound fast, as night is to day. So bring forth your most beloved to me, that I might gauge the depth of your insanity.”
The solution: In order to complete the Riddle of Madness, you need to find someone who you have max affinity with, and take them to the Sphinx. Yes, you need to carry them there. For us, that was Taliesin, as that was who we were doing a quest for when the Affinity and Beyond achievement unlocked (for max affinity with a character).
Thankfully, this isn’t too bad if you dropped a Portcrystal at the Mountain Shrine as we suggested, as you can go to your buddy, pick them up, and then use a Ferrystone to beam back to the Mountain Shrine - yes, if you’re carrying them (using grab), they’ll transport with you to the shrine. Then, you just need to walk onto the platform with your companion, place them down, and then speak to the Sphinx again and select the Riddle of Madness. The Sphinx should then recognise that you’ve brought over your buddy, and the dialogue should change, and the chest should open.
Not the hardest of riddles, apart from the fact there’s no easy way to tell who you have max affinity with (outside of that achievement popping) - although, if you own a home, I’m convinced that the presents you get outside your home only come from 100% affinity people. Anyway, do that and this riddle can be considered complete.
The reward: 1 x Portcrystal.
The Riddle of Wisdom Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with finding the sphinx’s parent.”
“The parent knows the child, yet the reverse is far from true. The child knows not the parent: such is the paren’t due. I am a lost child; for kinship do I yearn. So bring to me my “Parent,” that I might better learn.”
The solution: Perhaps the most bizarre and illogical of the Sphinx’s puzzle is the Riddle of Wisdom. Why, you ask? Because the logical answer would be something Chimera related, as that was often mentioned as one of the parents of the Sphinx (along with Orthus and Echidna). Oh no, this has nothing to do with the Sphinx's actual parents. No, this has to do with a Pawn. In order to pass this riddle, you need to find one of the Pawns that could be deemed one of the Sphinx’s parents, and those are official Capcom Pawns named: SphinxParent, SphinxMother or SphinxFather. Unfortunately these Pawns don't have Pawn IDs, so you can't search for them at a Grand Riftstone.
However, if you’re looking for the location of SphinxParent, SphinxFather or SphinxMother, then head to the Riftstone of the Fellowship in Harve Village (to the west of Vernworth), where you'll find one of the 3 aforementioned Pawns in the rift. You can also find a Riftstone of the Fellowship (where you can get the same Pawn) on the main path northeast of the Checkpoint Rest Town, inside some castle ruins.
Simply summon the Pawn, add it to your party, then head back to the Mountain Shrine and stand on the platform alongside them and interact with the Sphinx to pass this riddle.
The reward: 1,200 RC.
The Riddle of Conviction Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with bringing your most prized possession before the sphinx.”
“Life is an enigma - a lender of mortal debt. Yet lighter pack makes fleeter foot and challenge nimbly met. So grant me what you most prize, and thence elude your ponderous demise.”
The solution: This one is a bit of a trick riddle, as there’s no wrong answer. For this riddle, you just need to put in what you perceive as your most valuable item. However, if you put a Salubrious Draught in, you’d still pass. The reason for that is that this one is more of a loyalty test than a riddle. Whatever you put in, will essentially be duplicated in the riddle’s reward.
So, if you put in something expensive, you’ll get that back, and a duplicate in the reward chest. That means you could put in another Dragon’s Gaze (sells for 5,000 gold), an expensive weapon like Black Matter (sells for 10,000 gold), or you could be more practical, and put in a Portcrystal, as those are like gold dust. Your choice, though, there are no wrong answers, (and we tried it with 5 or 6 different cheap and dirty items and passed every time).
The reward: Ironically, it’s whatever you put in.
The Riddle of Rumination Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with returning to the place where you found your very first Seeker’s Token”
“It’s ever the first we keep fond in our breast, and ever the first that eclipses the rest. You know of the Seeker’s Tokens, I trust? Those keepsakes of a fondly remembered journey? Yet where was it that you found your first? Retrace your steps, if you can - you might make a new discovery. Seven days, shall we say, ere you return? May your journey be a pleasant one.”
The solution: This one is either super simple, or rock hard, depending on how good your memory is. Basically, you need to go to where you picked up your first Seeker Token, as now there’ll be a new token in its stead: a Finder’s Token. That’s what you need to return to the Sphinx herself, and you need to do it fairly quickly, as it’s the only one with a time limit, per se. You have 1 in-game week! Go, go, go!
The reward: 3 x Ferrystones.
Where does the Sphinx fly to? (The Riddle of Reunion)
If you’re quick enough, you can loot the last chest and turn and grab onto the Sphinx as she flies to the next destination. If not, though, you need to head to the Frontier Shrine on your lonesome.
The Frontier Shrine can be found if you follow the river west from the Checkpoint Rest Town. So, come out of Checkpoint Rest Town, head over the bridge and to the east and walk down to the river bed. Then, follow the river west.
After climbing through caves, and up over the ridge and across the rickety bridge, you’ll come across a Minotaur and a Chimera. Defeat them, and then take the path south.
This will lead to the Frontier Shrine, where you’ll find the Sphinx’s new home. And in doing so, you will have unwittingly completed the 6th riddle, the Riddle of Reunion. Congrats!
For “solving” this riddle, a chest will open which will have 100,000 gold in it!
As always, before you commence with the riddles, drop a Portcrystal, as it’ll make a few of the riddles infinitely easier. On top of that, you’re going to want to be an Archer too, as you’ll need it for the final showdown.
Next up are 4 more riddles. The difference here, however, is that they come at you in any order. No more choosing this time.
You’ll get the below in a random order. Good luck!
The Riddle of Contest Solution
The riddle: “Though ours is a battle of wits, tests of mettle are more to your strength. Is that not so? Come, try your arm - though he shall be your opponent, not I. However, I am not one to be amused by a simple duel. Bear this ring into battle, that I might gauge your true strength.”
The solution: The battle against the warrior that the Sphinx spawns is no ordinary battle, as the warrior won’t take any damage while the aforementioned ring is equipped (the Ring of Derision). Do not take off the ring, though. That’s not the solution to this riddle. To pass this test you need to knock the warrior off the cliff to the west, which isn’t too hard, as the warrior staggers incredibly easily. As an Archer I was able to ping him off the edge with relative ease. You can even down them, and then throw them off the cliff if you want. The choice is yours. As soon as the warrior dies, the Sphinx will acknowledge your feat, and she’ll be satisfied.
The reward: Ring of Ambition, which slightly boosts experience from defeating foes.
The Riddle of Recollection Solution
The riddle: “Now, questions beget questions, and I have one for you: How many riddles have you solved thus far? My memory fails me, you see. Remind me, and make it plain. Let yonder statues be your means. For every question aptly answered, bring on here before me.”
The solution: This is another simple one, but you do need to be careful. Basically, you need to carry over the amount of statues from the left, and put them onto the platform, depending on how many riddles you’ve completed so far - and yes, the Riddle of Reunion counts as a riddle. So, if you’ve completed 7 (like we did), you need to carry over 7 statues and put them on the platform. If you’ve forgotten, just look at the amount of chests you’ve opened and add that number to the original 5 you completed at the Mountain Shrine.
Now, the reason I said to be careful, as the first time we did this, as we interacted with the Sphinx, it pushed a statue off the platform. So, make sure you place them around the edge, so you can still stand in the middle and interact. If you’re 100% the correct amount of statues are on the platform, then say “Yes,” that’s your answer. And the next chest’s contents will be all yours.
The reward: Unmaking Arrow, which instakills any enemy (do not use this, we’ll need it later on).
The Riddle of Differentiation Solution
The riddle: “So vast is this world, and full of life; you are but one of many. Indeed, in the grand scheme, we are distinct from one another as pebbles on the beach - yet we do so love to extol our differences. But these differences so great? If you believe so, this next task should prove exceedingly simple. I seek this man. If men are so distinct, I’m sure you’ll find him in a trice.”
The solution: This one may seem more complex than it actually is. What you need to do is find the person that the Sphinx shows you an image of - so pay attention. Now, the person will be one of two twins, both of which can be found at the Checkpoint Rest Town.
The difference between the two is fairly easy though: one will have straight hair and a straight scar over their right eye (Dante); while the other will have wavy hair and a jagged scar over their right eye (Vergil). So: straight vs. wavy. Just pay attention to those two features and you’ll be fine.
In terms of where to find them:
You’ll find Dante (straight hair) by the well, in front of The Sword & Staff Inn in the Checkpoint Rest Town.
You’ll find Vergil (wavy hair) either on the northside of the large fortress gate at the Checkpoint Rest Town (near the South Border Oxcart Station), and if they’re not there, they’ll be in front of Zeplin’s Inn at the south side of the gate (which is effectively in Battahl).
Once you know which one is the right one, yes, you guessed it, grab him and use a Ferrystone to get back to the Frontier Shrine. As always, drop them on the platform and speak to the Sphinx so she opens up another chest.
The reward: Whimsical Daydream (a Trickster weapon).
The Riddle of Futility Solution
The riddle: “How easily the mind unravels! Some say it’s pain that does it best, others darkness - but I say neither. Rather, I say a mind cannot be more soundly broken than when it beholds its earnest efforts laid low in a single stroke. Could you survive such despair? We shall see. Here I have an amphora destined for Ser Maurits in Battahl. Deliver it to him, but beware; it’s rather fragile. I do hope your struggle will amuse.”
The solution: This potentially is the trickiest trial of the lot, because the pot will break whenever it gets hit, so getting it all the way to Bakbattahl is a bloody nightmare! However - and this is a big however - you can make this a million times easier by instead of taking the pot to Bakbattahl, take Ser Maurits to the pot.
So, head to Bakbattahl and go to the Mural Byway (north of the Pilgrims' Inn - Flagship). When there, grab Maurits and use a Ferrystone to go back to the Frontier Shrine. Then, walk up to the pot and put him next to it. This will instantly complete this riddle, and will do so without any chance of failing it. Nice work!
The reward: Eternal Bond (a ring that deepens the bond between giver and receiver when offered as a gift).
How to Kill the Sphinx
But wait! That’s not it! Especially if you want the Eternal Wakestone (which restores any fallen in the vicinity of the holder to life), which is in the large gold chest behind the Sphinx. And of course you want to open that large gold chest behind the Sphinx!
In order to do that, you need to kill the Sphinx, who will attempt to fly away after all the riddles are done. Now, if you’re an Archer, arrows won’t aggro it, only a melee attack or a spell will.
Sure, you can use the “Go” command to trigger an attack from your allies, but honestly, that’s too finicky, in my opinion. The way we triggered the fight was using a spellbook, specifically the Fulgurous Lord spellbook, which casts the High Levin spell.
Once the Sphinx is triggered, now is the time, as an Archer, to use your Unmaking Arrow to instantly kill the Sphinx. So, as soon as the battle commences: hit pause, go to Items, and then go to your Unaming Arrow and equip it, and then use Steady Shot (RB) and ping the Sphinx. This is for one reason: if you don’t use this, when the Sphinx gets low on health, she’ll fly away anyway, so you need something that stops that from happening and this is the only sure fire way.
Killing the Sphinx not only nets you a load of gold (around 8,000), but also it’ll drop the Key of Sagacity, which when put inside the large gold chest will give you the aforementioned Eternal Wakestone - which you can use to get the Reaper’s Scorn achievement.
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Nestled away in the far northwest corner of Vermund in Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a shrine of epic proportions. Not only is the Mountain Shrine a trek and a half to get there, at the end is perhaps one of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s best secrets: the Sphinx.
The Sphinx is not only an epic beast, but solve a series of riddles it sets, and you’ll get untold fortunes. Not only will you net well over 100,000 gold, but you’ll also get Ferrystones, Wakestones, and some one-use only items that can be absolutely devastating.
The thing with the Sphinx, however, is if you get one of its riddles wrong, you fail and the Sphinx flies away. So, there’s no room for error here, so that’s why we’ve created an epic guide with solutions for all 10 riddles, and how to beat the bugger at the end, so you can get an item of supreme power.
Now, while it’s fail and you’re done, you can utilise resting at an Inn as a backup save, should you fail a riddle - as usually it autosaves just as you fail, so you can’t use the recent autosave.
You’re also going to want to use a Portcrystal at the shrines too (which you can pick up after) and a handful of Ferrystones, to make this as easy as possible. Anyway! Without further ado, here’s all 10 solutions and everything you ever need to know to better the Sphinx at every turn!
Where is the Sphinx in Dragon’s Dogma 2?
In order to find the Sphinx, head towards the Checkpoint Rest Town, in western Vermund. North of the body of water to the east of the town is a path that leads north. That path leads to the Ancient Battleground.
To get to the Sphinx you need to head through the Ancient Battleground and head north to the top of the large fortress. When you reach the top there will be an armoured Cyclops. Defeat the Cyclops and head through the hole in the wall to the north. That will lead you into the Worldsend Cave.
Follow the Worldsend Cave to the end, then pass through the Ancient Ruins and into the Shrine Corridor. Once you’ve reached the end of the Shrine Corridor, and climbed the path at the top, you’ll come across the Mountain Shrine, where you’ll find the Sphinx.
Our best bit of advice for making this a hell of a lot easier (as we inferred in the intro) is to drop a portable Portcrystal at the base of the Mountain Shrine, meaning you can teleport here in an instant when you’ve solved one or multiple of the following riddles.
Now comes the hard part… solving the 5 riddles at the Mountain Shrine. The 5 riddles and their solutions are as follows.
The Riddle of Eyes Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with retrieving the item of greatest value that can be found on the other side of the door indicated by the sphinx.”
“Our eyes are our allies, yet oft do they betray, for eyes tell lies, so I advise, and thence do lead astray. Yet how will your eyes advise you? Venture through yonder door, and retrieve that is of greatest value.”
The solution: The first of the Sphinx’s riddles requires you to head back down the stairs and go into the door that the Sphinx opened - to the west. Now, naturally, you’d assume the way forward is to fight your way to the final chamber in the small dungeon, where you’ll find a chest with a Rotten Apple. That isn’t actually the solution. The item you want is literally above the door as you enter, sitting in another chest - which you’d actually spot after leaving the cave (after retrieving the Rotten Apple).
In that chest you'll find the Sealing Phial, a potion that allows you to swallow people up and carry them around with ease… do not drink this. Give it to the Sphinx instead, and that’s this trial done.
The reward: A Wakestone (and the Sealing Phial, which she’ll give back to you).
The Riddle of Madness Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with bringing your most beloved before the sphinx.”
“Love is as twin to madness. They are bound fast, as night is to day. So bring forth your most beloved to me, that I might gauge the depth of your insanity.”
The solution: In order to complete the Riddle of Madness, you need to find someone who you have max affinity with, and take them to the Sphinx. Yes, you need to carry them there. For us, that was Taliesin, as that was who we were doing a quest for when the Affinity and Beyond achievement unlocked (for max affinity with a character).
Thankfully, this isn’t too bad if you dropped a Portcrystal at the Mountain Shrine as we suggested, as you can go to your buddy, pick them up, and then use a Ferrystone to beam back to the Mountain Shrine - yes, if you’re carrying them (using grab), they’ll transport with you to the shrine. Then, you just need to walk onto the platform with your companion, place them down, and then speak to the Sphinx again and select the Riddle of Madness. The Sphinx should then recognise that you’ve brought over your buddy, and the dialogue should change, and the chest should open.
Not the hardest of riddles, apart from the fact there’s no easy way to tell who you have max affinity with (outside of that achievement popping) - although, if you own a home, I’m convinced that the presents you get outside your home only come from 100% affinity people. Anyway, do that and this riddle can be considered complete.
The reward: 1 x Portcrystal.
The Riddle of Wisdom Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with finding the sphinx’s parent.”
“The parent knows the child, yet the reverse is far from true. The child knows not the parent: such is the paren’t due. I am a lost child; for kinship do I yearn. So bring to me my “Parent,” that I might better learn.”
The solution: Perhaps the most bizarre and illogical of the Sphinx’s puzzle is the Riddle of Wisdom. Why, you ask? Because the logical answer would be something Chimera related, as that was often mentioned as one of the parents of the Sphinx (along with Orthus and Echidna). Oh no, this has nothing to do with the Sphinx's actual parents. No, this has to do with a Pawn. In order to pass this riddle, you need to find one of the Pawns that could be deemed one of the Sphinx’s parents, and those are official Capcom Pawns named: SphinxParent, SphinxMother or SphinxFather. Unfortunately these Pawns don't have Pawn IDs, so you can't search for them at a Grand Riftstone.
However, if you’re looking for the location of SphinxParent, SphinxFather or SphinxMother, then head to the Riftstone of the Fellowship in Harve Village (to the west of Vernworth), where you'll find one of the 3 aforementioned Pawns in the rift. You can also find a Riftstone of the Fellowship (where you can get the same Pawn) on the main path northeast of the Checkpoint Rest Town, inside some castle ruins.
Simply summon the Pawn, add it to your party, then head back to the Mountain Shrine and stand on the platform alongside them and interact with the Sphinx to pass this riddle.
The reward: 1,200 RC.
The Riddle of Conviction Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with bringing your most prized possession before the sphinx.”
“Life is an enigma - a lender of mortal debt. Yet lighter pack makes fleeter foot and challenge nimbly met. So grant me what you most prize, and thence elude your ponderous demise.”
The solution: This one is a bit of a trick riddle, as there’s no wrong answer. For this riddle, you just need to put in what you perceive as your most valuable item. However, if you put a Salubrious Draught in, you’d still pass. The reason for that is that this one is more of a loyalty test than a riddle. Whatever you put in, will essentially be duplicated in the riddle’s reward.
So, if you put in something expensive, you’ll get that back, and a duplicate in the reward chest. That means you could put in another Dragon’s Gaze (sells for 5,000 gold), an expensive weapon like Black Matter (sells for 10,000 gold), or you could be more practical, and put in a Portcrystal, as those are like gold dust. Your choice, though, there are no wrong answers, (and we tried it with 5 or 6 different cheap and dirty items and passed every time).
The reward: Ironically, it’s whatever you put in.
The Riddle of Rumination Solution
The riddle: “You’ve been tasked with returning to the place where you found your very first Seeker’s Token”
“It’s ever the first we keep fond in our breast, and ever the first that eclipses the rest. You know of the Seeker’s Tokens, I trust? Those keepsakes of a fondly remembered journey? Yet where was it that you found your first? Retrace your steps, if you can - you might make a new discovery. Seven days, shall we say, ere you return? May your journey be a pleasant one.”
The solution: This one is either super simple, or rock hard, depending on how good your memory is. Basically, you need to go to where you picked up your first Seeker Token, as now there’ll be a new token in its stead: a Finder’s Token. That’s what you need to return to the Sphinx herself, and you need to do it fairly quickly, as it’s the only one with a time limit, per se. You have 1 in-game week! Go, go, go!
The reward: 3 x Ferrystones.
Where does the Sphinx fly to? (The Riddle of Reunion)
If you’re quick enough, you can loot the last chest and turn and grab onto the Sphinx as she flies to the next destination. If not, though, you need to head to the Frontier Shrine on your lonesome.
The Frontier Shrine can be found if you follow the river west from the Checkpoint Rest Town. So, come out of Checkpoint Rest Town, head over the bridge and to the east and walk down to the river bed. Then, follow the river west.
After climbing through caves, and up over the ridge and across the rickety bridge, you’ll come across a Minotaur and a Chimera. Defeat them, and then take the path south.
This will lead to the Frontier Shrine, where you’ll find the Sphinx’s new home. And in doing so, you will have unwittingly completed the 6th riddle, the Riddle of Reunion. Congrats!
For “solving” this riddle, a chest will open which will have 100,000 gold in it!
As always, before you commence with the riddles, drop a Portcrystal, as it’ll make a few of the riddles infinitely easier. On top of that, you’re going to want to be an Archer too, as you’ll need it for the final showdown.
Next up are 4 more riddles. The difference here, however, is that they come at you in any order. No more choosing this time.
You’ll get the below in a random order. Good luck!
The Riddle of Contest Solution
The riddle: “Though ours is a battle of wits, tests of mettle are more to your strength. Is that not so? Come, try your arm - though he shall be your opponent, not I. However, I am not one to be amused by a simple duel. Bear this ring into battle, that I might gauge your true strength.”
The solution: The battle against the warrior that the Sphinx spawns is no ordinary battle, as the warrior won’t take any damage while the aforementioned ring is equipped (the Ring of Derision). Do not take off the ring, though. That’s not the solution to this riddle. To pass this test you need to knock the warrior off the cliff to the west, which isn’t too hard, as the warrior staggers incredibly easily. As an Archer I was able to ping him off the edge with relative ease. You can even down them, and then throw them off the cliff if you want. The choice is yours. As soon as the warrior dies, the Sphinx will acknowledge your feat, and she’ll be satisfied.
The reward: Ring of Ambition, which slightly boosts experience from defeating foes.
The Riddle of Recollection Solution
The riddle: “Now, questions beget questions, and I have one for you: How many riddles have you solved thus far? My memory fails me, you see. Remind me, and make it plain. Let yonder statues be your means. For every question aptly answered, bring on here before me.”
The solution: This is another simple one, but you do need to be careful. Basically, you need to carry over the amount of statues from the left, and put them onto the platform, depending on how many riddles you’ve completed so far - and yes, the Riddle of Reunion counts as a riddle. So, if you’ve completed 7 (like we did), you need to carry over 7 statues and put them on the platform. If you’ve forgotten, just look at the amount of chests you’ve opened and add that number to the original 5 you completed at the Mountain Shrine.
Now, the reason I said to be careful, as the first time we did this, as we interacted with the Sphinx, it pushed a statue off the platform. So, make sure you place them around the edge, so you can still stand in the middle and interact. If you’re 100% the correct amount of statues are on the platform, then say “Yes,” that’s your answer. And the next chest’s contents will be all yours.
The reward: Unmaking Arrow, which instakills any enemy (do not use this, we’ll need it later on).
The Riddle of Differentiation Solution
The riddle: “So vast is this world, and full of life; you are but one of many. Indeed, in the grand scheme, we are distinct from one another as pebbles on the beach - yet we do so love to extol our differences. But these differences so great? If you believe so, this next task should prove exceedingly simple. I seek this man. If men are so distinct, I’m sure you’ll find him in a trice.”
The solution: This one may seem more complex than it actually is. What you need to do is find the person that the Sphinx shows you an image of - so pay attention. Now, the person will be one of two twins, both of which can be found at the Checkpoint Rest Town.
The difference between the two is fairly easy though: one will have straight hair and a straight scar over their right eye (Dante); while the other will have wavy hair and a jagged scar over their right eye (Vergil). So: straight vs. wavy. Just pay attention to those two features and you’ll be fine.
In terms of where to find them:
Once you know which one is the right one, yes, you guessed it, grab him and use a Ferrystone to get back to the Frontier Shrine. As always, drop them on the platform and speak to the Sphinx so she opens up another chest.
The reward: Whimsical Daydream (a Trickster weapon).
The Riddle of Futility Solution
The riddle: “How easily the mind unravels! Some say it’s pain that does it best, others darkness - but I say neither. Rather, I say a mind cannot be more soundly broken than when it beholds its earnest efforts laid low in a single stroke. Could you survive such despair? We shall see. Here I have an amphora destined for Ser Maurits in Battahl. Deliver it to him, but beware; it’s rather fragile. I do hope your struggle will amuse.”
The solution: This potentially is the trickiest trial of the lot, because the pot will break whenever it gets hit, so getting it all the way to Bakbattahl is a bloody nightmare! However - and this is a big however - you can make this a million times easier by instead of taking the pot to Bakbattahl, take Ser Maurits to the pot.
So, head to Bakbattahl and go to the Mural Byway (north of the Pilgrims' Inn - Flagship). When there, grab Maurits and use a Ferrystone to go back to the Frontier Shrine. Then, walk up to the pot and put him next to it. This will instantly complete this riddle, and will do so without any chance of failing it. Nice work!
The reward: Eternal Bond (a ring that deepens the bond between giver and receiver when offered as a gift).
How to Kill the Sphinx
But wait! That’s not it! Especially if you want the Eternal Wakestone (which restores any fallen in the vicinity of the holder to life), which is in the large gold chest behind the Sphinx. And of course you want to open that large gold chest behind the Sphinx!
In order to do that, you need to kill the Sphinx, who will attempt to fly away after all the riddles are done. Now, if you’re an Archer, arrows won’t aggro it, only a melee attack or a spell will.
Sure, you can use the “Go” command to trigger an attack from your allies, but honestly, that’s too finicky, in my opinion. The way we triggered the fight was using a spellbook, specifically the Fulgurous Lord spellbook, which casts the High Levin spell.
Once the Sphinx is triggered, now is the time, as an Archer, to use your Unmaking Arrow to instantly kill the Sphinx. So, as soon as the battle commences: hit pause, go to Items, and then go to your Unaming Arrow and equip it, and then use Steady Shot (RB) and ping the Sphinx. This is for one reason: if you don’t use this, when the Sphinx gets low on health, she’ll fly away anyway, so you need something that stops that from happening and this is the only sure fire way.
Killing the Sphinx not only nets you a load of gold (around 8,000), but also it’ll drop the Key of Sagacity, which when put inside the large gold chest will give you the aforementioned Eternal Wakestone - which you can use to get the Reaper’s Scorn achievement.
Congratulations! You bested the Sphinx!