Eventually, the path leads you to a foggy area where you need to defeat a chimera and other large monsters to reach the sphinx. Once the area is clear, look for this large pillar and walk underneath it to find the Frontier Shrine. Be sure to open up the chests in the area before proceeding, too.
This is a much easier shrine to reach, but it’s important to drop a portable Portcrystal at the Frontier Shrine to help with the upcoming riddles – just like last time.
Sphinx Riddle Solutions at Frontier Shrine
There are five more riddles to solve at the Frontier Shrine, but as a word of warning – remember to switch to the Archer vocation before solving the final riddle. You need to use the Unmaking Arrow on the sphinx after solving the fifth riddle here.
| Name | Riddle | Solution | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riddle of Reunion | Five riddles have I posed, and five answers have you given. Perhaps you expected more, but I’m afraid that’s that. Our next game shall have to take a different tack. Though constant this world may seem, in truth, all is in flux. And so the time has come for me to fly. If you are not yet satisfied, seek me at my new abode. | Find the sphinx at the Frontier Shrine after solving the Mountain Shrine riddles. | x100,000 gold |
| Riddle of Differentiation | So vast is this world, and full of life; you are but one of many. Indeed, in the grand scheme, we are as distinct from one another as pebbles on a beach – yet we do so love to extol our differences. But are 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 sphinx will show you an NPC that you need to find – either Dante or Virgil. Dante has straight hair and a straight scar on his right eye, while Virgil has wavy hair with a jagged scar on his right eye. Check the History tab in the menu to compare the two NPCs and grab the one you need. Dante is near the entrance to the Checkpoint Border Town and Virgil is on the other side of the border gate at the other end of the town. Pick up either Dante or Virgil and fast travel back to the sphinx to solve the riddle. | x1 Whimsical Daydream |
| Riddle of Futility | 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. | You need to deliver the item to Maurits, but we’re going to do this the easy way. You don’t actually need to bring the vase to Maurits – you can instead bring Maurits to the vase. Find him in Battahl, pick him up, and teleport back to the sphinx to complete this riddle. Maurits is a beastren with white fur, and you’ll find him just north of the flagship Pilgrims’ Inn in Bakbattahl. If you want to do this the hard way, remember to place the vase in a somewhat safe spot whenever enemies appear to avoid breaking it. | x1 Eternal Bond |
| Riddle of Contest | 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 sphinx equips a weakening ring on you, greatly reducing your damage dealt. To win this fight, you need to stun or stagger the opponent, then grab and throw them off the nearby cliff. Try to keep the fight near the pillars on the cliffside and get ready for your opening. | x1 Ring of Ambition |
| Riddle of Recollection | 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 one here before me. | The sphinx asks these Frontier Shrine riddles in a random order, so think back and count how many riddles you’ve solved at both the Mountain Shrine and this shrine. This was our final riddle, so our answer was nine. Pick up the statues and place the correct number in front of the sphinx to equal the number of riddles you’ve answered correctly. | x1 Unmaking Arrow |
How to Open the Sphinx’s Gold Chest
Even if you solve every single riddle asked, the sphinx won’t unlock the large, golden chest. The trick here – and perhaps the toughest riddle – is to defeat the sphinx in combat. You can buy a second Unmaking Arrow from the Dragonforged in Battahl to give yourself two chances here.
This is when you should use the Unmaking Arrow. Don’t let the sphinx fly away after solving all its riddles. Quickly equip the Unmaking Arrow before it leaves, and do not miss. Aim for the lion-like part of its body, not the head, and this will work.
The game saves right after you shoot the arrow, so steady your aim. If you hit your shot, the sphinx will congratulate you and drop the Key of Sagacity. The contents of the gold chest are now yours to take. Inside, you’ll find the Eternal Wakestone, which revives all NPCs at once.
