Sphinxes
A beautiful pantaur resting on a rock. Picture by Yuni and used with artist's permission. For larger version visit Yuni's gallery
Sphinxes are a proud and regal race with the head and torso of a human fused with the lower body of a lion. With their great feathered wings on their backs, they are truly awe-inspiring. They often have long hair and passionate, fiery eyes.
Sphinxes can be surprisingly emotional, and are known to quickly switch from one mood to another. In spite of this, they are intelligent and think very logically, albeit rather rigidly. They tend to see themselves as superior to everyone else, and can be quite self-righteous at times. They are often used as symbols for justice because Sphinxes seem to hold that particular value strongly. They often act as a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner, in matters that they see fit to preside over. Sphinxes are prone to defend causes with great passion, which can sometimes lead them to fanatism. They are very prideful, and a sure fire way to commit suicide would be to insult one of them or their ideals.
Sphinxes of Felarya come in a range of sizes from 8 feet (head to ground) to 100 feet or more. They often have golden fur, hair, and eyes, and walk with a self confident swagger. They are skilled warriors, being especially proficient with blades, and many make a living guarding places, people, and things that they feel is worthy of their protection.
In spite of their size, larger specimens are not as voracious as one would expect. Most sphinxes like hunting alone and will, if possible, get their prey from a group rather than cornering a single victim, as they feel it is more of a fair contest if the prey is allowed to counter their physical weakness with larger numbers. They also strongly despise sneak attacks and will always openly announce themselves before engaging an enemy.
Sphinxes store food they eat first in their human stomach, but once it becomes full, the contents are transferred to a second stomach, much larger, situated in their feline part.
Sphinxes are dangerous on both the ground and in air, and some of them master a powerful healing and protective magic. They tend to live near mountain ranges and open fields, where they can make good use of their great, majestic wings.
Like one could figure, sphinxes absolutely despise harpies, their main rivals as the dominant avian race of Felarya. The two races have often waged war in the past.
Blue Sphinxes
A species mostly found in the great rocky fields. They have blue fur, blue hair, possess cat ears, paws instead of hands, and have fur-covered forearms.
Blue sphinxes are fearsome creatures. Not only are they totally immune to lightning, but they can absorb it to heal themselves as well. They store it, in a manner similar to stormseekers, although they keep it in their bones and can't blast bolts of lightning at targets. Thus, any hostile or unwanted contact with a blue sphinx results in a powerful, stunning shock. Even when the sphinx is standing idle, small arcs of lightning can be seen coursing along the length of their body. They can control their shocking ability though, so if you are on good terms with one, touching or being touched by that individual is perfectly safe.
Blue sphinxes are vain, prideful, but slightly more lascivious and naughty than the rest of their kind, and are less inclined to follow strict codes of honor. For instance, they have nothing against sneak attacks, having lost countless battles against the fierce harpies of the zone when they announced themselves and their intentions.
They are also on friendly terms with nekos and will very rarely attack or feed on them.
Sphinx Sentinels
Sphinx sentinels are an uncommon species of giant sphinxes, mostly found in dungeons, mazes, and temples. They receive very special education, learning the traditions, history, and laws of their race, as well as an impressive number of riddles. Then, at some point early in their life, young sphinxes sentinels receive the two curses that have been passed down among them since time immemorial:
- The Geas of Guardianship: on their one hundredth birthday, a sphinx is given charge over a great secret, usually a treasure or extreme magical power, sometimes a gateway or passage a hero would be expected to survive. They must guard this place for 5,672 years or until an adventurer wins the prize.
- The Geas of Riddles: the second prohibition laid down upon a sphinx, given after the geas of guardianship is cast. During the 5,672 years of guardianship, a sphinx is forbidden to consume any sentient being unless they have asked them a riddle and the being has failed to answer or answered incorrectly. If the being answers correctly, they must be allowed to pass and gather treasure unmolested by the guardian.
Recently, however, a lot of younger, less patient sphinxes have begun using tricks and technicalities to get around the geas. For example, a hero answers a riddle correctly and passes the sphinx to get the treasure, but there is too much of it, so he figure he will simply take multiple trips. Hungry and impatient, the sphinx will allow him to fill up his arms with loot, and then force him to answer another riddle to be allowed to pass again. Most adventurers are so flustered by this that they fail, and are promptly devoured by the tricky sphinx.
The origins of these two curses and the reason why sphinxes pass them on to each other is an absolute mystery. They're believed to go back to a time before Sphinxes first set foot in Felarya itself.
As one might imagine, sphinx sentinels are extraordinarily patient creatures. They pass the time with mind games, solving complex mathematical problems, or conceiving new riddles. In Felarya, some sphinx sentinels have been known to link themselves to dryads, in order to keep in contact with the outside world. Sphinx sentinels possess a formidable memory and near perfect concentration, thus making them excellent spell casters, proficient in many types of magic, from dimensional magic, to telekinesis, to transmutation. With both this magical ability and their natural physical strength they are frighteningly powerful opponents.
Once in a while, another sphinx will come to replace the one currently guarding an area, to allow them to feed if the number of adventurers has been scarce. The sphinx then gate themselves to another world where they enter a feeding frenzy. For a few hours, the calm and composed creature turns into a ravenous and insatiable predator, engulfing prey by the dozens and stuffing themselves until their two enormous stomaches are so bloated the sphinx can barely walk. They then come back to their post, ready to stand guard once again, and digest their copious meal. This is the only time a sphinx sentinel doesn't ask riddles.
Canopy Pantaurs
A wingless species of sphinxes living in the summit of the gigantic trees of Felarya. They largely make up for their lack of wings with their great speed and extraordinary agility. Climbing a tree is as natural to them as walking is to humans.
Pantaurs are a lot more easy going than other sphinxes. They are social creatures and usually hunt in small pack of 3 to 5. They don't hesitate to assault large groups of enemies or prey, confident in both their combat skills and speed, in case things go poorly, two traits that rarely fail a pantaur in spite of their great recklessness. Pantaurs are very curious and don't like to stay in the same place for very long, loving to travel, explore, and see new things.
Pantaurs are fearsome hunters. Their senses are very developed, especially their hearing. They love to play with their prey, much like a cat will play with a mouse, and when in a group they will often sensuously feed their prizes to each other.
Stone Sphinxes
A species of sphinxes living in the Lamina mountain region. They are usually 80 feet tall from head to ground. Their appearance is basically the same as a regular sphinx, but their fur, skin, hair, and eye color are darker, usually black or brown. They also give off the distinct smell of wet stone. Stone sphinxes are solitary creatures, dwelling in the various caves of the Lamina region.
One of their most remarkable abilities that they can turn themselves into stone statues at will. While in statue form they absorb nutrients from the ground in order to quell their appetite. Their metabolism in statue form is extremely slow, in order to conserve energy, and their bodies also become incredibly tough and utterly immune to non acidic poisons and venoms. Stone sphinxes in statue form are completely aware of their surroundings, and can be considered to be in suspended animation.
Stone sphinxes are the least voracious species of their kind, only needing to hunt once per year. They spend most of their time in statue form, absorbing nutrients from the ground to stay healthy. However, if prey comes near them, they have the habit of suddenly breaking out of statue form, gobbling up the prey, and then returning to their previous state, as if nothing had happened. Stone sphinxes are obviously very patient creatures, and have the curious -and sometimes unnerving- trait of speaking very slowly.
- Credits goes to Chroias for the idea of the sphinxes sentinels, and to Daimo for the stone sphinxes.
