We had faced the Dark Harbinger Ashai a few times earlier, but our encounter at the Sphynx of Tait went far better for us than our previous encounters with the Undead Asar. During my studies of some of Shefdu's found fragments, I came across a portion that brought up a question that could only be answered through the magical knowledge of a Sphynx.
We quickly took to the center of the field, where the Sphynx was located. To the left of the Sphynx, the Hard Bits (my Sebeki unit), under Kojhak's command and Hotep the Spy clashedwith the Scarab Ogre. The Beloved Ra-Sobek managed to hunt down the vile Necromancer and dispatch him. Ra-Sobek then single-handedly battled two Crypt Lords and a Nekharu Dealth Cultist Hero to a standstill. To the center right, Sakharra, my Heru heroine, and the Mallets (my To-Tanem unit) engaged the morass of a Horde Mummy unit in front of the Sphynx.
For my part, I went forward with Hotep, but held back to survey the battle for where I was most needed. There was a large unit of Nekharuy Death Cultist Archers on a hill overlooking the battlefield. To protect the Punctuation of Maat and the Swordmasters, I decided to cast The Wind's Howl between the archer units. I had confidence that the Punctuation would be able to successfully shoot through the windstorm. We were already dealing with a sandstorm, so this extra impediment was no trouble for them. After I saw to that, I charged forward to aid in the fight against the Scarab Ogre.
On the far right the Swordmasters of Hoethet once again proved their superiority by engaging one of Ashai's Crypt Lords and beating the beast down.
On the far left Hat-Mehit, the City Dweller Artifex, held up an entire unit of Mummy Warriors on her own for most of the battle. She delights in the speed her quicksilver sandals grant her, and often runs ahead of the rest of the warband. Sometimes this is to our benefit, sometimes not.
Nefibi Moonfeather, my Mistress of Words, held close to the Punctuation of Maat, and cast Arrows Ablaze on them to help them fell another unit of Horde Mummies coming in on the right. She also used her hekau to speed up the advance of the Mallets. Then she flew in to the Sphynx once the Horde Mummies were defeated, but failed to answer its riddle.
Back at the center Ashai charged into the Mallets as they fought with the Horde Mummies. To his surprise, they held and encircled him. Their pounding mallets managed to drive him off, to all of our surprise. He withdrew what was left of his Horde, shaking his fist at me as he went. Doubtless Shefdu will be told of this battle, and he will be very cross with me.
The field was ours, and I was finally able to ask my question of the Sphynx, after answering its riddle - 'What flows like a river, but never tops its banks?' Yet the answer I recieved was no less a riddle, and far less help than I'd hoped. 'Orbs of darkness unseeing yet seeing follow reversals and allow rest for none.'
I often forget consulting a Sphynx is usually more trouble than it's worth.
-from Mabukitoth-Re's 'Accounts from Fokhara and the War Against the Followers of Set'
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