Dark Arisen Sage's Wisdom: All 3 Riddle Solutions

Quick Answer

Bring three items to the Sphinx at the Shrine of Wisdom: the Mournful Giant’s Tusk for Body, the Frozen Wyrmslife Crystal for Soul, and the Decorative Brooch for Will. Present each item to the Sage, then return to Polyeidus at the Norgandian Settlement.

The Sage in Norgan asks for three answers, but none of them is a dialogue choice. Each riddle requires an actual item, and two involve powerful enemies hidden in the northern mountains.

The Riddle of the Body begins with sleeping at the village inn. Soul sends you back through the frozen Beorcan Stronghold to fight Fimbl. Will is easier to reach, provided you remember where the first Fallen Dragon encounter took place.

You can complete the riddles in any order. A successful hunt alone does not finish a riddle; you must return to the Sphinx and hand over the correct object.

How to Find the Sage and Start Sage’s Wisdom

After the first Fallen Dragon encounter, return to the Norgandian Settlement. The expedition’s scholar, Polyeidus, cannot explain the dragon’s regeneration and suggests looking for a Sage who once guided the people of Norgan.

Ask the villagers about the Sage. Dorin can direct you to a watchtower where an old Spirit Compass has been kept.

Get the Spirit Compass From the Watchtower

Follow Dorin toward the tower near the settlement. Enter through its lower doorway and climb to the top.

The Spirit Compass is inside a chest on the upper platform. Take it, then speak with Dorin again.

He explains that the compass points toward the Sage and gives you a Climbing Hook for the broken bridge along the route.

You do not need to purchase another hook merely to begin this journey.

Follow the Compass Through the Mountains

With the compass in your inventory, follow its directional indicator toward the Shrine of Wisdom.

The route leaves the settlement and crosses increasingly dangerous mountainous terrain. Near the broken bridge, look for the tether post mentioned by Dorin. Attach the Climbing Hook to create a way across rather than attempting to jump the gap.

Farther into the mountains, carved animal statues provide another indication that you are following the old pilgrimage route.

Keep the compass direction in mind while traveling through the whiteout. Heavy snowfall can make the normal path difficult to see, and wandering toward every nearby cave will waste supplies.

Bring curatives and cold protection before entering the more exposed mountain areas. The Sage’s riddles eventually send you back into similarly severe conditions, so it is worth preparing for more than one journey.

At the Shrine of Wisdom, speak with the mysterious woman. She reveals herself as a Sphinx and offers to explain the Fallen Dragon’s unnatural existence after you demonstrate an understanding of Body, Soul, and Will.

She also gives you the Eye of the Sphinx, which helps detect monsters.

Before leaving the shrine, activate the fixed Portcrystal near the Shrine of Wisdom. You will need to return with three different items, and using Ferrystones for those trips is much faster than retracing the entire mountain route.

You can complete the riddles in any order and return with more than one answer at a time. Once you have the required items, present them to the Sphinx to receive the rewards.

You now have three objectives to solve.

Riddle of the Body — Find the Mournful Giant’s Tusk

Required item: Mournful Giant’s Tusk
Starting location: Norgandian Inn
Boss: Mournful Giant
Destination: Northern mountains near Nival Gorge Collapse

The Body riddle describes a giant that cannot feel its own suffering, then tells you to seek the place in Norgan where rest is easiest and greet the dawn.

That location is the village inn.

Speak With Dwayne and Rest Until Morning

Return to the Norgandian Settlement and speak with Dwayne at the inn.

He recognizes the description of a giant from stories his father told him and offers to keep watch for it.

Rest at the inn until morning.

A tremendous roar interrupts the peaceful start of the day. Dwayne recognizes the sound and points you toward the giant moving north of the village.

The timing matters. Searching the northern mountains before triggering the morning event is not the intended way to begin this encounter.

Leave through the northern side of the settlement and follow the giant’s trail.

Follow the Giant Into the Northern Mountains

The chase leads toward the mountainous area near Nival Gorge Collapse.

Watch for the signs of the creature’s passage, including damaged trees and the remains of other monsters.

You encounter Dorin along the route. He confirms that the giant continued farther into the mountains and gives you supplies before leaving the pursuit to you.

Continue uphill toward the snowfield.

The giant is a much more dangerous opponent than the ordinary enemies near the settlement. Its attacks can freeze characters, and the surrounding unstable snow introduces another hazard.

Before engaging, restore your party’s health and make sure your Pawns are close enough to participate. Starting the encounter while several party members are still climbing the trail makes the opening unnecessarily difficult.

Defeat the Mournful Giant

The Mournful Giant uses powerful physical attacks and a freezing breath attack.

The most useful openings come from staggering the giant rather than trading attacks with it continuously.

• Break its tusks. Damaging the tusks can knock the giant off balance, creating an opportunity for heavy attacks.
• Climb onto its back. Weapons are embedded in its body. Removing them can contribute to staggering the creature.
• Stay clear of unstable snow. Its movements and roaring can disturb the mountainside. Move away when an avalanche begins.
• Avoid the freezing breath. The attack can immobilize Pawns, leaving the remaining party exposed during the giant’s next attack.

After a stagger, use the opening to concentrate damage rather than spending all your stamina while the creature is still attacking.

After defeating it, collect the Mournful Giant’s Tusk.

Return the Correct Item to the Sphinx

Return to the Shrine of Wisdom and select the Body riddle.

Present the Mournful Giant’s Tusk.

Be careful with this interaction. The Sage can reject an incorrect object even when it comes from the appropriate monster.

A rejected item does not mean you defeated the wrong boss. Check your inventory for the specific tusk rather than offering another piece of loot from the encounter.

Once the correct item is accepted, the Sphinx acknowledges the answer and makes the corresponding reward available.

You can now move on to either of the remaining riddles.

Riddle of the Soul — Defeat Fimbl and Get the Frozen Wyrmslife Crystal

Required item: Frozen Wyrmslife Crystal
Location: Beorcan Stronghold
Boss: Fimbl
Main obstacle: Hidden passage around a locked gate

The Soul riddle describes a red dragon trapped within a blizzard that never ends.

You have already encountered that unusual weather during your earlier journey through Norgan.

The destination is Beorcan Stronghold.

The difficult part is reaching the dragon. A large locked gate appears to block the correct route, but you do not need to open that gate to complete this riddle.

Return to Beorcan Stronghold

Travel back toward Beorcan Stronghold and enter the area affected by the persistent blizzard.

The storm is more than an ordinary weather event. It can drain stamina and make exploration difficult, and many of the Beorcan inhabitants have been frozen in place.

Carry Heatstones and other cold protection before entering.

If you have already activated a nearby Portcrystal, use it to shorten the trip. Otherwise, follow the mountain road back toward the stronghold.

Find the Hidden Entrance Instead of the Locked Main Gate

Inside the stronghold, locate the large locked doorway.

It requires two Beorcan’s Twinned Keys, but those keys are not necessary for reaching Fimbl.

From the locked gate:

1. Turn left and follow the exterior wall.
2. Continue past the frozen Beorcan soldiers.
3. Look near the wooden logs for snow-covered ground concealing an opening.
4. Break or cross the fragile surface to reveal the underground passage.
5. Descend the ladder into the lower area.

The entrance is easy to miss because it resembles the snow-covered terrain around it.

Do not spend time searching for both keys unless you also want the optional treasure behind the locked gate.

Follow the Underground Passage to the Dragon

After descending, continue through the underground chamber.

A chest can be found along the initial passage. Continue beyond it and take the route around toward the next ladder.

Climb back upward and follow the connecting passage until you emerge on the other side of the stronghold.

You will encounter more frozen Beorcans and reach a courtyard with stairs leading toward the upper area.

Fimbl waits beyond.

The important distinction is that the underground route bypasses the locked gate rather than opening it. Once you have reached the far side, you do not need to return for the Twinned Keys to complete the Soul riddle.

How to Defeat Fimbl

Fimbl is a dragon associated with the permanent blizzard.

Its attacks include ground slams that send ice across the arena, airborne attacks using lightning and falling ice, and a dangerous sequence of ice attacks as its health falls.

Bring a party capable of dealing sustained damage rather than depending entirely on brief melee openings.

Fire-enchanted weapons are particularly useful against the creature.

During the battle, concentrate on these opportunities:

• Attack the exposed heart when Fimbl is staggered.
• Move away from areas where ice spikes are about to emerge.
• Avoid standing directly beneath its airborne attacks.
• Keep Pawns healthy enough to survive the later phase of the fight.

The final portion becomes especially dangerous if Fimbl begins a sustained hailstorm. Prolonging the fight at that point can drain the entire party’s health.

If you are struggling to finish the last health bars, save stronger attacks for the openings when its heart is exposed.

Defeating Fimbl ends the unnatural blizzard affecting this part of the stronghold.

You receive the Frozen Wyrmslife Crystal.

Give the Crystal to the Sage

Return to the Shrine of Wisdom and present the Frozen Wyrmslife Crystal as the Soul answer.

The Sphinx recognizes the crystal as proof of the former Arisen whose existence was transformed into that of an ice dragon.

After she accepts the crystal, collect the newly available reward from the treasure chests behind her.

You do not need to complete any unrelated stronghold treasure hunt before turning in the crystal.

If you intend to explore the remaining locked rooms for equipment, you can return to do so separately. The two Twinned Keys are for that additional exploration, not for the Soul riddle.

Riddle of the Will — Find the Decorative Brooch

Required item: Decorative Brooch
Location: Mountain Stronghold, original Fallen Dragon battlefield
Boss requirement: None
Main obstacle: Ghoul ambush after collecting the item

The Will riddle is shorter than the other two, but the clue is deliberately indirect.

The Sage asks for an object representing the will to defy ruin and suggests recalling what you witnessed earlier in Norgan.

The answer comes from your first encounter with the Fallen Dragon.

Return to the Original Fallen Dragon Arena

Return to the Mountain Stronghold, where you first saw another figure fighting the regenerating dragon.

If you are unsure which area the riddle refers to, speak with Polyeidus at the Norgandian Settlement.

He explains that the object should be connected to someone who opposed the dragon during your earlier encounter.

Head back to the original battlefield.

Using the Rivercave Campground Portcrystal can shorten the return journey if you have already activated it.

Pick Up the Decorative Brooch

Enter the arena where the Fallen Dragon previously appeared.

Look near the middle of the battlefield, around the large pattern on the ground where the earlier confrontation took place.

A Decorative Brooch is lying there.

Pick up the brooch.

This triggers an ambush, and ghouls begin appearing around the stronghold.

You can fight through them, but defeating every enemy is not required to make the brooch valid as a riddle answer.

If your party is already injured or your only objective is the Sage’s Wisdom quest, leave the arena with the brooch rather than remaining for a prolonged fight.

The important thing is to keep the item and return it to the Shrine of Wisdom.

Give the Brooch to the Sage

Present the Decorative Brooch for the Will riddle.

The Sphinx recognizes it as belonging to the woman who challenged the Fallen Dragon during your first encounter.

She also raises an important question about that woman’s identity and the existence of another Arisen.

The mystery becomes relevant later in Norgan’s story, but you do not need to solve it now to complete the riddle.

Once the Decorative Brooch has been accepted, collect the available reward from the chests behind the Sphinx.

If Body and Soul have also been completed, all three riddles are now resolved.

What Happens After All Three Riddles?

After accepting all three answers, the Sphinx reveals that the Fallen Dragon’s true body lies within an ancient castle beyond a massive wall of ice.

You have completed Sage’s Wisdom. Collect your rewards before returning to Polyeidus to continue the investigation.

Collect All Three Sphinx Rewards

Each accepted riddle unlocks another treasure chest behind the Sphinx. The three important rewards are:

• Norgan Portcrystal
• Rift Crystals
• Eternal Wakestone

These chest rewards are separate from the fixed Portcrystal used to travel back to the shrine.

Check the chests before leaving. The riddle answers can be delivered in any order, so you do not need to defeat the bosses or hand over the items in the Body → Soul → Will sequence.

If all three items have been accepted but the quest has not advanced, return to Polyeidus at the Norgandian Settlement and complete the conversation.

Return to Polyeidus

After hearing the Sage’s explanation, travel back to the Norgandian Settlement.

Speak with Polyeidus and explain what you learned about the Fallen Dragon.

He connects the Sage’s information to Norgan’s lost history and identifies an ancient study that may contain the records needed to locate the castle.

This begins Sealed History.

Continue the Norgan main quest walkthrough to reach the sealed study, investigate the castle, and follow the story beyond the three riddles.