This is a commissioned piece done by ErikVonLehmann.
http://erikvonlehmann.deviantart.com

This is Alandra, my Felaryan giant sphinx, conversing with a group of desert travelers who managed to stumble across her oasis out in the vast desert. They are offering her a gift, hoping she will allow them to drink from its waters and taste of its fruits.

Alandra does not appear in any stories I’ve written thus far, but hopefully that will change one day.

Legend says the water and fruits of Alandra’s oasis bestow wondrous enchantments upon those who partake of them. These enchantments are never the same between two people, and their exact effects vary widely - heightened senses, superior abilities, increased magical potential, faster natural recovery, and even the ability to see into the future are but a few examples. Unfortunately, one of the mysterious powers of the place is that travelers who leave its boundaries quickly forget not only the location, but also exactly what happened there. They retain only dim recollections of Alandra and of drinking or eating, but nothing specific. There are a few vague references, none substantiated, that in order to unlock the true power of the oasis, one must first correctly answer Alandra’s riddle. There is no record of anyone having successfully done so. This has led to many mistruths, distortions, myths, and tall tales about the giant sphinx and her enchanted oasis.