The Answer



The Answer are a group of Fears that represent decisions. They all have individual representations, but combine to form the ultimate being to manipulate free will against people.

The Answer consists of these entities:
 * The House of Fortune
 * The King in the Mountain
 * The Unbounded Face
 * The Woman in the Wind

Relation to The Crossroad of Trials
In certain interpretations, The Answer were spawned as living manifestations of The Crossroad of Trials known as The Four Ways or The Choicemakers. The Four Ways all controlled one of the four roads that intersect and tested those who entered them by presenting them with certain choices. Eventually the Crossroad grew tired of the Ways and finally reabsorbed them after learning they sought to become independent. Despite their fate, they are alive and still have some influence over the world, allowing them to appear to certain people at certain times.


 * The Unbounded Face was The Way of the Willing. It would present people with two choices, then four, then sixteen, and so on. More and more choices, until a person found themselves in another place, in another situation, not knowing how they got there, not knowing how to get out.


 * The House of Fortune was The Way of the Wheel. It would let a person gamble everything they owned, including their lives. Everything was determined through blind luck, so you could win big or lose hard.


 * The Woman in the Wind was called The Way of the Wanton. It would entice people into making decisions purely for their own happiness, no matter the consequences. Then, after everything went wrong, it would approach them one more time and "swallow" them whole.


 * The King in the Mountain was The Way of the Weight. It would offer the person with two options: leave the Crossroad unscathed or have their greatest wish granted at a price. If the person accepted the wish, they would be burden with soul crushing responsibility and stress for the rest of their lives. Choosing the easy way out would come back to haunt them, as any attempt to make their wish come true would fall apart.