God's Box

The **God's Box** (otherwise known as **The Cradle**, **Puzzle Box of the Absolutes**, or **Shardlord's Puzzle Box**) is a God Artifact, and unquestionably the most powerful one of them all - being the most potent object in the entire A Legend's Legacy universe. It was created by the Absolutes.

The box itself is a puzzling object, containing highly paradoxical and logical tests that must be solved in order for it to be opened. It is kept in the Godvault, being locked behind several layers of code of the Paradox Equation, so much that only an Absolute could be said to bypass it. However, in A Legend's Legacy: Risen Sun, the Shardlord, through cryptically-said means, has obtained it, and has used it for its answers, as well as a form of "weight" for his grand plan.

It has never been solved, nor successfully opened completely. The Shardlord has stated himself that he himself has solved 71 of its 72 puzzles; the last puzzle requires a "mark" of all the Absolutes, and that within the cube, it is heavily speculated that whoever opens it has the power of the Original One, and can completely reset the Paradox Equation. In short, it is speculated that it was made in the scenario that the equation would begin to collapse. The wielder of the cube, completely solved, is the most powerful being in the universe.

The box makes an appearance after the defeat of the Shardlord in Risen Sun; the Shardlord has a chance to drop the "key" for it, which allows players to try and solve it. Since he tells his champions that he cannot share the answers because of its powers, he says "those on the outside" can, meaning the actual people playing the game can do so.

## Appearance

The box is black and gold in colour; using Paradox Vision shows no coding on it whatsover, hinting that the box itself possesses "free will". It is heavily patterned, and the patterns change randomly, meaning it never looks the same. When it changes patterns, the puzzles become either easier or more difficult. It is extremely durable, and cannot be destroyed by any means, as tested by the Shardlord, who tried shooting it with Los Lobos hoping it would open. The box gets smaller for every puzzle solved, and this view is dependent on who solves it. If one were to solve it, it would disappear completely. In order for individuals to decipher it, they must wield the key, and touch the box - they will enter a "dream-state" where they can try to solve it. To leave, they need only stop thinking of the puzzle.

## Puzzles

The box contains 72 puzzles, all of which are extremely difficult. Players can attempt to complete them, though it is said it could take hours or days.

* **I**: "Moving Lines"
* **LXXII**: "Absolute"

## Behind the scenes

* The game devs have said that the Cradle is ultimately a "puzzle game" for players, and that in due time if it isn't solved, it will "solve itself".
* It was revealed in Patch 6.4 that the Shardlord wanted the Mirage Chain not to create another Endbane or Paradox Orb, it was to create another "Cradle" to try and merge with the other one, by using the stamps of the Absolutes.
* The Shardlord was able to retrieve the box by "dimensional bleeding". He subtly mentions this when the Highfather asks how he gotten it, after reassuring him he doesn't intend to use it to "reset the world"; "If we are all one with the equation, it only makes sense that some of us can bleed with it."
* The box is said to have the power to destroy Xanados.

## Speculation

It is highly rumoured that the Shardlord is lying, and that he actually has solved the **God's Box**, but to what end is unknown. On top of this, during the raid in Vryllon Citadel, Black-Red says that "the Shardlord has only lied once", and many suspect solving 71 rather than all 72 puzzles is a lie.

#### **Suggestions that he has solved it**

* The box itself possesses "free will", which is what the Shardlord has.
	+ Solving more puzzles grants powers to the users, it is possible the Shardlord got this from it.
* He has been able to detect the existence of every known God Artifact
* He has known how "The Word" ends without reading it.
* He is lying about solving 71, and that he has solved 72.
* When he holds the Box, it isn't box-shaped, it is a gold aura.

#### **Suggestions that he hasn't solved it**

* His lie about the 71 solutions might not be the "one lie" he has told.
* The Absolutes cannot create "free will", it is a paradoxical imperfection.
	+ The box could not be created by the Absolutes, but by something else, since "other" Absolutes exist, according to the World.
* The Box takes on many forms, the aura form it takes on might not even be the final form.
* His "one lie" could be about what he wants to use the Mirage Chain for - he says to make another Cradle, or the stamps, but he could've specified something else.