OOC > Is there a better person to carry the torch? Mage hand? Someone with one weapon and no shield?

Drusk is willing to take the torch from Quillary, since she has been fighting in front with her magic club, but that is her choice. (He normally uses a shield too, but he is wearing heavier armor.)

He would also like to look over the stones before heading down the path.

Quillary is happy to hand the torch to Drusk, and equips her shield again. She will Help Drusk examine the stones.

Seeing it up close, the large stones form a dolmen: a megalithic tomb with a large, flat stone laid on top of several upright ones to create an enclosed space that is open at one end. It is large enough for Hildigrim to walk in normally, but Drusk has to crouch to fit. Drusk checks if anything is buried near it, and doesn't find anything.

He is a bit creeped out to find that the "chalky dirt" that everyone has been walking on is actually ground bones.

As he is getting out, he notices there are hieroglyphs scratched underneath the top stone. Since Quillary was helping, she sees and deciphers them right away. (Only read the spoiler if Quillary decides to share.)

“Hm.” Quillary reads aloud, “Tests. Trust, reason, courage, resilience, and freedom. It may be that we will be tested on this path. It was good you decided to look, Drusk. This could be helpful.”

Hildigrim calls forth Volo and lets him fly in the fog to see if he can see better than they can.

Since the others are ready to head down the path, Drusk hustles to join them, holding the hag torch high.

Drusk's face lights up, as a thought crosses his mind. "When Quillary said “It would seem we follow the path,” it was like she was trust-ing that this path is the way to go." He smiles at his wit, and continues marching along the path.

For a minute, the group walks forward, nothing of interest in this featureless fog-blanketed moor. But then you come to a fork in the path. At the fork, there’s a signpost with two signs on it. The one pointing down the left path is labeled LEFT. The one pointing down the right path is labeled RIGHT.

Hildigrim places a finger to his chin as he scrutinizes the signs. "Perhaps we're looking at word play. Could right also mean correct?"

"That seems reasonable, Hildigrim. And very on the nose," Quillary taps her nose. "We have little else to go on. Let us go right."

The party goes on the path in the direction of the RIGHT sign.

After a minute, you come to a second crossroads. At this one, the path divides into six options. There’s another signpost here with arrows to each of the paths. The six signs are labeled: WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHICH, WHO, WHY.

Pascal sits for a moment, “Well, I ain’t got too many ideas for this one. Ain’t much ‘bout courage when ya think about these...” Pascal slams his fist into his hand, “But maybe Jorin can just cut down the sign! That’s gotta be pretty courageous!” A moment passes, “Eh, maybe not.”

Quote from JcAndD >>

“Well, I ain’t got too many ideas for this one. Ain’t much ‘bout courage when ya think about these...”

 "Agreed, walking around paths doesn't seem to be about courage. But Hildigrim said it might be word play, which hadn't crossed my mind. So thinking and minding and idea-ing, seems to be a test of reason.

"For me, I feel like I haven't been given all the jigsaw pieces yet, so I don't know how they fit together. If there are more of these signs, maybe it will make more sense after seeing more of them... Until then, I'm happy to follow Hildigrim's suggestions and intuition."

Quillary is also stumped. “‘Which’ seems out of place? And also maybe about witches?” She shrugs.

Hildigrim again places a finger to his chin. He doesn't react to Pascal or Drusk, but nods after Quillary says her piece. "The tomes I've read concerning writing decrees stresses who, what, where, why and how, but not which, so that is a viable option." He motions toward Quillary. "The bit about witches is also something to consider. However, the purpose of a road sign is to show where, so that is another possibility. Of course, we are looking for someone, so who would fall under that."

Is there anything interesting about the signs or the paths that would mark one as different? Perhaps there are footprints going down one of the paths?

d20: 15 +1 for survival, +5 for perception, +6 for investigation

At the mention of cutting down the signs, Jorin brings up an axe and is about to strike one of the posts before Hildi's shoots him a look, reminded him the mirror he smashed back in Skulktown.  He pulls the axe swing so it misses, and with a sheepish look, plays it off as just a "practice swing" to "keep his shoulders loose and ready for a fight."

"Perhaps the Which sign is the direction to check first?  It is the odd sign out, and even if a trap, we shall overcome with out steel."

Hildigrim does not find any indications to distinguish between the paths.

Between the ground bone ground, and the absence of any insect life, he suspects this is some kind of arcane demi-plane, which only crudely resembles the world you came from. The "laws of nature" may be very different here (like no natural flames, and this odd fog).

Quote from Mingofaust >>
Quillary is also stumped. “‘Which’ seems out of place? And also maybe about witches?” She shrugs.

Drusk: "Wait.. witches? We haven't seen any witches involved directly with the Eye or the Black Bloods. Hyll is a visitor who wants to immigrate to Tarthwood."

Hildigrim shrugs. "Shall we try Where?"

The party goes down the path marked by the WHERE sign.

After a minute, you come to a third crossroads. At this one, the path divides into five options. There’s another signpost here with arrows to each of the paths. The five signs are labeled: HEN, EWE, MARE, DOE, SOW.

Pascal starts muttering to himself, “Resilience... Horse is a pretty tough meat, and so is deer. But if we’re thinkin’ what’s the most filling, then beef is pretty good...”

Quote from JcAndD >>

Pascal starts muttering to himself, “Resilience... Horse is a pretty tough meat, and so is deer. But if we’re thinkin’ what’s the most filling, then beef is pretty good...”

All 3 of the signs and the crossroads have been identical  (except for the words on the signs and the number of options).

Pascal suspects that this is still part of the same test (reason), rather than a new test (courage or resilience).