Now that everyone is on the hill,  Tarja examines the statue.

Well, if this one's a trickster and lies, then we shouldn't go where it's pointing. Does that mean we should follow the map, from here? What does the map say?

Fae would exhale a breath of relief when Zeke would pull the others up safely. She'd present him with a warm dimpled smile, appreciative everyone was unscathed.

"How are you doing Elra?" The divination wizard would check in with their Cleric. She's fallen quiet, understandably so, since the disappearance of Arvel. But the fall was plenty of a surprise on its own. Fae wanted to support Elra in any way she could. Hopefully they can find Arvel soon.

At Tarja's prompt, the scholar would pull her robes righter around herself as she'd step away from their tiefling's warmth to review the statue with her. At first she'd hover over the druids shoulder but then would move out to circle the statue herself. Fae's finger would find her nose, patting it as it does when she's in thought. "There's definitely misdirection of some sort." She'd break her silence, agreeing with Tarja's words. Violet eyes studied the figure, occasionally glancing up to Tarja, Ethan and his flitting familiar Quinn. She'd prompt their artificer as well. "Ethan, do you have any thoughts?"

After a few more slow laps around the Jester, hopefully sharing it with the curious Quinn, she'd pause, tilting her head back to look up at the sky. The wizards hood would fall back as she'd gauge the fall of the cool rain on her head. Whisking the moisture from her forehead, the ravenhaired woman would pad back over helping herself to some shelter in Zeke's wings to safely pull out her notebook. Fae would begin sketching a copy of the statue for a record. She'd look up here and there to confirm details against the statue, but would also check on Elra sometimes too.

Once done her sketch, Fae would jot down some notes with directional lines to accompany them. She'd look back up from her book to finally share her thoughts, hoping to bounce them off the others. "Tarja, I agree that the direction the trickster is obviously guiding us towards would be false." Nodding softly, she'd continue. "Which way does the map direct us?" The scholar would ponder outloud as she'd cross reference with the copy of Ethan's map and Ethan himself. What direction is the lie, and what direction is the truth? That was the question.

Elra is hoisted up over the wet, rocky ledge and Ethan accepts help from Zeke and Quinn and is slowly able to clamber up the rock wall with all of his heavy gear.

You find that the statue is a good 50 yards behind the top of the waterfall up a rocky slope but everyone is able to get up there with little trouble despite a bit of effort.   As you emerge above most of the trees in the valley below you find yourself just south of the river as it continues off to the east and see much steeper walls of stone towering above you just to the south.  A rocky plateau only a hundred yards or so wide at the foot of the sword mountains runs east as the statue gestures you towards and then west up into the mountains.

As the route on the roughly sketched map copy is examined it shows a similar path that you have taken but down the northern river fork and up into the mountains that you can now see on the opposite side of the valley to the north.  The route depicted there then takes a sharp turn back west.  If mirrored to your own location, this path would directly conflict with the easterly direction the second statue is pointing.

(As Fae referenced, Investigation checks are appropriate but not required if interested.)

Quote from Hexblade37 >>

The statue looks a lot like the first as far as size and make, but this one wears a strange three pronged hat with round bobbles on the end of each flopped over third of the hat.  Although weathered, a wide smile can still be seen on the statue's face.  The stone dwarf bows a bit, with its right arm behind his back and the left held at a right angle in front of his stomach.  An open palm faces upwards as one might do if gesturing for one to proceed ahead of them.  The statue itself faces due north, and the open left palm is thus held to its right, or east.  

The party also finds a chill in the air as you climb up to the rockier terrain as the wind cuts through any gaps in your clothing and splatters rain sideways across your skin.  The rain has lightened up a bit, however, so you are not likely completely soaked.  The sun makes a weak effort to break through the clouds overhead, its position revealing it to be mid to late afternoon.

Ethan nods at Fae and gets out his own copy of the map. Ethan examines the map and then the terrain, getting everything oriented in his mind. Ethan then joins Fae as she studies the statue, giving it a once over to get any details. Ethan then ponders the details and clues, discussing them with the others.

Quinn, follows Fae as she circles the statue, hopeful that he might catch her eyes changing to black, or some other fun transformation, before joining Ethan in his pondering, looking at his map over his shoulder. Looking up and then back at the map, Quinn remarks,

"Είμαστε στο σωστό μέρος μάστερ? Δεν δείχνει ο χάρτης ότι θα έπρεπε να είχαμε ακολουθήσει το άλλο ποτάμι?"

"Hhmm? Oh that's because of the riddle and the other statue. We know we are on the right path because we found the second statue. Now we just have to work out our next heading."

Elra smiles when Fae asks her, though the smile doesnt reach her eyes. "Oh I'm doing alright, don't worry! Thanks Zeke! Thanks Ethan!"

She turns her focus to the statue, and tries to draw a line from where the statue is pointing to the oppisite of that.

With a little help Ethan is the first to notice that the first two worn stone fingers on the hand behind the stone dwarf's back appear to be crossed.

Fingers crossed, this statue is definitely a liar!

If we mirror the map, that means right now we have to head south, and then possibly turn back west? Hopefully there is another statue at that fork.

Tarja peers south, trying to discern whether there's a viable path south, mirroring the map. (Perception 11)

(message didn't post right the first time, not sure why...)

Seeing Fae pulling out her journal in the wet weather, the teifling would flare out his wing, attempting to curve it ever so slightly to form a makeshift shelter from the weather.  His useless wings less useless than normal, he'd curl them carefully around her as she studied her notes.  Even as the rest of the party fought off the chilly weather, he'd feel the tiniest bit of warmth in his own belly, the threat of happiness looking to take root.

Tarsha looks at the possible route ahead and sees that a gently sloping rocky plateau heads southwest for at least a mile or two.  It is flanked by the steeper rocky faces of the towering peaks above along its southern edge and cliffs that fall away towards the river the party has just traversed to the north.  Unless the party finds cause to climb or descend extremely steep terrain, following the general direction of the plateau may be the most specific of a route the group has for now.

Elra smiles when Tarja points out the statues fingers, smiling a little, "Kinda funny when you think about it," she says.

A soft smile rested on Fae's face as she took comfort from Zeke's warmth, safely protected from the elements within the shared shelter of his wings. The lightest of chuckles would leave her lips when Tarja would point out the hands behind the statues back, peeking up from her page with a nod of agreement to Elra. "A bit whimsical." She'd hum quietly glancing back to the Jester. The scholar would update a sketch in her journal. Violet hues would then look up once more, a bit more sheepishly. "It reminds me a bit of Arvel too..." She'd add quietly. How he had misdirected the Spider and balanced his facades.

"Should we proceed?" Her head would tilt in question to Tarja who may have found them a seemingly direct route for the next part of their journey.

Well, I reckon that's the way to head, then. Up the plateau and then back west. Let's head on, shall we? Two more statues to go!

Elra nods and follows after Tarja

Zeke hauls in the rest of the rope and makes one last check of their backtrail - now full exposed since in includes a near-vertical ascent up a cliff - before turning to follow the rest of the party towards the next statue.

Or at least he thought that's what they were doing.  The armed and armored barbarian didn't pay much attention to the map or the riddles it held, trusting that to his wiser and smarter comrades, he'd just work to keep them alive.

Seeing the others agree and prepared to go, Fae would do a quick check in with Ethan and Quinn. “How are you doing?” She’d ask softly with a tender smile.

The wizard would encourage him to walk along with her so that Zeke could take his preferred position for the trek. There was no rush or pressure from the ravenhaired woman, she’d simply move with the artificer at his pace as he was ready to continue. 

(Going to gently press forward as our players recover from various real life challenges...)

The party leaves the trickster behind under the burden of a light rain and a chilly mountain wind.  Leaving the cover of the treeline behind as well, you venture southwest up a gently sloping stretch of rocky terrain with steeper areas of the sword mountains dropping away to the north back towards the river from which you came as well as looming above to the south.  While you have no more indication that you are following the correct path beyond what was agreed upon at the statue and with the map, you also have little reason to do anything but head straight up this plateau like stretch of mountain and hope to spot more clues.

Tarja, please make both Perception and Nature checks.

As the group presses on you see the sun for the first time today as it fights its way through the clouds to the west, although it does little to settle the cold gusts at your back.  Out far beyond the Sea of Swords the sun hangs low amidst thick clouds and you know you have less than an hour before you lose all light.

 Tarja leads onward up the plateau, now in druid form, with her Song of Sylvanus at the ready. Since it's getting late, she also keeps an eye out for a place to spend the evening, like a cave or any natural cover. Though hopefully an unoccupied one!

Perception 8 , Nature 20.

Tarja, as the light begins to fade you notice several opportunities to take shelter from rain and wind in shallow caves along the tall rock faces looming above, a few even with fallen stones nearby that will help break the wind.

Now that you are out of the stream bed and despite the rocky terrain, you occasionally notice odd impressions in the dirt and smaller rocks and debris.  They are mostly circular and as big as your palm but most are further obscured by the day's heavy rain so you can't be sure what they are.  You are pretty sure they are not caused by natural wind, rain, water runoff, etc., however as they are more akin to animal tracks.  You notice them occasionally along your path up this rocky plateau area without fail.

Tarja points out the tracks to the party.

These don't look like any animal I can remember, but at least they indicate there's a trail. Not the right shape for humanoid footprints, but could be something with hooves?

Perhaps we'll see better in the morning. Let's find one of these caves to use as a windbreak for the evening. And lets try to find one without any occupants!