The statues and pedestal are magical.  The orb isn't.  I think the question is which statue or pedestal to move it onto.

Zurich frowns, deep in thought. "Based on the order of the rhyme, I believe this solution calls for wisdom. I think our bravery is to be tested later."

He moves to the orb, ready to aid in lifting if the party agree.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:11, Wed 11 Dec 2013.

Hmm.  Wisdom or Bravery.  Either sounds promising.  It's not as though we have "Wisdom" and "Boy are you fucked." 

I was actually thinking that bravery would be more fitting, given that the riddle insinuates that we will be facing our fears?

"Yes but the riddle doesn't say we'll face our fears until after we move past the boulder. And honestly, when has any hero ever been punished for choosing to seek wisdom?"

Maeve nods in acknowledgement of Zuriel's point.

Fair enough.  Wisdom it is.  Assuming we can get the thing.

She circles the pedestal a few times, assessing it.  She is able to hoist herself up next to the orb with little difficulty but despite her shoving and prodding at it, it remains stubbornly in place.  Maeve glares at it as if it has done her a personal affront.

Any other ideas?

"Here, let me try."

Zuriel moves to the pedestal and sets his strength against the orb, muscles straining as he lifts.

[Strength check: 19]

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 58):

The orb shudders under Zuriel's effort, and he is able to heft it to about his knees before the strain proves too much.  Though the orb does not crash back to the pedestal, neither does the paladin appear able to lift it any higher -- nor hold it for much longer.

As Zuriel pushes the orb, Boreas takes careful aim with the Ring of the Ram.

The image of a ram springs from the ring, made of pure light blue energy.  It lowers its head and charges, crashing into the orb with tremendous force.  Splashing into a burst of energy like a wave.

[Strength Check 25]

[Ring of the Ram: 1 Charge Expended]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:34, Wed 11 Dec 2013.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 60):

Zuriel's knees wobble as he hovers above the orb, straining with all his might, when Boreas "helps" by providing a blast of force from his ring.

The impact causes the orb to lurch over the side, taking the struggling paladin with it.  The polished sphere bounces against the outer rim of the statue marked "Wisdom", at which point Zuriel loses his grip and lands in a graceless heap between the statue and the pedestal.

The orb rocks back and forth in the statue's hands for a moment before the momentum sends it creaking out of place -- threatening to fall upon the thoroughly confused defender of the Flame as he scrambles to his feet.

Maeve, being the only person close enough to assist immediately, reaches out to steady the orb, but is a fraction too slow.

[Reflex (Maeve): 9]

Zuriel looks up to find his vision rapidly becoming filled with unforgiving stone, and manages to reposition himself into a crouch intended for bracing gates from battering rams.

[Reflex (Zuriel): 19]

The orb lands heavily upon Zuriel's shoulders, the sheer weight threatening to bring him to his knees.  As the paladin sags under the burden, his expression remains one of utter confusion -- it's been a busy 30 seconds for him.

From behind the P.A.R.T.Y., a familiar croak reminds everyone that Chubbs remains unimpressed.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:56, Wed 11 Dec 2013.

Whoops.

Maeve hurries over to help Zuriel steady the orb.

In reply to Maeve (msg # 64):

Keef too tries to help push the orb back up onto the statue's hands... though he doesn't offer all that much in the way of raw strength.

[Private to GM: STR check 13]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Wed 11 Dec 2013.

Zuriel helps Maeve with the weight, straining against the orb, mostly because it seems like the thing to do.

[Strength Check: (aid Maeve?) 13]

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 66):

With great effort, the orb slides into the figures hands and clicks into place.  A grinding sound can be heard, and the pedestal slides into the wall -- revealing a hole beneath the place it once occupied.

An iron ladder extends downward, into the expansive darkness.

Maeve lights the Coldfire Torch and passes it to Boreas, then the heroes descend the ladder.

Zuriel descends first, his vision unaffected by the dark.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 68):

The P.A.R.T.Y. heads down the ladder, carefully climbing downward toward gods-know-what.  After five minutes or so, the light from the torch begins to grow fainter -- as though the illumination is having trouble piercing the darkness.

Ten minutes after that, your vision is reduced to a five-foot radius, and the ladder ends.  Solid rock appears beneath your feet, though you cannot discern any walls or a ceiling.  Voices call out from the darkness, speaking a variety of languages -- one from each cardinal direction:

From the north:
ללכת אחורה. אל תפסיק.  [Private to Zuriel Silendril: Celestial: Walk backward. Do not stop.]

From the south:
χρεώσει τα εμπρός όσο πιο γρήγορα μπορείτε. [Private to Zuriel Silendril: Infernal: Charge forward as fast as you can.]

From the east:
Gall dawns fel nad oes neb yn gweld chi. [Private to Boreas Highwind: Sylvan: Dance like no one can see you.]

From the west:
The jester lies entombed in stone / Just one, I summon.  Come alone.

Well, I got that one Maeve says, cocking her head toward the west.  Anyone able to understand the others?

"The voice of the north is calling out in Celestial to walk backwards without stopping. The voice of the south is calling out to charge forward in Infernal."

Zuriel pauses a moment, and calls out into the dark. "HEI'IR!"

[Casting: Daylight]

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 72):

The paladin's spell does little to improve your vision, perhaps extending the radius of sight by three or four feet.  Sadly, this reveals nothing except more flat, featureless stone terrain.

The staff's voice enters your mind once more:

[Private to Keef: "You have been strangely silent after the traumatic experiences we faced earlier today, Master.  Is all well?  You'll be pleased to know I had no interest in working with that buffoon of an illusionist... though I think you realized that already."]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:20, Wed 11 Dec 2013.

Seems to me like those two voices cancel each other out.  What about the one from the east?

The one from the east calls out the beginning of an old proverb.  I've heard the ancient fey used to decorate their homes with it and other proverbs like 'cariad chwerthin byw.'  They tended to display them in a variety of different writing styles.  No one is sure why.

But the voice tells us to 'dance like no one is watching.'

Maeve stares blankly at the woodsman.

That is. . . .incredibly stupid and unhelpful.  But, given that it was in Fey and we *are* in a Feyic vault, I'm almost inclined to listen to it.

But then, it sounds like there's a jester that way--she points west--and the riddle *did* say that we need a jester's song.

But only one of us can go.

"I am inclined to listen to the Celestial voice. I'll see what is back here."

Zuriel begins to walk backwards, not stopping.

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 77):

The Linguistic Crossroads
The paladin disappears from sight as he walks backward.  A minute passes, after which his echoing footsteps begin to grow faint.  A minute after that, there is no sign whatsoever of your companion.

Somewhere Else
Zuriel walks for several minutes before slamming into a wall, which spins with the impact to reverse his direction and orientation.  The paladin's vision fills with purple spots as light pours forth, and he winces at the sudden change of intensity.

Zuriel finds himself in a well-lit foyer about 10x10x8 in size.  The floor and ceiling are made of sandstone bricks, and a single door of iron stands in the center of one of the walls.  A grate has been welded in a two-inch strip set at about eye level, interspersed with iron bars like you might find in a prison.

Two torches bracket either side of the door, their flickering tongues of flame casting light throughout the chamber.

A moment after his arrival, a light-blue wisp materializes nearby.

"Tell me the truth," it warbles, bobbing up and down.  "What is justice?"

Zuriel takes a long moment to think about his response before he speaks.

"I believe justice...true justice...is when a society creates rules for its people to live by that are fairly structured and equitably applied, and do not favor one group over any other. Rules that promote community and harmony. But I also believe that true justice is obeying the spirit of the law, and what is Right, and that sometimes blindly following the letter of the law alone can lead to injustice. And that if a law no longer serves the best interests of its community, then the community has a right and responsibility to change it."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:03, Wed 11 Dec 2013.