Jambiya pipes up, "Look, I'm sure whatever you were doing with that pole on top of the wall," she points, "In the pouring rain is perfectly above board and also frankly your business, we're just here to make sure you and your kin are all right. The Lady Eilikasys (sp?) asked us to check, as she has not heard from you in some time. Can we report that you are well and she can expect to do business with you soon?"

She waits a beat.

"Or is there something we can do for you, to help further her interests?"

She waits a beat.

"If you get what I mean."

Once inside the tavern (especially when it became obvious the everyone, even the dog, recognized the gnome) Aseid relaxed enough to carefully wipe the water from his peculiar weapon. The soaking wet cloak he left to dry near the fire, not objecting gnome's desire to return wherever he was going to. "You think they played for the turn to go out there and he lost?" was all his comment of the gnome's story. As far as Aseid was concerned, the group helped enough here by saving little man's life, where the saved one go, was gnome's own business. Aseid looked at Mara "Would you have more of this hot wine? It is a bit chilly outside."

Unlike Aseid, Maldorn does object to the gnome's hurry and fails to place his own cloak by the fire.

Maldorn bars the gnome path: "Hold on just a second."

He turns to Mara and asks: "Tara, dear, is this one of the Piffernakkies who's supposedly playing a game in that room over there?"

The gnome, still backing toward the door, squints at Jambiya. "Eili-who?" After she repeats the name, he squints a little harder and then raises his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. That bossy lady who's Dad's friend over the river. Sure. Tell her we're fine." He turns to enter the door when Maldorn steps in his way and addresses Mara.

"Excuse me," the gnome says to Maldorn, sounding perturbed.

"Yes, he's one of Largo's sons," Sergor says, answering for his wife. "Now move out of his way so he can get back to their game if he wants," the human says, looking a little perturbed at Maldorn himself.

Mara nods at Aseid and busies herself with his request.

Erric's making motions with his head and mouth and hands that seem like attempts to speak, or restart his brain, only silent. Lots of head turning, brown furrowing, opening and closing of his mouth, index finger pointing. Eventually, "He was climbing a wall in the rain to move a pole and got attacked by gargoyles and we helped him not die. And he's grumpy with us. I could use a drink, and aa warm bed. I'm beat."

Erric sighs, and tries to dry himself off, thanking Jambiya for her magical help. "What's our plan, friends? Crashing here in this room? Moving on? Are we checking out the cemetery tomorrow?"

"Like Erric here said." Maldorn responds loud enough for everyone in the tavern to hear. "We went out of our way to protect this fellow here from some nasty stone beasts outside. The least you ALL can do is answer a simple question or two, or next time we may just invite those gargoyles in instead."

Turning to the gnome while still blocking his way: "If you could interrupt your game to go adjust a rod in the rain, then your partners and the game itself can wait for your a few extra seconds. My friend here asked you a couple of follow up questions on whether Elliakasys can expect you to carry out whatever business you had with her, or if perhaps we can help you accomplishing such task. Please reply. It is only polite."

The old ranger then turns to Jambiya: "Anything else you'd like this fellow here to answer, Jambiya?" Sagitta pokes a head out of a poket and hisses at the perturbed gnome.

Jambiya is tapping her foot, sort of annoyed. “Yes, I’m also curious why a handful of gargoyles attacking someone right in town isn’t making more of you,” and with this she stares pointedly at the gnome, “More upset. What is that building next door? And what was that rod on top? Why did you risk your life to fiddle with it, and frankly, what is going on? So, just a few questions.”

"What business?" the gnome asks, adopting Maldorn's angry tone. "I don't know of any business with that lady." He glances back at Jambiya. "And that rod is none of your business." He then turns to glare at the tavern's proprietor. "It would be a shame if these strangers lost you some steady income, Sergor," he warns.

Sergor steps toward Maldorn. "Look here, grandpa. You'll get out of Puddlemuck's way and be lucky if I don't kick the lot of you out into the rain for harassing him. Go back to yer game, Puddlemuck. We'll be going to bed soon. Can I get you anything before?"

The gnome glares up at Maldorn, looking angry, but also smug. "No. We're fine," he says through gritted teeth and waiting for the old hunter to get out of his way.

"Gargoyles?" Geth quietly asks Erric, looking a bit alarmed.

Jambiya looks fit to be tied. "Well..." she says as Sergor takes the gnome's side. "Well!" as Maldorn is humiliated and forced to stand aside. "Well, I've about had enough! I won't stand by while some rude, ungrateful, rude person rudely has their way!" She rounds on Gregor. "I'm surprised you put up with them as clientele, they must have you by the small hairs. We've been sent through the night and the rain to make a courtesy call to check on their well being, we rescue this one from being killed by stone demons, and now we are supposed to stand by and be humiliated for our trouble? No. There's more here than they are letting on, and I warrant it has a lot to do with that building next door, and the rod he was fiddling with on the top. I'm going to go see what this is all about!" With that, she turns on her heel and storms back out into the rainy night.

Erric throws on his still-wet clothes and darts off after Jambiya. "I'd like to check it out too, but, well, should we dry off and warm up for an hour before going now? I'm with you either way..."

Maldorn was about to respond but, noticing that Jambiya is doing so first, he lets her finish. Once she turns to leave, Maldorn looks at Sergor and the gnome to see if any of them will say anything. If not, he'll add: "All we are asking for are some simple answers, and I did say 'please'. Will you all be the good boys your mamas think you are and answer the questions from a few folks who saved your life and, in turn, your 'steady business', or will you disappoint your mamas and their good manners lessons?"

Maldorn is not moving, neither is he angry. Loud, yes, but not angry. "Either way, no one can climb that wall faster than Jambiya. That rod is as good as hers."

Maldorn looks at Aseid for a moment, trying to figure out where the boys stands on the issue at hand.

Without so much as a sigh, Aseid stood up and went into the rain after Jambiya. Who knows how many more demons were out there and he was not about to leave her unprotected. "The only thing he said on the way was "Looks like the city guards might have some questions to your clients." He was not waiting around, though, to see if his words had any effect on either the gnome or Sergor.

The gnome glares at Maldorn. "My 'mama' is dead," he says coldly. He pushes past the old hunter, slips into the game room, and slams the door behind him just as Maldorn makes his comment about Jambiya and the rod.

Sergor sighs. "Just go," he says, sounding very tired and looking a little ashamed. In response to Aseid's final comment, the proprietor raises his hands as if to say what will be will be.

Outside, it is dark and raining and there's the occasional lightning strike. What are you up to?

Maldorn shakes his head, showing disappointment. He then follows the rest of the group outside, curious to see what they have been doing with their head-start.

Jambiya is waiting on the porch when the others arrive. See keeps peeking back in as the door opens again and again to let the party out. "Well, I guess it didn't work. I mean, I'm mad as a hornet, but it would just be stupid to go stomping out into this rain again. I'd hoped Mara or Gregor might... well, I don't know. It's plain as day something is squirrely about the gnomes and that building," she indicates the ruined temple. "What should we do about it? I know we probably need to rest, but it feels like I want to know more about what is going on before I'll let a bunch of time go by. Those gargoyles were no small thing..."

"Sergor behaves like any other innkeeper who is working with smugglers or bandits when the band is in the inn. Does not mean he is one, though, and we are not the guards to search the inn. I can try to climb up and get that rod. Maybe it will tell us something. But why do you bother? We did our part, saved that gnome. Do you need something particular from him?" Aseid was honest both in his offer to get the rod and questions. The legality of the business of a random gnome did not concern him much.

Standing right outside the door, you hear the distinct sound of deep sniffing at the gap under the door. But just as you're starting to pay attention, there is a lightning strike very nearby. (18) Jambiya sees that the lightning bolt strikes the pole atop the wall. Almost the whole of the interior of the ruined temple lights up, and then there is a tremendous BOOM as the thunder causes the very air around the party to vibrate and makes their ears ring.

“Munchy?” Jambiya starts to say when the lightning crashes down. She about jumps out of her boots. “Oh my gods?! Did you see that? The lightning hit the pole! It’s like some sort of lightning catching pole! But what was that in the temple? It lit up… did the pole send the lightning it caught inside the temple?”

Erric blinks furiously and tries to figure out what happened. "We could go chase it -- I'd much rather sleep and check it out in the morning. But maybe we'll learn something right after the lightning hits it. Should one of us go look? I can make one of us invisible."

"Are they...Are they using lightning bolts to destroy buildings?" Maldorn asks, densely.