OOC > BB beat me by one minute! All’s fair in love and war, I’ll edit my post below…

Jambiya bats at Erric to still his chatter about cloaks and Maldorn and the rain. She looks pointedly at Geth. Pointedly. Then she points at him. The time for subtlety is over. Then… gasp! Aseid leaps into the gap!

Jambiya lets her arm drop. She snaps her mouth shut and watches Tassel carefully to gauge the woman’s reaction.

Insight: 21

“I was trying to psyche myself up,” Erric says to Aseid. “Not send her out into the rain with just a cloak. We can escort you home! We’ve faced worse that rain and pickpockets. Back in a few minutes!”

BB, adding a cloak is fine. I'll let you pay the same price Maldorn did: 4 sp.

Tassel gives Aseid a shy smile and accepts his cloak. As she turns toward the door, Erric speaks up, so she turns back around and looks at the floor to wait.

Mara laughs. "What chivalry! I'm not going to stand in the way, but the poor girl is usually escorted by one fairly feeble old man. She shouldn't need an army tonight, even if it is raining." She walks to Aseid and hands him a lit lantern. "It's especially dark out there tonight with the weather, and I'm sure at least a few of the street lamps have blown out. That is if the lamplighters braved the rain to do their duty at all."

Jambiya:

((OOC: The bane of forum games, yes. Worst of all is when everybody is waiting for others to post first and end up posting at the same time anyway. I try to remember to refresh the thread before posting at least, but that helps only so much.))

Aseid accepted the lamp from Mara's hand and walked the girl out (should Erric join - he would wait for him). After a few steps in silence (well, a silence from Aseid) he said, not addressing anyone specifically. "Most people are oblivious or they are fools. Either way, they don't take hints. When one wants something, one has to be direct." He did not add anything else, just wiped the water from his brows and looked around checking for the presence of danger.

Maldorn reacted way too slowly to even have a chance to understand what was being suggested or hinted at. By the time he thinks he has some small hint, Aseid was already walking the girl out the door. So, the old ranger turns to Jambiya instead: "I guess it is up to us to keep an eye on the Pilferers' door, then..."

He then turns to Mara: "Kara, dear, another simple question if I may: is there a window in the gaming room? One that faces outside, I mean, and is perhaps conveniently of the kind that sports glass panes?"    

Jambiya is just moodily staring into her cup until Aseid, Erric, and Tassel leave. As soon as the door shuts behind them she growls low and bares her sharp teeth. “Men, present company included, are so dumb,” she says loud enough to carry. Her hard stare at Geth is difficult to miss.

Aseid, Tassel guides you further along the road out of Keeper's Square. She holds the cloak close around her neck and watches the muddy path for puddles. After you make your comment, she is quiet long enough for you to assume she is not going to respond. But she finally does, saying almost too quietly for you to hear over the rain, "I have more than I deserve."

Back at the Cadaver's Arms ...

Maldorn turns to Mara: "Kara, dear, another simple question if I may: is there a window in the gaming room? One that faces outside, I mean, and is perhaps conveniently of the kind that sports glass panes?"

"Sure," she replies. "Largo keeps the curtains drawn, though. They like their privacy."

As soon as the door shuts behind Tassel and her escort, Jambiya growls low and bares her sharp teeth. “Men, present company included, are so dumb,” she says loud enough to carry. Her hard stare at Geth is difficult to miss.

Geth looks up from petting Munchy to spy Jambiya's glare. His smile immediately drops, and his eyes widen. He looks from the little goblin girl to the table of locals. Darstedd and Milo are looking as confused as he (and a little offended), but Lara is staring at the beefy young man with her scaly brow furrowed. Kat laughs and almost knocks over a drink.

"True enough," Mara says with a sigh. "We lack not for dumb men here in Neverwinter."

"What's that about dumb men?" asks a new man coming from the door back by the supplies. He has short, dark brown hair that is going gray on the sides.

Mara quickly moves to his side and busses him on the cheek. "Ask and you shall receive," she says jokingly.

"Mm-hm," he replies, still smiling. He looks around. "Last drinks. It's about time to lock up for the night." He spots Maldorn and Jambiya. "Good evening. I'm Sergor." He looks back at his wife. "Are they staying the night?"

"Yes," she replies. "And two others." She looks at Jambiya and raises her eyebrows asking for confirmation. "They're walking Tassel home."

"Yes, two more once they get back from doing what Geth should have been... but I guess it's none of my business. We'll just bed down here in the common room, if that's agreeable."

She will stand, down the rest of her drink, and move her small pack to the side of the room, near the fire. She sits there, back to the wall and sighs, then she calls to Munchy, offering pets. "Munchy? Do you like Tassel?" she asks the dog, but still loud enough for Geth to catch. "Isn't there anything you can do? I suppose it's possible he just doesn't fancy her, eh?" She ruffles his scruff.

That Aseid did not comment in any way, he already got himself involved more than he had to, by stating his opinion. The rest of the way he walked silently, continuing to lighten the path and watching for danger as much as he could in this weather.

Maldron thanks Mara for answering and, when he has a chance, changes subjects: "And how early may we expect some baked goods in the morning?" He means it as a little jest, but looks at the table of locals in hopes of an actual answer.

Jambiya, Munchy conveys that he does like Tassel, but he doesn't seem to understand the rest of what you say. Incredibly enough, it doesn't look like Geth does, either.

Maldorn, the man with the well-trimmed beard, Darstedd, replies, "I could bring something over in the morning. About an hour after sunrise. Sure."

Aseid, about 10 minutes after leaving the Cadaver's Arms, you arrive at a humble cottage, which Tassel identifies as her family's. She hands you back your cloak, thanks you for your escort, and disappears inside. From the outside, the home looks cozy.

You turn around and head back toward Keeper's Square. As you re-enter the Square, you are shook by a loud rumble of thunder coinciding with a pair of window shutters blowing open. You can't help but look around, and that's when you spot a small humanoid figure scaling the east wall of the ruined temple, as a flash of distant lightning illuminates the sky. Then, to your surprise, you also see the dark shape of a gargoyle flying toward the figure!

(Is Erric also with Aseid? Thought he was but maybe he missed it?)

Maldorn is happy with how successful his veiled request was. He thinks to himself that he should try jesting more often. Maybe Erric will teach him a punchline or two.

(I thought Erric was with us and waited for him to interject)

The girl did have a reason for concern after all! Without a word, Aseid ran toward the small figure. Gargoyles are not known for their conversational skills and even if the whole affair was none of Asied's business, old habits of monster-fighting forced him to intervene.

(If Erric is with Aseid, then before rushing to help the future victim of a gargoyle, Aseid would make sure the bard saw it too. But whether Erric decides to warn others or not, he, himself is going after the gargoyle)

Sorry. Yes, you did say Erric was going to accompany them. The figure is climbing the wall and is about 20 feet up. Erric, do you also rush toward the ruined temple?

Erric points a bit of wire at the figure and says via message "Gargoyle attack, duck!" and moves toward the wall just a bit. If he can prepare a vicious mockery he will do so. 

"Another drink, Jambya?" Maldorn offers while finishing his cigarette.

Erric hears in his head, "Wha-? Who's that?!"

Aseid, with Erric following closely behind, approaches the eastern side of the temple to try to defend the unknown wall-climber. (Why is someone climbing a ruined wall in a lightning storm?) As they do so, three more gargoyles land, surrounding them.

Combat begins. Round 1!

Who goes first? Players=1, gargoyles=2: 2

Aseid and Erric, you may post!

Here's your map:

The unknown individual and G1 (gargoyle 1) are about 20 feet off the ground. You can see them because the temple wall is ruined, and the individual is climbing the remains of the wall's side/end (it's broken off and easier to climb than scaling a flat surface.) But as the wall is on the line, I had to pick a side to have them in a square. The other Gs are on the ground.

Just throwing this out there: Building 7 is the Cadaver's Arms.

BB, I use the alternate rule for diagonal movement where the first diagonal of your turn is always five feet, but then the second diagonal movement is 10 feet, and you alternate five and 10 for each diagonal movement, even if there are some horizontal and/or vertical movements sprinkled in. Moving into a square of difficult terrain is normal movement. Moving out of a square of difficult terrain is double movement. And it compounds, so if you are crawling (already double movement), and you crawl out of a square of difficult terrain, it costs quadruple your movement. You can move into the square of a friendly to attack so long as you can move out of it before the end of your turn. You can move into and end your turn in the square of a dead or unconscious creature (friendly or otherwise). That square has become difficult terrain. If you are unconscious and then healed while a creature is standing over you in the same square, you must crawl out of the square on your turn. I think those are all of the movement rules. I do use flanking rules where if you are exactly opposite a friendly, and both of you are only five feet away from the target, you get advantage. Be aware that monsters can flank as well. And please keep up with your character sheet.

Jambiya considers, but shakes her head, no. "You never know when you might need a clear head."