The Wayfarer's Inn

Ha, great!
But, don't we get xp?
Or are there more bad news to follow?

Not yet.

I'm visiting my mum over the weekend and will only be able to post again on monday after I'm home from work. Please bear with me.

I'll post from home tonight

Ok, kind of a meta-game question, Sir C.
The twelve signs you described clearly match our own zodiac, but apparently in the opposite order. For the characters in-game, does another zodiac exist that might correspond to ours, so that this inversion would be apparent? Or have they never heard of zodiacs at all? Or did they already know this zodiac they have found?.

Also, judging from the picture, the pointer is pointing exactly opposite to us, say 6 o'clock. Is that true? Where, respective to this clock, is the statue placed?

Thanks.

Has that advertisement that superimposes it's self on the bottom post always been on the board and I did not notice before?

Just a few quick answers (I'm at work and can't make a full posting).

The pointer is at 6 o`clock, which means directly opposite of the room's entrance. This is not depicted correctly on the map - my apologies for this, I'll correct it as soon as I make a map update. This means that the statue is approx. at 5.

At least Ahi and Gaderon, as learned men, are familiar with the Khemitian zodiac, and this wheel here is what they know - except for the strange and unfamiliar creatures.

These ads... I have no idea. They're everywhere on the web and I tend to forget whether they've always been there or have just appeared.

Ads: they've always been here as far as I remember.

So is there a clerical spell Ahi might cast on the rod so it might weigh considerably less?

Not clerical, but levitate or telekinesis might do the trick. On the other hand, what would it be useful for? Unless, that is, to prevent the statue wielding it in case it gets animated...