[b]"What does the Great SHOOGBIMBHALD see?"[/b] the high priest asks. [b]"What wisdom do the stones reveal?"[/b]

SHOOGBIMBHALD heaved a great sigh as He rose to His feet, channeling His disappointment at discovering the treasure was in fact dangerous monster eggs into playing the part of a beleaguered teacher whose students just weren't quite grasping the lessons He was trying to teach. [b]"Oh my zealous followers..."[/b] SHOOGBIMBHALD lamented. [b]"Your faith in me is strong, but you all still have so so much to learn."[/b] He turned to face Blibdoolpoolp before continuing.

[b]"Things are not always as they appear to be."[/b] SHOOGBIMBHALD explained. [b]"When I first bade you to mine, I knew you would come upon this place. For this was no gift, you see. No... It was a test. A test to see the extent of my flock's wisdom. These stones? They are not stones at all. They are the eggs of a Gloom-Croaker. They are freshly laid now, so it is safe to approach. But when they hatch? They will become a tide of bludgeoning violence and piercing aggression. And that is to say nothing of the mother that will return to guard them when the time of hatching draws nigh... [i]AnD sO EnDs tHe TeSt oF My fOlLoWeRs' WiSdOm[/i]."[/b] That last sentence reverberated with eldritch power as SHOOGBIMBHALD made a occult gesture of Prestidigitation with one hand. When the hand stopped moving, there was a miniature version of one of the eggs now sitting on His upturned palm. [b]"When you first discovered this chamber and what lay within, you believed you had found treasure."[/b] He clenched the hand holding the egg into a fist. [b]"But in truth... you had found danger."[/b] He opened His hand again, revealing that a miniature kuo-toa skull was sitting on His palm. [b]"And you would have eagerly brought it into the cathedral had I not been here to stop you."[/b]

SHOOGBIMBHALD allowed the high priest a few moments to stew in this revelation, then dispelled the skull and spoke again. [b]"Don't allow yourself or any other among the congregation to judge themselves too harshly though."[/b] He said. [b]"For I am a forgiving god and I am a providing god."[/b] SHOOGBIMBHALD gestured down at the crab. [b]"It is for such reasons that I ordained for this crab of great wisdom to be discovered today."[/b] He continued. [b]"Did you see how it clicked its legs and then went completely still? In its wisdom, it sensed the danger here. And in its wisdom, it will sense the danger in other places as well. Ensure this crab is well fed and well cared for, and you will always be forewarned of danger when you mine in the future."[/b]