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Upon hearing Vlazis' prayer, Thorur utters one of his own..."Oh Great Trudd, grant you servant your protection."
...and he carefully pears around the room...
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Surrounded by fierce whirling winds, an athletic woman of living stone appears atop the head of the massive serpentine statue. In a booming telepathic voice, she declares, “For over a thousand years I’ve stood vigil over the procession that leads up to this temple. I was watching you while you walked the Pilgrim’s Path. Everything you faced along the way was a test of your abilities and your character. But the test is not over — answer my questions and face my judgment!”
"Who are you and why are you here?"
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Dale reads into the woman's tone and decides its best to not try to deceive her, but instead he sticks with what he does best: talk about things he knows.
"Oh great stone watcher of the Pilgram's Path. We come to you from far across the water, a place known as the Inner Sea. We have followed your rules and your tenets as best we could. We kept from straying off the path, we did not disturb the birds, and we signed the book for visitors." He finishes buttering the woman up and begins his description of their homeland.
"The Inner Sea is far away and our trip has been long by ship. We hope to learn more of the ways here and see what has happened to the temple that had some of it carried away to another realm by powerful magic. It was not us who did this of course, we are not that powerful! But if you would let me tell you of our homelands then maybe you could better judge us truly." He then goes into a lengthy diatribe of the lands and peoples that each of them hails from.
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"I see..." she says. When Dale starts into his lengthy diatribe: "ENOUGH! You have already provided enough of an answer!"
Motioning to the mask on Baphos' face the statue woman asks her next question in a booming and forceful voice.
“This is no place for an oni! What were you thinking when you brought that creature here?”
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"I accept your answer..." the statue woman looks down at the altar and an expression of rage comes across her face.
“I have failed my ward. Look at the desecrated altar! Tell me why I shouldn’t just let the fire and ash of Yamatsumi cleanse this place?”
As she speaks these words, the earth trembles, and fiery flashes are visible at the summit of the mountain looming over the temple. Droplets of lava begin to seep and bead at the seams between the temple’s stone blocks.
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Jiraku says, “So few visitors have come and shown such respect for local traditions. I had forsaken my love and duty for this place, but perhaps there is hope for me yet.”
"Thank you, for showing me hope. But, I wish to know what you think is best for my next question: Should Tanbaru stay with me at the temple?"
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Jiraki places Tanbaru on her face, smiles, and says, “I’m sad about what happened to you, Tanbaru, but I need you to remind me why I must never abandon my duty.”
Back in Ramparassad, Old Pak listens with interest to your account of your adventure. When you tell him of Tanbaru staying, Old Pak wistfully notes the departure of a friend before cheerfully declaring that this might be reason enough for him to visit the temple in person sometime! He adds that the site might once again attract Yamatsumi’s faithful to repair the trail and temple, which could earn the Society goodwill throughout the region.