Kellen

Kellen looks around at the area, judging how much they could collapse in over it. I don't think it'd stop the cold, but it'd probably block whatever's using it from coming in and out, or at least give it a hard time. He shrugs looking around again. Or, it could just pull everything we collapse on it through once it opens back up and not change a damn thing. He grins sheepishly at Gerrard. Sorry...I sound like a politician with the non-answer. This thing though...it's powerful. There's gotta be a better way to close it up for good.

Gerrard:

”Maybe we just move the bones out of range so even when the area reasserts itself there will be nothing for it to animate,” suggests Gerrard.  “If we can’t close the rift, starve it of any resources to send undead against the city.”

Kellen

We'll have to move them a good ways...the range on this thing goes pretty far. If we've got something that can collapse all this on it wouldn't hurt...even if it does get sucked down when it opens back up.

Gerrard:

”Can you tell if there is anything physical down there linking the “plane of putrescence” to our world?  Maybe a token or runes carved or an unholy symbol?” he asks, peering down the hole.

Kellen

Kellen shakes his head, peering down as well. Nope, nothing like that...it's almost like a spell was cast. A "Hallow" spell, if you can believe it. Obviously that's not what was actually cast, the actual spell isn't so, ah....evil? He swims back a bit. We've at least slowed it down. Maybe a cleric would have a better idea of how to reverse it...and seriously, you have to get that taken care of he says, eyeing Gerrard's still slimy skin. Otherwise, this place is all of a sudden gonna look real inviting to you.

Gerrard:

”Very true,” responds Gerrard, “and I think I caught some of that blue crud from that last zombie.”

He eyes the pile of bones, wondering how long it would take him to move it well away from this place.  “Master Kei, Master Kellen, do you have any magic that would move these bones it of the influence of this evil spell?  I fear if they are left too long exposed there would be many that would rise and attack the innocent.”

Intelligence to estimate how long it would take by hand:  2

The remains of hundreds of bodies are scattered here, some half-buried in silt and debris and excavation rubbish. It would take... a rather long time to move them all away. Hours? Days? Weeks? Hard to tell.

There are no signs of runes or symbols here. 

Kei 

"Nothing even close to what would be needed to combat this...this...evil" Kei laments. "I get the feeling that something must come through the rift from the gods know where. Why else would an offering be left out in the open?" 

Gerrard:

Sighing, Gerrard says, "Then perhaps we can just plug the hole as best we can and get back to the surface."

A small school of silvery fish swims through the previously sterile waters– the water, while cold, no longer has the unnatural chill, ever since Kellen muted the effects of this perverse rift. 

The ship above signals a new status request. [Everything ok?]

The bones remain inert; no new dangers present themselves.

Gerrard:

Gerrard signals, "Okay" and looks for a way to at least block the hole before they head up.

Gerrard looks around for something to block the hole... There is sand – there are broken slabs of stone and a hideous array of piled bones – there are rotten tangles of timbers and bulkheads, sundered timbers and beams – there are the bloated, rotting, bue-boiled corpses of your fallen foes – there is a rotting sea chest – there is ooze and muck...

Gerrard:

Swimming over, Gerrard pries up a likely looking slab of rock and maneuvers it over the hole down to the putrescent plane.  Gently letting it down, he tries to completely block the small but long hole.

Athletics:  19

Assuming it works, he moves over to the diving bell and grabs onto the rope, inviting the others to join him before he gives the signal to raise them up.

Gerrard drags several heavy broken slabs of stone over the hole, kicking up plumes of grey sediment. The rift is fully blocked. 

Gerrard:

Now with a mixture of blue boils starting to pop out on his slimy skin, Gerrard waits at the diving bell, ready for his allies to join him for the trip up.

Does everyone want to head back to the surface?

Gerrard is beginning to feel achey and feverish. His Constitution score decreases by 4 and his Charisma score by 3. A grotesque blue boil is beginning to form on his face.

Gerrard:

As the disease hits him full force, Gerrard shudders and clings onto the line from above.  Hanging on for dear life, he relies on Kei and Kellen for the next steps in their quest as his body begins to rapidly degrade.

Kei 

After contemplating any additional measures they could take to secure the rift, and failing to come up with anything, Kei swims towards the diving bell. It is then that he sees Gerrard in his declining state. "Whoa. Whe did this happen?" He recoils at his friends new appearance. "I think we need to get to a healer, now!"

Gerrard:

Hacking a bit in the chilly water, Gerrard says, "One of those zombies got a good hit on me, and I must have contracted the disease.  I suppose its a race now to see if I become a blue boil zombie or an aboleth first."  Trying to joke, the young noble spoils the effect by hacking again, his convulsions making the strange blue boil on his face jiggle unsettlingly.  

"Ready to head back to the surface?" he adds tiredly.

Unless you have further business in the Pit of Hatred, the signal is given, and the diving bell is slowly pulled up, together with anyone who chooses to receive a tow.

Gerrard notices something else; he senses that his water-breathing ability has become permanent.