[IC] Chapter 1-9: Circle of Hate

[Lugar]

Giant suspiciously looks at the approaching dwarf. When Torin heals him he nods and after he goes back to pick up his axe.
"Can somebody destroy this witchcrafted circle?"

In next round, he will pick up the curved dagger. Let's go down smoke the incorporeal undead out from his nest. (he forgot about construct and closed door)

"Aye lets destroy whatever that is but I would like to know what he was up too first.  Well first we should regroup and patch up our wounds. You look like shit Giant"  Lugar had some questions he wanted answered about what just happened and how it involved their mission. Besides, the vampire could be anywhere by now if it could turn to smoke like that, he thought. He really didn't know how vampire powers worked.  He takes a look at the surrounded skeleton warrior engaged in a fight for it's un-life.  "Ten gold pieces says the hot-worms get it before the bisons!"

[DM Surranó]

Round eight (continued, actually)

The last warrior slices one of the bisons in half (17hp) and it disappears to its celestial home.
The warrior, quite sure in its adept maneuverability, dances around the remaining two bisons. The dire wolf claps its maw in its wake but the only result is that it almost falls. The two bisons also try to intercept but they fail as well. Finally, the warrior reaches its destination; the calling circle in the middle of the dome.

Maul spots the opportunity and gets around the circle to attack the skeleton, in hopes of destroying it before it could act in the circle; whatever its plan was by getting there. Unfortunately, he fails big time.

The dire wolf, having no other option, uses Maul's position to reach the only spot it can use to flank the warrior, painfully whining as entering the circle; but eventually its forceful muscle snaps shut true and the skeleton collapses to the ground.

Battle over(?)

"Agreed, Giant, but don't forget the Guardian. we may have troubles with that." Murkatos warns the barbarian.
While Giant picks up everything he scattered around the armorer shows what he has mustered from the remains of the two skeletons: a neat wand with some arcane engraving, and a few shiny gems, some probably worth over a hundred golden lions. They appear to have ordinary chain shirts and metal shields but their scimitars are masterwork (at least) so he picked them up as well.
With a sense of urgency, however, he does not proceed with searching the last two fallen warriors.

[Portho Nihilbuck]

If he can do so without entering the summoning circle, Portho will search the other skeleton, being deliberately open about what he finds , setting it in a neat pile. 

"Can you get teh wolf to drag that other one out of the circle?"

[DM Surranó]

OOC - Portho can talk to the wolf but nobody guarantees the wolf would listen since he's not the master. Toot cannot, without magic. He may, however, try to "push" it to do an unlearnt trick (handle animal DC25; a pretty good chance with Toot's skills). That, or Toot may order some thoqqua to do it.

Portho recovers some more gems from the southern remains and notices that the robes, chain shirts and gambesons are sewn through with silver eagles; (ooc - read: "coins") about 3000 sp each warrior. The armorer missed this detail.

OOC - the total list, assuming you recover the fourth body as well:
12000 sp in robes and armor
4 mw scimitars
6 gems: 1100gp emerald, 9gp moss agate, 130gp amber, 1100gp fire opal, 50gp bloodstone, 70gp carnelian
wand inscribed with the word "tretelis"

[Lugar]

Seeing the summoned dire wolf break the skeketal Warriors bones, Lugar lets out a sigh. "Looks like I just lost a bet... to no one. You elf lovers!"

Lugar will gladly offer to assess the goods on the broken skeletons and stow them in his haversack. This includes fetching the skeleton in the circle if needed. A little fear of death can't stop a dwarfs greed for coin after all

Ooc- will the healers heal the injured? Lugar has a nasty gash from a scimitar. I think SG, Portho, and Torin are also wounded.

[DM Surranó]

Lugar manages to recover the last skeleton from the circle with some burning sensation in his pulling hands (-5hp) when the ground rumbles and pebbles fall from the ceiling. Those looking up can see that a rift appears on the ceiling, widening to a roughly circular area 15ft across, opening a viewport to a dusk sky ruled by a black disk surrounded by a brilliant diamond ring of sunlight. The runes of the circle begin to glow as the summoned creatures disappear one after the other....
(OOC - a solar eclipse at noon)

[Silent Giant]

You are the key, dude. You have opened the ceiling, he-he.

[Lugar]

You are the key, dude. You have opened the ceiling, he-he.

"Owe, that hurt!" He rubs his hands looking to see if they were burned or something. 

"I didn't do it, I swear." He points up at the ceiling. "What is that. It looks like the sun went black!" Lugar thinks a dark sun isn't all that bad. The light always hurt his eyes.

Ooc- is that a portal in the ceiling or is the earth literally splitting apart and we see the sky above? How close to the surface are we? (Intuit depth)

[Portho Nihilbuck]

"I can identify that wand maybe, when we have more time. Unless you would like me to trigger it blindly, but I recommend we don't do that until after rest and healing, in case it creates something like an explosion."

[DM Surranó]

You are the key, dude. You have opened the ceiling, he-he.

"The problem is that we are supposed to lock the sea of hate, not open it, whatever it is. Though we should think about the key may be some creature; living or dead." Maul responds.

"I can identify that wand maybe, when we have more time. Unless you would like me to trigger it blindly, but I recommend we don't do that until after rest and healing, in case it creates something like an explosion."

"I have just the perfect idea of what it is and how to trigger it," the armourer replies. "Could've tested on one of the warriors but I'm positive there's still chance to encounter enemies."

Meanwhile, the runes glow ever brighter, taking a reddish purple hue.