Silvara hears the manifested spirit speak and then Zora, "Go, I am with you.

Silvara moves in to flank Zoea ans they run towards the purple glowing sphere and it growing sphere of darkness. She draws her sword and channels Kilgor's fire bolt into it.

Not exactly what she wanted to do but then holding back considering what the spirit had said was not an option either.

Silvara and Zoranna were convinced that destroying the sphere before them would put an end to the troubles desecrating this temple. So with a cry to Tyr Zorana charged the sphere, with Silvara providing support. Her charge however was halted the moment she hit the wave of darkness emanating from the orb.

The force of the wave smacked Zorana as though she had run into a stone wall. Reeling, her senses distorted, and Silvara barely stopping in time to avoid the force herself, Zorana felt her strength wane in that instant of contact with the field. (-2 temporary Strength ability loss) It would seem like this field didn't like tresspassers, and it would take a great resolve to reach the sphere, and greater still with each moment that passed as the field grew larger. They would have to either brave the field, or leave the evil machination to its own devices.

Zora suddenly recalls whar Firin Ranklefoot said, and repeat it aloud.

While all that glimmers be not gold,
And warmth of love melts heart of cold
When sun retreats for orb of night
The way revealed by silver light.

"Silvara, focus on Love."

Great resolve was within her, with it love fill her body and soul; love of Tyr, love of Good, love of beauty, and arts and music.

"TYR!" She pressed forward knowing that the sphere had to be eliminated.

Silvara

Silvara would go in with Zora at least to make a first and perhaps a second strike, but she would not stay in the field of darkness until she was drained. Nothing would be gain by doing that. She also wasn't sure of Zora's interpretation of the verse Firin had given them, about the heart of darkness but it wouldn't hurt to focus on a strong positive emotion.

Thus it is with mixed emotions she moved forward with Zora
and a added prayer to Corellon Lantheran and the deities this temple had been built for. "Help us as we try to rid this place of this abomination.

“Tahlin Orbb,”* Aelistae mouthed, after Linnix had shared her thoughts. “It may be that some will wait for the goblins to be killed, for us all to be weakened and then strike. We should be careful how we proceed.”

“I think it would be better for us to move under the cover of night and find a place where we can leave our horses,” she added after a momentary pause. “If we move quietly we should be able to ensure we do not stumble into a trap. Or at least that’s what I would do if I was in the World Below or in a forest. I…I have never done this in the open.”

Aelistae’s eyes fell to her other companions who hadn’t yet spoken. “What are your thoughts on the matter?”


[OOC: * “Pouncing Spider”]

Having decided that moving under the cover of night would be more tactically sound, the group made camp in the thin copse of trees a hundred yards from the burnt out bridge and waited for nightfall. There they discussed what to do with their horses, spell selection, and other strategies, for tonight would be the first strike against the keep and all those trying to occupy it.

(Move ahead to midnight where Aleistae can now pray for her spell)

Zorana and Silvara knew the danger of the object before them, but they knew also the dire situation that leaving such an object alone to grow could have if it were to continue to spread.

Bracing themselves with prayers and positive thoughts, the duo charged the the black field once more, and once more as soon as they hit the barrier they felt the strength sapped from their bodies. (Zorana Str 13 Silvara 14) but this time they would not falter; to do so would mean certain failure, and death. Pushing against the strength sapping aura, they closed on the sphere, and it pulsed a defiant purplish-black light. Zorana in that instant felt every nightmare she'd ever suffered in her years of life strike her, and her knees fought against buckling out from under her. Silvara, of a race of sleep and dreamless creatures, was unaffected, and did not understand what was happening to her companion whose link to her Deity was the only thing keeping her standing, despite the physical toll on her body. (Zorana 38/42hp)

Pushing through with incredible effort, The women moved to strike the orb, Silvara with a channelled spell, and Zorana with all the might of her deity.

Silvara's enchanted sword channeled the firey power of her spell into the orb, and it flashed in an almost angry retribution. Her sword connected and so did her spell, but the wave flashed out and extended wider in that instant, sapping more of the women's strength. (Silvara 12 Str 29/ 38hp & Zoranna 11 Str 30/42hp)

Zorana's strike came down at the same time, her channeled holy energy smashing into the unholy orb, and the opposing forces exploded in a shower of neutralized energy. (Critical hit!) The Orb shuddered, and so too did the entire temple around it, before a great crack appeared on the orb's surface. The crack fissured and spread across the surface of the sphere, like a great earthquake rending the surface of a planet as viewed from space. Blue light shot forth from the orb, catching the women in a ray of icy cold. Zorana miraculously was able to shrugg of the debilitating effects of the spray, only suffering the damaging cold, but Silvara was knocked clear from her feat as the spray stole a part of her essence. ((Silvara 12 Str 22/ 38hp -1 temporary level & Zoranna 11 Str 21/42hp)

As Silvara fell from the blow, frost still upon her delicate features, the orb exploded in a shower of dark glass and energy, the fragile surface bouncing harmlessly off the women's armor, and their vision went black...

When sight returned to the women, the orb, and the black field emanating from it no longer existed, but sitting there upon the pedastal where the sphere once lay was now a most disturbing sight. Encased in a thin layer of magical ice, lay a large still beating heart. It throbbed and pulsed, a cold aura surrounded it as it beat in a steady, taunting rhythm...

Around them, the skeleton's in the pews had all fallen to pieces, the only one still assembled was chained to the pieta in the holy alter. Around the women, the spirit twirled and soared, her voice distant still, but speaking with more enthusiasm.

"Yess, you have stopped the orb... now, the heart.... bring me the heart....."

Zorana Starhawke of Caer Draken inwardly exalts at Tyr's demonstration of divine favor as the Orb cracks and breaks under their the combined attacks. She was his Paladin the fighting arm of His Faith. Humility kept her exaltation within, that and the need to complete the job at hand.

Zora grabs up the ends of her cloak and wraps each end around hands and moves to one side of the Heart of Cold. She lifts it up from the pollar and moves it over to the statue with the chained skeleton and place it in the lap of the female.

Looking at the statue of the woman with her hand outstretched she say "This is the heart of COld anad this must be the Loving heart."

Silvara Stuck hard as she could her enchanted sword channeled the fiery power of her spell into the orb, and it flashed in an almost angry retribution. Silvara felt further drained by the orbs actions against her. ‘

Zorana's strike came down simultaneously, rhe Orb shuddered, and so too did the entire temple around it, before a great crack appeared on the orb's surface. The crack fissured and spread across the surface of the sphere, like a great earthquake rending the surface of a planet as viewed from space. Blue light shot forth from the orb, catching the women in a ray of icy cold. Zorana miraculously was able to shrug off the debilitating effects of the spray, only suffering the damaging cold, but Silvara was blown clear from her feet as the spray stole a part of her essence.

The spirit then spoke to them again, “You have have stopped the orb... now, the heart.... bring me the heart....."

Zora steps forward and wraps her hands in her cloaks and picks up the block of ice containing the still beating heart as Silvara struggled to rise to her feet from where she had fallen. She needed to be ready for anything else that might transpire.

Silvara moved wit Zora ready to help.

The women, wounded and weary, were so focused on helping the spirit, of ridding this temple of evil that they clouded their minds to numb the pain that gnawed at their bodies, and apparently their minds.

So focused were they that as they gingerly cradled the large heart, feeling the numbing cold through even their thick cloaks, that they missed the expression of the spirits grin switch from one of a pleaful gasp to a grin of manipulative malice.

As soon as they set the heart upon the bones of the skeleton nestled in the arms of the Pieta, it shrunk, sank beneath the ribs, and settled into the chest cavity. Suddenly, the entire body seemed to enter a state of regeneration, as vessels and muscle tissue, sinew and flesh began to form anew. And the Spirit cackled maliciously as it sank over the regenerating body, fused and became one with the shell, and as the body finished its recouperation, the flesh took on scales that glistened like snowflakes, and hardened to steel. In mere moments, the body had reformed, and it was not the body of a human, but when the eyes opened to reveal reptillian eyes, and scales covering elongated features revealed exaggerated teeth and claws, Silvara and Zorana knew they had made a terrible mistake.

The woman in a half-dragon form sat up from where the skeleton once lay, and with a toothy grin smiled at the women as it yanked at the chains which bound her wrists and ankles. Snapping free of the bonds which had restrained her for so long she let out a screeching roar, which halfway through turned into a cackle of laughter.

"I thank you my ungifted sisters... You have released me from a most... unenjoyable confine, and for that you should be rewarded." The half dragon yawned and stretched before stepping down off the alter between the two women, her back currently turned to them.

"So I grant you your lives. Leave now and take your pitiful existances with you, for I, Malice, have returned to continue what was interrupted those many moons ago."

Triple curses, thinks Silvara, "Why didn't I see that coming." Silvara turns to Zora, not saying a word just looking at her. She would leave but only if Zora did.

"Who and what are you?" she asks rather calmly as if asking for directions to an inn, trying to give herself and Zora some time to assess whatever they faced. Her sword was gripped firmly in her hand.

Zora looks to the statue, feeling that there is still truth to the riddle. She searches for a clue to that which would melt the Heart of Cold. As she looks, she does Lay on Hands on herself then pulls out a Healing Wand and uses it on Sil.

She hopes that Malice will thinks they must heal before they can leave, giving her time to try and rectify their terrible mistake. She taps her belt for two dice of healing.

Zora looks to the statue, feeling that there is still truth to the riddle. She searches for a clue to that which would melt the Heart of Cold. As she looks she does Lay on Hands on herself then pulls out a Healing Wand and uses it on Sil.

She hopes that Malice will think they must heal before they can leave, giving her time to try and rectify their terrible mistake.

Zorana layed hands upon her self (sounds kinky lol) feeling a little relief as her holy power washed through her., and then retrieved a healing wand to mend some of Silvara's wounds, all-the-while earching the statue for some hint of defeating the monster. All she noticed however was a small key hole at the base of the statue. ((Silvara 12 Str 34/ 38hp -1 temporary level & Zoranna 11 Str 27/42hp)

Silvara tried to prod the woman for more information, with questions of who and what, to which the scaled female replied. "I am Malice, and I am your death if you do not leave this instant, my patience wears thin like a sheet of ice upon a summer's day. Go, now, before this room becomes your icy tomb." With that she steps a 5' step away from the women and turns, and begins an invocation. When it is completed, a chill most foul runs through the pair's veins almost seeking to freeze the blood within. Their breath hangs before them on frosty lips, and a mist of chilled air begins to spread out across the floor.

Zora reaches into her pouch and grabs the key then jumping for the statue. She puts the key in and turns it.

Silvara was furious at having been duped by this Malice as she called herself. She channels her second Kigor's Fiery Bolt and moves to strike the scaly woman. "Corellon, I made a big mistake help me rectify it and keep this evil from desecrated a temple of good Deities.

She would back it up with Blades of Blood to help her her harder.