Orb of Obliteration
Magic is a volatile thing on Nascindor, and one that requires supreme focus to retrieve from its plane of origination, the Tapestrum Arcanum. However, the dread warlock known as the Ashen Baron wields a weapon that can directly channel the energies of the tapestry into the real Nascindor, eschewing the need to project and therefore making him that much more fearsome as a spellcaster.
This weapon is colloquially known as the Orb of Obliteration.
It perhaps dates back to the reign of the Sorcerer-Kings, an era of unchecked magic use predating the Godfall, during which individuals rose to such heights of power that they were treated as gods and kings.
Other, more heretical viewpoints suggest that the orb is actually a piece of the Heart of Hate itself, chipped off during the many attempts to lead his forces towards the Heart and fashioned into a weapon by the twisted mind hid underneath the black helmet that adorns the head of the Baron. To entertain the idea that a fragment of such unadulterated malice has been twisted and forged into the Ashen Baron's weapon speaks volumes of the depths to which dark sorcery and the ambition to use it can plunge an individual.
When observed closer, one will discover that the cracks emit a disquieting whispering, like the silent voices of every man and woman who have been laid low by the ominous orb. These cracks also shift and slither across the orb's surface, seemingly intelligent and responding to touch.
Turned towards these osseous thralls, the energies of the orb seem to mend rather than eradicate, bones resetting and fusing together in a grotesque parody of regeneration. The Ashen Baron's control over the Orb manifests as a perverse mastery over life and death, flipping the macabre tide of destruction into a grisly act of reconstruction in the blink of an eye.
As the fell energies pulsate, directed by the Baron's malevolent intent, the calcified remnants left in the wake of the orb's devastation become the focal points of a sinister transformation. Where once stood lifeless remnants now stirs an eerie semblance of animation as the dusted outer shell of these victims is blown away in the wind and their skeletal forms, ablaze with unnatural fire and their skulls emblazoned with a fell rune, march in step towards those they had called allies mere moments prior.
Being healers and practitioners of magic themselves, the Circle of Dawn is especially vigilant for the Baron and his wakes of Embers. Their leader, Seeker-Captain Greust has made it his personal mission to hunt down the Baron and stop his reign of terror. Believing it to be beneficial to the image of the church of Resounding Truth, embellished tales of the clashes of these two figures have been printed and published in an effort to instill hope in the populations of the city-states.
Should Greust and his men succeed in capturing the orb, they are to deliver it to the Everlasting Edifice, where the dire artifact will most likely be destroyed, its blasphemous energies dispersed into the winds so they may never hurt anyone ever again.
This weapon is colloquially known as the Orb of Obliteration.
Creation
Like much relating to the Ashen Baron, the exact origins of the orb are unclear, but it is considered a sound theory that the artifact predates the Baron himself and is possibly something he has found rather than created, mayhaps from the terrifying depths of the Adversary's nightmare.It perhaps dates back to the reign of the Sorcerer-Kings, an era of unchecked magic use predating the Godfall, during which individuals rose to such heights of power that they were treated as gods and kings.
Other, more heretical viewpoints suggest that the orb is actually a piece of the Heart of Hate itself, chipped off during the many attempts to lead his forces towards the Heart and fashioned into a weapon by the twisted mind hid underneath the black helmet that adorns the head of the Baron. To entertain the idea that a fragment of such unadulterated malice has been twisted and forged into the Ashen Baron's weapon speaks volumes of the depths to which dark sorcery and the ambition to use it can plunge an individual.
Appearance
Outwardly, the orb looks like it is hewn from stone, its craggy surface covered by snaking cracks that glow an unsettling crimson. These fissures running along the surface glow and pulse in time with a kind of heartbeat, for lack of a better term.When observed closer, one will discover that the cracks emit a disquieting whispering, like the silent voices of every man and woman who have been laid low by the ominous orb. These cracks also shift and slither across the orb's surface, seemingly intelligent and responding to touch.
Powers
As the orb is a catalyst for the boundless magical potential stored inside the Tapestrum, there are very few effects it cannot produce with disturbing ease. Pulsing waves of fell energies that scour the souls from unfortunate victims, leaving behind only calcified remains, being the most usual application. When directed by the will of the Ashen Baron, these energies manifest as a deluge of sorcery that obliterates life itself, while simultaneously bolstering the vitality and frenzy of his Faltered.Turned towards these osseous thralls, the energies of the orb seem to mend rather than eradicate, bones resetting and fusing together in a grotesque parody of regeneration. The Ashen Baron's control over the Orb manifests as a perverse mastery over life and death, flipping the macabre tide of destruction into a grisly act of reconstruction in the blink of an eye.
As the fell energies pulsate, directed by the Baron's malevolent intent, the calcified remnants left in the wake of the orb's devastation become the focal points of a sinister transformation. Where once stood lifeless remnants now stirs an eerie semblance of animation as the dusted outer shell of these victims is blown away in the wind and their skeletal forms, ablaze with unnatural fire and their skulls emblazoned with a fell rune, march in step towards those they had called allies mere moments prior.
Containment
The Seekers that patrol the outskirts of the Black Forest have strict orders to attempt to retrieve and contain the orb should the opportunity present itself.Being healers and practitioners of magic themselves, the Circle of Dawn is especially vigilant for the Baron and his wakes of Embers. Their leader, Seeker-Captain Greust has made it his personal mission to hunt down the Baron and stop his reign of terror. Believing it to be beneficial to the image of the church of Resounding Truth, embellished tales of the clashes of these two figures have been printed and published in an effort to instill hope in the populations of the city-states.
Should Greust and his men succeed in capturing the orb, they are to deliver it to the Everlasting Edifice, where the dire artifact will most likely be destroyed, its blasphemous energies dispersed into the winds so they may never hurt anyone ever again.
The screaming never stops... the screaming never stops...–A Telothian legionnaire suffering from trauma brought about via exposure to the orb's fell energies
Item type
Magical
Current Location
Current Holder
Weight
8lbs / 3.63kg
Dimensions
Diameter: 11.8in / 30cm Radius: 5.9in / 15cm
by Midjourney
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