Orb of Sol
The Orb of Sol is a "holy artifact of great symbolic importance to the Aerdi people,[1] dedicated to Good which has magical powers related to sun and light.
The creation of the original thirteen death knights is tied to the history of the Orb.
The Orb of Sol is possessed by Saint Benedor who uses it in his crusade against death knights.
| Orb of Sol | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type: | Artifact |
| Rules | |
| Caster lvl: | 20+ |
| Weight: | 5-10 lbs |
Description
The Orb of Sol is a golden sphere, otherwise smooth except for runes engraved on its surface.
History
Beginning of death knights
Lord Kargoth, when mortal, sought to strike against his former order, the Knight Protectors. Rather than attacking a main stronghold or fortress of the order, he chose to attack a small temple near Rel Deven (the temple of Lothan), since it was where the Orb of Sol had been secreted away. He planned to steal it, draw the knights out, and defeat them using the Orb. Thirteen others followed him on the mission, though did not know his plan or his pact with Demogorgon.[2]
Kargoth had been taught evil magic to twist the power of the Orb, and used words of power to magically force open a gate to Demogorgon's layer of the Abyss, through which came Arendagrost, who went on to cause destruction and chaos throughout the region.[2]
When he opened it, however, an earthquake shook the temple, Kargoth's hands were burnt until they began smoking, and great, holy fire leapt from the Orb, throwing Kargoth against the wall and burned him and his thirteen compatriots to death. Other Knight Protectors came with Benedor (who was the new commander of the order) and came to investigate the "smoking ruin" that was all that was left of the temple. He obtained the Orb still at its place in its chamber, and the dead former knights, though Lord Kargoth was nowhere to be found. He witnessed the thirteen former Knight Protectors rising as death knights there in the chamber, though they escaped at the time.[2]
When St. Benedor stopped an attempted invasion of Delaric in 209 CY by newer death knights leading an "undead army", he once again "unleashed the Orb of Sol and the artifact destroyed Lord Farian, immolating the death knight in curtains of strange white flame"[3]
Powers
See also
- Bilious Sphere—an "obscene parody of the Orb of Sol".[4]
External link
Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.
- Orb of Sol, at Canonfire.com, by Gary Holian. The original author of the source material for the Orb of Sol gives his own in-depth history, powers, and legends about the Orb, published at the same time as "The Death Knights of Oerth, part 2." (Jan 2002)..
References
Notes
Citations
- ↑ Living Greyhawk Journal #6 (Dragon #290, Dec 2001), p.102.
- ↑ a b c Living Greyhawk Journal #6 (Dragon #290, Dec 2001), p.102-103.
- ↑ Living Greyhawk Journal #7 (Dragon #291, Jan 2002), p.97.
- ↑ Living Greyhawk Journal #7 (Dragon #291, Jan 2002), p.91-92.
Bibliography
- Holian, Gary. "The Death Knights of Oerth." Living Greyhawk Journal #6 (Dragon' #290). Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
- ———. "Demogorgon's Champions: The Death Knights of Oerth, part 2." Living Greyhawk Journal #7 (Dragon #291. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2002.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orb of Sol | Item | Artifact, | Dragon magazine #290 | 102, 103 |
| Orb of Sol | Item | Artifact, | Dragon magazine #291 | 97, 98 |