The black orbs

Stub-class article · First seen: s23 · Last seen: s24
The black orbs
black orb
The black orbs, Orbs (unidentified), black portrait
Item
StatusActive
First seens23
Last seens24
TypeOrbs (unidentified), black
HolderKole (the first); Terry (the second, on Kole's word)
OriginNamed by Rime at the sealed door in s23; two found in the ridge temple in s24

The black orbs are what Rime told the party would open the sealed door in the ridge temple: “the black orbs to open the door” [12]. In session 24 the party found two. Kole poked the first out of a skull’s mouth with his lute, and the DM entered it as “just black orb”; Terry’s blood bought the second from a compartment in the vampire-lord statue [23][16][28][17]. How many the door takes is not stated, and the third, if there is one, has not been found. The title is the wiki’s own, from the DM’s and Rime’s words.

Overview

The orbs came into the story at the sealed door of the ridge temple. In session 23 a Perception check showed that it had “three indentations” [10], each “roughly the size of a baseball” [11], and Rime said that the way to open it was “the black orbs to open the door” [12]. In session 24 the party went looking for them while a chanting built through the temple [13][14], and found two.

Neither has been tried in the door. What the orbs are, what they do and how many are needed are not stated.

Description

The DM has called only the first orb black. Asked whether he simply adds “a random orb” to his inventory, Kole was told “Yeah, just black orb.” [15][16]. Of the second, the DM said that a compartment opened “that seems to hold an orb” [17]. He has given no size, weight, material or marking for either. The party’s only measure is the door’s indentations, “roughly the size of a baseball” [11], and nobody has set an orb against them. Kole calls his “a fucking giant orb” [18], which is his word and not the DM’s.

Mechanics (as played)

  • The first orb. After a Perception check, Caelumn was told there was “an orb in the mouth of this skull” and a crevice behind the statue “like almost like a hidden door” [19]. Kole asked whether it was trapped, and the DM’s reading was “it seems to be not trapped” [20][21]. He poked the orb out with his lute, and the DM narrated: “you see a giant set of teeth emanate from the mouth and chomp down where your lute was a second ago. And you manage to catch the orb.” [22][23]. The statue’s teeth closed all the same.
  • The second orb. Kole reasoned that the vampire-lord statue wanted blood, and the DM confirmed that it had “an open mouth with teeth and a beckoning hand” [24][25]. A prick of Kole’s finger, one piercing damage, left it “hungry” [26]. Terry put his wrist in its mouth and took 8 necrotic damage [27][28], and as the statue let go there was “a small compartment opening in front of the statue that seems to hold an orb” [17]. Kole said he would pass it to Terry [29].
  • Function. None has been shown. Rime’s phrase, “to open the door” [12], is the only one given.

Open questions

  • How many the door takes. The door has “three indentations” [10]. Father Thomas read that as “Three. Three orbs.” [30], and Caelumn’s “two out of three” [31] follows from it, but the DM has given no number for the orbs.
  • Where the rest are. Asked where the orbs might be, Rime answered “I don’t know.” [32]. The mummy-lord statue’s remains held nothing [33], and the hollow under the knight statue held “a pink unicorn resting on top of a couple of gold coins” instead [34]. The Dracolich statue took none of the party’s offerings [35][36], and Father Thomas’s suggestion that Kole trade his orb to it was refused [37][38].
  • Who holds the second. Kole’s offer is the last word on it. Terry’s answer is not clear [39], and no later line shows the orb in anyone’s hand.
  • What they are. Terry has called them “crystals” [40] and hoped the knight would drop a “gemstone” [41]. Those are the players’ words; the DM has not.

History in the campaign

Session 23: The Changeling in Manacles

Main article: Session 23

At the sealed door a Perception check of 24 showed three indentations in the face of the door, each about the size of a baseball, and runes in a language the party could not read; the runes did not match those on the dagger or the greatsword [1]. Rime then named the key: “the black orbs to open the door” [12]. Nobody had seen one. The players guessed at where they lay, “down below” (Hugo) and behind the vampire-lord statue (Father Thomas), and the DM said nothing to either [42][43]. Father Thomas’s blow with his staff left the door shut [44].

Session 24: The Knight of Smoke

Main article: Session 24

The party hunted for the orbs while the chanting grew. Caelumn spotted one “in the mouth of this skull”, and Kole got it with his lute as the statue’s teeth snapped shut where the lute had been; the DM added it as “just black orb” [3][23][16]. After the vote to go on, with Rime unable to say where the others were, the party fed the vampire-lord statue Terry’s blood, and a compartment opened with a second orb, which Kole said he would pass to Terry [32][45]. The mummy-lord statue’s remains and the knight statue’s hollow held none [33][46].

Status

As of session 24. The first orb is in Kole’s bag [16][47]. The second is Terry’s on Kole’s word only [29]. The sealed door has not been tried with either and stays shut. The number it needs is not stated, and the party’s count of “two out of three” is the players’ [31].

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 23, line 1659-1666: The sealed door has three indentations, each roughly the size of a baseball, and runes in a language the party cannot read.
  2. ^ Session 23, line 1674-1677: Rime names the key, "the black orbs to open the door".
  3. ^ Session 24, line 660: Caelumn is told there is an orb in the mouth of a skull.
  4. ^ Session 24, line 752-760: Kole's check for a trap, the lute, the teeth, and the DM's "Yeah, just black orb.".
  5. ^ Session 24, line 1158-1164: The table's count of two orbs is corrected to one, with Kole.
  6. ^ Session 24, line 1259-1278: The vampire-lord statue has an open mouth, and Kole's pricked finger leaves it hungry.
  7. ^ Session 24, line 1299-1316: Terry's wrist buys a compartment with an orb, and Kole says he will pass it to Terry.
  8. ^ Session 24, line 1330-1334: The mummy-lord statue's remains hold nothing; Caelumn counts "two out of three".
  9. ^ Session 24, line 1878-1879: The hollow under the knight statue holds no orb.
  10. ^ Session 23, line 1659: Inline citation.
  11. ^ Session 23, line 1664: Inline citation.
  12. ^ Session 23, line 1677: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 24, line 382: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 24, line 1633: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 24, line 759: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 24, line 760: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 24, line 1312: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 24, line 899: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 24, line 656-660: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 24, line 744: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 24, line 752: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 24, line 753: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 24, line 756: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 24, line 1253: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 24, line 1259: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 24, line 1278: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 24, line 1299: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 24, line 1310: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 24, line 1316: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 24, line 681: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 24, line 1334: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 24, line 1175: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 24, line 1330: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 24, line 1879: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 24, line 1432: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 24, line 1482: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 24, line 1508: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 24, line 1509: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 24, line 1317: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 24, line 697: Inline citation.
  41. ^ Session 24, line 1709: Inline citation.
  42. ^ Session 23, line 1684: Inline citation.
  43. ^ Session 23, line 1685: Inline citation.
  44. ^ Session 23, line 1690-1692: Inline citation.
  45. ^ Session 24, line 1310-1316: Inline citation.
  46. ^ Session 24, line 1878: Inline citation.
  47. ^ Session 24, line 1164: Inline citation.
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