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For the mythic gear, see Orb of Destruction (Heroes of Dragon Age).

The enigmatic Orb of Destruction[1] is an ancient elven artifact of immense power that, after performing a specific ritual, allows its user to either breach the Veil and enter the Fade physically, or close breaches already opened.

Involvement[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.


The Elder One uses the Orb in his attempt to physically enter the Fade and reach the Black City in order to become a god that would rule over all of Thedas, just like the ancient magisters of old did before the First Blight.

The Orb is first seen by the Inquisitor during Corypheus' attack on Haven. Corypheus attempts to use it to remove the Anchor, a magical mark that bestows control over the Breach and Fade rifts, from the Herald of Andraste, but discovers it is permanent. In the aftermath of the attack, Solas explains to the Herald that the Orb is an artifact of elven origin, one of several foci the ancient elves used to harness magical power. If the Herald is elven, Solas will elaborate that the Orb focuses the power of the Elven Pantheon and each one is usually associated with a particular god.

While trapped in the Fade after investigating the Grey Wardens at Adamant Fortress, the Herald regains their memories of the events immediately preceding the destruction of the conclave. The Herald realizes that they acquired the Anchor when they interrupted Corypheus' sacrifice of Divine Justinia V and picked up the Orb. Corypheus had intended to gain the Anchor himself to control the Breach after it opened, but the Herald spoiled his plan and set the stage for the events that would follow.

During a random dialogue between Solas and Dorian, the latter would openly identify the Orb as one of several "somnaborium" - or "vessels of dreams" in the ancient Elven language - which were used by Dreamer mages predating ancient Tevinter. The only records of these relics were depicted in paintings at the Magisterium's archives.[2]

Notes from Samson indicate that the Orb may have whispered ancient secrets of the elves to Corypheus, leading to his invasion of the Temple of Mythal.[3]

After being thwarted at the Temple of Mythal and losing his army, Corypheus returns to the Temple of Sacred Ashes and in desperation uses the Orb to reopen the Breach. The Herald confronts the magister, and at the climax of their battle pulls the Orb from the magister's grasp using the Anchor and seals the Breach once more, destroying Corypheus in the process. The Orb then drops to the ground and breaks apart. Solas retrieves the fragments and quietly weeps for the loss of yet another ancient artifact.

When they confront each other, Flemeth tells Solas, whom she identifies as the "Dread Wolf," that he should not have given his Orb to Corypheus. To which Solas responds that he was too weak to unlock it after awakening from his slumber.



This section contains spoilers for:
Trespasser.


Solas later reveals that the orb's true name is the Orb of Fen'Harel and that only Fen'Harel could wield the Anchor without it eventually killing its wielder. Since Solas is Fen'Harel, he explains that was how he was able to stabilize the Inquisitor's Anchor when they first met. Solas says his agents allowed the Venatori to locate his orb and they presented the orb to Corypheus to unlock the Orb's true power. Solas was too weak after awakening from his long slumber to do it himself, and knowing the Elder One planned on making use of the ancient artifact to realize his dream of godhood, manipulated him into unlocking the orb for him with the belief that Corypheus would die in the resulting explosion. Solas however, did not foresee Corypheus had uncovered the secret to effective immortality. Had all gone according to his plan, he would have reclaimed the orb and used its power to tear down the Veil as the world burned in the raw chaos. Solas concludes that he would have restored the world of his time- the world of the elves.


Trivia[]

  • In the Tevinter Imperium of old, similar orbs were often referred to as "Somnaborium" (translated as "Vessels of Dreams)".[4]
  • "Foci" are also mentioned in the note dating back to ancient Tevinter found in the Frostback Basin.
  • Designer notes on Dragon Age: Inquisition note the Orb of Destruction was coded in the game as "elv_orbmythal," implying that the Orb may have been directly related to Mythal at some point in development. However this is legacy information and seems to be no longer canonical. [5]
  • According to Solas the orb also augments both the physical and magical power of anyone who wields it, though by how much is never stated.

Gallery[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.



References[]

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