Created by the Jackal Emperor Anaksa Nasuul the Obsidian Orbs were created to power his Hand of the Jackal God, a tool for pacifying countrysides. Without knowledge of the history of the orb it seems to be a foot and a half diameter sphere of black obsidian with an overwhelming necromantic that can overshadow the abjuration (DC30 to determine) or the conjuration (DC35 to determine) auras.

The orb is actually a containment device. Inside the orb is a gate that connects to deep within the negative energy plane. Damaging or destroying the Orb frees the gate and negative energy floods out. Eventually the the gate will collapse but not before a flood of death pours into the world. Within a round of the destruction of an orb there will be no creatures within 100 feet alive with less than 18HD. The last time an orb was destroyed within a week fifty square miles was rendered dead and infertile.