Duskstone Orb
The Duskstone Orb, a relic of immense and arcane power, was forged in the shadowy forges of the Night Vaults, located in the deepest chasms of the Plane of Shadow. Crafted by a cabal of forgotten shadow mages, disciples of Norgorber, the god of secrecy, murder, and darkness, at the zenith of their arcane mastery, the orb represents a pinnacle of shadow magic. The size of a human head, its surface is a flawless black crystal, a stark void in the fabric of reality that absorbs light with insatiable hunger. Yet, within its enigmatic core, a faint twilight glow pulsates, a haunting reminder of the dusk it eternally casts upon the land it touches.
The Duskstone Orb's influence is not as powerful as it was in the Shadow Plane, barely extending its shadowy reach to the borders of Xarzhani. Heroes and adventurers across Golarion are called upon to confront this looming threat, seeking to either harness or destroy the orb before its twilight dominion engulfs the world in darkness.
History
Legend recounts that the Duskstone Orb was conceived as a divine instrument of war during the mythical conflict known as the Twilight Struggle. This apocalyptic battle pitched the followers of Sarenrae, the sun goddess, the embodiment of light and redemption, against a coalition of deities envious of her dominion over the day. The orb's creation was a desperate measure to weaken Sarenrae's influence by cloaking her followers' kingdoms in an unending veil of twilight, sapping the strength of her worshipers, and blinding them in perpetual dusk.
However, the orb's power was formidable and erratic, potentially disrupting the natural cycle of day and night. Recognizing the existential threat it posed, a clandestine alliance intervened, including agents of Pharasma, the goddess of fate and death, who guards the balance between life and death. They sought to sequester the orb away from the hands of both gods and mortals, fearing its cataclysmic potential.
For centuries, the orb lay hidden, entombed within the forgotten ruins of an ancient civilization beneath the Tenebrous Depths, a place whispered in legend but found on no map. Its existence faded into obscurity, becoming a mere footnote in the annals of history until its rediscovery by a cabal of dark sorcerers. These sorcerers, devotees of Zon-Kuthon, the god of darkness, pain, and loss, unearthed the orb and, understanding its potential, placed it atop a dark spire within the heart of their kingdom in the Shadow Plane, a realm parallel to Golarion, yet antithetical in every way.
The resurgence of the Duskstone Orb has cast a vast, impenetrable shadow over the land, creating an eternal twilight zone where day and night cease to exist in their known forms. This cursed twilight has enveloped the kingdom of Xarzhani, a realm whispered in the darkest corners of Golarion, rumored to be ruled by the Drow, elves who have turned their backs on the light to embrace the shadows. The orb now resides within the opulent yet foreboding halls of the Royal Palace in Xarzhani, its magic ensuring that the light of the sun never graces the soil of this darkened land, allowing the Drow and other denizens of the night to thrive unimpeded by the cycle of day and night.
