Sphere of Aquillia

"Where it came from, nobody knows. But that mattered not, as it caused destruction and chaos wherever it went. Those in its path were consumed into its inky black void. One unfortunate soul would be controlled by the sphere, controlled to take the sphere wherever it desired. When a mighty warrior would cut down the thrall, the sphere would take the mind of the warrior. And so the sphere went, causing destruction across the Empire. More and more powerful warriors were dragged under its control. We thought the Empire might fall to a single malevolent artifact.
"That was until Aquillia Soulina, Archmage to the Queen of the Oro Empire, stood against the sphere. The battle was long but in the end Aquillia managed to destroy the warrior under its control, the General Mettius Palicamus. The sphere attempted to command her mind, but Aquillia had prepared for this moment. Before the battle began, she cast a spell on herself to shield her mind. Throughout the battle she held that spell, holding her back from the true devastation she could cause.
"The sphere was not defeated, because with all of Aquillia's magic she could not destroy the orb. Instead she cast a spell to capture it. With plans to find permanent home for the sphere a decision was made to make a fortress in Agura for the orb to remain for the rest of time. The preparations were made. Aquillia and a circle of mages were to sail to Agura with the sphere.
"While on the voyage across the Styss Ocean a terrible storm rolled in. The mages did all they could to combat it, but the storm was too powerful. Waves crashed into the ship, capsizing it. Aquillia and the mages had to abandon the sphere to the murky depths of the Styss Ocean where it is said it still lies today."
"Wow grandpa is that story true?" said the young Oronian, his trunk twisted back in fright.
"As true as the trunk on my face."
"What happens if someone finds the sphere?"
"Who knows? But its likely that whoever finds it might wreak havoc on the world once more. Get some rest."

Summary

The core of the legend is that a powerful sentient sphere wreaked havoc on the Oronian Empire on the continent of Skiak Trya. There are many variations, one of which tells of a single warrior wielding it as a weapon and others where it controlled an army. Regardless of the variation, the sphere was said to control the minds of its targets and anything it touched would be consumed by it. Only after the Archmage Aquillia managed to capture the sphere did the destruction end. There are other variations on how she captured the sphere. The legend continues that they were to lock away the artifact away from anyone so its corruption could not spread. Some say their aim was Agura while others claim it was the Forgotten Zone. The artifact was lost in a storm on their journey and it was never seen again.

Historical Basis

There are archeological clues that state the artifact is real. Several ancient Oronian sites have depictions of a pure black sphere. The sphere can even be found in the caves of ancient Sand Elves. Aquillia is known to have been a real person, as there are records deep in the Oronian archives that speak of her deeds, however none have found official records speaking of Aquillia and the sphere leading some scholars to believe it never happened.

Spread

The Sphere of Aquillia is a widely known myth through the Oronian Empire. While it is well known, it is often a story meant to scare off children from going to unknown places or even a fear of the sea. The name Aquillia has also become a popular girl's name, especially among parents that wish to have their children become mages.

In Art

One painting was done by the famous artist Barbatia Orientia. On a mural in the heart of Oro it depicts the battle between Aquillia and General Mettius. Her depiction of the Sphere of Aquillia has been reported as "disturbing" as its design draws in the onlooker to it from anywhere on the mural, a notion that the sphere was ever present in the minds of those on the battlefield.