Orb of Preservation
Rare Wondrous Item
A flawless crystalline sphere, roughly the size of a grapefruit, shimmering with an inner light that ebbs and flows like the heartbeat of time itself. The Orb of Preservation is a powerful relic designed to protect fragile objects from the ravages of time, entropy, and outside interference.
Properties:
- The orb creates an invisible stasis field that can safely hold one non-living object no larger than a human skull. This can include ancient scrolls, delicate artifacts, alchemical samples, or even cursed objects that require containment.
- Items placed within the orb are completely immune to decay, fire, magical effects, or physical harm, as though frozen in a perfect moment.
- The stasis field extends to magical auras and effects, preventing curses from spreading, potions from expiring, or arcane runes from fading.
- To place or retrieve an object, the user must speak a command word while holding the orb. Only the same creature that stored the item can retrieve it, unless they willingly transfer ownership by touch and intent.
Additional Effects:
- Once per long rest, the wielder can use the orb to halt the deterioration of a dying creature, stabilizing them at 0 HP for up to 1 minute as though under the effects of the gentle repose spell.
- The orb glows faintly in the presence of items that are deteriorating, cursed, or magically fading, serving as a guide to objects that may need preservation.
- Some say that powerful archmages or planar scholars use orbs like these to hold fragments of lost civilizations, bottled memories, or even pieces of reality itself, hinting at the existence of greater versions of this artifact.