Death Moon Orb The Death Moon Orb was a magical artifact of domination . Originally created by the Netherese lich - king Larloch to control his court , it was famously employed by Szass Tam , Zulkir of Necromancy , to gain power over Thay and attempt to enslave the demon prince Eltab . It had the power to charm and dominate the minds of others , to spy on faraway points , to raise the dead , and to summon and compel fiends , but had a corrupting influence . Description . The " Orb " was a gleaming and glassy sphere , colored black and violet . The colors swam uneasily together , so the surface shifted and shimmered like oil on water . The " Death Moon Orb " seemed to absorb light around , and to carry an aura of gloom and melancholy . If one gazed into the orb for long , then they could see a negative image of Selûne , the moon above , faintly glimmering on its surface . For reasons unknown , it changed size at irregular intervals , from the size of an apple or something that could fill a human man ' s hand , to the size of a man ' s head , though its size did not affect its power . Powers . The " Death Moon Orb " had the power to invade and control almost any mind . Its possessor could invoke its powers to cast " charm person " five times a day and " mass charm " once a day , which both made target creatures trust and befriend the caster , and " domination " thrice a day , which forced victims to obey and follow the will of the one who possessed the " Orb " . The " Orb " could also be used to summon fiend s . The possessor could summon one baatezu , tanar ' ri , or yugoloth at a time and compel them to perform one specific task . Upon completion of the task , the fiend was free to return to its plane of origin , if it was able . However , this power taxed the orb : if one summoned a lowly fiend , then the " Orb " could not be used to summon another for a tenday . Summoning a fiend of middling power meant it could not be so used for a month . Tasking the mightiest fiends saw the " Orb " ' s summoning power spent for a whole year . Its necromantic powers also allowed one to " animate dead " three times a day . Finally , it also functioned as a " crystal ball " , with the powers of " ESP " and " clairaudience " . This power was always available . However , the " Death Moon Orb " predictably bore a subtle curse . It drove the user to perform increasingly evil acts , and if one used it too long or too often , then they would be turned to chaos and evil , becoming monstrously cruel and wicked . Most such folk would inevitably be slain , unless they were already evil beings who survived in undeath , like Larloch and Szass Tam . History . The " Death Moon Orb " was created by Larloch , the Sorcerer - King of the enclave of Jiksidur in Netheril . This powerful artifact allowed him to charm and mentally control the members of his court , to spy on his enemies and learn their plans , and to summon powerful fiend s from the Outer Plane s . It did so successfully , and Larloch ruled for many years , gaining great power . In the Year of Sundered Webs , −339 DR , a contingency spell warned Larloch that Jiksidur was facing impending doom , and he fled the city riding a dragon , presumably rescuing treasures like the " Death Moon Orb " before he left . Very soon after , Netheril suffered Karsus ' s Folly , all magic failed , and Jiksidur fell from the sky to crash , utterly destroyed . Thus Larloch survived the fall of Netheril , as one of its last arcanist - kings , and the " Orb " as one of the few extant Netherese artifacts . Some months later , Larloch discovered the ruins of Orbedal , another Netherese enclave . He claimed the city as his own and constructed himself a crypt out of its broken towers , Larloch ' s Crypt . After many years , he discovered its surviving ruler , Rhaugilath the Ageless . Larloch bound Rhaugilath to serve him . He became the first of Larloch ' s lich servitors . Szass Tam , the Zulkir of Necromancy of Thay , visited Warlock ' s Crypt , as it was now known , around 1366 DR . What transpired was unknown to the outside world ; the two came to some deal or alliance , the details of which were again unknown to outsiders . Larloch gave Szass the " Death Moon Orb " and several other powerful magic items and artifacts , including " Thakorsil ' s Seat " , and a number of hooded companions , to aid him in his plots to control Thay and the demon Eltab . He used the " Orb " to great extent in his war against the other zulkirs , gaining full control over Thay . He then embarked on his scheme to bind the demon lord Eltab . Centuries before , Eltab had aided the Thayans in shaking off Mulhorand i rule , but was subsequently imprisoned beneath the capital , Eltabbar . Szass Tam had realized that the demon lord would soon break free , and decided to instead hasten his escape and then fully enslave the fiend . In the Year of the Shield , 1367 DR , Szass Tam used the " Orb " ' s power to first free Eltab — which triggered a major earthquake in Eltabbar — then compel him to sit in " Thakorsil ' s Seat " , which immediately imprisoned him again . He then began the terrible task of performing the " ritual of twin burnings " and inscribing the runes of chaos upon the " Seat " to make Eltab his eternal slave . During this time , the " Death Moon Orb " hovered in place over Eltab in " Thakorsil ' s Seat " in the Chambers of Twin Burnings . Nathor , a Thayan civil servant , bore witness to much of Szass Tam ' s wicked deeds , and once held the " Death Moon Orb " in trembling hands . Nathor later fled to Aglarond in horror . However , before Szass Tam could inscribe the ninth and last rune of chaos , a band of mighty adventurers got into the Chambers and foiled his scheme . Amidst a terrific explosion , the " Death Moon Orb " swirled black and purple , flickered with red and green flashes , then vanished . It was lost , thought to have teleported to anywhere in Faerûn . Some feared it would be recovered by another powerful archmage , who would put its powers to their own evil purposes . However , the " Orb " eventually found itself back in the possession of Szass Tam by 1372 DR . The " Orb " finally combusted in Szass Tam ' s hands at the moment Mystra , the Lady of Spells , was murdered by Cyric , Prince of Lies , in the Year of Blue Fire , 1385 DR . Destruction . Several possible methods were proposed for destroying the " Death Moon Orb " . Firstly , it could be devoured by a great feyr or a tarrasque . Secondly , it could be taken to Arborea or another outer plane of good ness and there be obliterated by one of the deities that resided there . Thirdly , it could be annihilated with elven high magic , such as that commanded by the high mage s of Evermeet . However , it was ultimately destroyed upon the demise of Mystra , the goddess of magic . Lore . In the library of the Chambers of Twin Burnings , Szass Tam owned historical texts that covered the " Death Moon Orb " .