"Each Orb is infused with the essence of one of the eight magical winds and it is even whispered that a portion of Lord Teclis's own power is bound within every one of them...The Orb of Azyr are as dark as deep space, lit only by the swirling mass of constellation moving within it."
- —The Orbs of Sorcery, magical artefacts of Lord Teclis
The Magical Celestial Hurricanum Arcane Battle Altar
The Celestial Hurricanum is a large and complex magical machine created by the Celestial Order for the use of battle. This machine is bolted within a massive chariot wheeled, pulled by two powerful Imperial warhorse, and watched over by the Acolytes of the Celestial Patriarch. The Orb that is embedded within the center of the machine acts as the catalyst of the Altar, drawing upon the magical energies of the Winds of Azyr to be used against the enemies of the Empire of Man. As the Orb grows in power and strength, a very weak and chilling wind quietly swirls around the machine, growing in size and tempo until it eventually grows into a thunderous hurricane.
As energy is being gathered, sparks of unstable lightning would fling out in all directions but this magical backslash is not the machines true potential. As the Acolytes oversees the device, one of their own will enchant the spells needed to direct the magical energies towards the enemy. These spells are one of unique nature, for the orb has the mystical ability to alter weather patterns in the sky. With this power, the head Wizard would unleash a barrage of lightning bolts towards the enemy ranks, creating smoldering gaps within the enemy ranks whilst simultaneously it would shower large icycle-shards, cutting through the flesh of man or beast with devastating effect.
On rare occasions, if the Acolytes performs the spell correctly and achieved a perfect alignment, he has the power to unleash a fiery comet streaking through the night skies and make it slam directly within the very heart of the enemy horde. As the device continues its murderous barrage of carnage, some magical energies would leak out of the machine, often afflicting Imperial Troops within close proximity with unnatural visions of the imminent future. This small magical gift has given some Imperial soldiers with precise predictions of enemies movement, allowing them to dodge blows that would cleave a man in two.
When not used for battle upon an Arcane Altar, these Orbs are used by the Wizards as a means to calculate and observe natural phenomenon upon the night sky. The Orb allows the Wizards to see the constellations much more clearly, giving the Wizards the ability to correctly interpret the many futures the Empire has within its long hard destiny. Such predictions have many times before saved the Empire, and in fact, the entire Old World from imminent doom, and it is thanks to the tireless work of these Wizards that these catastrophes have been averted.
Sources
- Warhammer Armies: The Empire (8th Edition) pg 53