This comment was posted to reddit on Mar 07, 2015 at 5:02 pm and was deleted within 4 hour(s) and 11 minutes.
Help Me Destroy a Necromantic Artifact?
There might be a twin orb, attuned to positive energy which was created either as a counter to it or as a product of it's creation (sort of a ying/yang or life/death). Heck, the life orb could have even been created and had the black orb as sort of a byproduct. They could both actually be seeds, with the light one having grown into a life giving tree and the other hidden (or stolen). By placing the dark seed within the tree or grove, it nullifies both -- which may or may not anger the druids or fey guarding their primal 'gift'.
You could try the classic Mount Doom; a.k.a. rid the world from once it came scenario. The orb may have even stronger powers the closer it gets to it's home. Whoever it attunes to becomes ever more possessive...
It might have to be overcharged or activated before it can be fully destroyed. For example, whoever attunes to it may need to permanently bond to it, staining their soul. Once they die they and the orbs energy will be pulled into the dark abyss, hopefully forever.
Give them a few options. Some easy, some very difficult. The catch here is that the easier method won't work, but will appear to cleanse the object. Once "clean", it slowly begins working its way into the mind of whoever it's attuned to...
It needs powerful magic to destroy but begins growing in power exponentially. Maybe an ancient text describes a powerful spell to delay the energy growing inside. The ritual seems impossible to work, but during the casting a mysterious rift opens and the orb disappears in a bright flash. They might see a glimpse of what lied beyond, a silhouette of a creature or person. At least the orb is 'destroyed'. Skip to many, many adventures later. A new BBEG appears, a powerful sorcerer. They track him down and burst in just as he completes an ancient ritual, somehow sounding familiar...a rift opens, the orb comes through. BBEG using the black orb escapes. New adventure begins to find the sorcerer and orb and destroy it for good.