Boxes of Orden
From Sword of Truth Wiki
- "There is a magic, an ancient and dangerous magic of immense power."
- — Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander
The Boxes of Orden are a set of three magical boxes that are linked to the magic of life.
The boxes have special jeweled covers, which hide the true nature of the actual boxes themselves. Completely black, not just black in color, but black as in devoid of light, they are usually described as 'sucking all light' out of a room. The three boxes all have different properties and purposes as well. Although all three look identical, they are different.
First, the covers of the boxes must be removed, which is tricky in itself. Then, the boxes must be put into play. This causes a whole string of magic webs to occur. When the boxes are put into play, the deadly snake vine will begin to grow throughout the world. After that, the player has exactly 1 year to open a box, or else the magic will claim their life.
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[edit] Opening the Boxes(false)
The boxes cannot simply be opened by a latch or a button, but rather with complex magic rituals. These rituals are as much mathematical as they are magical, many things must be measured and calculated to precision. Spells and formula must be drawn within magic sand around the boxes to be properly opened.
The outcome of what happens when a box is opened depends on which one it is. There are three possibilities, one box will kill the player, one box will destroy all life in the world, and the third will grant the player ultimate power over all life. Even the third box as a choice though, as the magic of Orden shifts with intent. You can use the magic of life to help others, or to rule others. Instructions for opening the boxes, as well as which one to open is contained in the book titled Book of Counted Shadows, as you do indeed need to count the shadows that each box casts in order to determine which is the proper one to open.
[edit] Opening the Boxes(true)
Only the person who can turn the Sword of Truth white can open the boxes of Orden by impaling it while the blade is white.
[edit] Breaching the Veil
The Veil is what separates the world of the dead and the world of the living. If used improperly, the boxes could actually breech this veil, and allow evil from the world of the dead to escape to life, as did the skrin, creatures of the Underworld that escaped when Darken Rahl opened a box. Also, the Stone of Tears is another object of the Underworld that was loosened when the box was open.
[edit] The Boxes of Orden and Chainfire
Later on in the series, it is learned that the Boxes of Orden were created as a counter to the Chainfire spell. Although specific details on how or why this is so are still sketchy, a few guesses can be made, such as that since Chainfire alters how people interpret the world of life, the magic of the boxes may be necessary to restore it.
