Celestial Hurricanum

"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 Great Celestial Hurricanum is one of the Empire's, most powerful Arcane Battle Altars throughout the Colleges of Magic. In every Magical College, each Order  has one of several rare, potent, and powerful artefacts once held and maintained by the most powerful mage of this age, Lord Teclis of Ulthuan. This Battle Altar is a marvel of magical and technological advancement, for this device has the mystical ability to strike down their foes with the fury of the heavens itself, creating massive thunder and lightingbolts hurling towards their foes with searing power, and summoning massive molten meteorite at the mass of flesh and steel. This machine is of the same characteristic design as those Arcane Battle Altars of other Colleges. Similar also is the rarity of these machines on the field of battle, for the device is both the most powerful weapon within the Celestine Order and also which holds one of the few Orbs of Sorcery kept within the centre sphere of the magical device. This magnificent work of magical engineering is kept safely by the studious Wizards of the Celestial College.

The machine is bolted within a massive chariot, pulled by two powerful Imperial Warhorse, and watched over by the Acolytes of the Order. The Orb that is embedded within the centre of the machine acts as the catalyst of the Altar, drawing upon the magical energies of the Winds of Azyr to be used during battle. The appearance design of the Atlar is similar to that of a planetary map, where the Orb is surronded by several spheres orbiting the centre, each representing the planets within thier supposed solar system. As the Orb gains in power and strenght, a very weak and chilling wind quietly swirls around the machine, growing in tempo for each passing minute. Soon the chilling winds grows with ever more power, eventually turning the winds into a thunderous Hurricane swirling within the magical orb. Magical energies are often seen being emiting from the chariot as it gains more and more power, until sparks of lightning fling out in all directions, with great ferocity. But this magical backslash is not the machines true magical power. As Acolytes, wizards who have been taughted and tutored by the Patriarch of the Celestial College itself, 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 power, for the skies will be shrouded by dark clouds and would crackle with magic energies, as the wizards resites their spells.

With this power he has the ability to unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts towards the ranks of the enemy, creating massive searing gaps within the armies ranks whilst simualtanously it would shower large icycle-shards, which shears through flesh with unatural ease. On rare occasions, if the Acolytes perfomes the spell perfectly, and achieved a perfect alightment, he has the power to unleash a fiery coment streaking through the dark-clouding skies, upon the very heart of the enemy horde. As the device continues its barrage of carnage, some magical essence would "leak" out of the machine, often affecting Imperial Troops within close proximity to it with unatural visions of the imminent future. This small magical gift has given some Imperial soldiers with precise predictions on the enemies movement and strikes, knowning when and where their foe will lash out against them. Such power is both feared by the enemy, and selfishly kept by the Celestine Wizards of the College.

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 constallations much more clearer, 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 catasrophes have been averted.

Source

 * Warhammer Armies: The Empire (8th Edition) pg 53