Using a perfect paragon diamond to focus our power, we created a bracelet to force obedience, a rosary to drive men to madness, shackles to halt a witch's power...
Kol and Rebekah Mikaelson channeling Dark Objects and their big brother
Dark Objects are ordinary objects which are imbued by witches to possess harmful and destructive supernatural effects using Kemiya. Like most enchanted objects, their magical properties stem from the binding of said object to a spell and are capable of being deactivated with the right spell.
They are commonly used by the New Orleanswitches to carry out a malevolent task and can also be used by humans against the supernatural and, in some cases, against the witches themselves. The Armory possess a great number of dark objects, capable of great power and destruction. Alaric states that half of the objects have been lost to history and that the other half shouldn't even exist.
Dark Objects are created with Kemiya, a particular form of Arabian magic that mixes science and sorcery in a manner similar to alchemy. However, it has also been alluded that other magic can have the same effect upon an object's creation. The most powerful objects known to be created were by the witches Esther Mikaelson and the New Orleans witches Astrid and Mary-Alice under the directions of the Original VampireKol Mikaelson, as shown in The Originals: The Awakening web-series.
Throughout The Vampire Diaries
The Indestructible White Oak Stake: created by Esther Mikaelson in Do Not Go Gentle. The stake was made indestructible using the melted metal of the Gilbert Ring previously worn by Alaric Saltzman, to bind the protective magic to the last known white oak stake to ensure it would not be destroyed after its use against an Original Vampire. Esther created the stake specifically for the use of Alaric Saltzman's dark alter-ego, who was turned into an Enhanced Original Vampire so he could be the ultimate Vampire Hunter like Mikael and finally kill her children. This weapon can kill any vampire, including an Original Vampire, and unlike regular White Oak Stakes, it will not be destroyed once it has been used due to being coated with the melted Gilbert Ring. It was believed that it could not be destroyed by any conventional means. In Red Door, it was revealed that this dark object is so powerful that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible to strip it of its power permanently. However, it is possible to disable the power of the stake for a brief period of time if the witch is especially learned in dark objects, such as Kol Mikaelson, especially if more than one witch is working together to do this. If this is accomplished, the stake will temporarily lose the mystical properties that allow it to kill an Original Vampire, though it is unknown whether or not it would still kill a regular vampire if used during this time. In Ashes to Ashes, the stake was destroyed by the immensely powerful witch Dahlia, who used her considerable power to cause the stake to explode into minuscule pieces before magically forcing Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah Mikaelson to inhale the pieces in an attempt to kill them. This was a feat believed to be impossible until this point, and though Freya saved her siblings from death by inhaling the stake's dust, the stake remained destroyed, eliminating the only known weapon that could kill an Original Vampire.
Flame of Imprisonment: owned by the Armory, the artifact allows its user to trap supernatural beings in the space where it burns, similar to the effects of a Boundary Spell. The Flame of Imprisonment came the form of a black candle, that sits on an inverted black skull that rests upon an metal ornate base. It was used by Bonnie, on loan from the Armory, in an effort to persuade Enzo into turning his humanity on again. The one who lights it, can come and go as they please and are the only one who can put it out.
Throughout The Originals
The Needle of Sorrows: The Needle of Sorrows was cursed in 1860 by an unknown witch and has one purpose, to kill a child in utero by raising a pregnant woman's blood temperature. As a result, this will ultimately induce a miscarriage by the next high tide. By appearance, it resembles a large, golden steampunk-style needle. It appears to have no effect to women who aren't pregnant. This is seen with Sophie Deveraux, in Fruit of the Poisoned Tree, who was stabbed with the needle by Agnes while she was magically linked to Hayley Marshall, who at the time was pregnant. She likely only suffered a fever in the first place because of her connection to the extremely feverish Hayley. It was one of the dark objects that the French Quarter Coven still possessed up until 2011, when it was then confiscated by Father Kieran and added to his collection in his secret apartment. The Needle's current whereabouts are currently unknown and is either in the possession of Klaus or the Harvest Girls.
The Rosary of Madness: The Rosary of Madness was created in the 1914 by Mary-Alice Claire and Astrid Malchance using Kemiya under the orders and design of the original vampire, Kol Mikaelson. By appearance, it resembles an intricately carved wooden bead rosary; Agnes' rosary was white, whereas Bastianna Natale's rosary was red. The rosary has the power to instill madness in its victim, as proven by the French Quarter Coven's Elders Agnes and Bastianna, who cursed Sean O'Connell and Father Kieran with the rosary, respectively. An incantation is also required to use the rosary to hex someone. In the case of Father Kieran, Bastianna also used her thumb to burn a cross into the skin of his hand to indicate that he was hexed with it.
The Devil's Star: The Devil's Star was cursed in 1914 by Mary-Alice Claire and Astrid Malchance, along with a number of other dark objects that were enchanted under the orders of Kol Mikaelson. By appearance, it resembles an occidental-style shuriken, or better known as a throwing star. Davina Claire explained to Camille O'Connell and Marcel Gerard that she had learned about the object in the Lycée. According to Davina, the star, when thrown a single time at a person and is embedded in the person's body, will cause the injured person to experience one thousand cuts all over their body. In most humans, this will cause immediate death, but the star can be used to injure human or supernatural alike. Currently, all humans and witches it has been used upon has died from its effects, while Lucien Castle was relatively unfazed.
The Bracelet of Obedience: The Bracelet of Obedience was created in 1914 by Mary-Alice Claire and Astrid Malchance with Kemiya under the orders of Kol. The bracelet gives the possessor the ability to control someone's every action. The bracelet must be worn, or at least held, by the user in order to force their will upon another. By appearance, it resembles an ordinary metal bracelet with a flat designed fixed atop. The bracelet can be enchanted with further spells to ensure that the bracelet cannot be removed or lost by any means. It was used by Davina Claire to submit Mikael to her will to ensure he would follow her orders exactly. However, Kol was able to remove Davina's control over Mikael via the bracelet, as he was the one who designed it's creation and knew how to remove the original enchantment.
The Cursed Shackles: The Cursed Shackles were created in 1914 by Mary-Alice Claire and Astrid Malchance under the orders of Kol using Kemiya. There are at least two known pairs of these cursed manacles that, when used to shackle a witch by their wrists, prevents the witch in question from being able to use their magic. By appearance, they resemble a pair of worn out manacles. They have been used in the past by the Human Faction in order to subdue a coven known as the Voodoo Queens. In the modern day, Marcel and Camille used the shackles to handcuff the witches Kaleb Westphall and Vincent Griffith, who were possessed by Kol Mikaelson and Finn Mikaelson, respectively, and prevent them from using magic against them and their allies. A pair of the shackles were also used by Klaus Mikaelson to restrain his recently-returned oldest sister Freya Mikaelson and ensure that she would not use magic against their mother Esther (possessing the witch-turned-vampire Lenore) until they got the information they needed from her. Unfortunately, Freya's magic was too strong to be fully muted by these shackles, and she was able to break them. Out of the two known pairs, one of the enchantments was transferred to a bracelet for Klaus and Hayley's daughter, Hope Mikaelson, to wear. The second pair of shackles was last seen in Ashes to Ashes, used on Esther. Additionally, the power of the shackles can be used by wrapping the shackles' chains around a witch that will similarly block out their powers.
Papa Tunde's Blade: Papa Tunde's Blade was presumably created in either the late 19th or early 20th century. By appearance, it resembles a simple white bone blade wrapped with cloth at the handle. Prior enchantments, if any, are unknown, however, in 2012 it was imbued with Dark Magic, using Sacrificial Magic to absorb the power of those killed with it or draw on the power of its victims by carving sigils onto them. With Papa Tunde as the final sacrifice, it has the power to dig into its victim's chest, rendering them paralyzed in a state of excruciating pain, even to that of an Original Vampire. It was later revealed that the bone of the blade belongs to the ancient Native American witch, the Hollow. It is currently unknown as to how the bone came into Papa Tunde's possession. While it was initially indestructible, the bone blade has since been used in the Hollow's resurrection and subsequently no longer exists as a weapon.
The Golden Dagger: created by Kol Mikaelson, while possessing the witch Kaleb Westphall, and Davina Claire with Kemiya by transmuting one of the original silver White Oak Ash Daggers, created in the 12th century presumably by The Witch of The Five, into a gold dagger. By doing so, they created an enchanted dagger that was capable of neutralizing Klaus, the Original Hybrid, who was immune to the original silver daggers due to his werewolf heritage. The dagger was used on Klaus twice, first by Elijah in When the Levee Breaks. In Ashes to Ashes, it was once again used on Klaus, this time by himself when he exploited his bond with the witch Dahlia to neutralized her as well. Since then, the dagger has been destroyed by Dahlia, who used her considerable power to cause the dagger to melt so that it cannot be used again.
Hope's Bracelet: Hope's Bracelet was originally created by Kol Mikaelson (while possessing the witch Kaleb) and Davina Claire with Kemiya by transmuting an ordinary rope into a gold bracelet. By appearance, it resembles a simple white-gold bracelet with an attached bell. Later, it was cursed by Davina by transferring the magic-neutralizing powers of one of the pairs of Cursed Shackles into the bracelet for Hope to wear, preventing her from unconsciously using magic, which Dahlia could sense and then use to track her down. It was presumably destroyed by fire in Voodoo Child by the Hollow, who was possessing Hope; however, two years following this possession Hope was seen to be wearing the bracelet once again, in One Wrong Turn On Bourbon. It is currently unknown if the bracelet still exists.
The Serratura: The Serratura, from an Italian word which means "lock", is a medallion of an unknown metal that is as big as the palm of the hand and on one side has an intricate web of symbols that resemble Aztec hieroglyphics. The Serratura has the power to trap one or more people when they are in the same place. The spell to activate the dark object must be performed by the most powerful New Orleans witch, the Regent of the nine covens of New Orleans, or a descendant of the original creator of the object. Once performed, the Serratura need only be placed on the location that its barrier is meant to envelope, and any occupants of that space, whether dead or alive, will remain trapped within its bounds, forever. The only known loophole to this barrier is that a vampire in transition is neither dead or alive and are able to freely pass through the barrier unobstructed.
The Cursed Stakes: The Cursed Stakes are owned by the Strix and presumably created by the Moroccan Witch. The stakes are an artifact that allowed vampires to neutralize an Original Vampire without dying. It functioned slightly different from the White Oak Ash Daggers in that it left said neutralized Original fully aware of their surroundings and curses them to madness and adopt a ripper-like persona upon unstaking them. By appearance, they are dark wooden stakes intricately carved with fanged monkey skulls with rubies for eyes at the base. The spell used to craft this Dark Object, unlike others, were cursed on to the wooden blade. Using the spell, Freya attempted to reverse the secondary curse for madness, though the effects soon returned.
The Hand of Glory: A Hand of Glory is an artifact that allows its user to summon the spirit of the deceased. Once lit, the candle opens any supernatural window and enables communication with the Ghosts world until the wax burns. The Hand of Glory's appearance, hence its name, is a severed forearm of a mummified human being holding up a black or red candle in hand. It was used by Davina Claire to interact with her lover Kol Mikaelson from the Ancestral Plane. A second Hand of Glory was subsequently used by Freya (for Kol) to pull Davina's spirit from the Ancestral Plane, in an attempt to save her from the Ancestor's wrath. To date, the Mikaelsons possess a third Hand of Glory; it remains unknown if it has been used like the prior two.
Blood Rider: An old artifact created by Kol from a Tibetan singing bowl during the 1900's. Not much is known about this tool, other than that it acts as an echo chamber. When used with a target's blood, it can amplify the body-soul connection between them and a formerly possessed host. Davina Claire used this artifact with Finn's blood in order to strengthen her locator spell to find Vincent, whom the Ancestors was forcing to do their biding.
Restraining Rod and Chains: An ancient artifact that was crafted by ancient Egyptians from an unknown wood, engraved with ancient symbols. Combined, the rod and chain were made to suppress anything supernatural and was powerful enough to effectively restrain an Original Hybrid. Lucien Castle collected it among other similar objects in order to one day use it against Niklaus which he eventually did.
The Dépôt D'argent: Originally created by Eva Sinclair, from the French which means "silver deposit". It was created to be a mystical battery cell used to drain and store away all kinds of magic. It is powerful enough to siphon the magical foundations that held the Ancestral Plane, severing its connection to the physical realm. The device appeared to need activation and to be at the location of which magic it wanted to store to be used.
Dark Object Ledger: Though not a dark object itself, Camille O'Connell cataloged all of the dark objects that she inherited from her uncle's death. The stash of dark objects remained in her possession until her death and was left to Hope. How she concluded the function of each of the following objects remains unknown, as those catalogued have not been used. Additionally, these dark objects have only been seen as photographs in City Beneath The Sea.File:TO220-Dark Object Ledger-02.png
Stones: Categorized as #9 and created in 907 A.D, these stones are to be used for advanced locator spells.
Omega Sphere: Categorized as #10 and created on 12/25/43, it is described to have the ability to harvest light from bright stars.
Haunted Duster: Categorized as #11 and created in 1793, this duster causes objects to be more dirty than clean.
Los Muertos Blade: Categorized as #12 and created in 1501, it is described as 'Spanish sacrificial blade'; this implies it has uses in Sacrificial Magic.
Alligator Spirit Rattle: Categorized as #13 and created on 3/14/72, it is described as having properties to ward off dark spirits.
LaRouche Bell: Categorized as #14 and created on 1/12/18, it is described as having the ability to call the Ancestors to LaRouche Manor.
Coven Looking Glass: Categorized as #15 with an unknown date of creation, it is described as having the ability to reveal hidden objects.
St. Anne Relic: Categorized as #16 and created on 6/21/44, it's only mentioned of being a relic that belongs to St. Anne.
Tibetan Idol: Categorized as #17 and created in 900 A.D., this dark object is described to hold the power that weakened a Chinese army.
Lucas Chalice: Categorized as #18 and created in 1598, it is described as having the ability to turn liquids into immunity elixirs.
Genovese Pendant: Categorized as #19 and created in 1634, it is described to have a power that wards off enemies.
Triple Orion Thimble: Categorized as #20 and created in 1899, it is described to have the power to produce artificial light on the new moon.
Hexed Rooster Claw: Categorized as #20 (same as the previous and likely by mistake) with an unknown date of creation, it is described as having properties that sickens livestock.
Past, Present, Future Watches: Categorized as #21 with an unknown date of creation, Cami questions Time Travel; specifically she writes "Possible time travel devices. Still unknown."
Protection Idol: Categorized as #22 and created on 9/21/22, it is described to hold the power to guard young children from hexes and spells.
Throughout Legacies
The Blood Fountain: Originally created by The Travelers, the Blood Fountain is a towering dark object adorned with numerous skulls with trickling blood that pools at a stone base. The dark object was created to nullify magic in an undetermined, but finite location, making witches powerless and vampires unable to use their daylight rings. Specifically on three skulls, there are three different symbols inscribed on the forehead that when traced in the blood of the fountain will cause the dark object to be shut down. It is unknown how to activate this object, when the Travelers created it, or how it came into Alaric's possession at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted.
There are two known large stores of dark objects. One stash is in the possession of Niklaus Mikaelson, many of which were previously his brother Kol's, that he has collected over the thousand years he's been alive. The second stash belongs to Camille O'Connell, which she inherited from her uncle, Father Kieran O'Connell, which are stored in Kieran's Secret Apartment.
In The Axeman's Letter, the entirety of the dark objects and historical artifacts in the secret apartment were confiscated by Detective Will Kinney as a result of Cami being a suspect in the serial killings throughout the city.
Dark objects can also be channeled by witches as an additional power source to enhance their spells as a result of the objects' mystical nature.
Davina Claire once channeled dark objects to have the power to resurrect Mikael from the Other Side before it collapsed. She also channeled their power to create a poison that could be infused with her blood capable of incapacitating Klaus when he fed feeding on her.
Kol (possessing the witch Kaleb Westphall) and his sister Rebekah (possessing the witch Eva Sinclair) once used Klaus' stash of dark objects to overwhelm their brother Finn (possessing the witch Vincent Griffith) and force him to relinquish his massive power source.
According to Vincent, most of the dark objects Cami inherited from Kieran were co-opted from the Tremé Coven and apparently are so powerful that they could destroy the city.
The Armory may also possess a collection of dark objects based on how Enzo described the mission of the group to Damon and Bonnie as how they collect objects from around the world very dangerous items storing them.
