Shadow Orb

A Shadow Orb is a floating purple sphere, found deep in the Chasms of The Corruption. Destroying at least three of these orbs (in a single world) will usually be a crucial step in game advancement. This can be done using any hammer or explosives. Shadow Orbs emit purple, flickering light, similar to Demon Altars. They are the Corruption counterpart to the Crimson's Crimson Hearts.

Multiple Shadow Orbs are found in the Corruption, each located at the bottom of a Chasm, surrounded by Ebonstone. While mining Ebonstone requires at least a Nightmare Pickaxe, Ebonstone can be converted to normal Stone Blocks with Purification Powder, and mined with a lower-tier pickaxe. Alternatively, explosives can be used to destroy Ebonstone.

Consequences of destruction

 * Each destroyed Shadow Orb drops items. The first will always drop a Musket and some Musket Balls, and carrying the Musket and/or Musket Balls will fulfill the criteria for the Arms Dealer to arrive.
 * Destroying at least one Shadow Orb fulfills one of the two criteria for a Goblin Army to attack (having at least 200 health is the other requirement).
 * The third Shadow Orb destroyed summons the Eater of Worlds, which spawns immediately. The Eater of Worlds is re-summoned with every third Shadow Orb destroyed.
 * Prior to 1.4.0.2, each Shadow Orb destroyed provides a chance for a Meteorite to land. Each Shadow Orb gives a separate 50% chance of immediately causing a Meteorite to fall when destroyed between midnight (12:00AM) and dawn (4:30AM). Destroying any number of Shadow Orbs between dawn and midnight will only allow one 50% chance of a Meteorite falling the following midnight. After 1.4.0.2, meteorites will only drop after Eater of Worlds has been defeated.
 * Once a Shadow Orb is destroyed, the Travelling Merchant has a chance to sell the Revolver.

Messages
The following status messages appear upon destruction of Shadow Orbs:
 * First Orb: ""
 * Second Orb: ""
 * Third Orb: ""

Trivia

 * The Shadow Orb may be a reference to the spherical structure found at the center of a meteorite from the science fiction/horror short story  by American author . This may explain why smashing it causes a meteorite to land.

History
Schattenkugel Orbe de l'ombre Теневая сфера 暗影珠