This note accompanies the orbs (which I think the furnishings are a replica of) in Aetherial Archive, which activate hard mode, and gives a little insight to them:
Let it be known to all Firstmages of the upper floors—the Aetherial orbs are not to be tampered with.
The Learned One has devised them as a means to block cosmic essence from tearing this realm to pieces. Remove these orbs and risk death—or worse. Extraplanar stresses are known to wreak havoc on mortal physiology.
ClevaTreva wrote: »Thanks for the input. So, might one assume they're dangerous somehow?
For me I don't know what these orbs do when they are broken - I havn't done the hard mode of the Aetherial Archive - though if you have a replica of this in a house, and they are still enchanted, then I imagine when broken they do whatever the orbs do in the Archive - though on a much smaller scale.
Supreme_Atromancer wrote: »For me I don't know what these orbs do when they are broken - I havn't done the hard mode of the Aetherial Archive - though if you have a replica of this in a house, and they are still enchanted, then I imagine when broken they do whatever the orbs do in the Archive - though on a much smaller scale.
Its been soooo long since I've done vAA HM, I don't remember the specifics. But you should be able to find videos of clears online pretty easily, and compare what's happening between the two versions of the trial for an idea of the sorts of energies the orbs tend to protect Mundus from.