Ok when the orbs were created by the monsters the Elementals still had controll of their power and refused to let them use it, so the orbs are really only a prison to them, but then Magic using monster figured out spells that would suck the powers out of the orbs directly and give the caster the power.... so the only people who could use the orbs are limited to the ones that new the spell.... That means even when the humans get one they could not use it because they don't have the spells required ( the spells are apparently of dark origins and unless they use dark magic they can't cast those spells.......i'll explain that llater) so anyway the orbs were held by 4 very powerful monsters (can't tell who yet) and when the wars were going on the monster were so power hungery that secretly they were trying to steal the other orbs from each other that is when the humans began to strike and defeat the monsters, when they were attacking themselves. now when this happened some monsters took the orbs away durring battle to hide them, and some were found by the humans during battle but they couldn't use them....through out time the spells to use them were out of reach because most of the strong monsters were defeated or no longer in controll of their magic so they couldn't use them and died off leaving the orbs in the hiding place that only they knew.. now one was found by the humans and kept in a castle but still nody can use it......now this brings me to the main character...Why can he use it???? Because ....Lorial chose to help him.. by GIVING him powers NOT him taking them because she still has controll over the powers in side the orb but just can't use them herself....now before i tell to much i'm going to stop their and leve it at that....so after along time they were lost look at LOTR how was than dang ring lost it was the most powerful thing on the planet and was lost for like forever...
(please don't ank how th imp could use the orbs without a spell..there is an answer but I can't tell you
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Thx for the comments hope I answered your question
Brett