Orbs are a key element in Majesty, and many of the puzzles will revolve around them. When you find one it will give you a special ability that can be used to solve a puzzle. You can only use one at a time though. You will have to learn to juggle through the different types to solve them.
Some of the different types of Orbs:
Jump Orbs - Allows you to jump small distances.
Speed Orbs - Makes you move faster
Ice Orbs - You can walk over Ice
You will encounter many more types of Orbs as you venture deeper into Majesty.
A simple press of the Shift key will allow you to drop an Orb at any time. From there you can proceed to use another one (they are always in one spot - even if you have the same type orb)