Staff of Magnus
The Staff of Magnus is one of the elder artifacts of Tamriel. It was created by Arch-Mage Magnus, the God of Magic who served Lorkhan in designing Mundus. It served Magnus as a metaphysical battery, but remained behind when the god fled Mundus in the Dawn Era. Since then, it has served mortals. In appearance it is a metallic staff, sometimes made of Daedra Ebony, often with a sphere at the end of it. It has the ability to protect its bearer from magical attacks, restore the bearer’s health, or allow the bearer to absorb spells. It can also be used offensively as a blunt weapon, and to absorb an enemy’s magicka, and eventually their life force. In time, the staff will abandon its owner before he becomes too powerful and upsets the mystical balance it is sworn to protect.
The staff was uncovered by the Eternal Champion during the Imperial Simulacrum in either Elsweyr or Valenwood (accounts vary). Some time in the Third Era, the staff was taken from a wizard by the Mages Guild. In death, the wizard’s spirit remained bound to Nirn, until one of his descendants sent an adventurer to recover the staff from the Mages Guild. A fake copy of the staff also appeared in the Iliac Bay before the events of the Warp in the West; it was created by a mage in an attempt to bribe an agent of Nocturnal who has been sent to assassinate him. The fake staff functioned identically to the true artifact, but after several days it crumbled to dust. By 3E 427, the staff had come into the possession of Dreveni Hlaren, a Dunmer sorceress and summoner. She dwelled in Assu, a cave on the slopes of Mount Kand, on the island of Vvardenfell. The Mages Guild learned of the artifact’s location, and the Nerevarine was sent to slay Dreveni and claim the staff.
Stats
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Damage | 1d6+1 (1d8+1) |
| Hand | 1.5 |
| Range | 2m |
| Qualities | Concussive, Magic, Siphon Energy |
| ENC | 2 |
Special Qualities
Siphon Energy (Cast): Target being within 50 meters must make an opposed Willpower test against the source character. On failure they lose 3d6 magicka. If they have no magicka left, or if this amount would exceed their remaining magicka, they take shock damage instead. Magicka lost or damage taken by the target is gained by the source character as magicka.