The relic staff, also known as the Staff of Ziard, is an ancient and powerful magical artifact, which was originally owned by the dark mage Ziard and eventually fell into the hands of an unnamed mage. It was then passed down to an unnamed High Mage of Katolis, who gave it to her successor, Kpp'Ar. It was later stolen by his own student and successor, Viren,[1] who wielded it until he was disarmed at the Storm Spire.[2] The staff was eventually retrieved two years later by Viren's daughter Claudia.[3]
See also: Staffs
Information[]

The relic staff decorated with talismans
The relic staff is an elven crafted relic,[4] its form long, silver and ornate, with a Quasar Diamond disguised as a purple gem embedded in the center,[5] while a brown part marks a grip area. It can be folded to the length of a regular cane, but requires to be extended to full length when in active use, which measures over six feet. Its lower end is pointed and sharp, meaning it can be used as a stabbing weapon.[2] While owned by Ziard, it was decorated with talismans, bones, feathers, a pair of deer antlers, and a bird's skull.[6]
The relic staff is capable of absorbing the essence from a whole host of magical creatures at once[7][6] and could even temporarily immobilize Avizandum, who was considered the most powerful creature in the world.[8] It appears to be crafted from a sturdy material, as it was able to survive a fiery blast from Sol Regem, a powerful Archdragon of the Sun, completely unscathed.[6] Although the staff is primarily used to amplify and strengthen dark magic spells, it can also be used as a catalyst for Aaravos's spells to be used by Viren. It is said to hold even greater secrets.[4]
There are seven other staffs identical to it in the Zenith of the Star Scraper. Although, while this staff has a purple stone, each of the other staffs has a magic gem of different colors embedded in them. Notably, there is one empty space among the eight pillars where the staffs are mounted.[9]
History[]
The relic staff was crafted by an unknown elf and gifted to the human mage Ziard by Aaravos, a Startouch Elf who believed in the potential of humanity,[10] sometime between 2000 to 1000 years the birth of Azymondias.[11] This led to the discovery of dark magic, a corrupted form of magic fueled by the life essence of magical creatures. Ziard subsequently used the power of the staff to help the city of Elarion by preventing famine and suffering, albeit at the expense of magical creatures he poached in order to fuel his spells. During this time, he decorated the staff with talismans, bones, and feathers.[6]
Ziard's practices eventually drew the attention of the reigning Dragon King, Sol Regem, who ordered him to give up the staff. But Ziard refused, claiming the staff to be necessary for the survival of his people and for it to be a gift, which meant that abandoning it would be disrespectful to the one who gifted it to him. When Sol Regem demanded to know who gave him the staff, the mage's only answer was one of the "Great Ones", which enraged the Dragon King. When Sol Regem attempted to burn Elarion as punishment for Ziard's refusal to give up practicing dark magic, he used the staff to conjure a giant swirling torrent, which consumed a flock of Sunbirds, causing Sol Regem to focus on the mage. Ziard then used the harvested magic to conjure up a large fireball, with which he blinded Sol Regem, but at the same time was incinerated by the Archdragon. However, the staff survived the blast unscathed with only its bones and feathers burned away.[6]
After Xadia was divided into two, the staff made its way to the western half continent where it became part of the Mage Wars, where countless mages used its magic to grab the resources of the land until it was bled dry.[12] The staff was eventually passed down through the Human Kingdoms for centuries, until its original owner was forgotten.[4] It eventually made its way to Katolis and it became a tradition that the staff was passed from the previous High Mage to the apprentice who succeeded the position. Though that was more about the relationship between teacher and student. It was not part of the office. This continued until it came into the possession of a dark mage named Kpp'Ar, but he eventually rejected its use, as well as that of dark magic. However, Kpp'Ar's former student, Viren, stole the relic staff in order to use dark magic to save the life of his dying son, Soren.[1]
Viren usually walked with the staff folded in half, using it like a cane, though he extended it to full length when using dark magic. He used the staff to perform many spells, such as trapping Kpp'Ar and several Moonshadow Elves in enchanted coins.[13][14]
During the final confrontation with Avizandum, Viren used the staff to immobilize the Dragon King long enough for King Harrow to get close enough to pierce his chest with Sarai's enchanted spear.[15] Shortly afterward, Viren entered the dragon lair of the Storm Spire, where he used the staff to battle Tiadrin and Lain in hand-to-hand combat. However, he was quickly disarmed and forced to use his Sky Primal Stone to defeat them instead. Viren then retrieved the staff and very nearly used it to destroy the egg of Azymondias, but was convinced not to by Tiadrin.[16]
Viren was forced to temporarily surrender the staff when meeting the kings and queens of the other Human Kingdoms.[17] Later, when Opeli and the castle guards came to arrest Viren, Aaravos cast a great variety of spells which Viren channeled through the staff to fight the guards. However, when a group of archers surrounded Viren, Aaravos knew the fight was lost and stopped channeling spells, forcing him to surrender the staff.[18] It was presumably confiscated, but after Viren was released and took over, he regained the staff.[19]
In order to cross the Border, Viren used the staff to perform a spell fueled by Pyrrah's horn that parted the lava river.[15]
After stealing and corrupting Pharos's staff from Lux Aurea, Viren combined the magic of the relic staff with the Sun staff, allowing its corrupted magic to spread and turn his army into enhanced lava warriors.[20] During the battle at the Storm Spire, Viren snuck into the dragon lair of the spire, where the staff was used to immobilize Rayla by using "Aspiro Frigis". After planning to kill the slumbering Dragon Queen Zubeia and cornering Azymondias on the pinnacle of the Storm Spire, Viren used the staff to conjure a purple whirlwind, which pulled back the fleeing dragonling, allowing Aaravos to recite a spell, which began absorbing Zym's essence and siphoned it into Viren's body. However, before the spell could be completed, Rayla tackled Viren off the platform, causing Viren to drop the staff, which was left at the top of the Storm Spire.[2]
The staff was later collected as some unknown time and placed in the Arcus Vault of the Storm Spire. During a heist by Claudia, it was stolen by the young dark mage after a prolonged battle with the Skywing Elf mage, Ibis, that ultimately culminated in the death of the latter at Terry's hands.[3] Claudia then used the staff in the next morning to help the Being hatch from its cocoon.[21] Viren eventually reclaimed the staff when his group escaped from Umber Tor and used it to carve an exit from the mountain.[22] The staff remained in the possession of Claudia's group after they reached the Sea of the Castout.[23]
Viren brought the relic staff with him to Katolis[24] before he used it to protect its citizens from Sol Regem's wrath, at the cost of his life. Claudia and Terry retrieved the staff before Aaravos revealed the Quasar Diamond that was secretly embedded in it.[5]
After freeing Aaravos, Claudia took the relic staff as her own and Aaravos equipped the corrupted Sun Primal Stone into the staff to unite Claudia's two sources of magic.[25] Claudia would later voluntarily give up the relic staff during her fight with Callum as part of Aaravos's plan to make Callum his vessel by empowering him to use dark magic.[26] Callum then attempted to use the staff to imprison Aaravos in one of the enchanted coins,[27] only for the Being and the Archdragons to intervene. It is unknown whether the staff was destroyed when Aaravos's body exploded.[28]
Trivia[]
- A popular fan theory suggested that Aaravos is the mysterious "Great One" who gave Ziard the relic staff. This fan theory was further reinforced when Zubeia referred to Aaravos as one of the "Great Ones" who is secretly responsible for creating every great crisis in the world,[21] and was eventually confirmed when Claudia told Soren that it was Aaravos who saw potential in humanity and gifted them dark magic.[10]
- The spell, which Viren casts with the relic staff in an attempt to absorb Azymondias with, shares an intended resemblance to the spell Ziard used to absorb the Sunbirds in "Sol Regem".[7]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Book Six, Chapter 6: "Moment of Truth"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Book Three, Chapter 9: "The Final Battle"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Book Four, Chapter 3: "Breathtaking"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Dragon Prince Official Website - Item Reveal: Viren's Relic Staff
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Book Six, Chapter 8: "We All Fall Down"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Book Three, Chapter 1: "Sol Regem"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Art of The Dragon Prince
- ↑ Book Two, Chapter 6: "Heart of a Titan"
- ↑ Book Six, Chapter 4: "The Starscraper"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Book Four, Chapter 7: "Beneath the Surface"
- ↑ Timeline
- ↑ Book Seven, Chapter 3: "The Glittering Bones"
- ↑ Book One, Chapter 8: "Cursed Caldera"
- ↑ Book Five, Chapter 1: "Domina Profundis"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Book Three, Chapter 6: "Thunderfall"
- ↑ Book Three, Chapter 8: "Dragonguard"
- ↑ Book Two, Chapter 5: "Breaking the Seal"
- ↑ Book Two, Chapter 9: "Breathe"
- ↑ Book Three, Chapter 5: "Heroes and Masterminds"
- ↑ Book Three, Chapter 7: "Hearts of Cinder"
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Book Four, Chapter 4: "Through the Looking Glass"
- ↑ Book Four, Chapter 9: "Escape from Umber Tor"
- ↑ Book Five, Chapter 9: "Infantis Sanguine"
- ↑ Book Six, Chapter 1: "Startouched"
- ↑ Book Seven, Chapter 1: "Death Alive"
- ↑ Book Seven, Chapter 7: "The Titan and the King"
- ↑ Book Seven, Chapter 8: "Dying Light"
- ↑ Book Seven, Chapter 9: "Nova"
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