Staff of Manos

The Staff of Manos is a relic from the Mythical Age and is believed to have incredible power. The source and nature of that power are not well understood. In the Second Age, a scientific team from the Gudersnipe Foundation was allowed to perform surface scans on the staff in the museum where it is housed on Arden Song. The tests indicated no presence of special magical materials such as Mithrill or adamantium; though the alloy the staff was made from did contain quantities of silver.

The provenance of the artifact is well established, making its relatively mundane composition even more confusing. The craftsmanship is said to be exquisite, with many small and nuanced details that lead experts to conclude it is not a reproduction. Accounts from the Mage Wars speak of the staff levelling mountains and laying waste to entire regions.

For that reason, the Arden government has never allowed anyone to physically touch the staff. When it is moved (as on perodic display updates) it is moved only using small cranes, hooks, and lifts. Operators of these machines often report "feeling a strong power" through their controls, even when just touching a device that touches the staff. Many museum visitors report similar experiences in proximity to it, often citing that the display case sits on the ground, which their feet are touching. However, these experiences have been written off as psycho-somatic.

The staff is currently houses within an inch-thick acrylic case, where it sits atop three evenly-spaced silk pillows on a marble slab. The display hides four metal doors that can be dropped down from the ceiling, and the display room itself is within a vault. Four armed guards, one at each corner, stand at all times, with a further six guards in the room, in addition to usual museum staff.

Like many such articles at Arden Song, the displayed object is speculated by many to be a reproduction, while the true Staff of Manos is kept in an undisclosed location.