Horadric Staff (Quest)

File:Horadric staff icon.jpg

Quest icon

This quest starts when you bring the Horadric Scroll, that you found in the Sewers, to Deckard Cain. It's the second quest of Act II and is one of the longest quests of the game.

Quest information

Cain will tell you about the Horadric mages of old, who crafted fierce staves and imbued them with the power to unlock Tal Rasha's burial chamber. However, after nearly losing such a staff to a thief rogue sorcerer, the Horadrim decided to sever the staves into two parts and scatter the pieces so they could be safeguarded, and to prevent the key to Tal Rasha's Tomb from falling into the wrong hands. It is your quest to find Tal Rasha's Tomb, where Baal lies imprisoned, so you set out on a search for the two pieces that comprise the Horadric Staff: the shaft and the headpiece, as well as an ancient artifact, the Horadric Cube, that can transmute the pieces into a Horadric Staff.

The Horadric Cube

This artifact is hidden deep within the Halls of the Dead in the Dry Hills. There's a waypoint hidden on level 2. Be prepared to battle your way through legions of Undead and many other hellish fiends, such as Fallen Ones. The Cube is located in a gold chest on level 3 that is guarded by Bloodwitch the Wild. After getting the Cube, you may return to town and speak with Deckard Cain. He will tell you the purpose of the cube, as well as other useful information about it. The most important of which is the fact that you can use the cube to transmute items into better items. (For a list of these "recipes," see the Horadric Cube article.)

The Staff of Kings

After obtaining the Horadric Cube, it's time to travel to the Far Oasis. Here you must find the Maggot Lair. The entrance looks like a tunnel dug into the sand dunes. In it you will encounter loads of insect-like enemies, such as the Sand Maggot, Scarab Demon and Swarm. Make your way through the circular tunnels until you reach level 3. At the bottom of the Maggot Lair lies the Super Unique Sand Maggot matriarch, Coldworm The Burrower. This boss has the ability to spawn full grown Sand Maggot monsters, so be ready for a serious fight. After you manage to defeat her, open the gold chest in the room. In it you will find the Horadric Shaft, which Deckard Cain will identify as the Staff of Kings, the shaft portion of the Horadric Staff.

Amulet of the Viper

Now it's time to get the headpiece and complete the Horadric Staff. When you travel to the Lost City, located off the Far Oasis, a sudden eclipse darkens the sky, and the quest notification pops up. This triggers the Tainted Sun quest, and both quests conveniently have the same destination, the Claw Viper Temple. The Temple is hidden within the Valley of Snakes, adjacent to the Lost City, and is filled with demonic Claw Viper and Salamander monsters. Make your way to the second level. Here you will find another more Claw Vipers and a Super Unique monster called Fangskin. Defeat the monsters and break the Tainted Sun Altar. Not only does this complete the Tainted Sun quest, but it also yields the Amulet of the Viper, the missing headpiece of the Horadric Staff.

Now that you've gathered all the pieces, it's time to recreate the Horadric Staff. Place the Staff of Kings and the Amulet of the Viper inside the Horadric Cube and transmute them. Congratulations, you now have a Horadric Staff!

Completing the Quest

Once you've found the Canyon of the Magi and the True Tomb of Tal Rasha, you must search for a magical orifice hidden deep within the tomb. The orifice is located in a chamber with symbols of the Seven Tombs on the floor. Place the Horadric Staff within the orifice and behold as the entrance to Tal Rasha's burial chamber is revealed. But before you enter, be prepared for a fight.