Staves of Eden

2012-07-10T22:12:57Z

80.195.94.142: /* Powers */

{{Era|AC2|Brotherhood|Renaissance|Bbook|The Fall|TWCB}}
{{Quote|Better in the hands of the Earth, than in the hands of Man.|[[Mario Auditore]] regarding the Staff after being lost during the [[Renaissance]].|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
{{Item Infobox
|image = Zw-eden-4.png
|type = Piece of Eden
|powers = Can be used to conjure illusions and control bodies of people.
|current =
|period = Prehistory until [[Russian Revolution]]
|created = [[Those Who Came Before]]
|made = Unknown
|destroyed =
|notable = Those Who Came Before Moses Alexander the Great John the Baptist Saint Peter Rodrigo Borgia Tsar Alexander III Tsar Nicholas II and Rasputin
}}
The '''Staves of Eden''' were [[Pieces of Eden]] embodying sovereignty and dominion.<ref name="Encyclopedia">''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]''</ref> Known throughout history by names such as the '''Papal Staff''' or the '''Russian Imperial Sceptre''', the Staves of Eden were used by various [[Egypt]]ian Pharaohs, [[Rome|Roman]] Catholic [[Papacy|Popes]], and [[Russia]]n Tsars.

==Powers==
Designed to control men's minds and bodies, the Papal Staff had a cradle in the headpiece where an [[Apples of Eden|Apple of Eden]] could be placed, in order to enhance its mind control effects. This conjunction of two Pieces of Eden could also be used to open the door to the [[Vatican Vault]].<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

Its bottom end is sharpened, and can be wielded as a spear in combat. It also grants the possessor the ability to conceal their presence entirely, and the ability of levitation; though whether these are physical effects, or simply manipulations of the viewers' perceptions, remains unknown. It also had, somehow, the ability to change its shape, as its appearance had changed to various different forms over the course of time, however the same effect might be acheived by successive bearers retaining the core of the artifact and adding decorations with metals such as gold and silver.<ref name="AC2"/>

When [[Nikolai Orelov]] approached the Staff in 1908, he heard several voices emanating from it, namely voices of the past, playing almost like recordings, speaking things such as "Always the fighter," "[[Adam]], I have it," "Just like your father," and "[[Eve]]."<ref name="ACTF2">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'' – Issue #2</ref>

==Staves of Eden==
===Moses===
The earliest known use of a Staff seems to be by the prophet [[Moses]], who used its innate powers of illusion and mind control to "part" the Red Sea, and free the Israelites from [[Egypt]].<ref name="AC2"/>

===Pharaohs===
One Staff of Eden is also known to have been used by the Pharaoh [[Shabataka]], who used it to rule over Ancient Egypt in the early 7th century BCE. It was likely used by various pharaohs before and after him.<ref name="AC2"/>

===Alexander the Great===
During the 4th century BCE, the [[Templars]] somehow managed to acquire a Staff of Eden. They entrusted their ally [[Alexander the Great]] with it, who used it to create one of the largest empires in history.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> He probably lost it when he was poisoned by the Assassin [[Iltani]] in 323 BC.<ref name="AC2"/>

===John the Baptist===
A Staff was later kept by [[John the Baptist]], the prophet and religious leader who baptized [[Jesus Christ]] (who himself owned at least one Piece of Eden).<ref name="AC2"/>

===Papal Staff===
A Staff passed into the hands of the first disciple of Jesus, [[Peter|Saint Peter]], who established Christianity and became the first Pope. It is assumed that the Staff circulated through the hands of the Roman Catholic Popes until it was used by [[Rodrigo Borgia]], who became Pope Alexander VI in 1492 so that he could use the Staff to gain access to [[Vatican Vault|the Vault]].<ref name="AC2"/>

[[File:IBAL 9.png|thumb|left|250px|Rodrigo Borgia using the Staff.]]
On the 28th of December 1499, the [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] infiltrated the Sistine Chapel to confront Rodrigo, and a fight ensued, during which the Staff was wielded as a spear- or halberd-like weapon against Ezio. Eventually Ezio defeated the despairing Rodrigo and used the Staff (combined with [[Ezio's Apple|the Apple]]) to enter the Vault.<ref name="AC2"/>

When leaving the Vault, Ezio tried to remove the Staff from the center of the room, where it was secured in the Vault floor. Upon doing so, Ezio activated machinery making the Staff descend underground, despite Ezio's efforts to retrieve it.<ref name="ACBH">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

===Imperial Sceptre===
A Staff was recovered by [[Alexander III of Russia|Tsar Alexander III]] as of 1888, and used, as the Imperial Sceptre, to maintain the Tsar's power over the Russian Empire. On October 29 of that year, while returning home to [[Petrograd]], the Tsar was [[Borki train disaster|attacked]] by Assassin [[Nikolai Orelov]]. After the Royal Train derailed, he threw the Staff to Orelov, challenging his assailant to attack him with it.<ref name="ACTF1">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'' – Issue #1</ref>

The Tsar subsequently repelled the assassination attempt, leaving with the Piece of Eden still in his possession. After his death, it was passed on to his son [[Nicholas II of Russia|Tsarevich Nicholas II]], who was unaware of the Staff's powers,<ref name="ACTF3">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'' – Issue #3</ref> but it was later secretly stolen by [[Grigori Rasputin]], who had infiltrated the Royal House,<ref name="AC2"/> and brought the Staff to a Templar research station in Tunguska.<ref name="ACTF2"/>

[[File:Tungaska_Explod_v.png|thumb|250px|The Tunguska Explosion.]]
In the summer of 1908, members of the Assassin Order contacted Tesla, offering a chance for retribution on the Templars in revenge for being discredited by the Templar [[Thomas Edison]]. Using his mastery of electricity and the [[wikipedia:Wardenclyffe Tower|Wardenclyffe Tower]], Tesla broadcast destruction into the facility, creating one of the largest explosions in history (more than 2,000 kilometers of forest were flattened and it is estimated that the explosion had a force of more than 30 megatons of TNT). This explosion obliterated the research facility and the Staff within.<ref name="ACTF2"/>

The explosion was a complete Assassin victory. The explosion destroyed the Staff and injured only one Assassin, [[Nikolai Orelov]].<ref name="ACTF2"/> Orelov later returned to his partner [[Anna]], barely alive, muttering that the Staff was destroyed.<ref name="ACTF3"/>

However, the Staff was not completely destroyed, and there was at least one shard that still existed. This shard somehow came into the possession of Rasputin, who used it to manipulate Nicholas' wife [[wikipedia:Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse)|Alexandra Feodorovna]].<ref name="ACTF3"/> In 1914, Rasputin was assassinated by the Assassins,<ref name="AC2"/> and took the shard with him to his grave. In 1917, Orelov, having learned of the shard's existence from the Tsarevich and concluding that even a fragment of the Staff would be a threat, dug up Rasputin's body and retrieved the shard.<ref name="ACTF3"/>

==Trivia==

*It is possible to kill [[Rodrigo Borgia]] without triggering the cinematic cutscene while in the [[Capella Sistina|Sistine Chapel]]. Similarly, the Staff can be knocked from his hand using a [[Heavy Weapons|Heavy Weapon]]. After this, it can be wielded though none of its powers can be used.

==Forms==
<gallery position="center" bordersize="medium" captionalign="left">
Moses-Staff.jpg|A Staff, as wielded by [[Moses]].
Shabataka-Staff.jpg|A Staff, as wielded by Pharaohs.
AlexandertheGreat-Staff.jpg|A Staff, as wielded by [[Alexander the Great]].
JohntheBaptist-Staff.jpg|A Staff, as wielded by [[John the Baptist]].
Peter-Staff.jpg|A Staff, as wielded by [[Saint Peter]].
Tsar_3_v.png|A Staff, as wielded by Tsars.
Ezio and Staff.jpg|Ezio attempting to remove the Papal Staff.
Assassin'sCreedTheFall-Issue2.jpg|Nikolai Orelov while destroying the Imperial Sceptre.
Shard_of_Staff.png|The shard of a staff from Rasputin's necklace.
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{PoE}}
{{First Civilization}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staff}}
[[Category:Pieces of Eden]]
[[Category:First Civilization technology]]

Assassin's Creed Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Staves of Eden