Featured Creature: The Staff of Phyligor

Excerpted from Liam Hofstadter's report for the Department of Extranormal Phenomena (DEP), Superhuman and Supernatural Threats in the New Millennium:

"The Staff of Phyligor is an old world artifact of immense occult power.  Physically, the staff is a simple stang approximately 5.5 to 6 feet tall.  Although the blade and base bulb seem to be made of a silver like metal, the dark material of shaft is unknown.  Those few that have observed the staff in person indicate that the full length of the shaft is inlaid in strange runes of some lustrous black metal.

Mentioned in several occult bibles, including the Die Tür Des Bösen, the creation of the staff is attributed to the ascended Magus, Tiwsjaknum Phyligor.  A mage of renown at the beginnings of modern occult history, Phyligor has connections to the father of Hermeticism, Hermes Trismegistus.  Historical record is unclear on the exact connections between these two magi.

Early twentieth century records indicate that the Nazis took possession of the staff briefly before World War II.  Initially believed by the Nazis to be the Spear of Destiny, the staff was moved immediately to Nuremberg upon its acquisition.   However, in an act of shortsightedness, the Staff of Phyligor was passed over as useless once the actual Spear of Destiny was acquired in 1938.  The Nazi preoccupation with the Spear of Destiny kept them from accessing the power of this artifact during the war.  In the chaotic latter days of World War II, the Staff and a host of other artifacts created by Phyligor disappeared. The staff was missing until it's recent appearance in the hands of the entity, Screwworm.

The Staff of Phyligor is currently in the possession of the entity known as Screwworm, a member of the villainous  super group, The Devil's Square.  Although it unknown if Screwworm has access to the full range of the staff's abilities, recent encounters give indication that he has at the very least acquired several other of the artifacts of Phyligor.

The Staff of Phyligor has been recorded displaying a range of disparate magickal effects including elemental and weather manipulation, illusion, mental domination, and necromancy.  Past record also indicates that it is impervious to extreme levels of fire, heat, cold, and electricity.  Although we have no other corroborating evidence, in the Die Tür Des Bösen, the Staff is attributed as causing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius at Pompeii.  The upper range of the power of this artifact is unknown at this time.  If the Screwworm entity should discover the full range of the staff's abilities, the results would be catastrophic.  It is the determination of DEP that the staff be treated as a heightened threat level to be confiscated and sequestered posthaste."

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This month's Featured Creatures are all objects of mystery and power from the worlds of the Featured Creature.