The Horadric Staff

Diablo II	Notation	Basic	Class	Skill	Item	Ally	Quest	Area	Monster	Tale

	Type	Mandatory
	Initiation	Take Horadric Scroll from golden chest in Radament's Lair or Pick up Horadric Cube, Staff of Kings or Amulet of the Viper
	Objective(s)	Use the Horadric Cube to restore the Horadric Staff Take Staff into Tal Rasha's Tomb and place it in orifice
	Area(s)	Halls of the Dead Level 3, Maggot Lair Level 3, Claw Viper Temple Level 2 and Tal Rasha's Tomb
	Item(s)	Horadric Cube, Staff of Kings, Amulet of the Viper and Horadric Staff
	Reward	Access to Tal Rasha's Chamber

Ahh... The lost Horadric Scroll! What a fortunate turn of events...

As the last living Horadrim, I alone have knowledge of its meaning. Now, to read the Horadric runes it bears. Hmmm...

The Horadric Mages, after binding Baal within Tal Rasha, magically sealed off his Burial Chamber from the mortal realm. Those same Mages also crafted fearsome Horadric Staves and imbued them with the special power to open the Chamber's hidden door.

After nearly losing one to the thievery of a rogue sorcerer, they divided all the Horadric Staves into two parts - wooden shaft and metal headpiece - hiding them separately to safeguard them.

The Horadrim foresaw our current plight and designed the hiding places to reveal themselves to worthy heroes like you.

Collect both parts of a Horadric Staff and unite them using a Horadric Cube. Then, you may enter Tal Rasha's Burial Chamber. - Deckard Cain

Navigation

Exit to Rocky Waste from Lut Gholein is in north corner of town, either in northwest wall above Greiz or northeast wall to right of Drognan. Exit to Dry Hills is on one of other sides of Rocky Waste.
Search Dry Hills for waypoint and entrance to Halls of the Dead Level 1.

Horadric Cube

Entrance to Halls of the Dead Level 1 in Dry Hills.

Horadric Cube found in Normal can be used in other difficulty levels, so only necessary to find it in Normal as long as it remains in inventory or stash.
Exit to Halls of the Dead Level 2 is normally found most quickly by going left.
Search Halls of the Dead Level 2 for waypoint and exit to Halls of the Dead Level 3: exit is normally found most quickly by going left from entrance, while waypoint is normally to left of exit (so go right from waypoint when that is used instead).

Bloodwitch the Wild is an Extra Strong Cursed Super Unique Huntress who guards golden chest containing Horadric Cube. Accompanied by five minions in Normal, six in Nightmare and seven in Hell, all are Immune to Cold (100%) in Hell.

It is not necessary to kill Bloodwitch the Wild, but she can be quite dangerous: best to lure her to door to restrict number of attackers.
Horadric Cube requires 2x2 inventory space to pick up once dropped from golden chest. Cast Town Portal to return to Lut Gholein.

You have quite a treasure there in that Horadric Cube. According to Horadric lore, the Cube can restore a Horadric Staff.

To do it - use the Cube as you would a scroll. When the Cube opens, place both pieces of the Staff into it and use the Cube's transmute power.

You'll be pleased to know that the Cube has other alchemical uses as well...

Six gems plus one sword transmute into a socketed long sword.

You may also transmute two quivers of crossbow bolts into one quiver of arrows, while two quivers of arrows yield one quiver of bolts.

I must leave it to you to discover other formulae. - Deckard Cain

Staff of Kings

From waypoint in Dry Hills, search for exit to Far Oasis: it is on one of sides other than entrance from Rocky Waste.
Search Far Oasis for waypoint and entrance to Maggot Lair Level 1.

Beetleburst is a Magic Resistant Super Unique Death Beetle that may be encountered while searching Far Oasis. Accompanied by three minions in Normal, four in Nightmare and five in Hell, all are Immune to Lightning (105%) in Hell.

Entrance to Maggot Lair Level 1.

Exits to Maggot Lair Level 2 and then Maggot Lair Level 3 can be found most quickly by going right.
Chamber with golden chest containing Staff of Kings is to east of entrance to Maggot Lair Level 3, and is always entered from southwest (so character always needs to travel northeast along tunnel leading to it).

Coldworm the Burrower is a Cold Enchanted Magic Resistant Super Unique Sand Maggot Queen guarding golden chest containing Staff of Kings. It is not necessary to kill her and she does not pose a direct threat, but she regularly spawns Sand Maggots, which are Immune to Poison (100%) in Hell. She cannot be poisoned or cursed, and becomes Immune to Cold (115%) and Immune to Poison (120%) in Hell (although the latter is redundant).

Staff of Kings requires 1x4 inventory space to pick up once dropped from golden chest. Cast Town Portal to return to Lut Gholein.

The Staff of Kings! You astound me, my friend. You have discovered the shaft portion of a Horadric Staff.

I trust you know how to use a Horadric Cube to unite the shaft with its headpiece. - Deckard Cain

Amulet of the Viper

Amulet of the Viper is reward for completing Tainted Sun quest.

The Viper Amulet you bear is actually the headpiece of a Horadric Staff!

Yes... You have an uncanny knack for finding rare and valuable artifacts. Of course, you'll have to use a Horadric Cube to combine the headpiece with the shaft. - Deckard Cain

Objective

Place Staff of Kings and Amulet of the Viper alone together in Horadric Cube to transmute Horadric Staff.

Excellent! You have a Horadric Staff.

Carry it with you into Tal Rasha's Tomb. Find within the Tomb the chamber whose floor is inset with the Circle of Seven Symbols.

Place the Staff into the receptacle you find there. That will open the secret passage into Tal Rasha's Burial Chamber.

But, be prepared for a fight - you'll likely have to kill Tal Rasha to destroy Baal. - Deckard Cain

Reward

Quest is not actually complete until Horadric Staff is placed in orifice found in Tal Rasha's Tomb at culmination of The Seven Tombs quest. Doing so reveals and opens the entrance to Tal Rasha's Chamber.