Welger's Last Stand

While adventuring in a D’Aroine spire, the wizard Welger recovered a tome on crafting items from energy trees. From this work he learned that while using the wood of these trees would augment a magical item, working with the wood was dangerous. During the crafting process, energy would be discharged from the wood. Fortunately, the tome described how to safely harvest and craft the wood.
Using the tome to guide him and ancient parts he found within the spire, Welger constructed a Tree Feller Scorpion and Welger's Amulet of Command to control it. Knowing that it would be irreplaceable, he also constructed Welger's Wrench to repair it.
While the tome mentioned rings that granted immunity to energy, his party did not find any. The tome did describe how to craft such rings, but the best Wegler could do was craft rings that granted resistance. These, and judicious use of healing potions, allowed him to survive the crafting process.
Wegler used his knowledge to craft items for himself and his party. After his retirement from adventuring, he set up a workshop and sold items to his fellow casters, using his profits wisely and benevolently. His rival, Kervec Ormb, tried to steal his secrets and spent considerable gold on rogues and spies.
A dedicated republican, Wegler was worried when trouble arose in Merak. As the nation fell into conflict, Wegler supported those dedicated to protecting the republic. When violence erupted, Wegler helped arm the casters fighting for the republican ideals and then entered the conflict himself. He soon found himself in conflict with his sister Valyssa who was ably served by Kervec Ormb. Ormb and Wegler fought several inconclusive battles, but Wegler’s side eventually lost the war for the city and Valyssa’s side achieved victory, such as it was.   Valyssa allowed her brother to depart the city and he retreated to his tower in the woods. He provided a safe staging area for the pitifully few survivors fleeing the city and assisted the Forest Goblins in their efforts.
Learning of this and seeing an opportunity to slay his rival and steal his secrets, Kervec Ormb disobeyed Valyssa and set out to attack Wegler with the assistance of several vassal mages and a powerful demon.
Thanks to Ormb’s overconfidence and arrogance, Wegler was able to win a pyrrhic victory: he destroyed his staff of power in a retributive strike, slaying Ormb, the vassals and the demon. Valyssa briefly visited the site of her brother’s death and then departed for her tower, leaving the war behind but bringing her regrets with her.