When making a high elf mage and first entering world the character has the Earth Warder's Gloves (a quest reward for Winterfall Activity in Timbermaw Hold) in the main hand slot. Oddly enough, it still looks like the staff when viewing the character in the select screen. I believe the item ID is 21318 for the gloves, and the quest ID is 8464, if that is any help.
Can be reproduced simply by creating and logging in to a high elf mage.
High elf mages are supposed to start with a staff.
Bug occurred on Kiera.