I'm not sure what you mean by glowing staff thing; if it is a lever, pull it. On the southern platform, see if there is any place you can just fly above and transform.
That's a manoeuvre I've done a few times: I forget whether or not it was required in this area, but transforming in mid-air and dropping down has definitely been handy occasionally.
I can't check in D2:ED, and DKS / D2:DC removed all but one of the anti-dragon shields in the flying fortresses.
I must admit to having slightly mixed feelings about the revamped fortresses: disabling the shields could be tedious and frustrating was its own kind of fun, but the seemingly larger number of mobs that we got in their place, not so much.
