*GRANDMASTER OF VOLN:
The Grandmaster takes you aside and says, "Welcome to the Order of Voln.
I can see that one of our Masters has decided that you have displayed good
potential for becoming a member of our order. I cannot say how much this
pleases me. Before you are inducted into the Order though, there are some
things that you need to know. Bear with me while I explain some things."
The Grandmaster smiles and says, "There are many sources of the curses that
cause a being to become undead. Some are wretched servants of Chaos in their
quest to dominate and destroy Elanthia. Others may have fallen under the
influence of demonic powers from other planes of existence. In some cases,
local gods or evil spirits may be the source of the curse. Regardless of
the cause though, in each case the unfortunate victim can be released from
their curse to find Lorminstra's mercy."
The Grandmaster says, "The mission sounds daunting, and indeed it would be
so for mere mortals such as ourselves. However, we are fortunate to have
the teachings of Voln to guide us, and with those teachings come the blessings
of the Lords of Liabo. If you become a member of our Order, then you will
learn many special skills as you walk the path to enlightenment. If you would
like to join our order then confirm that desire by repeating this oath: "I
pledge to aid and succor the Great Spirit Voln in his mission on Elanthia."
By taking this oath, you will become a member of the Order of Voln."
You say, "I pledge to aid and succor the Great Spirit Voln in his mission
on Elanthia."
The Grandmaster says, "Welcome to the Order. You are about to take the first
step on the path to enlightenment. Go back out into the Hall of Brotherhood
and proceed through the arch that is there and a Master of the order will
begin your instruction. If at any time you wish to resign from the order
just come back here and tell me that you resign. Be cautioned though, if
you decide to resign you will never be able to join us again."
The Grandmaster says, "To begin your instruction you must go back to the
Hall of Brotherhood and then through the arch, where you will take your first
step along the Path to enlightenment. The Masters of the Order will instruct
you in your duties and will train you to complete those duties. Again, welcome
to the Order of Voln."
*THE MONK:
The monk says, "Congratulations. I see that you have taken the first step
on the Path to Enlightenment. There are some things that I need to explain
to you so that you are prepared to fulfill your duties within the Order.
This will take a few minutes, so please bear with me."
The monk smiles and says, "The Order of Voln is an old and honored organization
with a long history. The Order was founded in the year 1300 by Lord Fasthr
k'Tafali. Lord Fasthr was the Manor Lord of an outlying province of the Kannalan
Empire. The land was raw and wild, bordering areas that were not yet reclaimed
from the ravages of past wars. Dread beasts and fell creatures harassed the
pocket of civilization, coming down from their refuge in the surrounding
mountains. Among these were an alarming number of cursed spirits and undead
things, bound to the land through awful magic and unspeakable powers."
The monk continues, "Lord Fasthr and his men labored valiantly against the
cursed beings that opposed them. Many good and honorable men lost their lives
defending the homes of their family and friends. During these battles the
Great Spirit Voln came to the aid of beleaguered men. Voln provided the men
with special training that enabled the men to gain victory over the cursed
beings. With Voln's teachings those men founded the first monastery of what
has become the Order of Voln."
The monk goes on, "As a member of the Order of Voln, it is your duty to continue
our good work throughout the land. You must go forward and seek out those
poor unfortunate beings and release them from their cursed condition so that
they are free to meet Lorminstra's mercy. The Lords of Liabo will look upon
those acts with great favor. Once you have proven your dedication to this
purpose you may return here to take the next step along the Path to
Enlightenment. During this period of trial you will be able to recieve an
indication of how favored you are with the Lords by going to the Meditation
Chamber here in the monastery for a brief period of prayer. You should seek
the aid and counsel of your fellow brethren in this undertaking. To help
you in this, let me teach you the Symbol of Recognition."
The monk traces an intricate symbol in the air which seems to glow brightly.
The image intensifies and burns itself into your memory.
The monk says, "By concentrating on this Symbol of Recognition, you will
be able to recognize others of our Order. This symbol will also reveal the
nature of any cursed beings so that you may easily recognize their nature.
Go now and do the work of our Order. Return when you are ready to take the
next step on the Path to Enlightenment. At that time, more will be revealed
to you.
The monk approaches you and says, "Hello. You are not yet ready to take the
next step along the Path to Enlightenment. You must dedicate yourself to
the mission of the Order by releasing undead beings from the curse that binds
them to Elanthia. Each undead creature that you dispatch to meet Lorminstra's
mercy brings you closer to the next step. Return when you have earned Voln's
favor"
The monk smiles and says, "By now I am sure you know of how our order was
started, so I will not repeat stories you have already been told. When our
order was young, and limited to those started personally by Lord Fasthr k'Tafali
we would communicate by courier or by projecting our thoughts mentally."
The monk continues, "Though we are not a secret order, we soon found there
was still a need to be able to communicate with one another over great distances
privately. We did not fear that those cursed to be undead would hear our
thoughts or read our correspondence, but that the various forces that used
the undead to increase their power in the world would."
The monk goes on, "Do not misunderstand this story to imply that our fight
is against those that use the undead. Our order was and always will be devoted
to releasing the unfortunate souls that are afflicted with this curse. To
this purpose we petitioned to the Lady Oleani, and were granted the gift
of thought so that all members would share a common bond forever. This gift
is the ability to project ones thoughts mentally so that only members within
our order can receive them. If there is a secret in this order it is that.
This thought should not be used lightly, as it is a gift from the Lady Oleani
herself. I shall teach you the Symbol of Thought."
The monk traces an intricate symbol in the air which seems to glow brightly.
The image intensifies and burns itself into your memory.
By concentrating on this symbol, and a message you wish to project you will
able to call upon the favor of Lady Oleani and relay the message to all members
of the order of this rank or higher. If you try to use this Symbol without
the favor left to use it, you will be aware that the message was not projected.
This favor comes to you with a cost. You must continue to earn the favor
of the Lords of Liabo by dedicating yourself to the Order's purpose. The
favor granted by the Lords must be carefully nurtured. If you use their favors
for aid in battling the undead then your advancement along the Path to
Enlightenment will be slower. Think carefully before you call upon the favor
of the Lords of Liabo. Go now and continue your work."
VISIONS AND SCRIPTS AT VOLN:
The shadows of a Modwir tree's branches catch your eye as it rocks back and
forth across the west wall, almost like the shadow was trying to tickle the
tapestries.
Two Masters walk in exchanging some impassioned words. They politely bow
to you before going off to a quiet corner and continuing their debate.
You overhear some Masters sitting nearby debating some esoteric topics about
the undead vs. the forces of chaos.
A Master steps up to you and whispers, "Take the proper steps and you will
grow strong."
A feeling of peace touches your heart followed by a sense of urgency. The
work is far from done...
Cool air drifts in, gently stroking your skin.
A monk walks in, waters some plants and then leaves quietly.
An initiate walks in, dusts a few things, straightens some furniture and
then walks back out.
An initiate walks in, dusts a few things, straightens a statue and then leaves.
A Master walks through briskly, papers tucked under her arms.
A Master walks in briskly, papers tucked under her arms. "Seems like this
is all I ever do." She drops onto a comfortable chair and stretches out for
a moment. Then, with a sigh, she stands back up and walks away.
Two monks walk by very close and you overhear part of their conversation.
"This initiate forgot to save her notes and almost didn't complete the last
task."
An initiate wanders in clearly lost in thought and completely oblivious to
you. His head is bowed, resting in his hand. Suddenly, his eyes light up
and he darts off with a happy face saying, "I remember the answer now! I'd
almost forgotten. Next time, I'll pay better attention to my teachers."
VOLN DREAMS:
You feel suddenly tired and lie down for a nap.
A tinge of nervousness makes going to sleep harder, but you manage.
You see yourself as a child playing with other children. The sight changes
quickly from laughter and joy to anger and frustration as someone knocks
you down by accident. A nasty fight and a bloodied nose end the encounter.
Words appear in the sky written in blood, "Heed the signs!"
A rope drops down from above and you begin to climb.
A woman appears before you and holds your hand, leading you through a doorway
and outside onto a busy street.
You lie down in a meadow among the flowers and drink up the warmth of the
sun. From high above you hear the rustling of wind among the tall trees.
You are walking through a pile of flower petals.
A silver mist flows all around your feet while you walk.
A begger walks beside you.
You wade through a forest of grass that grows taller than a high man.
Clouds swirl all around you.
You are a snail upon the ground. Everything moves slowly and you are unable
to reach your goal and the harder you try the slower you go.
A lone horse rides by, its saddle empty.
You ride on the back of a unicorn as it careens through woods, canyons and
the tall grass plains.
You ride upon the back of a giant eagle as it soars over the landscape.
You are floating over a seascape and below you see a fantastically carved
sandcastle.
You pick up a lyre and begin to sing a song about a poor hero and how he
saved a princess from a great terror.
You stop to rest in a child's rocking chair. You also hear the child humming
a nursery rhyme.
You cradle a child in your arms. It coos and gurgles in delight when it catches
sight of your face.
A puzzle lays before you and you move the pieces carefully into place. Yet,
after a long time, you are distressed to realize the puzzle is no closer
to being finished than when you started.
You run away from some unknown evil power bent on destroying you.
You suddenly smell the rotting flesh of a corpse and hear the slow scraping
sounds of something wounded coming your way.
You see a young adventurer lying in his own pool of blood. Though clearly
dead, yet it rises and walks away into the black.
You stare at a gravestone. It is worn and damaged by the elements. Thrust
into the ground before it is a sword of clear blue mein.
You hear the clinking of silvers and the sounds of battle raging distant.
You hear the rumble of great rivers and the clashing of arms in desperate
battles lost. You feel a warm wind upon your brow and a cold gale whipping
through your clothes.
A pearl of pure gold rolls to your feet. As you reach down to pick it up,
it changes into a butterfly and flutters off.
A pearl of pure gold rolls to your feet. You turn and walk away from it.
A leather strap lies across a great book. Written in the book are the answers
to life's greates riddles. You read through the book and your heart is struck
by what you see, a thrilling sensation overtaking you as you resolve to tell
the world of what you have found. Then someone removes the book and walks
away and the knowledge you have gained fades like the setting sun, leaving
you grief stricken.
A woman's face looks at you and smiles warmly. Soft comfort fills your insides
as a sweet scent caresses your nose.
A dragon sits upon its horde deep within a mountain. A chain binds it to
the treasure it has collected. But when the dragon takes flight, the chain
does not restrain the beast, but rather lengthens without end until the weight
forces the dragon to return.
A host of armies gather together upon a broad plain and fight a long and
bloody battle. At its height, a great wizard stands up and with a wave of
his staff every soldier dies where they stand. The wizard waves the staff
again and the dead armies stand up and begin to move again. You are suddenly
overcome by grief and weep for hours. When you look up again at the wizard
and the armies, you see him waving his staff and the armies fighting once
again. Each one that fell soon rose again. Then you notice the wizard's staff
change into a sword and the word "Slayer" enters your mind.
Fires leap up all around you. Fear trembles upon your lips as dry waves of
terror shiver through your body. Bodies, mangled torn, dirty walk nearby
their eyes without the light of life in them.
Spread before you is a feast set upon a King's table. All around it members
of the court laugh and talk fondly of good times past.
You hear the incredibly beautiful singing of hundreds of voices. Though you
strain to hear the words, you cannot understand them.
It begins to rain droplets of every color imaginable, staining you and the
surroundings until everything is a blur of colors.
A young man reaches out and pulls a strand of hair from your head. Glancing
at it, he turns to you and chuckles, saying, "Oh really?"
You see someone standing at the bottom of a walkway under a pier. They seem
to be throwing something shiny into the water.
The stars twinkle in the night sky. One falls to the earth.
A little boy approaches you and offers a snake. You refuse but the boy throws
it at you and it lands on your neck where it bites you. In moments, you collapse.
A little boy approaches you and offers you a snake. You take it from his
hands and are immediately bitten. In moments, your heart fails and you fall
to the ground.
Your sleep is interrupted.
You wake from your sleep.
You wake up feeling refreshed.
Prayer
After a few moments of prayer and reflection you see a vision of a baby eagle
barely hatched from its egg.
After a few moments of prayer and reflection you see a vision of a pool of
clear water. You dive in and swim to the bottom where you find a gold coin
engraved with the image of Voln. An overwhelming feeling makes you realize
that you are indeed ready to take the next step along the Path to Enlightenment.
