Order of Voln

The Order of Voln is a society devoted to the freeing of undead from the torment they endure on Elanthia. Freeing the undead garners the members of the Order favor. The order was established in 4045 by Manor Lord Fasthr K'Tafali in the region surrounding the Kannalan city of Kedshold. According to loresong, Voln, himself appeared before K'Tafali and instructed K'Tafali and his men in the symbols of the order.

The Order first truly came to the attention of historians with the appearance of the Horned Cabal in the southern region of the Turamzzyrian Empire. Uniquely situated to deal with the menace of the undead, the Order flourished from this time period, playing increasingly important roles in the various engagements with the Horned Cabal over the last century and a half. This has included the Battle of Tyllan and the Battle of Skyreach.

Joining the Order of Voln

Joining the Order of Voln requires three steps.

• First, one must be invited into the Order. Monestaries exist in Wehnimer's Landing and Ta'Vaalor. A rank 26 Master of the Order of Voln can use the Symbol of Invitation, accessed by the INVITE (verb), to offer any character of level 3 or greater a chance to join the Order. Also, in Wehnimer's Landing, the grizzled old warrior non-player character will randomly invite characters of level 3 or greater.
• One must then cleanse oneself of worldly pollutions. This is done by first going to an Order of Voln monastery, stowing the items in one's hands, and then entering a water pool. A message will appear stating that one has been cleansed after a minute or two have passed.
• Finally, one must enter the monastery and find the Grandmaster, where one may take an oath to join the Order. Note that you cannot join the Order of Voln if you are currently a member of another society, such as the Council of Light.
• The Oath of the Order is as follows:

"I pledge to aid and succor the Great Spirit Voln in his mission on Elanthia."

Favor

When a character helps defeat an undead or merely witnesses another character kill an undead, that character gains favor. Favor is a bank of points used to power symbols and advance in the Order of Voln.

Discrete favor values are not displayed in-game; however, there are some ways to measure favor. One currently accepted measure of favor is based on the amount of favor granted by killing a single level 1 undead by oneself. This is called a unit of favor.

The favor gained from killing (or witnessing the kill of) an undead creature is in a number of units equal to the creature's level; thus, a character would receive 1 unit for a level 1 creature, 25 units for a level 25 creature, etc.

A Master (rank 26 member) of the Order of Voln can view his or her favor in an arbitrary measure called spins by visiting the globe in the Master's hall. A spin is approximately 250 units of favor.

Gaining ranks and obtaining symbols

One receives a new symbol for each rank one receives in the Order of Voln. To advance in rank, one must obtain a certain amount of favor, visit a monk on the path to enlightenment, and then complete a task. To check if one has enough favor to obtain the next rank, one can either visit a monk on the path to enlightenment or enter the vision room and PRAY (verb).

The first rank and Symbol of Recognition are given without any task or favor requirement.

Each subsequent rank requires an amount of favor equal to the following:

• Favor required = roundUp((Rank - 1)/3)*600 units of favor

For example, to obtain the 23rd rank, one must first gather

roundUp((23 - 1)/3)*600 = roundUp(22/3)*600 = 8*600 = 4800 units of favor

Order of Voln benefits

Members of the Order of Voln have access to symbols, which are similar to spells, except that they cost favor instead of mana.

The 26 symbols are as follows. To view the favor requirement to obtain the symbol, the task required to obtain the symbol, the favor cost associated with a symbol, or any other details about a symbol, check the particular symbol's page.

• Rank 01. Symbol of Recognition. Detects other members of the Order and undead.
• Rank 02. Symbol of Blessing. Blesses nonmagical weapons and aquamarine wands.
• Rank 03. Symbol of Thought. Broadcasts a message to all other members of the Order.
• Rank 04. Symbol of Recovery. Regenerates 10 HPs.
• Rank 05. Symbol of Courage. Increases AS and MB.
• Rank 06. Symbol of Protection. Increases DS.
• Rank 07. Charl's Throw I. Grants the THROW (verb) a Voln fu usage and stand-up maneuver.
• Rank 08. Kai's Punch. Grants the PUNCH (verb) a Voln fu usage.
• Rank 09. Phoen's Kick. Grants the KICK (verb) a Voln fu usage.
• Rank 10. Symbol of Calming. Attempts to Calm all targets in the room.
• Rank 11. Symbol of Sleep. Attempts to Sleep all targets in the room.
• Rank 12. Symbol of Turning. Fear effect against undead in the room.
• Rank 13. Symbol of Mana. Restores 50 mana while taking 0-2 deeds.
• Rank 14. Symbol of Sight. Grants a brief Locate Person spell.
• Rank 15. Symbol of Holiness. Blesses magical weaponry and burns undead.
• Rank 16. Symbol of Submission. Reduces target's stance and DS.
• Rank 17. Symbol of Restoration. Restores half missing health, capped at 50 HPs.
• Rank 18. Symbol of Need. Broadcasts a cry for help to all members of the Order.
• Rank 19. Symbol of Retribution. Damages target. Can be used while dead.
• Rank 20. Charl's Throw II. Increases the power of Charl's Throw I.
• Rank 21. Kai's Blow. Increases the power of Kai's Punch.
• Rank 22. Phoen's Blow. Increases the power of Phoen's Kick.
• Rank 23. Symbol of Preservation. Lifekeeps target. Can be used while dead.
• Rank 24. Symbol of Dreams. Fall asleep to recover health, mana, and spirit.
• Rank 25. Symbol of Return. Teleport to a predetermined location, usually a monastery.
• Rank 26. Symbol of Invitation. Grants the INVITE (verb), access to Master's hall.

Masters (rank 26 members) of the Order of Voln may enter the Master's hall which includes:

• Access to a Locate Person-type effect centered on a few rooms via the tapestry (in Wehnimer's Landing)
• Access to teleportation centered on a few rooms via the tapestry (in Wehnimer's Landing)
• Access to a favor-measuring globe
• The ability to trade a deed for favor via the globe

External links

Arkati.Org: Gemstone IV Order of Voln for Dummies