Voln For Dummies
This guide details all of the steps for advancement to Master in the Order of Voln. For details on joining, favor, symbols, titles, or resigning from the Order, visit the Order of Voln wiki page instead.
This Wiki is largely comprised of information recreated from the Arkati Archive originally authored by Kinsey Hines (aka Rumor Paramyr), and updated my Caithris Amhran. It was moved here from the Web Archive for the purposes of preservation and to make it easier to find. A link to the original will be included in the resources section at the bottom of the page.
Basics of Advancement
Each step in Voln requires you to gain a certain amount of favor by slaying undead creatures. The amount of favor you have currently can be accessed using the RESOURCE verb in game. Once you have obtained the requisite amount of Favor for the step you are working on, you will visit the monk at the corresponding step (this will be the monk in the furthest room you can travel to in a given temple). If you have enough favor, the monk will take you aside and assign you a task to complete. Once you have gained enough favor and completed the task, the monk will teach you the next symbol and allow you to move on to the next step. Otherwise, the monk will inform you that you have not gained enough favor. Additionally, if you have already been given a task to complete but have not yet completed it, the monk will tell you that you as much. This guide will focus on giving you the information you need to successfully complete the tasks for each step.
Wehnimer's Landing
In the Temple near the Landing there is a room called The Healing Chamber in Lich Room 18213. To get there without Lich, from the Voln Courtyard -> go gate, east, east, go white door. There are several containers where helpful players have left many of the items you will need to advance through the steps.
Step One
Symbol of Recognition All you need to do in order to get this symbol is join the Order. Instructions for that are included in the Order of Voln wiki.
Step Two
Symbol of Blessing Eonak likes to give you a nice, hard, early challenge for this task. If you are familiar with making iron, this will be an easy step for you. If you aren't familiar with it, you may find the task daunting. If you are over 4, you will pretty much need directions if you don't know where the crucible is, if you are 4 or under, you can walk over to the Blacksmith and ask him for a job. He'll hand you a rough map on how to get to the Kobold Mines. Likely, however, there will be a slab of iron in the Healing Chamber and you will not have to do any of this.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 451, put iron in lake, ;go2 voln
To reach the mine area from the north gate, travel: SW, S, S, S, S, S, SE, E, E, Go Bridge, Climb Bank, NE, NW, N, N, NE, N, NE, NE, N, N, NW, Go Hole, Go Shrub. This will take you to the Charcoal Burner.
First, check to see if there is already some charcoal by typing: get charcoal. If there isn't any, you must make some. Type: Get Wood until you get a split log. Put the log in the burner. Next, type: Get Wood until you get a handful of tinder. Put the tinder in the burner. Now, type: Get Wood until you get two sticks. When you have one in each hand, type: Rub Sticks and you will start a fire in the burner. Wait for the cycle to finish and get your charcoal.
Now, after that, travel: Go Bush, Go Shadow, D, D, N. Search. Keep searching until you find a filthy flask of oil. Once the oil is found, travel: S, D, S, SEARCH WORKFACE. Keep searching until you hear a clang and iron ore falls to the ground.
Now, travel: N, U, Go Door. More likely than not, someone else is going to be making iron here (if you are playing Gemstone Prime). You will have to wait your turn. You may also find a kind hearted soul that will let you have a heavy slab of iron. If you can't make a deal, when it's your turn, you'll need to make your own. To make your own, do the following:
Put ore in crucible, put the charcoal in there too. You can put up to 4 iron ores into the crucible and make 4 slabs if you like. Now, type: Turn Valve. It should close under your hand. Next, travel: E. Get your oil out and type: Pour Oil in drum. Next, Pull Chain and then Pull Bellows. If you are a halfling, you will need assistance. Now, travel: W and Turn Valve (it should then Open). Travel: E and Pull Chain, Pull Bellows, Pull Chain, Pull Bellows. Travel: W and wait for the cycle to finish. Once it's finished, type: Get Iron.
Now, you need to deliver the iron to the Lake. Travel from your current location: Go Door, U, U, Out, Out, SE, S, S, SW, SW, S, SW, S, S, SE, SW, Climb Bank, Go Bridge, W, W, NW, SW, S, SE, S, SE, S, S, S, SW, E, NE. Now, type: Put Iron in Lake. You should finish the task at this point.
Return the Voln by traveling: SW, W, NE, N, N, N, NW, N, NW, N, NE, SE, E, E, Go Bridge, E, NE, N, N, Go Trail, E, E, E.
Step Three
Symbol of Thought Oleani is the patron lady for this step along the path. For this step, you will need to forage for a small rose. There are several places that you can forage for one. You can forage for one in the room north of the North Gate, In the Small Park and Niche, as well as Sovyn Courtyard. You can also just buy a rose from the florist. There is likely a rose in the Healing Chamber.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 6315, put rose on altar, ;go2 18210
Once you find a rose, you need to go to the Wedding Glade. From the north gate, travel: NW, S, Go Path, Go Arch. Put the rose on the altar.
Step Four
Symbol of Diminishment Lord Cholen is the patron of this symbol. He's a pretty jolly guy, so this step isn't too hard. Head back to town and stop by the bank. You need to drop coins in accordance with your level.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 311, drop coins, sing I dance to honor Lord Cholen; Who brings us joy and fun; I sing such greatly praises; Today and forever more; Be joyous for all time, my friends!, ;go2 18209
From the bank, travel: E, SE, S, S, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, N. Drop the coins, and type: sing I dance to honor Lord Cholen; Who brings us joy and fun; I sing such greatly praises; Today and forever more; Be joyous for all time, my friends! The poor should come out and gather up the coins and sing with you.
Step Five
Symbol of Courage For this step, you need to honor Lord Jastev.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 4140, recite Lord Jastev is a sullen soul.; Lord Jastev is artistic indeed.; Lord Jastev the self-possessed.; Lord Jastev is morbid true; Lord Jastev serious, too., ;go2 18208
Head over to the graveyard gate. Travel from the Voln Courtyard: W, W, W, Go trail, S, Go Trail, E, E, N, NE (Repeat N, NE until you exit the puzzle), Go Trail, Go Path. Now, type: recite Lord Jastev is a sullen soul.; Lord Jastev is artistic indeed.; Lord Jastev the self-possessed.; Lord Jastev is morbid true; Lord Jastev serious, too. Return to Voln by traveling: Go Path, Go Trail, S, SW (Repeat SW until you exit the puzzle), W, Go Trail, N, Go Trail, E, E, E.
Step Six
Symbol of Protection Imaera likes for folks to visit her shrine, so all of her tasks involve going to her island near the Relk Village. This can be an easy step, it can also be hard. (In Prime, it's fairly easy since acorns are more common.). Go to TSC and get an acorn. Sometimes, you will have to wait until one drops. There is likely an acorn in the Healing Chamber.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 6459, kneel, bury acorn, ;go2 18207
Once you have an acorn, from the North Gate, travel: SW, S, S, S, S, S, SE, E, E, Go Bridge, Climb Bank, NE, NW, N, N, NE, N, NE, NE, N, N, NE, N, Climb Rockslide, E, SW, S, E, N, N, N, N, SE, S, SE, SE, E, E, Go Path, NW, NE, E, E, SW, D, SE, Go Shore, Swim Water, Swim Island, Go Island, Kneel, Bury Acorn. To Get back to Voln, travel: Go Water, Swim Water, Swim Bank, Go Shore, NW, U, NE, W, W, SW, SE, Go path, W, W, NW, NW, N, NW, S, S, S, S, W, N, NE, W, Climb Rockslide, S, SW, S, S, SW, SW, S, SW, S, S, SE, SW, Climb Bank, E, NE, N, N, Go Trail, E, E, E.
Step Seven
Symbol of Submission Charl is pretty fierce, and a stickler for things. First, you need a piece of coral. Any piece of coral will do, but it must be coral. Other gems will not work. There is likely some coral in the Healing Chamber.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 7653, put coral, ;go2 18206
Next, you must travel to Charl's Shrine. From the North Gate, travel: NW, NW, NW, Go Road, W, W, NW, W, W, W, NW, NW, W, W, SW, W, W, W, SW, W, Go Path, E, D, D, D, Go Boulder, S, Swim Open. Now, just drop the coral. Follow the directions in reverse to return to the gate, except instead of "Go Boulder", you just go out.
Step Eight
Kai's Strike This is the Voln step, commonly referred to as "strike" that will let you fight undead without the use of blessed weapons or garments. You will need to travel to Kai's Temple and honor the good Lord Kai, master of unarmed combat.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 6960, go arch, say Kai, I challenge you to wrestle!, (fight using throw, punch, and kick); out, go2 voln
From the North Gate, travel: SW, S, W, SW, SW, S, W, W, U, N, Go Tree, U, U, Go Arch. Make sure your hands are free, then type: 'Kai, I challenge you to wrestle!' Make sure you say it out loud. Kai will appear with a big grin on his face. You will not be injured during the battle. Use the following verbs during your battle: Throw, Punch, Kick. You need to stand up when he tosses you to the ground or else it will take longer. Eventually, he will finally whisper to you that you win.
Step Nine
Symbol of Holiness Phoen loves to challenge you, and make you go through some pretty perilous places to complete his tasks. This is the second Voln Fu step. If you are young, you should probably get an escort to go with you, or have someone set a ring. Arch Wights are rather nasty creatures, with clouds, boil earth, and assorted other ways to kill you, especially since you'll be carrying a candle votive through their quarters.
lich shortcut: ;go2 bank, withdraw 100, ;go2 1244, order 16, buy, ;go2 18204, light votive, ;go2 7229 (if you cannot open the graveyard gate, you will need help to get in there), wave votive, ;go2 voln
First, visit the cleric shop in the Landing. From TSC, travel: E, E, E, S, S, Go Shop. Take about 100 coins, you will come out with change. Next, head back to Voln and along the path where the monk talked to you. At the lamp, type: light votive with lamp. If you have to go yourself, head to the courtyard and set your ring. Now, travel: W, W, W, Go Trail, S, Go Trail, E, E, N, NE (Keep alternating N and NE until through the puzzle), Go Trail, Go Path. Get the gate open (either using 407 or 309, or pushing it), Go Gate, Go Crypt, Go Arch, E, Type: 'Shadow bind my soul (typing SAY will not work, if I recall correctly), S, Go Ramp, N, W, W, N, Go Corridor, NE, NE, Go Pile, D, D, E, N, N, Out, N, Go Grating, D, D, N, N, NE, Go Stair. Now, type: Wave Votive. Remove your ring and wear it.
Step Ten
Symbol of Recall Lorminstra must figure since you risked your neck in the last step, she'd make this one easier. You need a fresh herb (surely you have some… if not, then go buy one!). Generally, a nice acantha leaf will work.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 7523, put leaf on altar, pray, ;go2 voln
From TSC, travel: E , E, E, S, S, E, Go Temple, Go Altar. Now, type: put leaf on altar. Then type: pray That's all there is to it.
Step Eleven
Symbol of Sleep Here's another nice and easy step for you. You need to go see Ronan who is the master of dreams, and take a quick nap.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 7926, lie down, wait for Ronan to ask you a question, 'life, ;go2 voln
From the North Gate, travel: SW, W, S, SW, SW, S, S, S, S, S, SW, Go Footpath, S, S, SE, SW, S, S, E, Go Mountain Pass, Go Trail, U, U, Go Path, Go Water, Go Arch. Now, type: lie down. Soon, you will fall into a deep slumber. You will be visited by Ronan and he will then ask you a question. When this occurs, type: 'life. He will then be appeased.
Step Twelve
Symbol of Transcendence Lumnis is the patron of this symbol. She merely asks that you seek out Rone Wehnimer's Grave and answer her question.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 7262 (if you cannot open the graveyard gate, you will need help to get in there), search, search, 'Koar, ;go2 voln
From the Voln Courtyard, travel: W, W, W, Go Trail, S, Go trail, E, E, N, NE (N, NE until you exit the puzzle), Go Trail, Go Path, Go Gate (You will grow to hate this gate.), NE, N, N, NW, Go Trail, NE, N, W, NW, NW, SW, W, Go Path, E. Now, type: search twice. Lumnis will ask you a question. The appropriate response, if you know anything about the Gods of Elanith at all is of course: 'Koar'. Lumnis will be happy with you.
Step Thirteen
Symbol of Mana This is another of the easy series of steps. You will need to appease Koar, the Master of Mana and the King of the Gods, for this one.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 7544, kneel, 'I have come to honor Koar, master of mana. (must be precise, including the period), ;go2 voln
From TSC, travel: Go Well, Climb Rope, Kneel. Type: 'I have come to honor Koar, master of mana. You must type this correctly, even the period, or else it won't work. If you want to take full advantage of this task, use up your mana before you speak. You'll see what I mean. Return to Voln for your symbol.
Step Fourteen
Symbol of Sight You will once again honor Tonis for this step. You need to deliver a message for Tonis, to ease the burden of a poor soul.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 500, 'You have not been forgotten., ;go2 voln
From the north gate, travel: NW, NW, NW, Go Road, W, W, NW, W, W, W, NW, NW, W, W, SW, W, W, W, SW, W, W, NW, W. Now, type: 'You have not been forgotten.
Step Fifteen
Symbol of Retribution Eonak guards this step. You need to seek out one of his creations to gain his favor.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 7542, touch broadsword, ;go2 voln
From TSC, travel: Go Well, Climb Rope, S, Climb Rubble, E, E, E, N, N, NW, W. You will need both hands free. Then type: pull cress. Now, type: touch broadsword and Eonak will be happy.
Step Sixteen
Symbol of Supremacy You need to honor Oleani once more for this step. She's a flower nut, so, you need to go buy a dozen Bridal Blush roses (apparently, sometimes, the monk will ask you to purchase a different kind of rose). Stop by the bank and withdraw some silver, depending on your bargaining skill, this could run you anywhere from 5-10k.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 bank, withdraw 10000, ;go2 8715, order 4, buy, ;go2 234, put (100 times your level) silvers in almsbox, ;go2 4042, put roses
In case you forgot how to get to the florist, from the bank, travel: E, E, E, E, S, S, E, E, N, Go Florist. Haggle a bit and get your roses. Once you have those, travel: Out, S, W, (put 100 silvers times your level in the almsbox -- confirmed required by Dema), Go Temple, Go White Arch, Go Pink Arch, Drop Roses/Put them on the altar.
Step Seventeen
Symbol of Restoration Cholen's second step is designed to teach you humility. But, the upside is you only really have to act silly in front of one other member of Voln. Having one or ten people won't make it go any faster. You need to make your way to the Roof of the Museum for this step.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 15567, use act verb to make your volunteers laugh, ;go2 voln
From TSC, travel: E, E, E, S, S, E, E, Go Museum, Climb Stair, Go Arch, Go Onyx Arch, go Ebon Arch, Go Door, Search, Climb Stairs, Climb Rope.
You will need to use the act verb to attempt to make your volunteers laugh. Regular laughing works best with no arguments. You will need to perform five to ten act commands and get laughs, as well as laugh yourself. Eventually, you should hear Cholen laugh with you.
Step Eighteen
Symbol of Need Jastev's second task will show you a prophetic vision. You need to seek out a shrine in a fisherman village and touch it.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 524, touch shrine, ;go2 voln
From the North Gate, travel: NW, NW, NW, Go Road, W, W, NW, SW, S, SW, SE, S, S, SW. Here, you will need to type: touch shrine. You will receive a vision from Jastev and complete the task.
Step Nineteen
Symbol of Renewal Once again, Imaera wants you to come to her island. You don't need anything special for this one, however.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 6459, stow left, stow right, kneel, pray, pray, bow deer, ;go2 voln
From the North Gate, travel: SW, S, S, S, S, S, SE, E, E, Go Bridge, Climb Bank, NE, NW, N, N, NE, N, NE, NE, N, N, NE, N, Climb Rockslide, E, SW, S, E, N, N, N, N, SE, S, SE, SE, E, E, Go Path, NW, NE, E, E, SW, D, SE, Go Shore, Swim Water, Swim Island, Go Island. You should be empty handed to do this step. It seems to not work if you are wielding. Now, you need to type: kneel and then: pray twice. When you see the deer emerge from the forest, type: bow deer. That's all there is to it. To Get back to Voln, travel: Go Water, Swim Water, Swim Bank, Go Shore, NW, U, NE, W, W, SW, SE, Go path, W, W, NW, NW, N, NW, S, S, S, S, W, N, NE, W, Climb Rockslide, S, SW, S, S, SW, SW, S, SW, S, S, SE, SW, Climb Bank, E, NE, N, N, Go Trail, E, E, E.
Step Twenty
Symbol of Disruption Obviously, you will need to honor Charl again for this step. It doesn't take too much effort to satisfy him this time. He just wants your silvers. Use 100 Silvers multiplied by your level.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 bank, withdraw (level times 100) silvers, ;go2 7644, drop (level times 100) silvers, ;go2 voln
To reach the dock from the North Gate, travel: NW, NW, NW, Go Road, W, W, NW, W, W, W, NW, NW, W, W, SW, W, W, W, SW, W, Go Path, W, W, W, W, W, W, N, Go Dock, N, N, N, N, N, D, D. Here you need to drop those coins. Charl will be happy.
Step Twenty One
Kai's Smite Be prepared for a four day journey to complete this task. It's not really an arduous journey, but you'll get to see some scenery. You need to venture towards Cavernhold and drop a broadsword (or pretty much any weapon, actually) into a pool. Stop by the arms shop in town and purchase a broadsword, they cost about 250 silvers.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 bank, withdraw 250, ;go2 402; order 7, buy, ;go2 8572, drop broadsword in pool, ;go2 voln
From the North Gate, travel: SW, S, S, S, S, S, SW, S, SE, S, SE, S, S, S, SW, S, S, SE, SE, SW, W, S, S, S, S, SE, SE, NE, NE, E, E, Go Bridge, SE, S, SE, S, E, E, E, S, Search (you may need to search several times in order to find the crevice), Go Crevice, SE, Climb Rubble, S, Climb Rubble, SE (15 second rt.), SE (15 second rt.), E (15 second rt.), E (15 second rt.), Go Trail, D, D, E, S, SE. Here, you need to type: drop broadsword in pool. This will please the good Lord Kai. Simply reverse the directions to get back to town.
Step Twenty Two
Symbol of Turning Once again, you must honor Phoen. You will need a blue crystal for this step. Phoen seems to thrive on sending you off to dangerous places, and of course this step is no different. You may get to see a fire guardian up close. Nothing beats being engulfed in a fire cloud.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 4131, drop blue crystal in lava, ;go2 voln
From the North Gate, travel: SW, S, S, S, S, S, SW, S, SE, S, SE, S, S, S, SW, S, S, SE, SE, SE, SE, SE, E, E, NE, E, E, E, Go Trail, N, NE, E, SE, E, NE, N, NE, N, N, N, Go Trunk, NW, NE, U, N, U, U, W, W, NW, NW, Go Gash, D, D, D, D, N, NE, E. At this location, you will want to type: drop blue crystal in lava. To get back to Voln, travel: W, SW, S, U, U, U, U, Go Mouth, SE, SE, E, E, D, D, S, D, SW, SE, Go Trunk, S, S, S, SW, S, SW, W, NW, W, SW, S, Go Trail, W, W, W, SW, W, W, NW, NW, NW, NW, NW, N, N, NE, N, N, N, NW, N, NW, N, NE, SE, E, E, Go Bridge, E, NE, N, N, Go Trail, E, E, E.
Step Twenty Three
Symbol of Preservation Once again, you need to honor the Lady Lorminstra. You will need to have an extra deed to spare for this step, since you must give one away. You need to visit the altar of Lorminstra to complete this step, and you must also seek out someone who has no deeds, which makes this step a bit more difficult.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 7523, 'Lorminstra give [person with no deeds] my deed., ;go2 voln
To get to the altar from TSC, travel: E, E, E, S, S, E, Go Temple, Go Altar. Once there, to complete the task, type: 'Lorminstra, give [person] my deed. As I said, it will need to be someone with no deeds. You can choose to take someone with you who needs one, or wait and hope you can catch someone who happens to decay to meet the requirement, which to me, seems rather morbid. You need at least two deeds as you cannot give away your last one.
Step Twenty Four
Symbol of Dreams You once again need to honor Ronan for this step. This is considered by some to be the most difficult Voln step, and rarely do people look forward to it. You need to scale Melghoren's Reach for this step and lie on the Onyx Altar and allow a moonbeam to strike you.
Lich shortcut (sort of): ;go2 14728, follow instructions starting below climb platform
From Voln, travel: W, W, W, Go Trail, S, S, SW, W, Go Bridge, W, W, NW, SW, S, SE, S, SE, S, S, S, SW, E, NE, Go Path, Go Opening, Climb Platform (may have to try several times), Turn Wheel, D, Out, Go Bridge, E, E, E, Go Slope (it may take several tries to get up the slope, make sure you go on this journey AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE. Have someone hold your junk if you have to.), W, W. Now, you have to deal with the runes, which are enough to give some folks a fit.
If the Z rune is over the E, press Z. If the S rune is over the E, press O. If the O rune is over the E, press R. If the R rune is over the E rune, press S. Just look at them to see which one to push next. If you get "nothing happens", when you push a rune, you need to push E to reset and look at them again and start over. This may take multiple tries.
Here is a nice little list:
- O rune, press R
- R rune, press S
- Z rune, press Z
- S rune, press O
- nothing happens, press E
Once the stair is in place, travel: Go Stair, W, Close Dam. Now, you will need to wait for the cab to arrive. It can take up to ten minutes. Just be patient, I know it's annoying. Once it arrives, type: open dam and then: go cab. Another waiting game. You will need to wait until the cab stops.
When it does, travel: Out, Go Fog. Now, type: search until you feel the wall. Then, type: search wall, climb vine, go opening. You should now be in the Temple with the Onyx Altar.
You will once again need to wait. When you see "Suddenly a beam of moon light peeks through several tiny holes in the intricate ceiling…" type: lie on altar. Now, you need to get out.
You're going to have to take the water tunnels. So, lets do that. Type: Go Shaft, Go Opening, Lie Down. Immediately, as soon as you move to the next room, type: lean left. Don't do anything again until you see "Suddenly the tunnel turns into a nearly vertical drop" is in the room description. Type: lean left. Things will go quick, but as soon as you see "just ahead the tunnel splits left and right" type: lean left. Now wait until you are out. It shouldn't take long really.
If you missed the first lean left, wait until you see the tunnel splits left and right, where you are gulping at bubbles, lean right, and try again from the beginning.
Step Twenty Five
Symbol of Return You will need to honor Lumnis again for this step. Some say this too, is a difficult task. You must seek out a hermit who lives under a sand castle and he will ask you a short quiz in which the questions constantly change. You need to go alone for this task.
Lich shortcut: ;go2 7626, follow directions below on how to find the hermit and answer his question and then leave, ;go2 voln
From the North Gate, travel: NW, NW, NW, Go Road, W, W, NW, W, W, W, NW, NW, W, W, SW, W, W, W, SW, W, Go Path, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W. Now, type: lie, search sand, push sand. Now, make sure you are lying down. Type: search. Keep searching until you find stairs. Stand up, and type: Go Stair. Lie down again. Type: search. Keep searching until you find a curtain. Stand up again, and type: Go Curtain. Lie down again, and type: search. Keep searching until you find a pot. When you do, type: ask hermit about task. He will ask the three questions. If you have a problem remember the answer, be sure to take a look at my copy of the Voln Monk text. To get out of here, simply search for the things in reverse order.
Step Twenty Six
Symbol of Seeking There is no task for this step. Consider it a gift for working so hard.
In addition to Symbol of Seeking, people Mastered in Voln also receive the Symbol of Invitation.
Symbol of Invitation allows you to invite someone into the Order, much as the Grizzled Warrior does.