A feeling of peace touches your heart followed by a sense of urgency.  The work is far from done...

And this is where it started.  My curiosity was aroused when I felt this while meditating in the Master's Hall of the Voln Monastery.  What does it mean?  I'm a Voln Master!  That's the end of the task, isn't it?  So, I stood up and walked out to speak with the Grandmaster of Voln himself, just a few doors down in his office.

Having been granted a few spare minutes with the Grandmaster, I began to ask a series of questions designed to appease my curiosity.  The following is a summary of my questions, and the answers that I received.

Delyorik asks, "Grandmaster, I came to you because I was curious about a feeling that passed over me in the Master's Hall, a feeling of peace, yet urgency.  I felt as if my work was far from done.  I have felt this for quite some time, and yet I was under the impression that the only task I had left was the releasing of the undead.  Is there anything else that I'm missing?"

The Grandmaster replies, "As members of the Order of Voln, we assist Voln in his mission by making it our special task to dispatch any undead beings that we may find."

Delyorik continues, "Yes, Grandmaster, this I know.  You spoke of this when I first joined the Order.  To remind me, what exactly is Voln's mission?"

The Grandmaster replies, "It is his mission to wander Elanthia, searching out undead beings wherever they may be and releasing them from the curse that binds them."

Delyorik asks, "Grandmaster, in all my time in the Order, I have encountered many undead beings, and have released them.  What causes the undead to become, well, undead?"

The Grandmaster replies, "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."

Delyorik says, "Thank you, Grandmaster.  I'm quite sure that I'll return later to ask additional questions."

And with that, I exited his office.

Having been intrigued by the vision, and the reminders of why I'd joined the Order, I decided to do some research on Voln, the Paladin, himself.  In my research, I'd found that Voln is called the Destroyer of the Undead.  I considered that rather strange.  After all, the Grandmaster had said that Voln's mission was to release the Undead from their curse, which seemed quite kind and merciful.  However, if Voln is called a Destroyer, then there must be some underlying reason for this.  Destroying something or someone is not a kind and merciful act.  In fact, the word Destroy is defined as "to ruin completely; to spoil; to tear down or break up; to demolish; to do away with; to put an end to; to kill; to subdue or defeat completely; to crush; to render useless or ineffective."  This discovery put an entirely new light on the subject of the Order of Voln, and their merciful mission of releasing the Undead from their curse.  I studied further.

I found through further study that Voln's very existence is quite likely a result of Lorminstra's constant entreaties to Koar for a direct action to counter the spread of the Undead, apparently animated by Luukos himself.  This suggests that Voln is a created being.  This idea is further substantiated by the finding of old tales which suggest that Voln's paternal lineage derives from Koar and an unnamed mortal woman, making Voln an Immortal, not an Arkati.  The word Immortal, in fact, is defined as "not subject to death."  Being a child of Koar, Voln is not subject to a mortal's death.  Voln also enjoys the favor of the other Lords of Liabo, and is therefore granted abilities and powers beyond those of normal beings.  However, not being Arkati, he is subject to the limitation of being present in only one place at a given time.

The naming of Voln as the Destroyer came to a new light when I discovered this little realized fact:  Voln's upbringing was in a land victimized by the plague of the Undead hordes of Luukos.  Voln witnessed loved ones lost to Luukos' curse.  As can be expected, therefore, Voln was shaped with an undying hatred of the Undead.  This is quite understandable, having lost loved ones myself.  The tome finishes by saying that once Voln realized his own Immortal nature, and driven by his hatred for the Undead, he pledged himself to the release of every soul enslaved by Luukos.

Realizing this, I finally have become cognizant of Voln's full mission.  He is truly dedicated not to the releasing of the Undead, but to their destruction.  This is not a kind and merciful act, but an act of vengeance.

I decided to visit the Grandmaster once again.  Armed with my newly found research, I marched straight into his office.

Delyorik asks, "Grandmaster?  When we first join the Order, we are led to believe that the Order is a benevolent and kind organization, formed to release the Undead from their torment.  Yet, I find that Voln himself is driven by a hatred of the Undead, and is called the Destroyer of the Undead because of this.  Grandmaster, why are we not informed of this when we join the Order?"

The Grandmaster paused to look at a few papers on his desk.  He then looked up at me and replied, "Go back out into the Hall of Brotherhood.  The Masters of the Order will instruct you."

So I walked out of his office, a bit more confused than when I'd entered, and into the archway just inside the Hall.  I decided to sit and speak with the first monk that I encountered there.

Delyorik asks, "I'm quite disturbed by a recent vision and further research that I've delved into as of late.  Tell me, monk, who founded this Order of Voln, and why?"

The monk replies, "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."

Delyorik asks, "So what you are saying is that the Order was founded in battle, but exists to offer mercy?"

The monk replies, "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."

Delyorik asks, "Founded in battle, but offers mercy.  Two sides of a coin, and neither of them can ever meet.  Can you tell me more?"

The monk replies, "You should seek the aid and counsel of your fellow brethren in this undertaking.  Return when you are ready.... At that time, more will be revealed to you."

I left the hall and walked back to the Grandmaster’s office.  He sat there, rifling through papers on his desk as if nothing was wrong, yet I paced back and forth, quite obviously disturbing the peaceful tranquility of the office.  I said nothing, but waited for his acknowledgement.  He continued looking through papers until I became extremely frustrated.  I've a feeling he knew why I was there.

Delyorik asks, "Grandmaster, why do you not acknowledge me?  Is it because I've discovered the truth?"

The Grandmaster signed one of his papers and set it aside.  He then looked up at me and smiled, as if to say, "Interpret things as you wish, my son."

So I walked out of his office, determined never to return there again.  My mind was a complex jumble of confusion, so I had to go somewhere peaceful to contemplate.  My only refuge seemed to be the solitude of the Major Sanctuary spell, so I weaved the spell and hid from the world for a while.

When I came out of Sanctuary, my resolve was firm.  I would share with no person the embodiment of my discovery, unless they asked.  However, the welling of my soul deep inside me has forced me to put all I know on parchment.

The outward appearance of the Order of Voln is that the Order exists for a benevolent cause, that of releasing the Undead from their curse.  After all, Luukos has enslaved these poor creatures to serve him and his causes, and it falls to the living to release these slaves from that.  For the most part, the Order has done just that...released to Lorminstra's mercy those Undead souls that have been captured.

My discovery sheds a new perspective on the Order of Voln.  Voln had appeared to Lord Fasthr k'Tafali when the noble was desperate for a solution to the ever-spreading hordes of the Undead.  Voln offered to the noble and his men special abilities to aid them in vanquishing their foes.  When they had succeeded in this task, the noble and his surviving men determined to teach what they had learned to others, in order that they might be served with the same victories they themselves had experienced.

I firmly and resolutely believe that Voln appeared to the noble Lord Fasthr at that time, knowing the result of his aid would be that they would spread his teachings far and wide.  I believe that Voln had planned this all along.  Being an Immortal, as before mentioned, he cannot be in more than a single place at a given time.

The establishment of such an organization as Voln, regardless of how seemingly benevolent the Order is, would enable Voln to extend his reach across the lands, and thus enable him to vanquish more of the Undead than he could on his own.  Voln would have his mission completed, and his vengeance fulfilled, all through the guise of benevolence.

Based on these discoveries, a bit of simple research, and a little ingenuity, I surmise that the Order of Voln is indeed nothing more than a tool of Voln himself, an instrument of Voln's vengeance against the Undead, and a farce to those who believe otherwise

.... And thus, this is the Tragedy of Voln.

~Respectfully submitted by:
Delyorik Rolkien
Voln Master