By Anders Sandberg, for the Asatru tradition.
Some of the volvas enchanted their rods so that they could be used more easily. By holding the rod and going into a trance (or being sleepy, drunk or something like that), the wielder will get visions of the past, present and future. These visions are partially random, partially controlled by what the user want to see (not only consciously, but also subconsciously), and may be dangerously biased. Some rods are still strongly influenced by their makers, and will be biased towards their views. The link between the rod and the original owner is often so strong, that it is possible to communicate with her soul in the realm of death (note that most volvas have no grasp of modern languages). How she reacts to the mage who disturbs her sleep depends much on how she is treated and what he asks her. Some volvas are happy to help in any way they can, while others trick and curse people seeking help.
[ The rod uses a Correspondence 3 Time 2 rote to show distant places and times for the user, and a Spirit rote to contact the dead volva. ]