Item Decay

Item Decay is a phenomenon occurring in items, which results in the eventual decay of the item. The item can change form (obtains a new item ID) or be destroyed completely.

Item decay works by counting a timer down while the item is active. Each item exhibiting item decay saves the amount of time it has left, and the decay occurs after a cumulative time of activity. Items are active if they:
 * Are not inside a depot, or the player is standing on the depot tile where the item exists.
 * Are not in a player's inventory while the player is logged off.

Thus, for example:
 * Items in houses can experience item decay, even if they are in a box or buried beneath layers of trash.
 * Items on player characters will decay.

Some notable items experiencing item decay are:
 * Enigmatic Voodoo Skull. This item uses item decay to transform back into Mysterious Voodoo Skull after 20 hours.
 * Flower Pots. These flowers use item decay to change into a dry state. The withering of flowers is also a form of item decay.
 * Blue Note. This quest item vanishes after 24 hours of activity.