The Misplaced Circle

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Zeraj

Zeraj

Mischievous Wanderer
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
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Online Availability
Usually later in the day MST
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
  3. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Primarily Prefer Male
Genres
Fantasy, SciFi, Modern, Urban Fantasy, Dark, Horror, Medieval, Any Punk Genre
It was not long since we felt the last tingles of the now lost art of magic. Perhaps we were too careless. Perhaps it was just time for it to go. There was no reason. There was no warning. It was certainly black day when it occurred seemingly from nowhere. When everything suddenly stopped.

The large magical cities had suffered the most. The floating city of Teyerim had fallen and many have died. The barriers of the underwater cities of Uni have all collapsed. None survived. These were certainly dark times. Even the normal populace have endured grudgingly. The farms that were regulated by magical systems now lay in ruins. The beautiful and complex works of art once performed miracles onto the earth no longer provide the comfort of food. Whole lineages of mages and sorcerers crumbled like specks in the wind. The creatures of old have now began to die. The fae courts are slowly winking out of existence. Even the ancient dragons who once ruled the land cannot be sustained much longer. The world had truly descended into utter chaos.

Without magic many have died. Without it many have lost hope in the world. Magic is slowly becoming a history. An odd thing that had once been commonplace. Perhaps the world shall no longer see magic as real. Perhaps even that the world will believe it never existed.

But I cannot... I will never accept such a notion. I who used to be a starling apprentice to one of the greatest wizard known to the kingdoms will never accept the loss of magic. My name is Kant and I will seek out the truth. Why has magic left us? How can we truly live without magic? My goal may be impossible. I may die during this journey, but I cannot imagine a world without magic. Perhaps it is a selfish desire. For without magic I am nobody. An empty vessel without nothing to turn to. Perhaps I am too stubborn to change in accordance to the world, but in my heart of hearts I truly believe magic is not lost. I will be the one to returns it. By my life I will find it.
-Kant Hallowheart​
Entry in the Grimoire of Kant Hallowheart​
 
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Mona sighed, the site of her ruined city lying before her. She had just returned from a trek to the other side to find out if the magic was failing there. She had come back to find Teyerim and the college fallen. A large crater in the ground from where it had met the earth.
 
Kant had journeyed far. Without the teleportation spells, traveling seemed so long. What he could have done in moments, now took several days. At least he reached it. The last sighting of the great floating city of Teyerim. He decided to start here on his journey because Teyerim relied on so much magic for its basic functions. The city's entire structural system was supported by numerous spell circles and bindings for flight and stability. The entire city pretty much exuded magic... at least before it fell. He sighed as he neared the clearing. The majestic city now lays in ruins. The wizard towers no longer stand as beacons for magical societies. The grand castles and manors no longer glow with their magical gems and barriers. The city was now just bricks and stone. Lifeless gems without a single speck of magic. He had to discover something important, but he had no idea what. "I better start with the survivors," he murmured to himself. Such a grand wizardly trait. Sometimes leading many to think them to be madmen. To talk with oneself. To speak strange foreign and perhaps crazy ideas out loud. He missed his master's crazy ramblings in their old lab. It was not that long ago either.

He stood straighter and took a deep breath. "No need to dwell on whats lost. I must reclaim whats left!" He quickened his pace. He was told the survivors settled nearby in the forest. After a few more hours of wandering, he finally pulled out his map. "Where am I?" Fear slowly crept into his mind. "Am I lost? A wizard's apprentice lost! Now thats a joke. A big joke. No spells of locating. No familiars of guidance. I can't even put up a simple barrier circle." He throws his map up into the air and screams with all his might. "I HATE HAVING NO MAGIC!"
 
Mona bent down, muttering and picking up the magical gems that lay lifeless on the ground. "Perhaps these will come in handy in my studies..." She grumbled. She rummaged through the rubble, looking for any signs of what could have happened.

She eventually decided that although she was making a valiant effort, she would need a lab to discover what had truly happened. Mona wandered through the woods, looking for a place she could set up a lab. She heard a shout and began to make her way in the general direction of the sound. She had been a mage, yes...and a fairly good one. Then, the academy had sent her off to study different people, and they had taught her what they knew.
 
After his burst of rage, he finally calmed down. Kant looked around to see where his map has landed and saw something else entirely. Someone was coming closer but shadows covered him, so he could not tell who. After traveling for a while he had encounter bandits who preyed on wizards, since they carry all kinds of oddities that can be worth quite a bit. He readied a small dagger. "Who is there! Show yourself. Even without my spells I am still formidable." He was afraid. Kant was no swordsman. He wasn't much of a scrapper either. He was just a wizard, a caster. He barely held a weapon before, other than a staff or wand. During his travels, he utilized his only skill against danger... running as fast as possible. He was ready. The moment the person begins to pounce he would run.
 
Mona laughed. "I hate not having my spells either...." She stepped into the light, holding her hands up by her head. "Fear not...I believe we are friends in this strange new world?"

She had remnants of magical items in her bag that she could use, even if the magic had drained from the world. She still had some daggers and such on her that she would use if need be.
 
After seeing the person step forward, Kant tensed, but what awaited him was a woman. Both her hands were up in the air in a gesture of appeasement. He lowered his knife. She didn't seem dangerous and her words definitely wasn't threatening. Finally he put his dagger away and sighed in relief. "By the great Magus, I thought you were a bandit." He noticed she wore the marks of a Collegium. He forgot which one but it was definitely one of the major ones. He extended his hand in greetings. "Hello, I'm Kant. What brings you to this forest? Are you here to check out Teyerim?"
 
Mona sighed as he put away the dagger, a mutual level of trust between the two established. He had noticed the mark of the Collegium...that much she was certain as she saw his eyes flick from the mark over the right breast of her robe before flicking away. She stepped forward, accepting the extended hand in greeting. "Greetings. I am called Mona." She sighed. "I was here to check in to see how Teyerim fared...I was greeted with much disappointment."
 
Kant looks towards the distance, "Its a true tragedy... The wreckage... I have visited there many times and each time was filled with wonders. But after... magic disappeared. Only pain is left." His gaze finally lands on her. She did look kinda familiar. He had seen many of the Collegiums of the world, but he did not remember people well. Perhaps his upbringing as a Wizard's apprentice was at fault.

Wizards so often sequester away in their own private towers away from the large Collegiums. Its a pretty traditional system. One Wizard. One Apprentice. Simple and so far effective. But as magic grew, Collegiums slowly began accumulating much power and prestige. Students of all kinds would flock towards them. He remembered one Collegium which specialized in runes. They would have every student mark their own rooms with defensive runes and every night familiars would try to break through. People with bad runes had been immediately dispelled. They had a quite brutal systems. But graduates were easily one of the best mages to be found.

He tried to remember what Collegium she hailed from, but he came up blank. "I'm sorry... but which Collegium did you come from?"
 
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Mona nodded at his words, knowing the truth behind them. She had often found that the smaller cities had fallen much less dramatically.

"Ah, I hail from the Historical Collegium..." She began, smiling but not continuing. The part of the Historical Collegium she hailed from was very secretive, often finding a solitary lab in which to study. It had become a tradition for those in her branch to be send off by the Master Wizard to study in some far off land. Amongst the people of the world, they would learn different magicks. Each spending almost three months at a new village or town to progress on their own.
 
"I see... the Historical Collegium." He was surprised. The Collegium did not have that much students, but certainly it was very capable. Kant knew that his journey was going to be long and difficult. But if he had help from someone from such a prestigious Collegium, it would help immensely. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I am in need of your aid." She would probably reject him. Only crazed mad men went on journeys to seek the impossible. "I am trying to seek the truth behind the disappearance of magic. I know it may seem to be a foolish endeavor. But hear me out. Our world is dying. You have seen it with your own eyes. Magic is our lifesblood. It is our very being. We had magic since the beginning of recorded history. I could not state a single occurrence of when did not have magic... other than right now. But as people give up hope in it's return, I refuse to. I know you might think me mad but I believe there is no truer calling. So what do you say? Would you like to help me? A fellow caster like you should understand the importance." He dearly hoped he didn't ramble too much.
 
Mona was taken aback by such a plea for help. It was unusual for mages from two different Collegiums to band together, unless there was some mutual agreement for an odd quest or riches. She pondered for a moment, looking over the man she had met mere minutes before. She looked at him sharply, before speaking very slowly at first. "I suppose that should be an easier task between the two of us...I was merely going to study the effects of this myself and the way it had come about..." She bit her lip in thought, an odd habit she had picked up over the years of studying by herself.

"I think I should like that..."
 
Her words sent relief through his body. Kant wanted to go up and hug her, but decided not to. He did not like touching people and suspected she would probably lash out for such a sudden movement. He was glad for her aid. "I hope we can get along on this foolish quest of mine." He grinned and extended his hand to bind their partnership. Personally he would go for a magical contract with all the intrinsic of bindings of partnership and communications. Magi would often do so in research ventures and missions for their Collegiums.

"Let me fully introduce myself, "I am Kant Hallowheart, apprentice to the great Wizard Utinar of the Dendel Mountains." His shoulders lowered, "At least I used to be... but ever since magic disappeared, I'm just a wanderer now. My master sadly has left to meet with the other Wizards."
 
mona extended her own hand, shaking it carefully. She nodded at his introduction, waving a hand in the air. "Need not worry...I have studied alone many years." She patted her bag gently. "Full name and title is Monara Stargazer. Wizard of the Historium Collegium and studier of many cultures." She laughed. "But I merely go by Mona..."
 
"Well nice to meet you, Mona. Well I think its best we start heading out" His face suddenly flushes. "At least we'll start when I figure out where I am. I seem to have... lost my map. I was planning to go find the survivors of Teyerim and question them about any oddities concerning the fallen city." He spreads his hand out in a plea. "I hope you know we are at least." He grins to hide his embarrassment.
 
Mona nodded. "Unfortunately, living with the different natives have given me a good sense of directiong..." she scowled, obviously unhappy with something. She pointed towards the west. "Over that way there's dense woodland..."
 
Her expression had gone a bit sour. Did I say something wrong? "I see... and do you know if the survivors are there?" he spoke calmly as if trying to soothe her unease.
 
Mona shrugged. "I do not know..." she bit her lip. "I have not seen any but the dead bodies littering the ruins.."
 
Now more than ever, he missed tracking and locating spells he spent so much time memorizing. He sighed, "Well, we have to begin somewhere. Lets head back to Teyerim, perhaps we can find some of the survivors scavenging the ruins." He looked sullen at the thought. So many lost relics... and lives. He began heading west. "You said this direction was back to Teyerim right?"
 
Mona nodded. "Aye." She followed him, taking out one of the drained gems out of the bag and putting on her glasses so she could inspect it. "Hmmm..." she inspected the gem happily.
 
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