Albion Circles
Major Circles
The major ritual circle of Albion is the Wellspring of Life at Eaton, the most powerful ritual circle in the known world.
From the first Gathering the Lord General of Eaton has been Keeper of the Wellspring. Geographically the Wellspring is only slightly nearer to Eaton than Norhault, but Norhault has been, until recently, notoriously unstable in terms of who controls it (Caledonia or Albion) whereas Eaton has always been Albione. It therefore makes sense that the Mages picked on the more stable of the nearest places to help run and man their most powerful circle. Also, the path through the mountains at the end of the Vale of Eaton is easier between Eaton and the Wellspring, than Norhault and the Wellspring.
Large Circles
Next down from the Wellspring, are the two large circles at Winchester
and Warwick. Winchester is the capital of Albion and therefore
was probably chosen as such because it has a large circle there.
Warwick was once used as a staging post to get troops and supplies
into York when Golgamoth attacked.
The other two large circles
in Albion are to be found at Elfs Rest near Huntingdon
(into the Greenwood about 10 miles from Huntingdon) and Stretton
about half way between Gloucester and Hereford.
Stretton is just a small
village with a single inn (the Mage's Staff) which has sprung
up around the circle itself, to provide shelter and sustainance.
As it is only half a day from Gloucester, Stretton is often referred
to as Gloucester Ritual Circle. It became notorious at
the Harts Moot of 1098, as the place where Lady Katherine's renegade
unseelie fae killed several notable Harts (and members of other
factions), including Lady
Lysandra Charenten, who was the Gloucester circle's resident
ritualist at the time.
Elfs Rest was so named because
the Elves in the Greenwood always used to stay the night there,
rather than travelling on to Huntingdon to see Lord General Hunter.
No wild animals ever disturbed them there and eventually one of
their mages thought to investigate why.
Minor Circles
Albion has many minor ritual circles, mainly in rural areas. These are as follows:
Forest Glen, between Loxley and Ellenbrook
Two Rivers, between Leeds and Naseby
Marchwood Keep (this is why the Keep was built away from Marchwood Village)
Havoc (in the hills going towards Norhault slightly)
Fryston between Chelmsford and Ely
Iver in the woods (near the river) between Colchester and Buckingham
Finmere, on the North Western shore of Finmere Lake
Sherburn Keep (this is why the Keep was built right there)
Selby
Exeter
Brighthelm Stane
Bishop Auckland
Londinium
Norhault (situated in the Mages Guild there)
Sarnia (the Island off the coast of the County of Marchwood)
Derelict Circles
The normal flow of power within the land means that sometimes, for reasons unknown, the power within circles dies. They can also be destroyed by direct magical means.
Past battles, notably in 1096, left Albion with dead large circles in York and Bristol.
The Bristol Ritual Circle (1096AF - 1100AF)
Some years back, during the Civil War within Albion, Jadvor held Bristol and came under siege by Satun and his hoards. In order to prevent more support arriving for Satun, Floris-Brand closed the circle by removing the element of fire from it. At the time, a lone ritualist was holding the circle closed by force of will. She was unprepared for the sudden release of power, or of the cap stone being sent first up out of the circle, then returning to stave in her skull, killing her. This closure of the circle caused a flow of power to spill forth into the Summerlands, potentially unbalancing the ecology there and leading to its corruption was a side-effect that no one could have predicted.
When Tiberias, an exile from the tomorrow court, tried to reopen the Bristol ritual circle in 1099 AF, it exploded following an attack on it by Void demons. Those present at Bristol were then sucked through to the Summerlands. Although most eventually made it back to Bristol, the ritual circle was permanently disabled, and a rift through to the Summerlands was left in its place. The rift was eventually closed by a commando force led by s'Kallion of the beastmen on the 5th of the 5th 1100 AF. Those that carried out this mission are refered to as the Companions of Summer.
The York Circle (1104AF)
At the end of August lights were seen in the sky outside the city of York. When the local people went to investigate, it was discovered that something or someone had caused the York ritual circle to once again become active. The circle had been unactive for the last eight years after being attacked by demons and unliving under the command of Golgamoth in 1096. It is currently unknown what has caused this circle to once again gain power.
Another large Circle which has been derelict for years is at Kingsfield, as the result of another battle.
There used to be a minor circle at Trell but it fell into the bog. The marsh land around Trell is ever changing and gradually the land shifted, the bog grew and reclaimed the circle. There is also a minor circle at Worcester which has not worked since a ritual to try to resurrect Rioc (Corvus mother) went horribly wrong, killing the ritualist and most of his group and doing nothing to help resurrect Rioc. Finally there is one at Strong Oak which a few generations ago was deactivated by the Lions in an effort to stop the Bears raiding over the border to take the circle. It was left too long before they tried to reactivate it, so will no longer work.
Lysandra Charenten
Summer 1096
Norscan Ritual Circles
Major Ritual Circles
- Jellinge Stones - Main Island, North West corner, South East of Malar
- Circle Of The Ancients - North West Jotunheim
Ritual Circles
- Aesir's Cauldron Central Vestraay
- Brinsinga Ring - Main Island, East side, North West of Damsey
- Crimson Lake Vanaheim, East of Vanaheim City
- Etri's Forge Jotunheim, South of Alfheim Forest
- The Eye Of The King East Skidbladnir
- The Eye Of The Night - South west Vanaheim
- Giant's Footfall Central Jotunheim
- The Goldenstones South Jotunheim
- Grimstone Circle - Main Island, North of the town of Grimstone Circle
- Heart Of Vanna West Ratatosk
- The Iron Circle South East Vanaheim
- Mountains Gate - South East Jotunheim
- The Sentinals Vanaheim, South East of Odinsheim
- Silver Fall's - East Jotunheim
- Starshadow Circle Vanaheim, South East of Ravendark
- The Nine Spears - South West Skald
- Tyr's Fingers Central Nastrond
- The Whispering Stones South East Vanaheim
- Widow's Peak Spring South Vanaheim
- Wyrm's Spine Circle Vanaheim, East of Noaton
