The Circles
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2026 7:44 pm
The Circles
Lore- original to the first campaign. Another Scott Alexander creation.
Only thing of that era that still exists-
“The Circles are another testament to combat. A simple 30’ circle, there is at least one in every town, plenty more in big cities. They can be found on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere. There are ancient ruins that have circles still there. Sailors have reported that in the Lallow Sea there is a small island with a circle as its only feature.
“The concept is simple: two warriors enter the circle and fight until one is defeated. The rules vary and fights to the death are very rare as they are seen as a stain on the purity of the fight. Practitioners (as these warriors are called) carry strings tied with knots. Each knot symbolizes a successful combat. Tournaments offer tokens that are tied into the string.
“Sometimes a Practitioner will embark on a Warrior’s Pilgrimage. They learn to become one with their weapon, gaining strange abilities that manifest through their weapon. These Practitioners are called Kensai.”
There was a reveal years ago that Bennok’s (former war god) mother cast the first circle with her sword when she went into labor. She fought every warrior in her tribe while giving birth. Bennok’s father placed a blade in his infant hand and helped him cut his own umbilical cord. This is not common knowledge, never was. Even when Bennok was active.
The traditional form calls for both combatants strip to down to loincloths, wield a non-magical weapon and nothing else. No armor or shield. Zero magic. If any magic is used or a combatant leaves the circle for any reason, they are disqualified. Damage dealt is non-lethal.
Lore- original to the first campaign. Another Scott Alexander creation.
Only thing of that era that still exists-
“The Circles are another testament to combat. A simple 30’ circle, there is at least one in every town, plenty more in big cities. They can be found on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere. There are ancient ruins that have circles still there. Sailors have reported that in the Lallow Sea there is a small island with a circle as its only feature.
“The concept is simple: two warriors enter the circle and fight until one is defeated. The rules vary and fights to the death are very rare as they are seen as a stain on the purity of the fight. Practitioners (as these warriors are called) carry strings tied with knots. Each knot symbolizes a successful combat. Tournaments offer tokens that are tied into the string.
“Sometimes a Practitioner will embark on a Warrior’s Pilgrimage. They learn to become one with their weapon, gaining strange abilities that manifest through their weapon. These Practitioners are called Kensai.”
There was a reveal years ago that Bennok’s (former war god) mother cast the first circle with her sword when she went into labor. She fought every warrior in her tribe while giving birth. Bennok’s father placed a blade in his infant hand and helped him cut his own umbilical cord. This is not common knowledge, never was. Even when Bennok was active.
The traditional form calls for both combatants strip to down to loincloths, wield a non-magical weapon and nothing else. No armor or shield. Zero magic. If any magic is used or a combatant leaves the circle for any reason, they are disqualified. Damage dealt is non-lethal.