The ruined stone ring sitting in the forest far east of Maragir is one of 13 Ancient Circles scattered across Vale Sangora, and it works like the rest of them. Walk in during daylight, wake the altar with the right witchcraft spell, and the circle answers by summoning its guardians. Beat them and a chest appears. Leave without casting and nothing happens at all.
Quick answer: Stand at the altar in daytime, hold the Focus button and cast Astral Communion, then kill the Revenant Champion and every beast trapped inside the red mist. The reward chest spawns beside the altar the instant the mist lifts.
Requirements before you cast at the altar
Two things gate this activity, and neither can be worked around. You need Astral Communion unlocked from the Witchcraft skill tree, and it has to be daytime, since Coen cannot use human witchcraft during his vampire hours. Starting the trial also burns a Time Segment, so it costs you progress on the clock that is counting down toward your family.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time of day | Daytime only |
| Ability | Astral Communion (Witchcraft tree) |
| Interaction | Hold Focus at the glowing altar |
| Time cost | 1 Time Segment |
| Objectives | Start the trial using Astral Communion Witchcraft Ability, then Survive the trial |
Where the Ancient Circle east of Maragir is located
The circle sits in wooded terrain well east of the city of Maragir, past the Maragir Wealds circle that shares the same region. It shows up as a marker on the world map once you have surveyed the area from a Scouting Tower, so open the map and travel to the marker rather than sweeping the forest on foot. The stone monument is visible from the approach path.
Starting the trial with Astral Communion
Fighting the Revenant Champion and the beasts
The encounter here is led by a Revenant Champion, a named undead guardian that hits hard and soaks far more damage than the rest of the wave. Ancient Circles in general throw specters and undead at you, including Vidmos, Psoglavs and Guardians, so expect a mixed group rather than a clean duel.
Keep the Champion marked and stay in melee range between its swings. It is the enemy that decides how long the trial runs, since the smaller summons die quickly once you have space to swing at them.
Wolf-like beasts join the Champion and circle you constantly. They are fragile but fast, so clear them between the boss’s attack windows instead of letting them chip at you from behind while you commit to the bigger target.
Note: the mist is the arena. Every summoned enemy has to die inside it, and the objective will not tick over while even one is still standing.
How to confirm the trial is cleared
Three things happen in sequence when you win. The red mist dissipates, a loot chest materializes next to the altar, and the journal entry closes with a QUEST ENDED banner once you open the chest. Coen also has a line for it, remarking that it was a worthy challenge.
Your quest tracker then falls back to whatever else you have active, which is the clearest sign the activity is finished. The outcome recorded in the journal is that you awoke the magic slumbering in the circle and gained its power. If you walk away without casting, the alternate outcome logs instead, noting you decided to leave the ruins alone.
Rewards from the East of Maragir chest
Clearing the trial pays out 15 XP and a Skill Point on top of the chest. The chest itself is built around a skill manual, which is the real draw at most Ancient Circles, with weapons, crafting components and a lore document filling out the rest.
| Reward | Type |
|---|---|
| Soul Reaping Manual | Skill manual |
| Mercurial Favor Manual | Skill manual |
| Redbound Simple Falchion | Weapon |
| Tempered Long Basilard | Epic weapon |
| Minor Razor Claw Vial | Consumable |
| Lump of Silver | Material |
| A Gift of Madness, Part 1 | Lore document |
| 15 XP and 1 Skill Point | Quest completion |
Chest contents are not identical in every run. The same circle has produced a Soul Reaping Manual with a Redbound Simple Falchion in one playthrough and a Mercurial Favor Manual with the Tempered Long Basilard in another, so read the manual you actually receive before assuming which skill you unlocked.
Why the trial does not start
There are only a few reasons the altar refuses to respond. You have arrived at night, when Astral Communion is unavailable to you. You have not spent points in the Witchcraft tree to learn Astral Communion yet. Or you are interacting from too far away and never triggered the Focus prompt at the altar itself.
Because the cast spends a Time Segment while Scouting Towers do not, the efficient order is to climb the towers at night to reveal the map markers, then spend a daylight window running the circles you actually want the manuals from. The East of Maragir ring is close enough to the Maragir Wealds circle that both can be handled in the same trip.
