Relay Circle

What it is

Relay lets a spell leave from a spot other than where you stand. You place a focus on the floor, step away, then fire one ray from that focus at whatever you aim at. It is a lesson rune taught at the Archive.

How to get it

You need both of these:

• An active Eighth Heart Circle (see Heart Circles).
• The Last Page, the feat for defeating the Archivist.

Then:

1. Use the Archive Lectern while the Archive is quiet (the Archivist is defeated). This copies The Margin Between Places into your Grimoire. Copying alone does not teach Relay.
2. Read its three pages, right away or later: open your Cord, then Grimoire → Master studies → Relay Circle.
3. On the last page, press Learn Relay. You still need active VIII and The Last Page at that moment.

If you beat the Archivist before this lesson existed, a spent lectern still works. You do not need a second fight.

Your copy is safe. It stays in the Grimoire if you die, leave the Archive, lose the paper book, or the Archivist comes back. Death, changing dimension, disconnecting or losing active VIII closes the reading; open it again and start from page one. With a full inventory, the lectern keeps your book until you have room. It can also give one replacement if you lose it.

How to use it

1. Wear an Echo Cord and thread Relay + Harm, Relay + Frost or Relay + Shock in a normal spell slot.
2. Select the slot (Next spell, default V). Aim at visible floor within 8 blocks and tap Cast (default R). The focus appears.
3. Let go of the key. Move or change your aim.
4. Tap Cast again within 4 seconds. The lane flashes a short warning, then the ray fires from the focus.

Holding the first press does nothing extra; the second press must be a fresh tap. The lesson screen shows your current keys, even after rebinding.

Cost and limits

• You pay 24 mana plus the effect’s cost once, when you place the focus. Normal discounts apply. Firing is free. Nothing is refunded.
• One focus at a time, then an 8-second rest shared by every Relay slot.
• The ray deals 90% of the effect’s normal strength.
• Your path to the focus plus the focus’s path to the target can be at most 16 blocks. Both paths must be clear; walls block them.
• Relay takes exactly one effect. No modifiers, links, Knots, woven runes, passives, scrolls, imbued weapons or overcasting.

What cancels the focus: sneak + a fresh Cast press, changing slots, editing the spell, opening a menu, a spell interruption, or casting another spell.

Practice (optional)

Place a Training Dummy. Set a focus beside it, let go, move at least one block, aim at the dummy and tap Cast again in time. A real hit records the exercise in your Grimoire. It gives no XP or reward, and you can use Relay without doing it.

Tips and counterplay

• Set the focus around a corner, then step back into cover. The ray still leaves from the mark.
• Against a Relay user, break either sightline: get behind cover from the focus, or block the caster’s view of it.
• The warning lane shows where the ray will go. Step out of it.