Scrying

By gazing into a crystal-ball the subject was supposed to see events happening at great distances, scenes past, present, and future, and when sufficiently adept the student of scrying asserted his ability to call forth spirits from the mighty deep, and in fact, do anything under the sun, excepting anything of use or benefit to the world.

He has scoured the known world for information on this ancient land turned to myth and has tried many times to locate it with his magic, only to be denied as some unseen force tampered with his scryings.