Spring 1256.
The Rhine Tribunal is held at Durenmar.
Gunter, is taking Ahnah, to begin her Bonisagus exchange. He will meet Binro of the Covenant of Moreo's Garden (in Nicea, Theban tribunal) who will take her back for a year to aid in the laboratory, with his apprentice Unstoffe.
Pumilius is taking Iluliaq to Durenmar while he gets inducted into the Reforging mystery.
Orlaith is taking Qiliaq along for the ride.
On the way there, Orlaith and Pumlilius get a strange vision of a man with swollen feet clawing at his eyes. They wonder...
When they get there, it appears that an addendum has been added to the agenda. Ricardus Caespus (Gunther's Parens) has been left a placid idiot, and it seems that Gunther has been accused of the crime...
The legality is soon questioned. Winfrida (the local Queasitor) is apologetic in not giving Gunther the traditional notice, but pressing matters forced her hand. It comes out that there have been accusations of Diabolism as well, emerging from the investigations into Leptis Magna (the ruin that the Aoide Magi discovered the cool scrolls in). The expedition by seekers into that ruin were ensnared by a demon pretending to be the god Hermes, and it was all hushed up. But then came Gunther's submission of integrating deft mentem, and it was suggested that he must have had "help", and that his parens was mind-wiped to cover his tracks.
Blatant heresay and dodgy reasoning, but Winfrida has been leant on by Andrius (the librarian, Murion's apprentice, and - aparantly- Ricardus's close personal friend) to put it on the agenda. She urges Gunter not to leave the Aegis, as people could suggest that he could use spells to wipe his own memory in order to defeat spells such as Frosty Breathof the Unspoken lie).
While this is going on, Qiliaq and Orlaith happen upon Urgen of House Bjornear who is also at Tribunal. Upon hearing that Qiliaq thing she is a "byerner" and Orlaith helpfully pointing out that Martin is her Parens, Urgen offers to foster her. Her ribs will recover in time, and the scars she will wear with honour...
Meanwhile the tribunal gets underway, and there is much excitement as it seems the Bonisagi of 1000 Caves (in Novgorod) have managed somedort fo breakthrough with the Aegis of the Hearth.
As the Tibunal gets into full swing, Martin (back in Iceland) is roused by the local Galdramen who state that a Kraken has been spotted off the coast of Iceland and Pan Caudrax has gone to intercept it.
Martin rushes off to try to hunt such a magnificant beast, and calls in Valeri from the Mongol Front to join the frey on orca-back, but is slightly peturbed when a bolt of iron emerges from the kraken. On closer inspection it seems that the kraken is an illusion, and that Pan Caudrax's efforts (and Martin's) seem to be bouncing off something.
one of the bolts draws blood and abruptly vanishes. Putting 2.1 and 1.9 together Martin manages to persuade Pan Caudrax to run (well fly) and Martin casts Galleon before the Storm on dragon-back to get Pan Caudrax over the Arcane-connection breaking meridian. Every couple of hours Pan Caudrax get weaker, which Martin deduces is an arcane-connection might draining spell, but getting Pan Caudrax over the line seems to have stopped that.
Pan Caudrax gives a tearful farewell, and states his intention to explore this side for a while. He mutters something about prophecy not always working the way it should.