Summer 1258:
Anastasia of the Younger House (http://amfightorflight.wikidot.com/anastasia-30-years-old) arrives from Leycza in central Poland to teach Gunther about Magic sensitivity (Teaching 4(specialized in apprentices), Comprehend Magic is 5+2 (puissant)). She is Playful +1, Brave +1, Curious +2, Free-spirited +2, a Pagan, blatantly giftedOptimistic (Major Flaw). Gunther Gossips with her and generally gets on like a house on fire.
Nocturnal (Minor Flaw). Her research is into swamp hags in Poland, and is eager to get back, but will take an eager interest in Gunther's research.
A redcap arrives with a Lab text for a Level 50 Aegis. They were informed about the New covenant in Greenland, and were asked to make it part of their route. They agreed, but did not specify when it would be possible to add it regularly Vincent agrees to charter the ships for them, and take only a perfectly reasonable commission. The Magi of Aoide specifically requested information on the "Tauroctomy" and Mithreums back near the Order's mainland.
Arnold Arnesson has managed to find a Viktir that could possibly create an Algiz Peth rune to ward off hostile magics, but (as this person is not yet part of the order, and Viktir normally communicate by proxies to avoid the gift penalties) he is not eager to travel to meet them. The earliest he can make is next Spring. Arnold also mentions that many people are reluctant to travel over winter, even more than normal. Many scandinavian places have had sudden snowfalls/ are placed in the grip of ice without warning, much like the incident in Greenland a few years back. They last for a Moon and then fade away.
Gunther fixes the arcane connection to the scroll that appeared thanking them for the new pact. It appears to be a monk resident in Visby. Gunther and Martin pop over and have a chat. He seems a simple soul, and guiless in his way. He was commisioned by someone who occasionally visists a local alehouse, by the name of "skywalker".
It is Loki. He seems unsurprized that someone thought to track him down, but is jovial throughout. When pressed as to why he sent the note, he tried to imply that it was just a simple proof of concept of being allowed to smoothly replace the old order with the new. He "let slip" that the wandering meridian might be more properly known as Jormungandir, and that the time of slipping of bonds was nigh. He bade them farewell, and ostentatiously left behind a drinking mug for them to grab just incase they wanted another arcane connection.
The Tree was investigated again. The small knothole was again reached, and inside they discovered that the inside has been strained greatly . There were splinters and much destruction. They finght through the wood and findthemselves in a tangle of webs. It is difficult to see which are spiders webs and which are more ethereal. The are ambushed by some Inspiderwitten, crazed and hungry. They are vanquished, and put to the question. They had beed sent by "The Spider" to infiltrate the tree, and had hitched a lift on the city of the Birds and dropped in. Instructions are given by a dead-drop mental link every Day of the Dead. Gunther made a copy of the sound of the Spider's voice so he could replicate it when necessary.
Following the Inspiderwhitten they climb "up" and discover a rambling soul: "The war between circles and lines must come to a point". Orlaith discovers that the third Primus of House Criamon: Veredis, is trapped here (he foretold his would be missing “for a time”, and would be trabbed in webbs. Wrote an allegorical Latin textbook that seems to have predicted schism war and the Corruption of House Tytalus. Many magi don't like it as it might be causing those events).
Climbing further the see a pool of light. Entering from below they emerge next to a chatty squirrel and a dragon gnawing at a root. Ratattoskr introiduceshimself as well as Nidhog (who just grunts most of the time).
Orlaith looks back at the Well of Mímisbrunnr in a guarded pool and (what with Pan Caudrax being on her mind) she sees a vision of a set of robed people who seem to be casting a ritual spell. The only indication of location is a plant growing in a crack in the wall.