Okay both my digital and paper search fu is failing me.
When does the next Grand Tribunal come up if you start in 1220?
My list has it in 1228, this is based on dates from Lion & Lily. Same year as regular tribunal that is. And I believe the tradition was to hold the regular Tribunal 1 year early to prepare and find representatives for the Grand Tribunal. But this may be older edtions haunting my memory.
I think this is canon. Also figures that way in the timeline of Guardians of the Forest.
they are right! The 4th Ed book the Wizard's Grimoire has the dates listedL:
Grand: 1228, 1261, and 1294
Normal: 1200, 1207, 1214, 1221, 1227, 1235, 1242, 1249, 1256, 1263, 1270, 1277, 1284, 1291, and 1298
In addition, it notes that additional tribunals will be held in 1260 and 1293 to prepare for the Grand Tribunal.
Not so much "tradition", as moving the lesser Tribunals up a year to accommodate Grand Tribunal just started with this one. The only other time that Grand Tribunal and lesser Tribunals fell on the same year since the Grand Tribunal went to their 33-year cycle was 997, and I believe Iberia (for one) held theirs the same year. In 773 (right after the Founding), I believe that the Tribunals all took place the same year, as well.
The separate tribunals did not exist at the start. It was decided to divide Europe in several tribunals when a single tribunal became unwieldy. Then it was divided in normal tribunals + grand tribunal format. Do not have a year reference, though, but I am fairly cofident about this one (still, serf's parma).
Xavi
"The second Grand Tribunal in 865 created the Tribunals." (The Lion and the Lily, p. 14, first paragraph). Since then, 997 and 1228 are the only two times that Grand and Lesser Tribunals are/were scheduled to fall in the same year.