The Rhine tribunal has had a period of relative peace. Certainly there are the small scale wars which pass for political maneuverings in the area but even these have been muted under the reign of Fredrick II, who has consolidated his power over the Holy roman Empire, prefers to rule from the kingdom of Sicily, and has just taken the kingdom of Jerusalem. As far as the Order is concerned there is the usual worry about the slow encroachment of the Dominion, but this is dwarfed by new developments by Bonisagus, one of the arcane connections to Vinland is in the possession of a Bonisagus in Duerenmar, and further south within the Rhine another has the texts and arcane connections to research travel through the magical realm to seek new worlds. The world seems brighter than ever in the Rhine, with new frontiers opening up instead of a relentless loss of magical resources they have faced in the past.