Volume I — Arc 1 — Epoch I
[Cycle 047 | Pulse 79:30:00 — Retroactive claim / Late promise → Log: retro claim intake → Crosspath retro-trace → trustee conditional ruling → apprentice deep-index → provisional anchor draft → witness recruiment → mentor replay drill → continuity log update → Channel: secure → public digest on open]
Aurelius: "Paper remembers what the voice forgets, but paper remembers only what hands can prove. A retro claim asks the ledger to look back; set a rule so the ledger does not invent the past."
Aurelia: "Right. If the past needs stitching, bring proof, bring witnesses, and give the bench room to bind the patch. Do not let longing become law without ink."
Clerk (soft): [TASK] Retroactive Knot roll — Mode: intake retro claim CL-0155.retro.recv → run Crosspath retro-trace CL-0155.cross.retro → convene trustee conditional ruling CL-0155.trust.rul → assign apprentice deep-index CL-0155.appr.find → draft provisional anchor CL-0155.prov.anchor → recruit witness slips CL-0155.witness.pull → schedule mentor replay drill CL-0155.mentor.replay → post public brief CL-0155.public.brief. Team: Magistrate Korran (steward cue), Crosspath Halek (retro-trace), River Step trustees Mira & Len (ruling & witness), keeper Tomas (index & vault), keeper Halen (overwatch), tutors Bryn & Kalen (mentor lead), apprentices Jorren (deep-index), Nia (witness gather), clerks Rell & Sorin (intake), deputies Mina & Jor (escort/witness), courier guide Morn (clerk & intake). Objectives: verify retro claim CL-0155.verify; produce trustee conditional CL-0155.cond; locate proof node CL-0155.node.find; post provisional anchor CL-0155.anchor.post; set action by for final sign CL-0155.action.set. Channel: secure → public.
A thin paper arrived just after the first bell—a hand folded small, wax faint—signed by a traveling silk merchant named Varo. He asked the registry to make public an anchor that would record a vendor's promise from a market three tides ago: a reserved roll of damask that, Varo claimed, had been promised for his buyer but then sold in a late broker run. He had no steward triplicate in hand—only a nervous clerk's note, two neighbor attestations scribbled later, and a pocketed sketch of the vendor's knot. Retroactive anchors are risky; they ask a ledger to reach back across time when proof is thin.
Varo (measured): "I have this note and two men who saw me speak with the vendor that night. The buyer waited; the bolt was taken. I ask the bench to mark the promise so I may press for remedy."
Morn (steady): "We intake the claim but treat it as provisional. Crosspath first—trace the broker run, find any steward nodes that might hold a copy, and see if a mirror trip was ever set. If proof is thin, trustees will set conditional steps: witness gather, small provisional anchor, and action by so a final trustee sign comes only when proof arrives."
Clerk: [RECEIVE] Retro intake CL-0155.retro.recv — Varo note CL-0155.varo.note; witness slips CL-0155.wit.spare.
Halek set the Crosspath retro-trace with the merchant's dates and the vendor's name. Crosspath can only pull what was filed; often a broker's late run leaves tidy steward copies, but sometimes a verbal dart leaves no node. The retro-trace returned a broker manifest for that tide and a steward copy for a crate that matched the vendor's lot number — but the steward copy named a different buyer. Two possibilities: a swap at run time, or a mis-typed steward stub. Halek flagged the node as near-match and asked for a physical triplicate check at the vault.
Halek (plain): "Crosspath shows a steward node for the crate but names buyer B, not Varo. Near-match. Vault check: pull triplicate and wax ring. If no triplicate for Varo exists, the bench may accept a provisional anchor only with two independent witness attestations and a broker remedy requested."
Clerk: [TRACE] Crosspath retro CL-0155.cross.retro — near-match CL-0155.nearmatch; vault pull ordered CL-0155.vault.pull.
Korran called a trustee round to set the conditional rule for retro claims. Trustees prefer firm proof; absent that, they will allow a provisional anchor that records the claim transparently and sets a clear action by: either the claimant produces steward proof or the broker offers remedy (grain, coin, or exchange) within two bells, or the anchor remains provisional and non-binding. The rule aims to prevent retrospective rewriting while still giving a path for remedy when evidence and witnesses exist.
Korran (low): "Rule: retro claims may be registered as provisional anchor only if: 1) claimant brings at least two independent witness slips; 2) Crosspath finds at least a near-match node prompting vault triplicate pull; 3) an action by is set (two bells) for final proof or broker remedy. Trustees will not sign final anchors until proof meets vault ring or broker remedy is lodged."
Clerk: [SET] Trustee condition CL-0155.trust.rul — rule CL-0155.rule.set.
While Halek's runners fetched the vault triplicates, Bryn set a practical task: apprentices must run a deep-index to find any overlooked nodes—small receipts, mirror slips, or courier stubs that could show a link to Varo's claim. Jorren bent to the index with the calm that comes from habit. He found a tiny courier stub tucked under a ledger note—an overlooked node that matched the crate's hash and showed the vendor had given a small handwritten ticket to a clerk who later recorded a broker purchase. The stub did not name Varo, but it did show the vendor handled the bolt that night. It was not the steward triplicate the registry prefers, but it was a useful stitch.
Jorren (soft): "Found courier stub CL-0155.stub. It ties vendor to crate that night. No steward triplicate for Varo, but the chain has a missing link we can show—useful for witness corroboration."
Clerk: [FIND] Apprentice deep-index CL-0155.appr.find — stub found CL-0155.stub.ok.
Nia and Rell then set to recruit witnesses. Two neighbors Varo named came forward: a ferryman and a cloth mender who both signed brief attestations that they saw Varo speak with the vendor and heard the vendor promise the bolt. Their slips were immediate and earnest; the bench counts neighbor courage as a kind of proof. The trustees took the slips and placed them beside the provisional draft.
Neighbor (plain): "I remember the talk. The vendor said hold a bolt for a tide in my hearing. I write under my hand."
Clerk: [GATHER] Witness slips CL-0155.witness.pull — two slips CL-0155.wit.2.
The vault runner returned with the triplicate bundle. Halek and Tomas compared rings: the steward triplicate that Crosspath found named a buyer different from Varo. The wax ring matched the broker's stamp on the manifest. No steward triplicate bore Varo's name. The trustees reviewed the evidence stack: Varo's note, courier stub, two witness attestations, and Crosspath near-match. By the rule, a provisional anchor could be posted with an action by for broker remedy or steward proof within two bells.
Len (practical): "We cannot sign final, but we can record a provisional anchor that makes the claim public and demands action: broker remedy or steward proof in two bells. If none arrives, bench mediates a small neighbor remedy based on fair proportion. This prevents secret claims from forcing a rewrite later."
Clerk: [RECORD] Vault check CL-0155.vault.res — triplicate match CL-0155.trip.res; no steward for Varo CL-0155.no.varo.
Morn drafted the provisional anchor in plain lines and Jorren read it aloud: claimant Varo alleges vendor promise on date X; Crosspath near-match found; courier stub attached; two witness slips attached; provisional anchor filed; action by two bells for steward proof or broker remedy; trustee sign pending final proof. The registry pinned the provisional anchor to the log and attached a Crosspath tag for traceability. The anchor does not bind remedy but makes the claim public and demands a rapid reply.
Jorren (soft): "Provisional anchor CL-0155.prov.anchor posted with action by two bells. Crossref attached. Trustees will mark final only on steward proof or broker remedy."
Clerk: [POST] Provisional anchor CL-0155.anchor.post — crossref CL-0155.crosslink; action by CL-0155.action.set.
Bryn used the moment as a mentor opportunity and scheduled a replay drill — neighbors coached to reconstruct a past scene in ink: how to write time, place, exact words heard, and the presence of witnesses. The drill teaches clarity in retro claims so future anchors need fewer runs to prove. Apprentices led two neighbors through the exercise and then recorded the drafts as companion notes to the provisional anchor.
Bryn: "Teach the replay script: state time, exact phrase, witness names, and any token exchanged. If you must ask the ledger to look back, give it a clear scene to check. Practice now so later proof is cleaner."
Clerk: [SCHEDULE] Mentor replay CL-0155.mentor.replay — drills CL-0155.drill.set.
Before the bell closed, the broker—but polite and fleet—returned to Lorek's lane. He offered a remedy: a small sack of yardage and a coin equivalent as a neighbor remedy, and he apologized for the late run that had eaten local holds. Trustees asked that he place the remedy on the slab and sign a short steward note promising neighbor distribution. His remedy met the provisional anchor's action by and the trustees moved to close the provisional anchor as remedied by broker with a trustee witness stamp. Varo accepted the remedy; he asked for the record to note that he accepts the sack as remedy and that his claim, though lacking steward triplicate, is thus addressed.
Broker (bowed): "I misread a vendor sign and took the bolt. I offer yardage and coin as remedy. Ink it and I will set my steward to note the correction."
Clerk: [RESOLVE] Broker remedy CL-0155.broker.res — yardage CL-0155.yard.giv; coin CL-0155.coin.giv; trustee note CL-0155.trust.note.
Halek filed the Crosspath close and attached the broker remedy to the archive tag. The provisional anchor moved to remedied status and the trustees signed the anchor closed with full public note. The continuity log received a new row: Retroactive claim—provisional→remedied with crossrefs to the courier stub, witness slips, and broker remedy. The ledger had chosen caution and a clear path to repair; the lane slept on a small public fix rather than a late dispute.
Halek: "Crosspath archived the remedy and closed the provisional tag. File CL-0155.arch.closed. Note: retro rule worked—public provisional anchor induced broker remedy within action window."
Clerk: [FILE] Archive close CL-0155.cross.close — anchor remediated CL-0155.closed.
Clerk: [COMMIT] Snapshot CL-0155 — Cycle 047 | Pulse 79:30:00 ▪ Ch.177 ▪ Change type: Retroactive claim intake executed; Crosspath retro-trace returned near-match; trustee conditional rule applied; apprentice deep-index located courier stub; two witness slips gathered; provisional anchor posted with action by two bells; broker returned and posted remedy (yardage + coin); provisional anchor closed as remedied by broker; Crosspath archive tagged & closed ▪ Anchors: CL-0155.retro.recv; CL-0155.cross.retro; CL-0155.appr.find; CL-0155.prov.anchor; CL-0155.broker.res; CL-0155.cross.close ▪ Trustee sign: Mira + Len. Secure dossier forwarded. Public digest queued.
Post-Law Reflection: The past can press the present, but a ledger must not invent certainty. Set a short, plain pathway for retro claims: require at least two independent witness slips, run Crosspath for near-match nodes and vault triplicates, allow a provisional anchor that makes the claim public, and set a strict action by for steward proof or broker remedy. Use apprentices to hunt overlooked nodes (courier stubs, ledger marginalia) and teach neighbors a replay script so future retro claims come with clearer scenes. A provisional anchor is not verdict; it is a prompt for repair. When remedy arrives within the action by, close openly and archive the proof. Ink the steps, not the longing—let repair follow proof, and teach the town the short script to keep memory honest.