Saunt Tancred's Nebula

First appearance and context

The nebula enters the narrative when an avout is assigned a problem by Fraa Orolo that uses a photo‑mnemonic tablet bearing its image. The exercise is set on the eve of Apert within the Concent of Saunt Edhar, during a mealtime conversation in the Refectory and nearby kitchen.

Role and function

Saunt Tancred's Nebula serves as a study image for questions about stellar processes, specifically the formation of heavy nuclei in the cores of stars. The narrator notes that this is “definitely not a New Circle kind of exercise,” framing it as part of a more traditional, observation‑driven cosmography rather than a syntactic or purely theoretical approach.

Relationships and references

• Eponym: Named for Saunt Tancred (no details about the namesake are given in the text at this point).
• Pedagogical use: Presented to an avout via a photo‑mnemonic tablet as part of work set by Fraa Orolo.

Current status

Only an image of the nebula is described; no position, size, or physical characteristics are specified. It is not depicted as being observed directly, only referenced as a study subject on a tablet.