Obviously ceasures run backwards in time, Linden took her party back in time to seek the staff of law. But when they arrived Anele was long gone, so it wasn't her caesure that took him away.

I'm glad that there are some other people who are having trouble explaining the caesure that Anele first stepped in to. For me a fantasy novel, is of course totally a work of imagination, but for it to work it must be logical within the parameters created by the author. The mystery of 'Anele's' ceas...

But the Staff of Law has been missing for a very long time, if Joan is responsible doesn't that infer parallell universes? Ie there must be a land that doesn't have Kevins dirt etc. This is not a very elegant solution.

I know the time between the two worlds is different but by my calculations this time storm happened before Joan had access to white gold.

I don't know what/who caused the time storm that Anele first walked into, that led to him losing the Staff of Law. I feel this is a key point that must be explained in following novels.

Have I missed something or is everyone else equally in the dark?

I just finished listening to Runes of Earth on audio CDs, more than 20 of the little suckers. The huge advantage of listening rather than reading is that you don't skim but you get the full SRD treatment. Runes of Earth reminds me a little of 19 century Russian literature. There is a level of detail...