Six Archbishoprics exist throughout the Holy Roman Empire and the land of Germany. These include Mainz, Trier, and Cologne (which occupy the highest position at royal court and serve as arch-chancellors of the Empire), as well as Hamburg, Bremen, and Salzburg. Each of these seats presides over several lesser Bishoprics, and attends to the ecclesiastical affairs of its relevant Duchies. Although individual monastic orders do not fall under the authority of the Diocese in which they lie, for clarity they are presented here according to their geographical location.
The Archbishop of Salzburg is the most powerful political figure in all of Austria, controlling the lesser diocese of Gurk, Seckau, Chiemsee, and Lavant. His minsteriales are among the most numerous in the land, and his influence stretches from Bavaria and the Tirol to Hungary. The prince-bishops of Salzburg derive their immense prestige from the vast Salzkammergut (the Estate of the Salt District), which they own. One of the most independent of the German Archbishops, Salzburg is long-known for its fickle diplomacy (in recent years, refusing to either condem Barbarossa in his war with the Lombard League, or lend aid to him in the Third Crusade). Although Rabenstein has not had direct interaction with the Bishop yet, he is a figure to be placated if they aspire to reach a prosperous Summer.
Archbishop Ulrich of Salzburg - Little is known of the current prince-bishop, since Rabenstein has had little contact with his servants, though he did attempt unsuccessfully to ensnare Landskron castle from the Duke of Austria for his own ministeriales when the opportunity arose.
Canon Himmler of Moosham - This servant of the Archbishop administers to the recently completed castle of Moosham in the Lungau Valley (in the western Mür). Mautendorf Castle lies just north of Moosham and is owned by the Archbishop. As soon as the road connecting the town of Radstadt in the Enns Valley to the north is completed (the Radstadter-Tauern Pass), the Archbishop's influence will be considerably more pronounced in the region. Rabenstein met this pleasant old man during their stay at Moosham in 1209. The Canon was impressed with the mystic's sense of piety, and befriended Brother Meshach of Rabenstein.
Seckau was elevated to a diocese at the end of the 12th Century, and presides over the Duchy of Steiermark (which does not have its own Duke, but is rather ruled by the Babenbergs of Austria). It became the liege of Rabenstein in 1206 when the Covenant swore its fealty to the Bishop. The Abbey of Seckau, standing in the green Mur valley between the Hölzlburg and Seckauer Tauern, serves as the seat of the Bishop, although a Cathedral is being constructed in the town of Graz, and the seat will move there upon its completion (sometime after 1220).
Bishop Ebehard of Seckau - A wealthy Bavarian (and the liege of Rabenstein) who spends most of his time away attending to his Italian estates since he is the sole heir to his family's assets (leaving his Canons to administer in his stead). The covenfolk of Rabenstein have yet to have an audience with the Bishop, or even communicate with him.
Canon Ramón of Seckau - Nephew of the Count of Friesach, this Frenchman attends to the Diocese for the Bishop along with Gesebert. A pious, good natured man who can't seem to grasp the notion of wickedness, Ramón has visited the Covenant on several occasions and is effectively the liege of Rabenstein. Certainly the Covenant prefers dealing directly with Ramón than with his more dour counterpart, Gesebert.
Canon Gesebert of Seckau - A heavy-set, stern churchman who administers the diocese and abbey of Seckau in the Bishop's absence along with Ramón. A well-educated man (who attended the University at Paris), he is never at a loss for words, and is known by Rabenstein for both his dislike of the Bogomiles and his ardent capacity to be disagreeable. He is known to quote his teacher (and currently the Abbot of Cirencester), Alexander Neckam far too frequently. In 1208 Gesebert's loud-mouth nearly led to his death at the hands of Imperialists from Graz, but Rabenstein saved his life (leading to a conflict with the castle Ehrenhausen).
Brother Flacius - A Goliardic poet-monk from Seckau who wintered at Rabenstein in 1201 to escape the wrath of Canon Gesebert when his seductive poetry was discovered. He fled to Lombardy that spring and hasn't been seen or heard from since.
Brother Gregory - This humble priest supervises the monthly market at Leoben, collecting some of the wares as a tax to support the Abbey. Uncomfortable with his authoritarian role, and wary of the often brutish-delegation from Rabenstein, he rarely speaks with the covenfolk during their visits to Leoben. He has been more receptive ever since Rabenstein swore fealty to the Bishop however, and sometimes inquires about the scholars that reside there.
Father Maynard - The priest of the ornate Weisskirch at Bruck-an-der-Mür. Rabenstein knows little of this man of God, as their folk finally have the tender guidance of nearby Father Galen in Frohnleiten. His predecessor Father Burchard was much better known to the covenfolk, as he was the nearest churchman to Rabenstein. Burchard was a kindly, elderly priest, but health problems forced him to quarter at Landskron, and despite his warm relations with the Covenant, he isn't likely to survive many more of the cruel winters in Austria.
Acolyte Hans - This very intelligent young monk is currently away in Paris studying, though he formerly administered mass in the village of Bosl (the former name of Frohnleiten) and had many dealings with Rabenstein, having visited the ruined castle since he was a boy of 13. In the past Hans' fascination with learning led him to complicities with the heretical Magi of Rabenstein, and he has learned something of the Order of Hermes and even Hermetic magic theory from its sorcerers.
Father Galen - The new priest of Frohnleiten, who attends to the spiritual needs of the Covenfolk and the peasants of the village. His kind heart and generous manner is slowly winning over the hearts of his kinsmen, but Galen brought an Italian wife with him, and the villagers scorn both her and his decision to take a wife.
Abbot Jurkis - The head of the small Benedictine Goss Monestary (a secluded group of old stone buildings near Landskron castle near the confluence of the Mür and Mürz rivers) . A calm, wheezing, middle-aged man, Jurkis cares little for the folk of the valley, and strives to insulate Goss from the temptations it offers by embracing the life of poverty and meditation many Benedictine monestaries seem to have repudiated in recent years. Some of the brothers of Goss are known to Rabenstein, as a delegation stayed there briefly in 1206 and again in 1208.
Brother Absolam - A servant of Admont Abbey (a most wealthy and influential Benedictine presence in the nearby Enns valley of Austria). He worked closely with members of Rabenstein to investigate demonic influence at Unterzeiring Priory in 1206, and through the experience came to trust Merento as a good Christian and scholar. He still corresponds with the magus (though knows not his true powers).
Abbess Mary Gretchen - This peaceful woman administered the Priory of Unterzeiring (attached to the Abbey of Admont) until her suicide in 1206. Although the new head-abbess is unknown to Rabenstein, several of the sisters undoubtedly remember the presence of the Covenant surrounding the death of both their head Abbess and sister Mary-Sebastian (see the summary of the adventure The Demon of Unterzeiring Priory).
Katalin - A Bogomile heretic from Bulgaria that befriended Merento on his journey to join Rabenstein Covenant in 1198. She subsequently helped to found a village along the Raab river (near Hungary), and occasionally visits the Covenant.
Brother Meshach - An Orthodox monk from Kiev, he accompanied the Magus Cynric Ex Miscellanea and his companions Tatyana Ivanovna and Piotr Vasilevich west from the lands of Rus'. He left Kiev after becoming interested in the practices of the Western Church. In fact, it was his delving into the Old Testament (considered to border on heresy by his superiors) that got him into trouble and encouraged him to make the journey west. He is aware of the strange powers of the Magi but is not frightened by them, believing them to be simply another manifestation of the Grace of God. His relationship with the Magi has been strained of late given their tendency to lie to him about mystical matters.
The Cathedral at Gurk was completed at the end of the 12th Century, and presides over the Duchy of Kärntum (Carinthia). The picturesque Gurk lies 3 miles west of Strassburg (the summer residence of the Bishop) on the southern slope of the Gurktal mountains.
Bishop Eckehard - Succeeded Bishop Roman in 1197 due to the influence of his rich father, Rudolf of Albeck. He agreed to implement many desired reforms among the ministeriales of the Duchy, and though he is well-liked among them, he is regarded as a rather weak political figure. Although Rabenstein has visited his summer residence at Strassburg, they have not yet had an audience with the aging Bishop.
Father Oskar - A denizen of Strassburg, rather tired and dogmatic whose cynicism towards the magi of Rabenstein accentuated his odiferous appearance (particularly his dandruff).
Acolyte Haley - This proud young boy attends to the chapel of Strassburg in the absence of the Bishop's retinue. He was witness to the fall of Castellan Demel in 1206 under the charges of the mystics of Rabenstein, though he displayed little reaction at the time.
Father Guy - The priest of the Neukirche in Eisenstadt. A stern, pragmatical man who possesses a considerable gift for delivering passionate sermons. Folk from Rabenstein witnessed one of these sermons in 1207 but have not spoken with the priest directly.
This page last modified on 11/5/97.
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