Social System IV: Religion

On one level religion is about beliefs, ideas and truths, but that's not what really makes it so potent in the 15th Century. What makes it potent is not the power of it's ideas to sway people or the fervor of it's adherents, these are not a given or inherent characteristic of Christianity, it is the way in which religious things that people do are a embedded into every part of life.

Obviously God created the world, set the laws of nature and of men, sent forth the prophets, then Jesus and finally gave the Church his authority on earth. More than that though, when you are born you are ritually baptised into the church, every meal is probably prayed over, your name will partially incorporate a Saint's. Through your life there will be Saint's and prayers for all activities, most places will have some religious connection, the major festivals will be religious, all in authority will claim that their position is derived from God, every week (or some regular cycle) there will be community church as well as other ritual things that people dos like confession, when you are married it will be religious. Most literary works will have a strong religious and miraculous component, intellectual activity will be couched in religious terms. And then, when you die, there will be a ritual for that to, it goes without saying that all your life you have looked to religion to order your thoughts on what lies beyond the point of death.

What makes religion so potent is that since it is everywhere, pretty much all social activity reproduces (modifying it in the process) and reinforces it's important role in some way. The secret insidious element of it's durability is that even if the actual things done by those in religious power are frequently obviously bad and and the divinely ordained natural order is only leading to a life of suffering, the individual is led by the religious things that they do (and Church teaching) to focus on a settling of accounts in the world beyond and conforming to the divine will in this one. The key agent in ensuring that the religious things that people do produce the "right" type of Christian society is of course the organisation known as the "Church". The first objective of any organisation is to reproduce itself. The Church, controlling as it does most religious ideas and all the important religious things people do, as well as possessing direct targeted punishments like excommunication or charge of heresy, has a formidable (though bounded) ability to shape society. Even your own thoughts and private actions are not beyond it's control, the church has a ritual to deal to those too: you will attend confession where you will (on risk of eternal damnation after all) truthfully confess and subject yourself to punishment, for most, even performing such an act of submission can profoundly shape their actions.

For all that, it is religion or Christianity that holds European culture together. It is the common factor throughout society, it provides a common language, common literature, considerable intellectual contributions and much comfort to people. The ideas found in Christianity motivate people to great selfless acts of kindness and giving, to defend the weaker in society, to care for the sick, to care for those who are neither kin nor friends. The Catholic church itself works to mitigate against the violence underpinning European society by promoting truces amongst Christians as well as peace and law. Most of all, the Church with all it's religious things for people to do and teaching about everything in the world offers the hope of eternal salvation for the people of Europe and simple and clear way to make sense of the world. Despite growing calls for reform both amongst the faithful and amongst bishops (not to mention amongst heretics), the Church remains the only game in town for true redemption. However, the foundations are definitely crumbling.

Here in the 15th Century Sacrum Romanum Imperium, Religion also "works". You may not like the Church, but you do believe that God acts in the world, that Saints provide aid if petitioned and that Churchmen and women have special access to direct theses for your good or ill.

Fraticelli

Description: The Fraticelli, or "Little Brothers" were first formed from the following gained by St Francis of Asissi when he rejected his former life as the heir to a rich Italian family and forsake all wealth to live simply in the countryside and build a church. Despite their ideas being similar to the rejectionist beliefs of other sects that were deemed heretical (as an obvious challenge to the social order), the Franciscans were approved by the Pope, Innocent III. This was due to the obvious piety of the Fraticelli and more importantly, their disarmingly complete and humble obedience to both the local Archbishop and the Pope. Caesarius of Speyer was the first German Provincial of the order and worked hard to gain the Fraticelli lands near the headwaters of the Rhine and Danube to the west of Bavaria. The harsh demands of the stress St Francis placed on the particular vow of absolute poverty and the demand to adopt a humble station in the world has led to ongoing splits, sects and conflicts within the brotherhood reflecting the tensions between acting as a religious order and part of the church hierarchy and and living out St Francis' example.

In Germany, the Brothers have both traditional closed monasteries separate from the world and wandering Friars in distinctive Grey habits. Both branches of the German order are noted for the presence of many particularly zealous adherents. The Grey Friars are often often directly compared to the Dominicans who are like them a new mendicant order noted for their dedication and obedience to the Church. Just as St Francis was famed for his love of gods creation and completely at home in nature, the Grey Friars are wholly at home on the dusty roads between towns and on the forest trails and lonely passes. Their practice of an "authentic" and austere brand of Christianity, along with their zeal, makes them powerful speakers which sometimes garner great followings of their own.

St Claire of Assisi was part of the Franciscans right from their earliest days and there are many Franciscan nuns and hermitess'. The simple life of egalitarian poverty a lesser focus (compared to the Dominicans) on education, though not always strictly observed in the monasteries, does provide many opportunities for of more humble station in the Franciscans.

Skills: Theology, Persuasion, Linguistics or Perception, Fieldcraft, Philtrology.

Secret Masteries

Little Brothers (Fieldcraft (Survival) Mastery) The Friar has so dedicated himself to the simple life in imitation of the early Apostles, that she is able to completely disarm religious or secular authorities with her simplicity and piety gaining +5 on all Persuasion (Influence) rolls when attempting to be allowed, along with their companions, to travel and preach freely.

All creatures great and small (Fieldcraft (Survival) Grand Mastery) Inspired by the legendary closeness of St Francis to even the smallest creatures in Gods creation, the Friar is able to use their powers of persuasion to subdue the angriest beast or insects. If they succeed as a persuasion roll at a hard (15) difficulty, any wild beast or insect (this does not include an infernal beast or one under magical domination), no matter how hungry, will cease all aggression against the Friar and her companions and let them leave freely.

Ensiferi, the Sword Brothers of Livonia

Decription:
The Ensifiri were once an independent order, based on the Crusading Knights Templar, established to pursue the crusades in the north. The old order was founded in the year of our lord 1197 by the first Bishop of Riga, Albert. Though a crusade in the north had initially been pursued with some vigor by good Christians, that commitment waned and it became obvious that an order should be formed to continue the crusade on a permanent basis, as the other knightly orders did in the holy land. The rule and symbols of the order were those of the Knights Templar and their badge was a sword, from which came their name. The bull approving their order (Innocent III in 1202) was notable in that, unlike the other knightly orders, there was no stipulation as to the birth or station of the brother knights and membership was open to all.

This new order pursued their mission only short time, with only two Grand Masters. The first was murdered by his brother knights and the second fell in battle along with many of his fellow crusaders when the order was almost wiped out by the combined pagan forces of Lithuania and the Semigallians in 1236. The surviving knights were incorporated into the Teutonic Order as an autonomous unit, retaining all their lands, symbols and the right to govern themselves under the nominal authority of the Teutonic Grand Master.

The Ensiferi remain a potent force on the Baltic, having avoided most of the losses suffered by the rest of the Teutonic Knights. They are organised differently to the other crusading orders and do not keep so closely to their vocation as religious, being almost totally military in orientation. Having never fought in the holy land, they also do not share the high esteem in which the Knights of St John, and to a lesser extent the other orders, are held.
Devices and colours: White surcoat with a red cross. They have a red sword as their symbol and bear a red bordered shield with a red cross on a white field as their coat of arms.

Skills: Animal Handling, Melee arts, Maneuver, Military Arts or Theology, +1 LP

Secret Masteries:

Swordbrother (Melee arts (Bladed Weapons) Mastery), the novice Ensifiri is Knighted and the accorded the right to command his own Gleve (Lance) of lesser soldiers. He will be granted a sword of good quality along with armour and horses appropriate to his station. His sure presence will give +1 to defense rolls for his Gleve (any party may act as a Gleve outside of battle) when in formation.

Crusader (Melee arts (Bladed Weapons) Mastery), the Veteran Ensefiri is accorded the rank of Preceptor and command of a chapter. His order will grant him a sword of exceptional quality as badge of his high office. He will also have the right to lodging and aid anywhere in the Ordenstratte.

Miklos the Hungarian

Miklos is the son of the Archbishop of Kalocsa-Bacs. As a man of the church his father was not permitted a legal heir and instead followed the usual practice of providing for a worthwhile position for his son when he came of age. Hungary was and is less well cultivated than more western parts of Europe and Miklos was accustomed to ride, fight and hunt in the wild hinterlands as soon as he could sit straight in the saddle. His father and his entourage would fare widely afield with other nobles in order to bring down dangerous game, boars were much prized, for sport.

One such night a foolhardy Miklos strayed too far from the campfire whilst his elders drank and was confronted by a great black wolf while armed only with his hunting knife. The young Miklos was brave as well as foolhardy an managed to face down the wolf, stabbing it in the chest as it attacked. Though grievously wounded, the wolf bore down the young man and he would have been killed had not some of his father's servants come to investigate the commotion.

This event was to seal his reputation amongst his peers and be a source of enduring pride for his father. Denied a noble birthright and obviously unsuited to a cloistered life in a rich monastery, Miklos' father turned to a cunning guild master who organised the construction of many projects for the Royal house. The involvement of the House of Luxemburg in the affairs of Hungary had seen much new wealth and expansion and it was the Archbishop's hope that his son would live prosperously and earn royal favor and patronage through building on behalf of the Crown.

It was not to be, Miklos succumbed to consumption in his teens and was bedridden for many months, with recurring bouts leading to frequent setbacks in hi apprenticeship. Frustrated, young Miklos pleaded to his father the Archbishop to be allowed to take up the crosses of a crusading Knight and mindful of his sons' bravery, the Archbishiop assented. So is was that Miklos was gifted his father's ring, a priceless heirloom of their family and sent forth to join the Teutonic Knights as a novice. Though his illegitimate birth denied him any hope of high office according to the Order's strict rule, Miklos found his place in the cavalry much to his taste and trained hard, quickly earning the accolades of his superior knights.

On one of his journey's home to visit his father, Miklos was approached by the soft spoken Mathias, a prominent Dominican and fast friend of his father. Mathias begged a favour, the matter was urgent, though he would not say why. All he desired was for young Miklos to accept an offer of work as a guard from Stefano de Medici, should it be offered. Beyond that there was no explanation, not even an indication that Stefano had made contact with Mathias. Mathias was not the type to speak lightly of any matter so Miklos agreed to his request. When Stefano's servant came with the offer, the man was surprised to find the young Teutonic knight already prepared to leave for Stefano's house.

Dominicanus

Black Friars (Dominicans)

The order of Friar Preachers was founded by St Dominic in the 13th Century as a new kind of religious order, not bound to secluded monasteries but traveling and living amongst the people and surviving by their donations or though earning their keep as teachers. In keeping with a famous rebuke made by St Dominic to Papal Legates, Dominicans will never ride, reject all finery and try to project an example of Christian simplicity. Instead of the stable life of the cloister, brethren would be found making their way across the country lanes of Europe, singing psalms to keep up their spirits, in danger of attack by thieves or heretics, on their way to the frontiers of Christendom and beyond. Additionally, as their reputation as teachers and theologians grew, they came increasingly to be found in the new towns of Europe and in the disputations of their universities. Because of their traditions of scholarship and the contributions of members of their order, most notably St Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus, to spreading new forms of experimental science and Aristotelian thought, they were often at the centre of the great debates of their time. While St Thomas introduced a new Aristotelian form of theological thought that came to supplant the previous Augustinian Orthodoxy, a seismic shift in Christian theology, the famed but more arcane writings of Albertus Magnus, the teacher of the "Angelic Doctor", delved into the mysteries of experimental science, Astrology and even Alchemy.

However, the order had originally been conceived as having a mission to persuade heretics to recant for their errors and rejoin the church. St Dominic may have held to the belief that this could be accomplished gently, though he did burn many heretical books, but many of the leaders in the order did not share these scruples and the great Cathar heresy of the Albigensians ended violently through a Crusade by the French King. With their commitment to Church teachings and formidable intellectual abilities, the Black Friars are often known by another name, "Domini Canis" (Hounds of God) as they pursue heretics and carry out the works of the inquisition or hold other senior Church offices carrying out Papal policy or enforcing religious truces. Despite becoming important to enforcing church orthodoxy, the majority of black friars still pursue either the mendicant or teaching lives and others make different contributions to Christianity, several renowned German mystics of the last Century were Dominican, notably Meister Eckhart and St Catherine of Sienna.

Friar Mendicant

Description:

The common face of the Dominicans to the world is the Friar. He or she (there is a secondary order of Nuns) may either be found journeying though the countryside spreading teaching and spreading the faith, on official church business or teaching at a major school or university. They are famed for their learning, simplicity and powers of argument.

Skills: Theology, Persuasion, Linguistics, Athletics, Perception or Lore or Science.

Secret Masteries:

Veritas (Theology (Philosophy) Mastery) The schooling the Friar has received, combined with their keen intellect and spiritual development allows them to easily discern the untruths and deceptions in even the subtlest arguments or apprehend when the natural laws are being violated by arcane workings +1 PDL to Theology tests to resist the lies of heretics or pagans or to resist their magic (when the variants allow a Dominion (resistance) roll.

Dsiputatio (Theology (Philosophy) Grand Mastery) Black Friars have an important role in promoting orthodoxy and exposing error. The long experience of the Friar fulfilling this charge in a range of settings hones him or her to to a formidable debater. They gain +2 PDL to Persuasion (Influence roles) in any formal debate over doctrine or theology.

Hans Vohrberg

Hans speaks little of his past. Piecing together what scraps of information that do exist, it seems he was born to the life of a serf on the lands of a new-made nobleman in the Ordenstratte. Given odd comments about the preparations of each nights meal, he most likely worked the kitchens when grown enough to make himself useful. The most remarkable event of his brief time in this low condition seems to have been his discovery of some secret artifice and his parleying of that information in exchange for his freedom from servitude. Hans then joined the Order of St Lazarus as a Man-at-arms, fighting as one of the formidable Christian heavy infantry tasked to anchor the line while the noble-born knights maneuvered to win battles through the shock of their mounted charge.

He was never troubled by the brothers' role as carers and companions to the misseli and indeed accounted himself most fortunate that the Order's great skill at medicine protected them from the great disaster of the black plague at the end of the 14th Century. Often the brothers would go out to rescue those who could be saved from the deadly plague and as a Man at arms, it was often his place to go those places the nobleborn knights dared not tread. Their timidity was their great loss as Hans one day discovered a potent relic in the ashes of a wealthy plague victim's home. He did not share this bounty with his brother's reasoning God had sent it to him in recompense for his humble station.

Hans at came to be "separated" from the fellowship of his brother knights at some point before Yuletide 1419 and took up residence with Gunther Schwarze in the heights of the Bayerischer Wald on the Czech border. Gunther had garnered a reasonable fortune and secured the title of Imperial Knight along with a comfortable manor. It's not entirely clear how Gunther came to shelter Hans. Hans as a rule says nothing about his past and the subject never came up while Gunther was around to be asked.

Teutonic Knights

Description:
The Teutonic knights are a German military order modeled on the Order of St John. They have a similar rule and structure and follow those practices regarding the required lineage of knights and high officers. The Teutonic Knights played an important part in the holy land, controlling the major port of Acre and had holdings from the low countries to the Balkans. After the crusaders were pushed from the holy land, the Teutonic knights next aided the Kingdom of Hungary against the Pagan Cumans on the borders of Transylvania but were expelled by force by the king after attempting to place themselves and their possessions under solely papal authority. They next undertook a crusade against the Pagan Prussian tribes and it was this that created their current power base on the Baltic. In addition to the manors and commanderies of Knights, the order maintains hospitals and almshouses in order to carry out their duty of Christian charity.

The knights are efficient fighters and excellent tacticians and have bested forces many times their numbers and now control vast lands, with the wealth and levies to maintain formidable military forces. However, the Christianisation of pagan Lithuania and the ascension of Lithuania's Grand Duke to the throne of Poland put the order in a vulnerable position and they suffered a crushing defeat at Tannenburg in 1410. Though the Emperor-elect wished to support the order, he was prevented by the Electors of the Empire who are jealous of the Order's power

The Order has lost a large number of it's Knights at Tannenburg, but the subsequent peace at Thorn is the more ruinous. The indemnities that must be paid to Poland and Lithuania mean that the Order's lands must be taxed hard, increasing resentment amongst their subjects and drawing much attention away from the crucial task of rebuilding the Order's power. Mercenaries now form an important part of the Teutonic Knight's forces and local nobles now enjoy important roles in these forces as semi-lay brothers in the order.

Devices and colours: White surcoat with a Black Cross. Brothers are forbidden to incorporate this into personal coats of arms.

Skills: Military Arts, Melee Arms, Maneuvering, Animal Handling, Theology.

Secret Masteries:

Warrior Monks (Theology (Meditation) Mastery) Through devotion to their holy cause and observance of the vows of their order, including regular prayer and meditation, the Knight gains the ability to use their Theology (Meditation) Skill to resist arcane, pagan and satanic influences. They also gain knowledge of St Mary.

Holy Knighthood (Military arts (Command) Mastery), the novice is Knighted (if of sufficient station or deed) and the accorded the right to command his own Gleve (Lance) of lesser soldiers. If he is unable to attain the rank of knight he will be styled "Sergeant" and hold the same position of command. He will be granted a sword of good quality along with armour and horses appropriate to his station. His sure presence will give +1 to defense rolls for his Gleve (any party may act as a Gleve outside of battle) when in formation.

Bulkwark (Military arts (Command) Grand mastery) The Knight attains one of the Order's high offices: OrdenMarschall (Order Marshal), Gross Hospittler (Hospitaller), GrossTressler (Grand Treasurer), OberstTrappier (Quartermaster), or Landmeister (provincial Master) and in addition to having a Commanderie of Knights (not to mention the associated Gleves) under his direct authority, he also may requisition resources and other Gleves anywhere in the Order's possessions.

Knights of St Lazarus of Jerusalem

Description:

These are an order of Hospitaller monks, like those of St John. However, unlike the Knights of St John, the care they provide is not the transitory succor of pilgrims but the long term housing and care of those holy unfortunates, miselli, afflicted with leprosy. Their oganisation differs markedly, being a loose order of fairly autonomous houses, the majority of members being the leper patients themselves, who are required to bring their wealth into the order when they join. They are full brothers and often rise to the rank of prior or preceptor (the order maintained no overall command like the other orders). Despite their focus on the care of lepers, they are a military order, having prominently featured in many of the major battles in the holy land. They still maintain their military character in the numerous houses that remain in Europe and their role in society (Popes have ordained that lepers be consigned only to their houses) and requirements for entrants have ensured they are a wealthy order.

Devices and colours: The symbol of their order is the eight pointed green cross of St Lazarus.

Skills: Animal handling, Melee arms, Maneuvering, Medicine, Theology.

Secret Masteries

Holy Knighthood (Melee arts (Bladed weapons) Mastery), the novice Hospitaller is Knighted (if of sufficient station or deed) and the accorded the right to command his own Gleve (Lance) of lesser soldiers. If he is unable to attain the rank of knight he will be styled "Sergeant" and hold the same position of command. He will be granted a sword of good quality along with armour and horses appropriate to his station. His sure presence will give +1 to defense rolls for his Gleve (any party may act as a Gleve outside of battle) when in formation.

Hospitaller (Medicine (Healing) Mastery) Through the ongoing care of the miselli and devotion to the healing arts practiced by the order, the monk gains Philtrology and Dominion at lvl 1, as well as one variant from the curatives formulae of Philtrology, they are restricted to these formulae alone.

Holy works (Medicine (Healing) Grand Mastery) The Hospitaller attains the rank of Preceptor and oversees one of the rich independent houses of the order. Due to his station, he will be welcome in any religious house in Christendom and has the finances of his house at his disposal. More significantly, their long years of faithful care of societies holy unfortunates has given rendered them immune to all disease.

Knights of St John Hospitallar

Description:

The beginnings of the Order of the Knights of St John are to be found in the year of our lord 1048 when Merchants from the ancient Marine Republic of Amalfi obtained from the Caliph of Egypt permission to build a church, convent and hospital in Jerusalem. The knights arose from those who prayed, gave care and defended these places. In the course of the crusades, then the defense of Cyprus and finally Rhodes, the Order to took up arms to defend the sick, pilgrims and the crusader territories and then came to maintain a significant naval force to protect the Christian world.

At this time, the Moslem threat looms large to the East of Christendom and the Hospitallers fight in her defense to protect the faithful as they always have. Along with the central base at Rhodes the order maintains its regional organisation of "Tongues" and in German speaking lands they have Priories of Bohemia, Upper and Lower Germany, Dacia, Sweden, Poland, and Hungary. Since the heretic followers of Jan Hus have taken up arms all across Bohemia, led by that damnable blind devil Zizvka, the Grand Priory there has become beleaguered of late. However, the Auberge remains secure in the main lands of the Empire and even now the Emperor-elect is leading a Crusade to crush these Hussites.

Devices and colours: Their Symbol is the eight pointed black cross which they display as their badge on a white field. In battle they are arrayed in a red surcoat with a white cross. Brothers are forbidden to incorporate these into a personal coat of arms.

Skills: Military Arts, Melee Arms, Maneuvering, Animal Handling or Medicine or Nautical arts, Theology.

Secret Masteries

Warrior Monks (Theology (Meditation) Mastery) Through devotion to their holy cause and observance of the vows of their order, including regular prayer and meditation, the Hospitaller gains the ability to use their Theology (meditation) skill to pray over a companion (or for themselves) healing 2LP PDL, staunching their wounds and draining all QP. They also gain knowledge of John the Baptist.

Holy Knighthood (Military arts (Command) Mastery), the novice Hospitaller is Knighted (if of sufficient station or deed) and the accorded the right to command his own Gleve (Lance) of lesser soldiers. If he is unable to attain the rank of knight he will be styled "Sergeant" and hold the same position of command. He will be granted a sword of good quality along with armour and horses appropriate to his station. His sure presence will give +1 to defense rolls for his Gleve (any party may act as a Gleve outside of battle) when in formation.

Defenders of Christendom (Military arts (Command) Grand Mastery) The Hospitaller has advanced to a senior role in his order and if worthy by lineage according to the rule of the order, he will be either a Prior or Grand Prior. For hundreds of years, in the holy land and beyond, The Hospitaller have given their whole lives to the defense and succor of the faithful. They are regarded as loyal sons of the church and are held in high esteem in every court in Christendom. A Knight Hospitaller will be given access to any lord, no matter how high, they may simply demand instant access to lords and officials of non-royal rank. No one may inhibit the passage of such a senior Knight and their word is sufficient to act as bond for prisoners before the courts. Rights of hospitality will be everywhere extended to them without question and the common folk hold crusaders in awe still after all these years.

Religious Knights

All knights in the religious orders are monks as well as warriors. All land is held in common in accordance with a vow of Poverty and every manor and Abbey gives directly to the central treasury of the brotherhood. In addition to the overriding mission to give both defense and succor to Christians, they must also meet obligations as monks, laid out in the rule of the great St Augustine. All members of the order, whether they fight, care for souls of others or maintain our holdings, must also read the offices (or pray the proscribed amount of Paters if they are not lettered) at the ordained hours every day unless prevented by great need. Dress, food and days of feast and abstinence are all laid down in the rule of the order and this rule must be conformed to as the central part of the discipline of religious life. As confirmed by his holiness the Pope, the orders are independent of all authority, both religious and secular, except that of the Pope himself.

The orders maintain four ranks, two of combatants: “Men at Arms” and “Knights”; and two non-combatant: “Chaplains” and “Casaliers”. It is laid out in the rule of each order that only those of suitable station can be admitted to the rank of knights, in accordance with the natural order here on earth and only those of better lineage may aspire to hold high offices. Accordingly, those who join the combatants of each order will join either the Knights or Men at Arms according to their birth. They will receive similar training and will differ only in their outfit and position in the hierarchy of command. Those of sufficient lineage and exceptional deed may be Knighted by the order but will remain ineligible for senior offices.