Chapter 1: To the Archbishop

In the very first hours of a cool spring morning of the AD 1543 friar Bernardo, accompanied by his faithful henchmen Etzel and Hugo, riding slowly but surely, is reaching the episcopal palace of Werdensburg, where the undisputed lord of both the spiritual and above all temporal goods of his a vast bishopric, Archbishop Gunter, is waiting for him.

Etzel and Hugo are two ex-soldiers of fortune now in the pay of Brother Bernardo and his “Congregation” where they do a little bit of everything, from the bodyguard, to the jailers and controllers of the females of the “congregation”, but also, if necessary torturers and torturer helpers.

Of robust build, like all the other attendants in the “congregation”, having seen any atrocity on the battlefields, they are rude, cruel, ruthless men.

You can already see it in the grim faces often marked by scars and marks, memories of the various battles.

They are well paid, eat well, have the opportunity to take what they want when they want from the “sex” point of view, therefore they know very well that it is better for them to be severe and insensitive without ever being pitied, even when it comes to tormenting a victim in the most extremes.

Upon reaching the door of the bishop’s palace, Etzel and Hugo stop outside while waiting, while Friar Bernardo is introduced and accompanied through various corridors, stairs to climb, various rooms up to the hall where his eminence Gunter was waiting for him for a private interview.

Left alone, after greeting each other with the usual pleasantries, they immediately move on to the main topic.

“So, Brother Bernardo, what do you have to say?”

“His Eminence, I wanted to inform you that my brother collaborators sent to the streets and the countries of your territory in search of evil and sin and to bring to light the works of the Devil, identified and interrogated 7 female perhaps witches, healers, even wives reported of misdeeds and infidelities from husbands themselves.

The 7 females continued to proclaim themselves innocent even after our standard coercive procedure, that is, the prolonged interrogations followed by the planned “strappado” sessions.

Threatened to be transferred to the “secular arm” dungeons and torture chambers, they finally accepted the alternative of being aggregated to the “Congregation of Penance” and to demonstrate their innocence in the next 5 years of submission.”

Friar Bernardo continues:

“So in the planned general assembly to be held here in two weeks, in your presence, in the presence of guards and orderlies and the scribes who will have to register the acts, at least 7 “novices “ will be brought here.