Father Franz

Louis Lana Schtinghilt (ルイズ・ラーナ・シュティングヒルト), better known as Father Franz, was the abbot of Diendran Abbey in Tereo and secretly a mythologist and collector of pagan tales. His adopted daughter and successor is Elsa Schtingheim.

Life
Franz was a devoutly religious yet progressive man whose service in the Church lasted nearly fifty years, if not longer. He arrived at Tereo to establish a church and to investigate local pagan tales three or four decades before Holo and Lawrence's first journey. Franz's personal connections with the nobility and clergy granted him considerable influence in the region, such that he was able to broker a contract to relieve Tereo of heavy taxes imposed by neighboring Enberch and even elevate the former to be commercial equals with the latter.

Despite his strong rapport with Tereo's predominately pagan villagers, Franz did not attempt to proselytize them and instead devoted himself to his studies. Among his goals was the reconciliation of the region's pagan heritage with Church dogma.

Through his research, Franz began to suspect that the pagan spirits of the region were not only creations of God but that some, especially the legendary Moon-Hunting Bear, may have actually aided the Church's expansion into the area by destroying or expelling many of the resident spirits. He did not share his findings, perhaps due to fear of persecution.

A generation after his arrival at Tereo and over a decade before Holo and Lawrence came looking for his writings, Franz took Elsa under his care and trained her to succeed him. The fact that he could appoint his own successor, a young woman at that, is further credit to his influence. His powerful supporters also ensured his immunity from accusations of heresy despite constant suspicion from the local diocese.

Death
Franz died of natural causes in the summer before Holo and Lawrence began their first journey. His death, coupled with the duo's arrival in Tereo that winter, caused Enberch to attempt to renege on his longstanding contract by falsely blaming the travelers and the village for poisoning the year's wheat harvest.

Legacy
Aided by Holo's powers and Lawrence's business acumen, Franz's successor Elsa has solidified the presence of the Church in Tereo without displacing the village's pagan tradition. His writings also revealed some details about the fate of Yoitsu, Holo's hometown, but provided no more information about its location.

Quotes

 * "My beloved Elsa, you being the first to read this letter is proof of God's protection." (his final letter before death)