Late 15th century.
The end of the Middle Ages, when castles, princes, princesses, knights and bards still existed, was also an era when commerce, alchemy and navigation began a new chapter.
The burghers' guilds had used money to undermine the prerogatives of the lords.
The non-eldest sons of nobles walked successively on the hard road of making a living.
The knight's reputation and treatment began to wither.
The church remained aloof and its judgments against heretics became increasingly severe.
Mill owners and wealthy merchants were busy raising their status through marriage; nobles were using marriage to seize land and money.
"The Witch's Hammer" was published in 1486. In the past ten years or so, women who were literate and mastered traditional herbal treatments and alchemy had not yet been persecuted on a large scale. However, getting married or entering a monastery are still their only two options...