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The Templar Order
• Blightlands Templar
• Order of Black Rose
• Order of the Sacred Rose
• Various Others
The Templar Order is an incredibly ancient and once prestigious Order that has existed in one form or another for at least two thousand years.
Though originally founded as a Religious Organization, The Templar have over the years changed, evolved, fractured, and become something entirely different than the original Nine Founders envisioned. The Order itself, if it can even be called that now, is no longer a singular organization.
Once a mighty power spanning the entire breadth of Arethil, the Templar have since fractured into dozens, if not hundreds of individual chapters.
Nearly a thousand years ago the Templar Order began to go through a series of three Schisms. These internal, and external wars, broke the Order into dozens of separate Chapters. Each of these has their own rules, command structure, ideals, and even practices.
Since so long a time has passed many of the Chapters hold entirely different viewpoints and traditions from one another. This can often mean Templar Chapters themselves can be at cross-purposes, and it is not unheard of for some to fight one another at different times.
Nevertheless, within the last year there has been a growing effort by several Chapters to join together and aid in fighting the rising darkness of the world.
Overview
Purpose
The Templar Order was originally founded as a pseudo-religious organization by a group of men and women now simply known as 'The Nine'.
Every Templar Chapter in existence now has a different version of the founding of the Order as well as what the Nine originally intended, however most agree that the general purpose of the Templar was to fight the 'evils' of the world.
Put into more simple terms, the Templar were not founded as an Order against magic, but rather mystical and magical entities that would harm ordinary folk of the world. Undead, Vampires, Werewolves, Necromancers, 'evil' mages, and anything else that was beyond the common soldier to fight. This was why the Templar were founded, to stand against the darkness and be a bulwark for the ordinary man.
Of course, due to the fracturing of the Order into dozens of different Chapters this purpose has been somewhat twisted.
Some Chapters such as the Broken Sword still hold to their original oaths, while others such as the Blightland Templar devote themselves entirely to fighting only one entity of evil. Others still such, particularly those found in the Eastlands, have twisted their purpose into not just fighting evil, but all magic. This has put them at cross purposes to some Templar Chapters who utilize magic themselves.
Due to the large variance in the Chapters that have occurred after the Schism's the purpose of one Templar group might be entirely different than another. This problem has lead many to claim that the Order has been permanently broken.
Every Templar Chapter in existence now has a different version of the founding of the Order as well as what the Nine originally intended, however most agree that the general purpose of the Templar was to fight the 'evils' of the world.
Put into more simple terms, the Templar were not founded as an Order against magic, but rather mystical and magical entities that would harm ordinary folk of the world. Undead, Vampires, Werewolves, Necromancers, 'evil' mages, and anything else that was beyond the common soldier to fight. This was why the Templar were founded, to stand against the darkness and be a bulwark for the ordinary man.
Of course, due to the fracturing of the Order into dozens of different Chapters this purpose has been somewhat twisted.
Some Chapters such as the Broken Sword still hold to their original oaths, while others such as the Blightland Templar devote themselves entirely to fighting only one entity of evil. Others still such, particularly those found in the Eastlands, have twisted their purpose into not just fighting evil, but all magic. This has put them at cross purposes to some Templar Chapters who utilize magic themselves.
Due to the large variance in the Chapters that have occurred after the Schism's the purpose of one Templar group might be entirely different than another. This problem has lead many to claim that the Order has been permanently broken.
Structure
Originally the Templar Order held a structure not too dissimilar from ordinary military ranks.
At the very top of the Order sat the Council of Nine. These were nine men and women who were held in great esteem by nearly every Templar living. Each of the nine was elected by their peers, as well as input from a great conclave of Templar held every ten years.
The head of the Council of Nine was the Grandmaster of the Templar Order, elected from the Nine by the great conclave. The Grandmaster held final decision on military matters, and was widely regarded as the true figure of power within the Order.
From there the structure of the Order was relatively simple. Beneath the Council of Nine sat the Lord Captains, each in charge of either an army of a Fortress Garrison. Below the Lord Captains were Commanders, then Majors, Lieutenants, and Sergeants respectively. There were also specialist ranks such as Master of the Sword, Bow, and Spear.
This structure is still kept to by some Chapters, though much like everything else has been modified and changed in various means.
Some Chapters utilize completely different ranks, though most at least retain some of the titles simply to hearken back to a more golden age.
At the very top of the Order sat the Council of Nine. These were nine men and women who were held in great esteem by nearly every Templar living. Each of the nine was elected by their peers, as well as input from a great conclave of Templar held every ten years.
The head of the Council of Nine was the Grandmaster of the Templar Order, elected from the Nine by the great conclave. The Grandmaster held final decision on military matters, and was widely regarded as the true figure of power within the Order.
From there the structure of the Order was relatively simple. Beneath the Council of Nine sat the Lord Captains, each in charge of either an army of a Fortress Garrison. Below the Lord Captains were Commanders, then Majors, Lieutenants, and Sergeants respectively. There were also specialist ranks such as Master of the Sword, Bow, and Spear.
This structure is still kept to by some Chapters, though much like everything else has been modified and changed in various means.
Some Chapters utilize completely different ranks, though most at least retain some of the titles simply to hearken back to a more golden age.
Known Orders
- The Broken Sword
- Blightlands Templar
- Order of Black Rose: Focus on the undead
- Order of the Sacred Rose
- Order of the White Raven:
Dedicated to fighting the creatures deemed myth and legend; the unusual and unique. The White Ravens also look after the Organisations most cohesive library and records which is open to all Chapters. They are trained from a young age on forgotten lores, races and specialise in ancient arcane magic and spells to combat these forces. They are intolerant of the politics of other Chapters and prefer to be left alone to get on with their job with single minded focus. They do not necessarily have anything against the other Chapters but see themselves as completing the truly deadly and grim work in the world.- Commander: Lexi Quinzell
- Headquarters: Evora
History
The Templar Order has existed in one form or another for at least two thousand years. Much of it's history has been lost, distorted, broken, or outright fabricated.
To tell the History of the Templar is to tell a history that has mostly been lost to time itself. Still, some contemporary Templar Chapters have made an effort to preserve and keep their history as best as possible, and it is through them that most of the information of the Templar can actually be found.
Though most of what is known comes after the three Schisms, there is still some information about the Templar before they broke.
What is known of this time is sparse, and tells of a world where the Templar were as powerful as nations and as beloved as ones neighbors. The Order worked together, under one Leader and one Council. They fought the evils of the world. Mages, Vampires, and creatures of the dark that could only be imagined within the horrors of the human mind.
The Order was strong, and it used it's strength for the good of others.
This was the story told for nearly a thousand years, a Templar Organization that kept the people safe and used it's powers to influence and change nations for the better. Yet everything comes to an end, and as a thousand golden years began to dwindle, things within the Templar began to change.
Over the years the Templar gained more power, and with that power came corruption. Garrisons, Lord Captains, and even members of the Council of Nine began to use their influence for their personal benefit. Always this was checked by the Grandmaster, but eventually even the greatest office of the Templar fell to corruption.
A man whose name is lost, or perhaps erased, claimed the office of Grandmaster. From here he used his power for his own gain, attempting to turn the Templar into a force not against Evil, but his own personal army.
His twisted purpose was brought forth, and half the Council of Nine fell into revolt. This began the first of the three schisms.
Though not much is known about the war itself, the historical record shows that the revolting members of the Council of Nine were ultimately victorious. The fighting itself apparently took a heavy toll on the Templar themselves, and many of the great Fortresses were either brought to ruin or fell to intervening nation states.
The first schism began the 'downsizing' of the Templar, and after this event many nations and great cities within Arethil began to naturally distrust the Order.
Unfortunately this distrust only grew with the Second Schism.
Only a short time after the first schism elements of the victorious Council of Nine began a debate within the Templar themselves. This debate centered not around corruption, but rather the practices and tolerance of mages around the world.
Three of the Nine councilors argued and fought with their brethren about what they saw as the root of evil within the world; magic.
This argument raged on for nearly a decade, and eventually swept through the ranks of the Order itself. The lowest squire held as strong an opinion as the most educated Lord Captain. Eventually this argument broke the Templar, and the second schism erupted.
Much worse than the first, the second schism was not only a war within the Order itself, but a war across all of Arethil. Those Templar against mages enforced their ideal through blood and blade, sweeping across the lands and scouring those mages they could find.
The second Schism lasted for nearly half a century, with individual Templar Garrisons fighting against each other, groups of mages, and city states who sought to protect their magical interests. This conflict was eventually brought to heel by the final Grand Master of the Templar Order, a woman named Valeria Aneth.
Though the histories are unclear of where she came from, Valeria was in her time perhaps the greatest of all Templar. She, it is told, single-handedly managed to gather a force strong enough to quell the revolting Templars. Bringing back reason and diplomacy, Valeria managed to wrangle in garrison after garrison, bringing the Order together once more and forging them together into one whole.
After the reforging of the Order Valeria began to institute dozens of reforms, all aimed at creating a more stable Templar Order. Distrust of the organization had grown around the world, and most of Valeria's reforms aimed at regaining the love of the people.
In order to achieve this Valeria abolished first the Council of Nine, and then her own office. Instead the Templar would be lead by the Lord Commander's working in conjunction with one another, each garrison focusing upon their own zone of command, with Valeria herself taking up position in what was then the new city of Vel Anir.
This worked for a time, allowing no one within the Templar to gain enough power to overwhelm any of the other. This kept the Templar even, and their goal of protecting the people whole.
However, after several hundred years things began to change.
Templar Garrisons around Arethil began to gain more power than others. Either through recruiting methods or more unnatural means, these Garrisons outstripped their smaller brothers, and just as before some fell to corruption.
Called the Templar War by some who remember it, the Third and final Schism was perhaps the worst of all.
Several Garrisons throughout Arethil erupted from their holds not as defenders of the peace, but as armies seeking conquest. Whether for good reasons or bad, these Garrisons assaulted nations, cities, and villages.
Seeing the actions of their brothers the remaining garrisons split off from the Order itself, declaring themselves in exiles, independence, or sovereignty all their own. The third schism saw the birth of the dozens of Chapters that now exist within the world, forged from the blood and betrayal that was the Templar War.
Though the conflict lasted for some time, the assaulting Garrisons were eventually turned back and broken by the various city states they had attacked. In the Allirian Reach the City Guard as well as the Rangers beat back the Templar, in the Falwood the Templar were sundered by the Elves, and in the east the mages of Elbion broke the spine of those Templar who had challenged them there.
The Third Schism was the most permanent, and the splintering of the Order has lasted well into the modern day. Most of the world is still populated by the Individual Templar Chapters, each with their own creeds, ideals, rules, and practices.
Despite this, over the last year several Chapters have begun diplomacy anew. The small group have started to work together in an attempt to forge new bonds and recreate the Templar of old.
To tell the History of the Templar is to tell a history that has mostly been lost to time itself. Still, some contemporary Templar Chapters have made an effort to preserve and keep their history as best as possible, and it is through them that most of the information of the Templar can actually be found.
Though most of what is known comes after the three Schisms, there is still some information about the Templar before they broke.
What is known of this time is sparse, and tells of a world where the Templar were as powerful as nations and as beloved as ones neighbors. The Order worked together, under one Leader and one Council. They fought the evils of the world. Mages, Vampires, and creatures of the dark that could only be imagined within the horrors of the human mind.
The Order was strong, and it used it's strength for the good of others.
This was the story told for nearly a thousand years, a Templar Organization that kept the people safe and used it's powers to influence and change nations for the better. Yet everything comes to an end, and as a thousand golden years began to dwindle, things within the Templar began to change.
Over the years the Templar gained more power, and with that power came corruption. Garrisons, Lord Captains, and even members of the Council of Nine began to use their influence for their personal benefit. Always this was checked by the Grandmaster, but eventually even the greatest office of the Templar fell to corruption.
A man whose name is lost, or perhaps erased, claimed the office of Grandmaster. From here he used his power for his own gain, attempting to turn the Templar into a force not against Evil, but his own personal army.
His twisted purpose was brought forth, and half the Council of Nine fell into revolt. This began the first of the three schisms.
Though not much is known about the war itself, the historical record shows that the revolting members of the Council of Nine were ultimately victorious. The fighting itself apparently took a heavy toll on the Templar themselves, and many of the great Fortresses were either brought to ruin or fell to intervening nation states.
The first schism began the 'downsizing' of the Templar, and after this event many nations and great cities within Arethil began to naturally distrust the Order.
Unfortunately this distrust only grew with the Second Schism.
Only a short time after the first schism elements of the victorious Council of Nine began a debate within the Templar themselves. This debate centered not around corruption, but rather the practices and tolerance of mages around the world.
Three of the Nine councilors argued and fought with their brethren about what they saw as the root of evil within the world; magic.
This argument raged on for nearly a decade, and eventually swept through the ranks of the Order itself. The lowest squire held as strong an opinion as the most educated Lord Captain. Eventually this argument broke the Templar, and the second schism erupted.
Much worse than the first, the second schism was not only a war within the Order itself, but a war across all of Arethil. Those Templar against mages enforced their ideal through blood and blade, sweeping across the lands and scouring those mages they could find.
The second Schism lasted for nearly half a century, with individual Templar Garrisons fighting against each other, groups of mages, and city states who sought to protect their magical interests. This conflict was eventually brought to heel by the final Grand Master of the Templar Order, a woman named Valeria Aneth.
Though the histories are unclear of where she came from, Valeria was in her time perhaps the greatest of all Templar. She, it is told, single-handedly managed to gather a force strong enough to quell the revolting Templars. Bringing back reason and diplomacy, Valeria managed to wrangle in garrison after garrison, bringing the Order together once more and forging them together into one whole.
After the reforging of the Order Valeria began to institute dozens of reforms, all aimed at creating a more stable Templar Order. Distrust of the organization had grown around the world, and most of Valeria's reforms aimed at regaining the love of the people.
In order to achieve this Valeria abolished first the Council of Nine, and then her own office. Instead the Templar would be lead by the Lord Commander's working in conjunction with one another, each garrison focusing upon their own zone of command, with Valeria herself taking up position in what was then the new city of Vel Anir.
This worked for a time, allowing no one within the Templar to gain enough power to overwhelm any of the other. This kept the Templar even, and their goal of protecting the people whole.
However, after several hundred years things began to change.
Templar Garrisons around Arethil began to gain more power than others. Either through recruiting methods or more unnatural means, these Garrisons outstripped their smaller brothers, and just as before some fell to corruption.
Called the Templar War by some who remember it, the Third and final Schism was perhaps the worst of all.
Several Garrisons throughout Arethil erupted from their holds not as defenders of the peace, but as armies seeking conquest. Whether for good reasons or bad, these Garrisons assaulted nations, cities, and villages.
Seeing the actions of their brothers the remaining garrisons split off from the Order itself, declaring themselves in exiles, independence, or sovereignty all their own. The third schism saw the birth of the dozens of Chapters that now exist within the world, forged from the blood and betrayal that was the Templar War.
Though the conflict lasted for some time, the assaulting Garrisons were eventually turned back and broken by the various city states they had attacked. In the Allirian Reach the City Guard as well as the Rangers beat back the Templar, in the Falwood the Templar were sundered by the Elves, and in the east the mages of Elbion broke the spine of those Templar who had challenged them there.
The Third Schism was the most permanent, and the splintering of the Order has lasted well into the modern day. Most of the world is still populated by the Individual Templar Chapters, each with their own creeds, ideals, rules, and practices.
Despite this, over the last year several Chapters have begun diplomacy anew. The small group have started to work together in an attempt to forge new bonds and recreate the Templar of old.
Lore
Coming soon...
References
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/old-stories-new-beginnings-templar.499/
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/something-amiss.263/
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/problems-to-solve.663/
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/those-fallen.313/
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/the-wolf-and-the-bat.439/
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/odd-company.549/
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/rising-evil.554/
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/suadade.413/
- https://chroniclesrp.net/threads/from-templar-to-templar.486/
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