[THE TEMPLAR ORDER]

by **Lazarus Carter** Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:28 am

T E M P L A R S

OVERVIEW
The Templar Order's overarching goal is three-pronged.

1) Keep the existence of Inferis and demon life nothing more than a popular myth.
2) Do everything that is possible to destroy all demon life possible.
3) Investigate and study Inferis looking for ways to either close it off permanently or destroy it.

Founded as a religious order - originally an offshoot from a wizened, sterile Demon Hunter - around 61 A.D., the Templar Order has always had the primary aim of quelling and containing the demon threat either through research or just pure destruction. Whereas Demon Hunters are loose cannons who operate in small cells freelance or completely alone with no morals, rules, or codes, Templars are far more rigid, and accomplish their tasks through diplomacy, precision, espionage, and technology.

Archetypically the Templar Order does have a primary basis of Catholicism, but this is no longer a requirement as it was up until a century or so ago. They have manipulated in a puppetmaster-esque way the world's diplomatic affairs through a team of high-profile and highly important individuals whom have over the years included Popes, Roman Emperors, conquerors, Pharaohs, queens, kings, princes, princesses, colonists, inquisitors, and even several Presidents of the United States, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman and the current President himself, E.E. Thomas.

The Templar Order is similar to an illuminati-esque organisation in that it attempts to cover up its existence. This is covered by two things: plausible deniability, and money. With enough money and enough business-oriented fronts, the Templar Order's existence can be squandered to either negligible or some ritualistic moral group similar to the Freemasons. In truth they are much bigger: and as many conspiracy theorists have feared, not only do they serve as our last and only line of defense against a supernatural threat we don't understand, they essentially control or influence, from behind the scenes, a majority of power structures in the modern world.

It should be noted that Templars will attempt to kill visible Ritualists and Demons on sight, but will only try to kill Demon Hunters in defense, normally simply trying to apprehend known Hunters - but most manifested Hunters manage to keep their heritage and genealogy somewhat quiet.

Headed by the Seven Paladins - within which lies one Grandmaster - ever since the First Paladin begun the power structure, the Templars have a startlingly basic power structure - mainly, at least. Underneath these ruling seven, the Templars are then on split into four divisions: the Knight-Templars, the Crusaders, Blackhaven, and the non-militant wing.

The Knight-Templar wing is headed off by the Knight-Commandant. The Knight-Templars are a group of offensive units whose primary function is as an elite special operations unit, usually dispatched in small cells into Inferis proper with high-tech crossing gear, in small and elite cabals of anywhere from one to four. They are sent on scouting or assassination missions, usually to pursue specific Demons, or sometimes, in the real world to pursue and attempt to apprehend Hunters.

The Crusader wing is headed off by the Crusader-General. The Crusaders are a group of dual-functioning units who serve as a supernatural defence force. They possess, in parallel to the usually militant Knight-Templars, aggressive religious knowledge, and though they fight in similar manners, they're sent in when a modicum of civility and intelligence is required for investigation. One part scout, one part religious aggressor, and one part defender: the Crusaders may not appear different to the Knight-Templars on the surface, but underneath they very much are. Crusaders and Knight-Templars are both sent into Inferis about the same amount.

The Blackhaven wing is headed off by the Operator-General. Blackhaven is a group of black operations sleeper cells sent into function with either Demon or Ritualist cabals, or often as political liaisons or authorities within the real world. Their jobs primarily focus on stealth, deception, and espionage, but they don't often see much combat.

The non-militant wing is comprised of three main departments: Research and Development serves as an impromptu arms and tech development squadron, the Medical Team's purpose is fairly obvious, and their use is diverse and often quite sparing, and the Science Team investigates the nature of samples brought back from Inferis and the physics problems that an alternate dimension poses. The Knight-Templars, Crusaders, and Blackhaven often joke that the non-militant wing is comprised mainly of "people who just sit around thinking really hard".

HIERARCHY
Grandmaster: Amadeus Edge (Hunter)
Seven Paladins: President E. E. Thomas (Izzy), Tatyana Vladimirovna (Vi), Lars von Sanders (Niko), Murazar Dauthi (Mura), Seishin Akanami (Shinku), and IC TBD

Knight-Commandant: Darius Magnus (Dai)
Knight-Templars: Reverend Smith (Jay), Laurelei Weiss (Tay), Jacob Maccabee (Kerian), Damon Ruger (Ross), Marcus Powell (Kain), Matthias Hildebrand (Marcus), Devotion (Devo)

Crusader-General: Xavier Fawkes (NPC/Role can be taken/replaced)
Crusaders: Vanessa Helsing (Kume), Sister Vetrov (Dread)

Operator-Generals: Mr. White (Bronze)
Blackhaven Agents: Gabriel Alencar (Kenny), Hilen Madera (Yollm), Daciana (Ammy)

Research and Development: Johannes Schlosser (Aldrich)
Science Team: Merlin Pryce (Andrea)
Medical Team: Empty

EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING
Templars have the highest and greatest prototype tech available to them regardless of division. Templar medical and science tech is state-of-the-art prototype, and sometimes considered to often be ten or twenty years ahead current mainstream technology. All Knight-Templars and Crusaders are ex-special forces or ex-intelligence, meaning that their martial combat skills are often formidable, and they tend to have had years of intensive field experience. Templars can get ahold of any weaponry they like, and any modifications they choose provided it's a scientifically viable alternative - and every Templar is - infamously - put through a process upon joining where they go to their assigned base's armoury (notoriously known as training day) and allowed to choose any weapons, any mods, and just about anything they can think of to have in their arsenal. And the company covers all the expenses.

Templar field agents are also fitted with tech that allows them to cross the barrier when in the radius of a tear and their Augments, both of which can be read about in the appropriate information thread. Finally, they get excellent dental coverage. You never see a Templar with bad teeth.

ADDED NOTES
All Templars MUST be highly qualified and experienced in their fields - accommodate for this in your app. Even the medical/research teams. That said, whilst the Templar team is a multinational one, even accounting for natural prowess, a large proportion of Templars are from first-world/developed countries.