Templar Order
The Templar Order is an order of martially-trained ascetics and monks affiliated with the Church of Light. Their primary sworn duty is to protect the innocent, downtrodden, and oppressed from those who would harm them, though they are often also employed to combat sorcerers and nethrim, particularly in the Lost Lands where such dangers run rampant. Their order is known for its members being able to wield a degree of thaumaturgy despite not leading lifestyles of strict pacifism like those of the Monastic Order.
Once an order of titled Knights in the Kingdom of Ivial, the King recently attempted to disband the Templar for committing treason amid allegations of their conspiring with the King's enemies who sought to take the throne for themselves. The accuracy of this accusation is often debated in hushed tones behind closed doors in Ivial, but the disbandment was officially decreed and many of the Templar were captured and imprisoned for their alleged crimes. However, there were others who escaped capture and went into hiding, and some groups far afield (including a handful in the Lost lands) who were beyond the reach of Viali law. After years of their own trials being hunted by the Mistveil Dominion and going into hiding themselves, some Templar of the Lost Lands have recently re-emerged. They have cast off the title of Knight to sever any connections (and accountability) to the Viali throne and now call themselves the Templar Order rather than Knights Templar. Despite their numbers being extremely few, these Templar strive to combat the rapidly-rising ranks of uncontrolled nethrim and to protect the survivors of the Great Plague from the many other threats rising amidst the ruins of the Kingdom of Aetgard.
History
The Templar were formed during the rebellion of Rhun in Ivial - several rebels had discovered a group of heavily wounded soldiers taking sanctuary in a temple and were preparing to enter and slay them - their blood would be used to empower sorcerous rites and secure the temple as a rebel stronghold. Several monks stood in the doorway, refusing to allow the rebels to harm the wounded within, and were slain.
Seeing her companions die to protect those in their care, the monk Nicola was filled with wrath at the injustice and helplessness of the situation. Chanting a rebuke against the attackers, she took up a sword from one of the wounded soldiers within the temple and stood against the attackers. Inspired by her chant and actions, the remaining three monks took up weapons themselves and joined Nicola in fighting and preventing the rebels from entering the temple.
Having spilled blood and felt it on their own hands, the four monks were distraught, but stalwartly defended the temple until the fighting in the area ceased. When they then turned their attention to healing the wounded, they found their inner light wavering and feeble, incapable of treating any but the shallowest wounds.
For many weeks Nicola and the other guardians of the temple prayed and meditated on what they had done. They were all conflicted - having seen their fellow monks be so easily and carelessly cut down, they desired to be able to fight in the defense of those they cared for. They decided to style themselves the Guardians of the Temple (later Knights Templar, once the King acknowledged and honored their actions and bestowed upon them all the title of Knight) and swore to find a balance that would allow both compassion and the ability to fight to protect those in physical peril. Their initial self-assigned mission was to protect travelers and refugees along the roads during the time of rebellion and chaos.
Though it took many years, a balance and discipline was finally discovered, and the Inner Light of the four Knights Templar once again shone brightly, though in a slightly different way - while they knew that it was good to dedicate one's life to taking care of those who had been hurt or otherwise afflicted in some way, the dangerous times also called on those who would fight to prevent such things from happening, in the defense of the innocent, the weak, and the oppressed.
OOC Notes
Much about the Templar organization and its members is at this point deliberately hazy and uncertain. Players should please refrain from including Templar interactions or acquaintances in character backstories or anything else that would amount to assuming detailed knowledge of their order or the workings of its members.
