The Templar Order
The Templars are the military arm of the Church of the Seven. They are a group of the devote that serve the Most Holy and the various Bishops of Halruaal and many have spent their entire lives in the church. Over the centuries they have been crafted from various sects of paladins and clerics to the Seven gods of Halruaal. When the faith is threatened, or when outsiders are spotted within the bounds of the Enochian Ward, it is the Templars who are called into service as the first line of defense or attack.
While powerful as a fighting force, the Templars are heavily regulated and their size is limited to a fraction of the Magisterium's standing army. The ruling class of the Magisterium are - some would say rationally - afraid that the Church might try to overthrow them. Most in the church chalk this up to the wizards of Halruaal being paranoid of anyone threatening their rule, but there are some in the Church who suggest this is due in part to the Church's own paranoid. A tight and efficient military arm is more easily directed and contained - especially when they could pose a threat to the Church's hierarch. The way that it's set up now allows for self-correction; should a sect or squad be proven corrupt, the Magisterium or the Church can easily cut off the poison branch to save the tree.
Each Bishop has a host of Templars ranging from a few hundred to a thousand. At a moments notice, these deadly fighters can summon the powers of the gods themselves to turn the tide in a battle. When paired up with the healing might of the various priests, the scope of their versatility can threaten that of the arcane factions.
Structure
The Templar Order is a quasi-militant arm of the Church and retains a rank structure similar to the Magisterium's army. At the bottom are the initiates and squires, rising higher are sergeants, then Lieutenants. Following that are the Captains, then Knights (which are not of the same political rank as the Knights of the Magisterium - for which they often get confused for from Halruaalan peasants). At the top sits the Knight-Commander who answers directly to the Cardinals and the Most Holy of the Church of the Seven.
At any given point there are ten Knights of the Templar Order, they oversee a little over 100 Captains in the entire country. The captains in turn take command of a dozen or so lieutenants each. Lieutenants in turn each direct battalions of sergeants, initiates, and squires. Structure and order are paramount with the Templars and the punishment for insubordination or desertion is severe.
Culture
The culture of the Templar order is what you get when you cross the military with a religious organization. Everyone is a brother or sister in the order of the Gods and each relies on a sense of familial bonds to protect and serve the Church. They rely on each other for support, comfort, and community, almost to the point where they view the common citizen of the Empire as outsiders. Even more so than the military, the Templars are a homogenous group of individuals extremely dedicated to their way of life.
Public Agenda
First and foremost is the understanding that the Templars protect the Church and protect the faith. In situations where planar outsiders or blasphemers are active, the Templars engage in warzone of no mercy. Direct threats to the various churches and Temples are met hard with radiant swords and a bulwark of holy shields. Though outside of combat, the Templars maintain a peaceful position of succor for those in the Church. When not dressed in the armor of the righteous, they are seen wearing priests robes and aiding the priests of the Church of Seven.
Assets
The templars are backed by the power and wealth of the Church of the Seven. While not swimming in gold like most nobles, they are not paupers. The tithes and offers of the faithful give them clothes and food enough to live comfortable lives. Not to mention the talents of various church members equip them with their well kept arms and armor needed for the more physical demands of their stations.
History
The Templar order began half-way through the Age of Enlightenment as the apparent need for protection and bureaucracy came to the leaders of the Church. The Magisterium after all had the army, the Knights Magi, and the Order of the White Oak was becoming increasingly active. Leaders in the Church felt it necessary to ensure their political survival in the scheme of government, so little by little they formed an army from the small retinue of church guards that existed at the time.
The action did not go unnoticed by the Magisterium, who took the opportunity to curtail the political power of the Church and it's templars as best it could. While significantly smaller than the armies developed by the Magisterium, they are in no way, shape, or form, grossly outclassed - a fact that still weighs heavy on the various nobles and wizards of Halruaal.
Comments