The Knights Templar

== Info ==
The Knights Templar are a secretive and pious society that quietly rules the banks of the Caribbean...
== The New Order ==
After the disbanding of the Old Order in 1312 by Pope Clement the V only a few Templars remained. The order stayed in a dormant state until the year 1722 when Templar Headmaster Fredrick Montstead took a group of Knights on an expedition in the Caribbean to search for an island at which to revive the order. They landed on an island in the Greater Antillies area and named it New Jerusalem. Exerpt from Sir Montstead's log of the day the island was discovered: October 26 in the year of Our Lord 1722: We have finally landed at a suitable island for the reconstruction of our great Order... The island is a blessing from God as there are many fruitful plants and a small oasis at the center of it... We have decided to name it New Jerusalem after the holy city we most hard fought to protect during the crusades... I thank the Lord that we have arrived before the feast of All Saints as it would be a fright near hellfire to have to prepare another accursed hardtack feast upon the galleons... The island soon flourished and the order became larger and larger as Templar agents would go to the surrounding islands and search for recruits...
== The Golden Age ==
After only 4 years New Jerusalem was full to bursting and could not contain any more populous. Montstead then ordered groups of Knights to every major port including Tortuga, Port Royal, Havana and many others. The Knights soon found out that the pirates were the ones least opposed to them so they moved their main operation to Tortuga and transformed New Jerusalem into a massive fortress with the city at it's heart. For another 2 years the Knights prospered without any resistence. But all that changed after the Inquistion caught sight of them...
== The Inquisition's Inquiry ==
It all started when an Inquisition "missionary" was rooting out heretics but instead found a Templar agent. The agent's name was Phillip Saxony, he was a younger and more cocky Knight and proudly told the Inquisitor of his allegiance to the Knights. He also told them about New Jerusalem and it's location. The Inquisitor then stabbed Saxony through the throat with his short sword and took the information to the High Inquistitor in Santiago. The High Inquisitor then ordered the bulk of the Inquistion fleet assemebled and to go to New Jerusalem and destroy it as soon as possible...
== The Guns of New Jerusalem ==
The one major flaw in the High Inquisitor's plan was that he had no idea what the Templar fleet strength was and what New Jerusalem's defenses were including the massive 92 lb great gun that faced the harbor nicknamed the "Trumpet of Jerico" as it could knock an entire wall down with only one shot. The Templar fleet under the command of Admiral Jamison Whitlock received word that the Inquisition fleet was approaching New Jerusalem and left Tortuga with the fleet to try and intercept the Inquisition. The Templar fleet couldn't arrive at New Jerusalem faster then the Inquisition, but they did send word to the city that a major attack was inbound. All they could hope and pray for was that the walls and gates might hold until they could arrive. On March 14, 1729 Inquisition Admiral Heideman Balboa began the Battle of New Jerusalem. The first shot was from the great "Trumpet of Jerico," it's shot slamming into the bow of an Inquisition galleon tearing the entire bow section and forecastle in half. The ship keeled forward and tipped down to the depths. A mighty cheer ran thoughout the battlements but was soon drowned out by the return of the heavy Inquisition lineships. The battle was on. The blockade lasted 3 days while the Templars kept the guns firing, but knew that if help didn't arrive soon it would be over. On the 3rd day the Templar fleet finally arrived and swept the Inquisition fleet, taking no survivors. The High Inquisitor was furious and embarrassed that his fleet had failed, so he covered up the entire campaign and had all evidence of the Templars destroyed...
== The New Era ==
With the Order safe again they went back to usual business and kept up their work which is being continued up to the present. In 1741 Headmaster Fredrick Montstead died of old age. He was replaced by his nephew the current Headmaster; Dominic Montstead.
Category:Guilds