Database: The Order of the Ancients

The Order of the Ancients was a precursor group to the modern Templar Order, with whom they shared many general beliefs: namely, that humans are inherently predisposed to chaos and violence, and that order and peace must be imposed on society by the strongest and wisest members of the society.
Just what constituted these "strongest and wisest" is where the two groups diverged. Since its founding by the Egyptian pharaoh Smenkhkare in 1334 BCE, the Order of the Ancients preached a doctrine that celebrated humanity's creators, the Isu, as an inherently superior race. According to the Order's central tenets, mankind could only achieve its full potential by emulating our progenitors and adopting their culture, ideals, and technology.
Isu worship was fundamental to the Order's existence. Humans who took an anthropocentric view of reality, or those who preached the equivalence of the Isu and human culture, were seen as decadent and heretical. The Order's ultimate goal was to recreate Isu societies on earth and, if possible, resurrect the Isu by whatever means necessary.
By the 9th century CE, with the rise of Christianity and Islam, the Order's influence began to wane. Yet they were able to establish a final stronghold in northwestern Europe, organized as a compartmentalized constellation of members, each one adopting a codename to maintain the highest level of secrecy.
The Order organized itself in a hierarchy of five ranks: Zealots were the Order's enforcers. Priests and seers occupied the Preost rank. Judges, merchants, and soldiers were Palatinii (sic). The Maegesters occupied the top rank of each sect, while the Grand Maegester reigned supreme.
Category:Database: Factions
Category:Animus HR-8.5 database entries