The Templar

## Description

You came to us in search of a purpose.

And mark this, there is no purpose greater than ours. The world will founder without structure and discipline. It needs leadership to guide it to a new age of stability. It needs those with the will to stamp out the darkness that breeds in the cracks. We do this because we are compelled, by tradition, by loyalty, by laws. Without these, we are just animals. Evil reigns over animals, corrupting and compromising, toppling empires. So our empire must be incorruptible, must be uncompromising. Our conflict must be a righteous one. Your conviction will be tested. But among us, your faith will be unshaken.

Among the Templars.

—Initiation Video

The Templars are a player and NPC secret society for The Secret World revealed at the end of the Three Are Coming buildup. They are a faction of individuals who see themselves as the first and last line of defense against the evils in The Secret World, and will do whatever it takes to ensure that the world is rid of the evil that plagues it. The old guard; suave and sophisticated, but fiercely brutal and uncompromising in their crusade against darkness. They don't participate in the war on evil. They ARE the war on evil. They're good in the sense that in order to get to that one demon in the middle of the town they're willing to burn the whole thing down, so good is a relative term. They have been fighting evil for thousands of years and they've been doing with extreme prejudice. They are traditionalist, but there are changes with the new blood coming to make sure they are in tune with the times, not all is in control by the "withered old men" anymore. For thousands of years they have been single-minded in their mission to obliterate evil in all its forms. Where angels fear to tread, the Templars kick down doors. As a soldier of the Templars, you will benefit from their military might. They have hoarded vast occult libraries and the hard-won knowledge of battles throughout time. Their traditional magics, the old mysticism of sorcerers and priests, of life and death, are powerful still. And the loyalty between Templars may be old-fashioned, but it is absolute. You will not stand alone.

The Templars are crusaders, and the society operates like a private army. A giant private army. They pretty much have the resources of a small country. They could take Luxembourg in a second; maybe even Belgium; definitely Iceland. And they don't hide it. Take one look at their headquarters: These guys are not subtle. But they've got confidence to spare and the track record to go with it. No one's better at this "war on evil" thing than the Templars. They don't restrict themselves to firearms--anything goes. But players who join the Templars will certainly have access to some pretty cool weapons--shiny, pretty weapons with fancy logos. What's the point in hiding who you are when you rule the world?

The Templars aren't be restricted to any religion or race.

## History

The Templars are the world's least secretive secret society. Proudly tracing their royal lineage back to Babylon, the Templars are the lions of the secret world. When they roar, everyone listens. Old Europe is theirs, and the Templars' marble hall dominates the old London borough of Ealdwic - historic capital of the secret world. It's not just a show of strength. Nothing is just for show with the Templars. According to The Buzzing, the Templars were founded by one of the rulers of the Tower of Babel. The other ruler of the tower was his brother. When they feuded over a woman, the tower ended up being destroyed and they went their own ways. One brother to form the Templars and one brother to form the Phoenicians. When this happened is uncertain, but given the 2nd Age's love of ziggurats (tower of Babel) and the 3rd Age's "seafaring people" - it's possible their origins are during the 2nd Age (Although not confirmed by any means).

The Knights Templar are basically a radical separatist group of The Secret World's Templars, who have been around since the dawn of Ur and Babylon, of the Mesopotamian nations. Conspiracy theorists, obsessed with the minor "Knights Templar" offshoot, underestimate the Templars' true European empire.

## Other Information

* There is no love lost between the Templar and the Phoenicians.
* The Templar are considered the oldest of the "Big Three" factions. They are bitter rivals to the Illuminati, and are currently of unknown standing with the Dragon.
* While the Templar are generally the most orthodox of the three factions, they are slowly loosening up and making allowances.