Templars

Templars
Type:	Secret Societies
Key people:	Richard Sonnac
Headquarters:	London

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There is no purpose greater than ours. The world will founder without structure and discipline.

"Deliverance From Evil" Crusaders. Judges. The Holy Terror. The Templars are the world's least secretive secret society. Their military-ideological machine has operated in plain sight since Babylon - a matter of pride, or moral superiority. Conspiracy theorists, obsessed with the minor 'Knights Templar' offshoot, underestimate the Templars' true European empire. Private armies. Members of parliaments. Royal families. The Templars believe they will deliver the world from evil by force, and even their opponents - who call them zealots and warmongers - cannot deny that force. As an agent of the Templars you are not just fighting the war on darkness, you "are" the war on darkness. Suave and sophisticated, but brutal and uncompromising, you use history as a weapon to shape the future. Few will stand in the way of the Templars' banner. Do you have the will to stand behind it? —Pre-Launch Faction Quiz, darkdaysarecoming.com

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, Youtube

Overview

The Templars are a player and NPC secret society. 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. And they believe they're protected, untouchable, holy, even, though not necessarily in a religious way. It goes deeper than that--to the very core of the mystery of this world, which is a central part of our story.

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. They have this huge stone building in London, because they are the least secret of all secret societies, they're very much out in the open.

They are old-school. They have been fighting evil for thousands of years and they've been doing with extreme prejudice. They are traditionalist. They see magic--the occult--as their birthright; something they've inherited, something that's in their blood; the pure blue blood of their ancient order. Players may find themselves looked down on to begin with, but they'll soon fit right in and gain access to the powerful relics that this society has accrued through the centuries.

The Templars are quite arrogant. After dominating much of the secret world for most of the past millennium, this cockiness has hurt them in the past. But there's pressure from within their own ranks to change with the times--to adapt to the new world order--and this dynamic plays a big part in the Templars' story mission. As an initiate of the order, you'll definitely see for yourself how these guys operate, and you'll be able to use their methods to get the information you need. But, yes, they definitely use their massive might to get what they need, and players will get to experience that for themselves.

"GameSpot: What sort of player will most enjoy playing as a Templar character? Ragnar Tørnquist: Anyone who likes structure and order; taking--and giving--commands; being part of a massive and ancient organization; and waging a crusade against evil across the world and throughout time. Also, who doesn't want to march under the Templars' red flag? Best of all, you get to show those bloody Illuminati who truly rules the secret world. Might makes right... right? There's so much history to these guys, which makes them an incredibly fun and deep secret society to dig into. Everything you've heard may be true or it may be a clever lie. But the Templars go way back, and they've been involved in pretty much every major religious and political event in Europe during the past thousand years. And further back than that. Much, much further. Think "cradle of the civilization" further. The Dragon may have their mysteries; the Illuminati their incredible wealth and, you know, rocking parties. But the Templars have history; they have depth; and they have the best tailors. And class. Plenty of class. —Ragnar Tørnquist, Source

History

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).

Faction Ranks

For The Secret World version of Templar Faction Ranks, requirements, and benefits - see Faction rank

• Level 40:
  • Phone call from Richard Sonnac: You seem to have produced an unqualified success. Hopfully one of many such successes in our future - for the sake of all concerned.
• Level 50:
  • Phone call from Richard Sonnac: Congratulations - you just earned another set of laurels. Try to avoid resting on them, though, its bad for posture.

Other Factions

• The Dragon - It has yet to be revealed how the Templars will interact with the The Dragon player faction.
• Illuminati - The Templar are the arch nemesis of the Illuminati after having exiled them from Europe centuries ago, forcing them to establish in the New World.

Lore

See the main article, Lore:Templars

Known Members

Templar Members

Name	Role	Condition
Americo
Nadia Shestova
Richard Sonnac
Rose White
Zamira Vata
Julia Beatrix Tyburn

Media

Images

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  PvP Uniform

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  Templars HQ

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  Templars fighting ancient constructs and zombies

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  Close combat with a werewolf in the Carpathian Mountains

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  Approaching werewolves in the Carpathian Mountains

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  Templars HQ in London

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  Templars HQ in London

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  Templars HQ in London

Other Information

Despite the naming and symbolism which heavily references the Knights Templar, Funcom has stressed that this faction is purely fictional and the background of the faction begins during the time of Babylon, long before Christianity even existed. The Templars in-game won't be restricted to any religion or race. Ragnar addressed this issue directly in a Twitter interview where he stated:

brinstar: On TSW forums players are associating Templars with Christianity. Will the devs distance the faction from religion? Ragnar: Templars aren't about Christianity. They're about Faith. Which is different. And also about kicking demon ass. —Ragnar Tørnquist, Twitter Interview