Grand Master of the Templar Order: Difference between revisions
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{{Era|Templars}}{{WP-REAL|Grand Masters of the Knights Templar}} | |||
The title of '''Grand Master''' | {{Revamp}} | ||
{{Youmay|the Templar rank|[[Grand Master|other uses]] of the title}} | |||
[[File:Templars.png|thumb|240px|The emblem of the Templar Order]] | |||
The title of '''Grand Master''' is one of the highest ranks in the [[Templars|Templar Order]]'s hierarchy. Originally, it was the organization's supreme head, but changes over the centuries led to this status being superseded by newly-created authorities such as the [[Guardians (Templars)|Guardians]] and the [[Generals of the Cross|General of the Cross]]. Since the establishment of the Order's major branches, the title has come to designate the leaders of [[Templar Rite]]s, each corresponding to a specific geographic region, where they serve as the highest authority.<ref name="ACEG">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]'' – Chapter 5</ref> | |||
Having previously | Before the 1st millennium CE, when the [[Order of the Ancients]] was a prominent group, their equivalent rank was known under different names depending on the region. The [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] branch used the title of [[Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients|Grand Maegester]], which was also synonymous with the "[[Father of Understanding]]", or simply "The Father", a term adopted from the similarly-named title within the ruling triumvirate of [[Isu]].<ref name="The Poor Fellow Soldier">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[The Poor Fellow-Soldier]]</ref> The newly-formed and rising<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Layla Hassan's personal files]]: "Session Report: SHastings"</ref> Templars copied the phrasing and over time, the {{Wiki|Old English}} spelling evolved until it reached its {{Wiki|Modern English}} form of "Master". | ||
Having previously borne more public faces, most Grand Masters were better known than their [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Mentor|counterparts]]. However, as the Templars slipped into the shadows following their [[Persecution of the Templars|public persecution]] in the 14th century, their leaders' identities eventually fell from the public consciousness. Over time, they also underwent a change in command structure. By the 17th century, the Templars were no longer ruled by a single Grand Master or independent leaders but instead by two councils composed of the Order's most prestigious members: the [[Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order|Inner Sanctum]] and the [[Council of Elders]]. | |||
The Inner Sanctum was in charge of creating a globalized plan for the Order, ensuring the Rites' members' cooperation, and preventing any corruption of the Templar ideals, while the Council maintained an advisory role meant to maintain the Order's integrity according to the Templar Code. While still in charge of their respective and autonomous Rites, Grand Masters were nevertheless answerable to the Inner Sanctum and their inquisitor, the feared [[Black Cross]]es. Furthermore, the Inner Sanctum was in charge of promoting the Grand Masters, keeping their numbers under strict control. | |||
While it was commonly assumed that all [[Templar leader]]s were drawn from the stock of Western nobility, due to the prominence of the front-organization that was the [[Knights Templar]] during the [[Middle Ages]], the truth was that as the Order developed, diversified, and relocated, many different people of various ethnic backgrounds and cultural heritages had assumed the mantle of Grand Master throughout the Templars' longevity. | |||
==Structure== | |||
===Purpose=== | |||
{{Quote|[The Order of Ancients] are not wrong to believe that there must be order in the world for peace to flourish. But they are wrong about the source of this order. Man was made in the image of God. God is the source of the universe's order. Therefore man need appeal only to God for guidance.|Alfred's commentary, c. 878 CE.|Assassin's Creed Valhalla|The Poor Fellow-Soldier}} | |||
In commentaries written by King [[Alfred the Great|Alfred]] of [[Wessex]],<ref name="The Poor Fellow Soldier"/> who hated his involuntary inheritance of the position of [[Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients]]<ref name="GSChapter 17">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga]]'' – Chapter 17</ref><ref name="Alfred Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Database: Aelfred]]</ref> and sought to destroy the Order for its veneration of the [[Isu]],<ref name="Breaking the Order">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Breaking the Order]]</ref> he believed that a Grand Master's primary purpose was to be representative of a universal order welcoming members from all walks of life, united by a common desire to seek the betterment of [[human]]ity and world peace.<ref name="The Poor Fellow Soldier"/> | |||
A central value was the establishment of a strict opposition to the Ancients' Isu paganism, which Alfred viewed as heretical to his staunch belief in [[Christianity]].<ref name="The Poor Fellow Soldier"/> This remained central to the Order well into the 21st century, when the then-[[Black Cross]] [[Juhani Otso Berg]] began investigating the modern Templars' corruption,<ref name="ACT">''[[Assassin's Creed: Templars]]''</ref><ref name="ACUp">''[[Assassin's Creed: Uprising]]''</ref> uncovered the existence of the [[Instruments of the First Will]] cult who sought to restore the Isu as humanity's rulers,<ref name="ACT"/><ref name="ACUp"/><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]] – [[The Fate of Atlantis: Fields of Elysium]]'' – [[21st century conversations|Modern day]]</ref><ref name="ACEG"/> and successfully purged them after collaborating with the Assassins. Much like Alfred, the Templars believed the Instruments' adoration of the Isu to be "blasphemy" against humanity.<ref name="ACT"/><ref name="ACUp"/> | |||
===Training=== | |||
{{Quote|It is a requirement when you are raised in the manner that I was. Perception is fundamental to the Order. It guides the feet when running and climbing. Informs the hands when striking and fighting. But most important, it transforms the senses. And we begin to know the world in a different way.|Haytham Kenway discussing his training with Charles Lee, 1754.|Assassin's Creed III|The Surgeon}} | |||
[[File:ACU Elise sword training.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Élise de la Serre training with Frederick Weatherall]] | |||
The Templar Order requires that any member trained to become a Grand Master is prepared to make difficult decisions and confident in their own leadership abilities before being promoted. To uphold the Templar belief of killing for efficiency instead of emotional grounds, they are expected to be resourceful and further the Templars' ideals in pursuit of the greater good. Even if such sacrifices had been made to a promoted Grand Master in the past, the expectation would be to rise above it in the name of the Order.<ref name="ACF 9 October">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' – 9 October 1757</ref> | |||
The strongest minds among the Order are meant to bear the responsibility of the peoples' will for freedom.<ref name="ACUN 12 April">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 12 April 1778</ref> Therefore, they seek to take the mantle of leadership in society and expect the people to fall in line in the belief that "mankind was [[Project Anthropos|built]] to serve".<ref name="Lee's Last Stand">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Lee's Last Stand]]</ref><ref name="ACUN 12 April"/> Additionally, Grand Masters in-training are taught the principles of combat, stratagem, multiple languages, philosophy, and the [[History of the Templars|history]] of the Order.<ref name="ACUN">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]]</ref><ref name="ACF 18 June">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' – 18 June 1747</ref> | |||
While the Templars do not have a specific code against killing innocents like the Assassins do, they are still discouraged from doing so,<ref name="ACF 14 July">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' – 14 July 1747</ref> viewing the exercise of military and state power as a position requiring the discipline of both its soldiers and the people they govern. As a consequence, there have been several disagreements among Templars on how to best lead, with some arguing that the excessive use of violence is necessary to keep the population in line.<ref name="ACF 7 June">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' – 7 June 1753 </ref><ref name="ACUN 12 April"/> | |||
[[File:AC1 Solomon's Temple Altair attacks Robert.png|250px|thumb|Robert de Sablé overpowering Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] | |||
The training itself is supervised by another Grand Master when it is a chosen Templar being trained,<ref name="ACF 9 October"/> or it is a birthright in a Templar lineage that ruled a Rite.<ref name="ACUN"/><ref name="An Apple a Day">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[An Apple a Day]]</ref> After the Inner Sanctum's founding, promotions to Grand Master came under their control.<ref name="ACT">''[[Assassin's Creed: Templars]]''</ref> Oddly, even with their years of combat study in either their military or official Templar training, most Grand Masters lose direct fights with Assassins,<ref name="Assassination II">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Assassination II (Robert de Sablé)]]</ref><ref name="Pax Romana">''[[Assassin's Creed Brotherhood]]'' – [[Pax Romana]]</ref><ref name="Lee's Last Stand"/><ref name="Temple">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Temple]]</ref> with only a few having fought them and escaped.<ref name="ACL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref><ref name="Play Along">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Play Along]]</ref><ref name="A Man They Call the Sage">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[A Man They Call the Sage]]</ref> | |||
The most skilled of Grand Masters should be equal to an Assassin Mentor in combat, though neither tends to meet each other in battle as a matter of precaution for their own organizations' structures, lest either or both of them be defeated. Only a few instances of this are recorded to have happened, and they all prove how dangerous it is when leaders face each other, as the loser's respective faction was near-totally dismantled in the aftermath. The first known instance occured in 1193, when [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], Mentor of the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Assassins]], fought and killed Grand Master [[Armand Bouchart]] inside the [[Templar Archive]] on [[Cyprus]].<ref name="Assault Armand Bouchart">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'' – [[Assault (Armand Bouchart)]]</ref> | |||
[[File:PaxR 5.png|thumb|250px|left|Cesare Borgia struggling to fend off Ezio Auditore's attack]] | |||
A similar incident occured during the [[Siege of Viana]] in 1507, where the [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Assassins]]' Mentor [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], having already [[Liberation of Rome|removed]] Grand Master [[Cesare Borgia]]'s key allies and ended his dominion over [[Italy]], tracked him down and killed him in the heart of battle.<ref name="Pax Romana"/> By contrast, when Grand Master [[Haytham Kenway]] confronted the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Assassins]]' Mentor [[Achilles Davenport]] in the [[Arctic Temple]] in 1760, he managed to overpower his opponent and only spared him after some convincing from [[Master Templar]] [[Shay Cormac]].<ref name="Non Nobis Domine">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Non Nobis Domine]]</ref> | |||
Although some Grand Masters have been known to make use of [[Piece of Eden|Pieces of Eden]] they happened to have on their person, the advantages the artifacts granted were only temporary and most Assassins were skilled enough to either outlast the Pieces' effects<ref name="A Night to Remember">''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' – [[A Night to Remember]]</ref> or sever the Templars' connection to the artifacts and defeat them.<ref name="In Bocca al Lupo">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[In Bocca al Lupo]]</ref><ref name="Temple"/> In light of this, some Grand Masters simply chose to flee and avoid any direct confrontation with an Assassin, though this only delayed the inevitable and most of them still met their end not long after.<ref name="End of the Road">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[End of the Road]]</ref><ref name="Chasing Lee">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Chasing Lee]]</ref> Because so many Grand Masters have died in combat, a successful [[assassination]] of one is also rare,<ref name="Splinter">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Ever a Splinter]]</ref><ref>[[Assassin's Creed (film)|''Assassin's Creed'' film]]</ref> as is the thwarting of an attempt.<ref name="Acquisition">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Acquisition]]</ref> | |||
===Authority=== | |||
{{Main|Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order}} | |||
{{Main|Templar Rite}} | |||
{{Quote|As a Master Templar, you have learned your lessons well, and have earned this opportunity. You are my eyes and ears in the New World now. Do not fail me, Lawrence.|Reginald Birch in a letter to Lawrence Washington, 1738.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|War Letters}} | |||
A Grand Master controls a specific geographic region and their Rite is named after it.<ref name="ACEG"/> While Master Templars have led Rites without a Grand Master, they are still subordinate to one should the position be filled internally or a foreign Grand Master visit them.<ref name="ACT-1">''[[Assassin's Creed: Templars]] – [[Assassin's Creed: Templars – Volume 1: Black Cross]]''</ref><ref name="Witches Chapter 21">''[[Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Witches of the Moors]]'' – Chapter 21: Pierre de Lancre</ref> | |||
Despite holding the highest attainable rank within their Rite, a Grand Master is not all-powerful and is dependent on the support of their fellow Templars and other Rites. Nevertheless, their duties are essential to the Templars' proper functioning as a whole, so Grand Masters may elect to have bodyguards to protect them, as were the cases with [[Frederick Weatherall]] for the [[de la Serre family]],<ref name="ACUN"/> and [[El Tiburón]] for [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]].<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref> With the Grand Master themselves being the ruling authority for their own Rite's plans, all members required their superior's approval to enact any changes.<ref name="Birds of a Feather">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Birds of a Feather]]</ref><ref name="The Braddock Expedition">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[The Braddock Expedition (memory)|The Braddock Expedition]]</ref><ref name="Mister Walpole">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Mister Walpole, I Presume?]]</ref> The written orders of the Grand Master were signed by the ruling Grand Master and were sealed with a red wax Templar cross.<ref name="ACUN 2 April">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 2 April 1791</ref> | |||
[[File:Non Nobis Domine 19.png|thumb|250px|Haytham Kenway tasking Shay Cormac to search for the Precursor box]] | |||
A Grand Master's power can extend beyond their own Rite, as their higher rank allows them to have influence over other Rites' members, including [[Master Templar]]s.<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref><ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''</ref><ref name="AC2D">''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]''</ref> To extend their reach further without breaking their own duties, Grand Masters could appoint agents to investigate the Order's operations elsewhere, as the [[British Rite of the Templar Order|British Rite]]'s Grand Master [[Reginald Birch]] did when charging [[John Harrison]] with finding Isu sites and artifacts,<ref name="War Letters">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[War Letters]]</ref> or Haytham Kenway when he ordered [[Shay Cormac]] to recover the [[Precursor box]].<ref name="Non Nobis Domine"/> | |||
Other tasks include collecting funds<ref name="Sivert Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: Charles Gabriel Sivert]]</ref> and backing either local rebels or established governments by providing needed manpower, arms, medical supplies, and food in exchange for the Rite's intelligence and support.<ref name="Naval Campaign">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Naval Campaign]]</ref><ref name="War Letters"/> If needed, sending a Templar agent to support specific campaigns can also be done,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Battle of Labrador (memory)|The Battle of Labrador]]</ref><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Battle of Quiberon Bay (memory)|The Battle of Quiberon Bay]]</ref><ref name="AFoolsErrand">''[[Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]'' – [[A Fool's Errand]]</ref> including the killing of known traitors within other Rites.<ref name="ACF 18 June"/> A Grand Master would need to notify the visited Rite of the arrival of their own agents sent to help; should such a visit occur unannounced, the agent's safety could be less guaranteed. In turn, the visited Rite could request the agent's assistance for their own missions.<ref name="ACF 17 July">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' – 17 July 1747</ref> | |||
All that being said, a Grand Master should not neglect their own Rite's goals to actively participate in the duties of other Templars. A prominent example of this was the [[Roman Rite of the Templar Order|Roman Rite]]'s Grand Master [[Rodrigo Borgia]], who was so influential over the other European Templars that the Order became blinded by greed and personal ambition above the Templar principles; for this reason, modern Templars regard this era as a "Dark Age of the Order".<ref name="EncyclopediaCh2">''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]'' – Chapter 2</ref><ref name="ACEG"/><ref name="AbstergoFile13">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Abstergo Files]]: "File.0.13\Hst_LibidoDominand"</ref> In stark contrast, Reginald Birch, despite his fanatical obsession with the Isu, did not neglect his duties as Grand Master in [[England]], appointing Haytham to lead the search for the [[Grand Temple]] while he focused on the Rite's local goals.<ref name="A Deadly Performance">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[A Deadly Performance]]</ref><ref name="ACF 14 July"/> | |||
Abusing Templar time and resources on personal matters is considered a neglect of the Grand Master's duties,<ref name="ACF 14 July"/> as is the sudden abandonment of their post, even if they leave their second-in-command to take charge and make decisions regarding the Rite on their behalf.<ref name="ACF 4 August">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' – 4 August 1755</ref> | |||
The Grand Master would also occasionally meet with other Rites' members to discuss domestic and global politics, and the Order's own conditions,<ref name="ACUN 12 April"/> while also communicating through their various businesses and organizations such as Templar fleets, like the [[Shay Cormac's fleet|one]] commanded by Shay Cormac.<ref name="ACRG"/> Grand Masters have a personal network that functions as their eyes and ears everywhere, and they get regular updates from agents, especially Templars directly under their command.<ref name="Alternate Methods">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Alternate Methods]]</ref> Visiting Grand Masters must notify a Rite of their arrival in advance by using the local Templars within their own Rite that are associated with the host, and often participate in the host's local plans in exchange for support.<ref name="ACUN 11 February">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 11 February 1788</ref><ref name="ACUN 20 March">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 20 March 1788</ref> | |||
[[File:ACIII-BraddockExpedition 18.png|thumb|left|250px|Haytham inducting Charles Lee into the Order]] | |||
Other responsibilities of the Grand Master include overseeing new members' [[Initiation into the Templar Order|initiation]] into the Order, with the approval of their fellow Rite members;<ref name="The Braddock Expedition"/><ref name="Scars">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Scars]]</ref><ref name="Mister Walpole"/> exiling those who have betrayed the Order, either directly through their actions or indirectly through their beliefs;<ref name="ACU">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''</ref><ref name="ACUN 21 January"/> and witnessing or participating in the executions of offenders who broke Templar principles.<ref name="ACF 18 June"/><ref name="The Foam and the Flames">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[The Foam and the Flames]]</ref> | |||
Killing a Grand Master for personal reasons<ref name="ACUN 20 January">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 20 January 1793</ref><ref name="ACUN 5 October">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 5 October 1789</ref> and the promotion of the idea of making peace with the Assassins are considered treasonous. The latter case is grounds for executing the offender regardless of rank<ref name="ACUN 20 January"/><ref name="ACF 18 June"/> and imprisoning any suspected allies,<ref name="Intercept Limassol">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'' – [[Intercept (Limassol Cathedral Square)]]</ref> with basic courtesies for visiting Templars being revoked to execute offenders for violating the Templar principles.<ref name="ACUN 20 January"/><ref name="Intercept Limassol"/> The sole exception to this rule is a strategic temporary truce with the Assassins against a common threat.<ref name="ACUN 5 October" /> Other Rites' sanctions on the suspect faction range from compromising their spy network, failure to respond even to simple correspondences, or posting [[Bounty hunter|bounties]] on theses Templars.<ref name="ACUN 10 November">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 10 November 1793</ref><ref name="ACUN 20 January"/><ref name="ACUN 8 July">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 8 July 1789</ref> | |||
After the Inner Sanctum's founding, the Black Crosses kept the Grand Masters' powers under check as part of their duty to keep the various Rites free of corruption. If a Grand Master was found guilty of breaking the Order's principles, the Black Cross held the authority to execute them on the spot. During an ongoing investigation, all Templars, including the Grand Master, were obliged to assist the Black Cross by providing them with any information or resources they demanded, but were otherwise forbidden from interfering with the investigation or even speaking of their interactions with the Black Cross.<ref name="ACT"/> As of the 21st century, the Inner Sanctum also strictly regulates the number of Grand Masters worldwide, all of whom became answerable to Guardians and the General of the Cross.<ref name="ACU Database Memo">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: 10. Reconnaissance Memo]]</ref> | |||
===Accession=== | |||
{{Quote|When our brother Templars see the old institutions crumble, they will adapt.|François-Thomas Germain to Élise de la Serre and Arno Dorian, 1794.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Temple}} | |||
[[File:Apple a day 4.png|250px|thumb|Cesare Borgia arguing with Rodrigo about power]] | |||
A Templar aiming to become the Grand Master must quickly recruit members within the group before initiating a coup,<ref name="Castello Crasher">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Castello Crasher]]</ref><ref name="ACUN 20 January"/> and would ideally also contact other Rites to convince them that the action is necessary,<ref name="ACUN 20 January"/><ref name="ACU"/> though the latter step is more of a courtesy since not all successors did so. Despite a Grand Master being the ruling authority of a Rite, excessive undermining and questioning by their subordinates can threaten their legitimacy, as can failing to maintain their support.<ref name="ACUN 21 January">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 21 January 1788</ref> Conversely, should a competitor fail to attract sufficient backing, they will only facilitate their own end if the current Grand Master learns of their intentions and orders their death.<ref name="ACUW">''[[Assassin's Creed: Underworld]]''</ref> | |||
As the Templars prefer internal stability, the outright murder of a competitor willing to negotiate and settle the leadership dispute via diplomacy would damage the offender's standing within the Order.<ref name="ACUN 10 November"/> This likewise applies to defending incumbents,<ref name="High Society">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[High Society]]</ref><ref name="An Apple a Day"/> as a Grand Master with their legitimacy under threat can be forced by their own subordinates to meetings. Should the Templar with birthright fail their education or the actions of the ruling Grand Master cause reason for ascension, any direct subordinate could forward themselves as a candidate for the next Grand Master.<ref name="ACUN 12 April"/><ref name="ACUN 21 January"/> | |||
In the event of a Grand Master's death, a Templar with birthright will inherit the title, though they could lose it through inaction against a competitor; it is therefore in their best interests to claim it quickly, setting an example by stepping up within a Rite in a leadership crisis. By calling for a Templar council to consolidate their power among the prominent Templar families and allies of the previous Grand Master, inaction itself can make defense of the inheritance difficult under such a special meeting.<ref name="ACUN 4 July">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 4 July 1789</ref><ref name="ACUN 20 August">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 20 August 1789</ref><ref name="ACUN 5 October"/> | |||
[[File:High Society 12.png|thumb|left|250px|François de la Serre killed in Germain's coup]] | |||
In the event of a Grand Master's untimely demise, a successor may be appointed as the Rite's ''de facto'' leader until a new Grand Master is officially elected.<ref name="ACAC">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''</ref> There have also been several instances of a Grand Master being chosen by the Rite itself for their own qualities as leaders, such as [[Ahmet]] becoming Grand Master of the [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Byzantine Rite]] while the long-time Templar [[Manuel Palaiologos]] was demoted to second-in-command,<ref name="ACEG"/> and [[Crawford Starrick]]'s rise in the British Rite until he was appointed Grand Master.<ref name="ACUW"/> The transition between Grand Masters under the Inner Sanctum was controlled by preparing the future Grand Master for the position.<ref name="ACT-1"/> | |||
===Reforms=== | |||
{{Quote|They become increasingly aware of our existence. We can no longer rely on the divine right of the aristocracy to maintain control. We need a new system, something much more subtle.|An unidentified Templar, regarding the Order's transition from feudal monarchies to capitalism.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|Rifts}} | |||
The first major reforms of the Templar Order were done by the [[France|French]] knight and Grand Master [[Hugues de Payens]] and his Templar colleague [[Bernard de Clairvaux]] in the 12th century. To secure an alliance with the church, Bernard sent nine trusted men to the Holy Land in search of [[Solomon's Temple]]. After the Templars returned nine years later, the Order was reformed when Payens and Bernard co-created the [[Latin Rule]] and gained the church's support. Thus, the Order became a public organization for the first time in its history, and was officially recognized as the Order of Knights Templars during the [[Council of Troyes]] in 1129. This marked the beginning of a Golden Age for the Order that lasted almost two centuries, during which the Templars influenced countless kings, popes, and men of science.<ref name="ACEG"/><ref name="EncyclopediaCh2"/><ref name="File.0.02">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Abstergo Files]]: "File.0.02\Hst_Beginning"</ref> | |||
During another major reform, while being led by the Inner Sanctum,<ref name="ACEG"/> the Templars supported the {{Wiki|classical liberalism}} ideals that emerged during the [[Age of Enlightenment]], in which intellectuals such as [[Isaac Newton]], [[Baruch Spinoza]], [[John Locke]], and [[Francis Bacon]] represented a new emerging society of science and technology.<ref name="EncyclopediaCh2"/> After [[François-Thomas Germain]] joined the [[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|Parisian Rite]],<ref name="Cautious Alliance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[A Cautious Alliance]]</ref> he explored the [[Temple, Paris|Temple]] in [[Paris]] and found the ''[[Codex Pater Intellectus]]'', a controversial manifesto written by the last publicly acknowledged Grand Master, [[Jacques de Molay]], that advocated for abolishing the [[monarchy]] to create a [[Capitalism|capitalist]] society.<ref name="Temple"/> | |||
[[File:ACU The Execution 2.jpg|250px|thumb|François-Thomas Germain and his guards during his Templar revolution]] | |||
Grand Master [[François de la Serre]] expelled Germain for espousing ideals from de Molay's heretical work,<ref name="ACEG"/><ref name="Cautious Alliance"/><ref name="Hoarders">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Hoarders]]</ref> but was oblivious to Germain recruiting followers.<ref name="Le Roi Est Mort">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Le Roi Est Mort]]</ref><ref name="Rise of the Assassin">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Rise of the Assassin]]</ref> This culminated in a successful coup that saw de la Serre assassinated and Germain installed as the new Grand Master.<ref name="High Society"/> The reformed Parisian Rite subsequently aimed to bring about de Molay's proposed changes for society,<ref name="Temple"/><ref name="ACUN 20 January"/> and with critical support from the other Rites,<ref name="ACUN 20 January"/> collectively known as the Outer Temple,<ref name="ACEG"/> gradually redirected the entire Templar Order to adopt this policy<ref name="ACUN 20 January"/> under the leadership of the Inner Sanctum.<ref name="ACEG"/> | |||
==History== | |||
===Order of the Ancients=== | |||
{{Main|Ra's Al-Af'a}} | |||
{{Main|Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients}} | |||
Before the Templar Order was created, the [[Order of the Ancients]] used various titles to denote their diverse branch leaders around the world. In 44 BCE, when the [[Roman Hidden Ones|Roman Hidden One]] [[Amunet|Aya]] asked the Ancient [[Lucius Septimius]] if [[Gaius Julius Caesar]] was the King of the Order, Septimius corrected her, stating that Caesar was the "Father of Understanding". Following the Hidden Ones' [[Assassination of Julius Caesar|assassination]] of Caesar,<ref name="ACO">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – [[Fall of an Empire, Rise of Another]]</ref> his adoptive son [[Augustus|Octavian]] succeeded him as leader of the Order, but did not inherit the title of Father of Understanding.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]] – [[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[Sic Semper Tyrannis]]</ref> | |||
In the 9th century, the Order's leader in the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] was called the [[Ra's Al-Af'a]], or the "Head of the Snake".<ref name="ACMir">''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]''</ref> By the 860s, the position had been attained by the royal [[concubine]] [[Qabiha]], whose Order eventually fell to the Hidden Ones based in [[Alamut]] while Qabiha herself was killed by the [[Master Assassin]] [[Roshan]].<ref name="The Serpent's Nest">''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' – [[The Serpent's Nest]]</ref> | |||
[[File:ACVBB - Aelfred and Aethelred.png|thumb|left|250px|Alfred and Æthelred, Kings of Wessex and Grand Maegesters of the Order]] | |||
In the case of the Order's [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] branch based in [[Great Britain]], the organization was headed by a [[Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients|Grand Maegester]], who was also known by the title of "The Father".<ref name="ACV">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]''</ref> During the 9th century, the position was held by members of the [[House of Wessex]], beginning with King [[Æthelwulf, King of Wessex|Æthelwulf]]. After his death, King [[Ælla of Northumbria]], another high-ranking Order member, was expected to succeed him as Grand Maegester, but due to his own demise at the hands of the [[Great Heathen Army]], the title passed down to Æthelwulf's son [[Æthelred I, King of Wessex|Æthelred I]].<ref name="The Poor Fellow Soldier"/> | |||
In 871, Æthelred died from wounds sustained during the [[Battle of Meretun]],<ref name="Alfred Database"/> and his younger brother Alfred succeeded him as both King of [[Wessex]] and Grand Maegester of the Order. Unlike his father and brother, however, Alfred was against the Order's beliefs and secretly sought to bring about its collapse.<ref name="The Poor Fellow Soldier"/> Working under the pseudonym of a "Poor Fellow-Soldier of [[Jesus of Nazareth|Christ]]", Alfred manipulated the [[Vikings|Viking]] [[Eivor Varinsdottir]] into helping him achieve his goal, rendering the Order in Great Britain extinct and the title of Grand Maegester obsolete by 878.<ref name="Breaking the Order"/> Alfred subsequently set about rebuilding the Order into a new organization that more closely followed his Christian beliefs, and became its first Grand Master.<ref name="The Poor Fellow Soldier"/> | |||
===Middle Ages=== | |||
The first publicly known Grand Master of the Templar Order was the [[France|French]] knight [[Hugues de Payens]]. When he and his colleague [[Bernard de Clairvaux]] realized they needed the protection of the Church for their endeavors, they transformed the Templars into the publicly recognized military and monastic Order of the Knights Templar, trusted with the protection of pilgrims to the Holy Land, with Hugues becoming its first Grand Master in 1129.<ref name="Encyclopedia">''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]''</ref> | |||
[[File:Siege of Masyaf Templars.png|thumb|right|250px|Robert de Sablé leading the Templars to Masyaf]] | |||
After two years without a Grand Master following [[Gerard de Ridefort]]'s death, [[Robert de Sablé]] joined the Templar Order and reigned as the Grand Master of the Knights Templar during the year 1191. During his reign, he sought an [[Apple of Eden 2|Apple of Eden]], intending to use it to achieve the Order's goal of establishing a New World Order. After losing the Apple, he launched an [[Defense of Masyaf|attack]] on the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Assassins]]' stronghold of [[Masyaf]] to recover it, but was defeated. Later on, during the [[Battle of Arsuf]], he was killed by his rival, the Assassin [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]].<ref name="AC">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref><ref name="The Essential Guide">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]''</ref> | |||
After Robert's death, [[Armand Bouchart]] took on the mantle of Grand Master as he and the Templars retreated to [[Cyprus]]. However, Altaïr pursued him and the two fought in the [[Templar Archive]] after the Assassin foiled the Grand Master's plans, resulting in Altaïr's victory and the Templars losing another leader.<ref name="ACBL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''</ref> | |||
During the early 14th century, the [[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|French Assassins]] influenced King [[Philip IV of France|Philip IV]] into conspiring against the Templars, whom he branded as heretics and had hundreds ordered arrested. Grand Master Jacques de Molay, understanding that the Order would not survive as a public organization, allowed himself to be captured burned at the stake, saving the lives of his brethren and making his enemies believe that the Templars were finished, though in reality, the Order continued to exist underground.<ref name="TheTragedyOfJacquesDeMolay">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Tragedy of Jacques de Molay]]</ref><ref name="Encyclopedia"/> | |||
===Renaissance=== | |||
In 1476, the Italian Rite came under the leadership of the [[Spain|Spanish]]-born Rodrigo Borgia, originally a [[cardinal]] under Pope [[Sixtus IV]]. Operating from [[Rome]], Rodrigo's primary objective was to unite [[Italy]] under the Templar banner;<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref> however, the Italian Templars strayed far from the main Templar ideology and used the Order as a way to achieve and sustain power for themselves.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><ref name="ACEG"/> Despite facing complications from the Italian Assassins, mainly [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], Rodrigo managed to bribe the other cardinals and was appointed Pope during the {{Wiki|1492 papal conclave}} convened after Pope [[Innocent III]]'s death, taking on the name Alexander VI.<ref name="AC2"/> | |||
[[File:In and Out 8.png|thumb|left|250px|Cesare Borgia and his father Rodrigo]] | |||
Rodrigo secured the church's power for the Templars and oversaw the progress of the other Templars in Europe, including England and Spain,<ref name="ACBH"/> from the Pope's seat in the [[Vaticano District|Vatican]]. However, by 1500, his resolve had weakened and control of the Rite fell to his son [[Cesare Borgia|Cesare]], who gathered supporters and assumed the Rite's ''de facto'' leadership. With his elder brother [[Juan Borgia the Elder|Juan]] providing funds, the [[French Army]] general [[Octavian de Valois]] offering military support,<ref name="The Plan">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[The Plan]]</ref> and his executioner [[Micheletto Corella]] ensuring that puppets<ref name="ACBH">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref> and generals<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]''</ref> obeyed him, Cesare led the Templars to untold power over [[Italy]], though this was all for personal ambition.<ref name="EncyclopediaCh2"/><ref name="ACEG"/> | |||
When Rodrigo refused to fund Cesare's unauthorized campaigns<ref name="An Apple a Day"/> following both Juan's<ref name="In and Out">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[In and Out]]</ref> and Octavian's assassinations,<ref name="Au Revoir">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Au Revoir]]</ref> Cesare killed him in a blind rage and became the uncontested Grand Master.<ref name="An Apple a Day"/><ref name="ACB novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]]</ref> However, without his father's power in the church, he could not maintain the same influence in Europe that his father had. Following Pope [[Julius II]]'s ascension, he ordered Cesare's arrest and imprisonment<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[All Roads Lead To...]]</ref> in the [[Castillo de la Mota]], but Cesare escaped two years later and fled to his [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarrese]] brother-in-law King [[John III of Navarre|John III]] in Spain.<ref name="ACB novel"/> Ezio Auditore ultimately killed the Grand Master during Cesare's [[siege of Viana]] in 1507,<ref name="Pax Romana"/> destabilizing the Templars in Europe and causing them to temporarily withdraw.<ref name="ACR">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref> | |||
Circa 1509, the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Prince [[Ahmet]] became the Grand Master of the [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Byzantine Rite]]<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> and sought to acquire the [[Masyaf Key]]s and open the [[library of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], believing the knowledge inside could lead the Order into a new era. However, Ezio Auditore opposed his efforts with assistance from the [[Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins|Ottoman Assassins]], successfully driving the Templars out of the Empire while Ahmet was killed by brother [[Selim I]] for betraying his country.<ref name="ACR"/> | |||
===Colonial era=== | |||
[[File:Mister Walpole I Presume 9.png|thumb|right|250px|Laureano Torres explaining his plans with the Observatory]] | |||
During the time of colonial expansion by the major European empires, the [[Cuba]]n governor [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]] assumed the role of the [[West Indies Rite of the Templar Order|Caribbean Templars]]' Grand Master. Operating out of [[Havana]], he sought the fabled [[Observatory (Isu)|Observatory]] in order to spy upon and thus bend the leaders of the European colonial empires to Templar will, ensuring peace through order. Before he could succeed in his goal, the pirate-turned-Assassin [[Edward Kenway]] killed him in 1722, ending the Templars' dominance over the [[Caribbean]].<ref name="AC4"/> | |||
In Britain, the local Rite's Grand Master was [[Reginald Birch]], an Englishman who used the pretext of business to cover his affiliations. He was responsible for the Templars' growing influence in the British colonies by sending over [[Haytham Kenway]] to lead them.<ref name="A Deadly Performance"/> Upon his arrival, Haytham gathered his co-conspirators whom Birch had recommended and became the first Grand Master of the newly-founded [[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Rite]].<ref name="AC3"/> The Rite soon grew in power, acquiring such influence that it soon posed a serious threat to the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Assassins]] under [[Achilles Davenport]]. At the time, the Assassins were more preoccupied with investigating [[Pieces of Eden]] and largely ignored the organization's new leadership, an error that proved fatal.<ref name="ACRG"/> | |||
[[File:ACIII-BraddockExpedition 3.png|thumb|left|250px|Haytham Kenway leading the Colonial Templars]] | |||
Shortly after founding the Colonial Rite, Haytham led it in an [[Great Purge (1757-1763)|assault]] against the Assassins. Aided by the Assassin turncoat [[Shay Cormac]] and led on the field by Haytham himself, the Templars removed key figures in the Brotherhood, greatly reducing the Assassins' presence.<ref name="ACRG"/> This cumulated in an attack on the [[Davenport Homestead]] in 1763, where the remaining Assassins were killed and Achilles was exiled on the condition that he never revive the Brotherhood, thus effectively exterminating the Colonial branch.<ref name="Database Homestead">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Database: Davenport Homestead]]</ref> | |||
In 1781, the title of Grand Master was bestowed upon [[Charles Lee]] following Haytham's death during the siege of [[Fort George]] at the hands of his son, the Assassin [[Ratonhnhaké:ton|Connor]].<ref name="Lee's Last Stand"/> Lee, as the only Templar conspirator left from Haytham's rule, attempted to flee back to England by [[ship]] after his initial plan to kill Connor failed.<ref name="Laid to Rest">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Laid to Rest]]</ref> He was unsuccessful, however, and Connor assassinated him inside the ''[[Last Drink]]'' [[tavern]] in 1782.<ref name="Chasing Lee"/> | |||
In the lead-up to the [[French Revolution]], the French Rite's Grand Master [[François de la Serre]] was unaware that his entire inner circle,<ref name="High Society"/> except [[Chrétien Lafrenière]],<ref name="The Estates General">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Estates General]]</ref><ref name="The Prophet">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Prophet]]</ref> had pledged allegiance<ref name="High Society"/> to the recently-exiled [[François-Thomas Germain]], who had successfully petitioned the American, Italian, and [[Spanish Rite of the Templar Order|Spanish Rites]] for support following his banishment. After Germain had de la Serre assassinated in a coup and began purging all French Templars opposing him, Lafrenière and François' daughter [[Élise de la Serre|Élise]]<ref name="ACUN 20 January"/>—who had been presumed the heir apparent<ref name="High Society"/>—petitioned other Rites for aid, but they only lent their sympathies, believing there was no need for intervention since the Rite ran smoothly under Germain.<ref name="ACUN 20 January"/> | |||
[[File:The Estates General 10.png|thumb|250px|François de la Serre meeting with the Mentor Mirabeau]] | |||
The other Rites eventually began sanctioning Élise's faction following campaigns by the British Rite's [[Carroll family]], after a feud with Élise over [[Haytham Kenway's letters]], which suggested collaborating with the Assassins to end their [[Assassin-Templar War|war]]; a view which would have been grounds for execution.<ref name="ACUN"/> Élise expressed these views in letters to her father and influenced him to meet<ref name="ACUN 20 January"/> the French Mentor [[Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau|Mirabeau]] during the [[Estates-General of 1789]], where they established a truce between both Orders in France,<ref name="The Estates General"/> with the intent of working together towards a peaceful revolution to implement reforms<ref name="ACEG4">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]'' – Chapter 4</ref> for the good of the country and for a more democratic government.<ref name="Infographics">''[[Assassin's Creed: Infographics]]''</ref> | |||
Following François de la Serre's death, Élise worked with her lover, the French Assassin [[Arno Dorian]], to hunt Germain and his allies, eventually succeeding in killing the new Grand Master in 1794. However, this came at the cost of Élise's own life, leaving the French Templars leaderless and with no apparent successor to take up the mantle of Grand Master.<ref name="Temple"/> | |||
===Early modern era=== | |||
In 1862, the British Templar [[Cavanagh]] sought to overthrow Grand Master [[Crawford Starrick]] with an [[Apple of Eden 7|Apple of Eden]] he had found. Without any significant support, however, his plans were ultimately fruitless. Starrick soon learned of Cavanagh's intentions and ordered his death.<ref name="ACUW"/> | |||
[[File:ACS S6 Thorne in the Side 9.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Grand Master Crawford Starrick of the British Rite]] | |||
Within the next six years, Starrick expanded the Templars' reach using the networks and profits from the [[British Empire]]'s colonies to impact every corner of industrialized [[London]], from the highest official to the lowest criminal.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' – [[Somewhere That's Green]]</ref> However, he was [[Liberation of London|opposed]] by the few remaining Assassins in the city, namely [[Jayadeep Mir|Henry Green]] and the Frye twins [[Jacob Frye|Jacob]] and [[Evie Frye|Evie]],<ref name="ACS">''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]''</ref> who killed Starrick during his quest for a [[Shroud of Eden 2|Shroud of Eden]], freeing London from Templar influence.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' – [[A Night to Remember]]</ref> | |||
In 1925, the Assassins killed the [[Shanghai Rite of the Templar Order|Chinese Rite]]'s Grand Master [[Sun Yat-sen]]. He was succeeded by [[Stirling Fessenden]], who hoped to recruit [[Chiang Kai-shek]] into the Order and have him become the new Grand Master. However, Chiang ultimately rejected Fessenden's offer and ended his alliance with the Templars after they helped him gain control of [[Shanghai]].<ref name="ACT"/> | |||
By 1927, [[Thaddeus Gift]] had become the Grand Master of the British Rite, although he was a corrupt leader who used the Templars' connections to embezzle money for his personal gain. In retaliation for breaking the Order's principles, Gift was later assassinated by the [[Black Cross]] [[Albert Bolden]].<ref name="ACT"/> | |||
===Contemporary era=== | |||
In 1937, the "Founders" created [[Abstergo Industries]], which from that point on served as the Templars' public front. Though its highest-ranking employees all held leadership in the Order,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Abstergo Files]]</ref> there were multiple Grand Masters who still maintained control over their operations. As of 2014, there are three known Grand Masters operating respectively in Cuba, [[Mexico]], and the United States. During this period, the Grand Masters were no longer the Templars' highest rank, instead being answerable to the [[Guardians (Templars)|Guardians]], who in turn answered to the [[Generals of the Cross|General of the Cross]].<ref name="ACU Database Memo"/> | |||
==Known Grand Masters== | ==Known Grand Masters== | ||
===Order of the Ancients=== | |||
====Fathers of Understanding==== | |||
{{Main|Father of Understanding}} | |||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | |||
ACO Julius Caesar render.png|[[Gaius Julius Caesar]]<ref name="ACO"/><br>[[Rome]]<br>c. 47 BCE – 44 BCE | |||
</gallery> | |||
====Ra's Al-Afa's==== | |||
{{Main|Ra's Al-Af'a}} | |||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | |||
ACMirage DB Qabiha.png|[[Qabiha]]<ref name="ACMir"/><br>[[Baghdad]]<br>c. 860s | |||
</gallery> | |||
====Grand Maegesters==== | |||
{{Main|Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients}} | |||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Æthelwulf, King of Wessex]]<ref name="ACV"/><br>[[England]]<br>until 858 | |||
ACV BB - Æthelred.jpg|[[Æthelred I, King of Wessex]]<ref name="ACV"/><br>England<br>c. 865 – 871 | |||
ACV Alfred the Great render.png|[[Alfred the Great]]<ref name="ACV"/><br>England<br>871 – c. 873 | |||
</gallery> | |||
===Order of the Knights Templar=== | |||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | |||
Hugh de Payns.jpg|[[Hugues de Payens]]<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><br>[[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|French Rite]] / [[Levantine Rite of the Templar Order|Levantine Rite]]<br>Knights Templar<br>1118 – 1136 | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Gerard de Ridefort]]<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><br>Levantine Rite<br>Knights Templar<br>1185 – 1189 | |||
AC1 Robert render.png|[[Robert de Sablé]]<ref name="AC"/><ref name="The Essential Guide"/><br>Levantine Rite<br>Knights Templar<br>1190 – 1191 | |||
Bouchart1.png|[[Armand Bouchart]]<ref name="ACBL"/><br>Levantine Rite<br>1191 – 1193 | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Philippe du Plessis]]<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]''</ref><br>Levantine Rite<br>Knights Templar<br>1201 – 1208 | |||
ACU De Molay Render.png|[[Jacques de Molay]]<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><br>[[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|French Rite]]<br>Knights Templar<br>1292 – 1312 | |||
ACB Rodrigo render.png|[[Rodrigo Borgia]]<ref name="AC2"/><ref name="An Apple a Day"/><br>[[Roman Rite of the Templar Order|Roman Rite]]<br>1476 – 1503 | |||
ACB Cesare render.png|[[Cesare Borgia]]<ref name="ACB novel"/><br>Roman Rite<br>1500 – 1503 {{C|''de facto''}}<br>1503 – 1507 {{C|''de jure''}} | |||
ACR Ahmet v.png|[[Ahmet]]<ref name="ACEG"/><br>[[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Byzantine Rite]]<br>c. 1509 – 1512 | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Alexandre de Hautecourt]]<ref name="Witches Chapter 21"/><br>[[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|French Rite]]<br>c. 1609 | |||
AC4 Laureano Torres render.png|[[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]]<ref name="AC4"/><br>[[West Indies Rite of the Templar Order|West Indies Rite]]<br>c. 1673 – 1722 | |||
ACFT - Alan Jacob.jpg|[[Alan Jacob]]<ref name="ACFT">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]''</ref><br>[[British Rite of the Templar Order|British Rite]]<br>c. 1725 | |||
Reginald Birch ACIII.png|[[Reginald Birch]]<ref name="AC3"/><br>British Rite<br>c. 1735 – 1757 | |||
AC3 Haytham Kenway render.png|[[Haytham Kenway]]<ref name="AC3"/><br>[[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Rite]]<br>1754 – 1781 | |||
AC3 Charles Lee.png|[[Charles Lee]]<ref name="AC3"/><br>Colonial Rite<br>1781 – 1782 | |||
ACU De La Serre Render.png|[[François de la Serre]]<ref name="ACU"/><br>French Rite<br>1768 – 1789 | |||
ACU François-Thomas Germain Render.png|[[François-Thomas Germain]]<ref name="ACU"/><br>French Rite<br>1789 – 1794 | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[William M. Tweed]]<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants]]''</ref><br>American Rite<br>c. 1863 | |||
ACS Crawford Starrick Render.png|[[Crawford Starrick]]<ref name="ACS"/><br>British Rite<br>until 1868 | |||
ACT Thaddeus Gift.png|[[Thaddeus Gift]]<ref name="ACT"/><br>British Rite<br>until 1927 | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Sun Yat-sen]]<ref name="ACT"/><br>[[Chinese Rite of the Templar Order|Chinese Rite]]<br>until 1925 | |||
ACT Fessenden.jpg|[[Stirling Fessenden]]<ref name="ACT"/><br>Chinese Rite<br>began 1925 | |||
ACM Templar Rikkin.jpg|[[Alan Rikkin]]<ref name="ACMN">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization]]''</ref><br>until 2016 | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[American Grand Master]]<ref name="ACU Database Memo"/><br>American Rite<br>c. 2014 | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Caribbean Grand Master]]<ref name="ACU Database Memo"/><br>West Indies Rite<br>c. 2014 | |||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Mexican Grand Master]]<ref name="ACU Database Memo"/><br>[[Mexican Rite of the Templar Order|Mexican Rite]]<br>c. 2014 | |||
</gallery> | |||
==Behind the scenes== | |||
''Assassin's Creed'' material occasionally identifies Assassins, including Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, [[Mario Auditore]], Mirabeau, and [[Mujir]] as Grand Masters of the Assassin Order. | |||
== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Scroll box|content={{Reflist|2}}}} | ||
[[Category: | {{Templars nav}} | ||
<!--[hu:A Templomos Rend Nagymestere] | |||
[pt-br:Grão-Mestre] | |||
[ru:Великий Магистр Тамплиеров] | |||
[fr:Grand Maître]--> | |||
[[Category:Templar ranks]] | |||
[[Category:Templar Order]] | |||
Latest revision as of 15:07, 28 May 2026
|
Ezio, my friend! How may I be of service? This article is in desperate need of a revamp. Please improve it in any way necessary in order for it to achieve a higher standard of quality in accordance with our Manual of Style. |
| This article is about the Templar rank. You may be looking for other uses of the title. |
The title of Grand Master is one of the highest ranks in the Templar Order's hierarchy. Originally, it was the organization's supreme head, but changes over the centuries led to this status being superseded by newly-created authorities such as the Guardians and the General of the Cross. Since the establishment of the Order's major branches, the title has come to designate the leaders of Templar Rites, each corresponding to a specific geographic region, where they serve as the highest authority.[1]
Before the 1st millennium CE, when the Order of the Ancients was a prominent group, their equivalent rank was known under different names depending on the region. The Anglo-Saxon branch used the title of Grand Maegester, which was also synonymous with the "Father of Understanding", or simply "The Father", a term adopted from the similarly-named title within the ruling triumvirate of Isu.[2] The newly-formed and rising[3] Templars copied the phrasing and over time, the Old English spelling evolved until it reached its Modern English form of "Master".
Having previously borne more public faces, most Grand Masters were better known than their Assassin counterparts. However, as the Templars slipped into the shadows following their public persecution in the 14th century, their leaders' identities eventually fell from the public consciousness. Over time, they also underwent a change in command structure. By the 17th century, the Templars were no longer ruled by a single Grand Master or independent leaders but instead by two councils composed of the Order's most prestigious members: the Inner Sanctum and the Council of Elders.
The Inner Sanctum was in charge of creating a globalized plan for the Order, ensuring the Rites' members' cooperation, and preventing any corruption of the Templar ideals, while the Council maintained an advisory role meant to maintain the Order's integrity according to the Templar Code. While still in charge of their respective and autonomous Rites, Grand Masters were nevertheless answerable to the Inner Sanctum and their inquisitor, the feared Black Crosses. Furthermore, the Inner Sanctum was in charge of promoting the Grand Masters, keeping their numbers under strict control.
While it was commonly assumed that all Templar leaders were drawn from the stock of Western nobility, due to the prominence of the front-organization that was the Knights Templar during the Middle Ages, the truth was that as the Order developed, diversified, and relocated, many different people of various ethnic backgrounds and cultural heritages had assumed the mantle of Grand Master throughout the Templars' longevity.
Structure[edit | edit source]
Purpose[edit | edit source]
- "[The Order of Ancients] are not wrong to believe that there must be order in the world for peace to flourish. But they are wrong about the source of this order. Man was made in the image of God. God is the source of the universe's order. Therefore man need appeal only to God for guidance."
- ―Alfred's commentary, c. 878 CE.[src]-[m]
In commentaries written by King Alfred of Wessex,[2] who hated his involuntary inheritance of the position of Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients[4][5] and sought to destroy the Order for its veneration of the Isu,[6] he believed that a Grand Master's primary purpose was to be representative of a universal order welcoming members from all walks of life, united by a common desire to seek the betterment of humanity and world peace.[2]
A central value was the establishment of a strict opposition to the Ancients' Isu paganism, which Alfred viewed as heretical to his staunch belief in Christianity.[2] This remained central to the Order well into the 21st century, when the then-Black Cross Juhani Otso Berg began investigating the modern Templars' corruption,[7][8] uncovered the existence of the Instruments of the First Will cult who sought to restore the Isu as humanity's rulers,[7][8][9][1] and successfully purged them after collaborating with the Assassins. Much like Alfred, the Templars believed the Instruments' adoration of the Isu to be "blasphemy" against humanity.[7][8]
Training[edit | edit source]
- "It is a requirement when you are raised in the manner that I was. Perception is fundamental to the Order. It guides the feet when running and climbing. Informs the hands when striking and fighting. But most important, it transforms the senses. And we begin to know the world in a different way."
- ―Haytham Kenway discussing his training with Charles Lee, 1754.[src]-[m]
The Templar Order requires that any member trained to become a Grand Master is prepared to make difficult decisions and confident in their own leadership abilities before being promoted. To uphold the Templar belief of killing for efficiency instead of emotional grounds, they are expected to be resourceful and further the Templars' ideals in pursuit of the greater good. Even if such sacrifices had been made to a promoted Grand Master in the past, the expectation would be to rise above it in the name of the Order.[10]
The strongest minds among the Order are meant to bear the responsibility of the peoples' will for freedom.[11] Therefore, they seek to take the mantle of leadership in society and expect the people to fall in line in the belief that "mankind was built to serve".[12][11] Additionally, Grand Masters in-training are taught the principles of combat, stratagem, multiple languages, philosophy, and the history of the Order.[13][14]
While the Templars do not have a specific code against killing innocents like the Assassins do, they are still discouraged from doing so,[15] viewing the exercise of military and state power as a position requiring the discipline of both its soldiers and the people they govern. As a consequence, there have been several disagreements among Templars on how to best lead, with some arguing that the excessive use of violence is necessary to keep the population in line.[16][11]
The training itself is supervised by another Grand Master when it is a chosen Templar being trained,[10] or it is a birthright in a Templar lineage that ruled a Rite.[13][17] After the Inner Sanctum's founding, promotions to Grand Master came under their control.[7] Oddly, even with their years of combat study in either their military or official Templar training, most Grand Masters lose direct fights with Assassins,[18][19][12][20] with only a few having fought them and escaped.[21][22][23]
The most skilled of Grand Masters should be equal to an Assassin Mentor in combat, though neither tends to meet each other in battle as a matter of precaution for their own organizations' structures, lest either or both of them be defeated. Only a few instances of this are recorded to have happened, and they all prove how dangerous it is when leaders face each other, as the loser's respective faction was near-totally dismantled in the aftermath. The first known instance occured in 1193, when Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Mentor of the Levantine Assassins, fought and killed Grand Master Armand Bouchart inside the Templar Archive on Cyprus.[24]
A similar incident occured during the Siege of Viana in 1507, where the Italian Assassins' Mentor Ezio Auditore, having already removed Grand Master Cesare Borgia's key allies and ended his dominion over Italy, tracked him down and killed him in the heart of battle.[19] By contrast, when Grand Master Haytham Kenway confronted the Colonial Assassins' Mentor Achilles Davenport in the Arctic Temple in 1760, he managed to overpower his opponent and only spared him after some convincing from Master Templar Shay Cormac.[25]
Although some Grand Masters have been known to make use of Pieces of Eden they happened to have on their person, the advantages the artifacts granted were only temporary and most Assassins were skilled enough to either outlast the Pieces' effects[26] or sever the Templars' connection to the artifacts and defeat them.[27][20] In light of this, some Grand Masters simply chose to flee and avoid any direct confrontation with an Assassin, though this only delayed the inevitable and most of them still met their end not long after.[28][29] Because so many Grand Masters have died in combat, a successful assassination of one is also rare,[30][31] as is the thwarting of an attempt.[32]
Authority[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order
- Main article: Templar Rite
A Grand Master controls a specific geographic region and their Rite is named after it.[1] While Master Templars have led Rites without a Grand Master, they are still subordinate to one should the position be filled internally or a foreign Grand Master visit them.[33][34]
Despite holding the highest attainable rank within their Rite, a Grand Master is not all-powerful and is dependent on the support of their fellow Templars and other Rites. Nevertheless, their duties are essential to the Templars' proper functioning as a whole, so Grand Masters may elect to have bodyguards to protect them, as were the cases with Frederick Weatherall for the de la Serre family,[13] and El Tiburón for Laureano de Torres y Ayala.[35] With the Grand Master themselves being the ruling authority for their own Rite's plans, all members required their superior's approval to enact any changes.[36][37][38] The written orders of the Grand Master were signed by the ruling Grand Master and were sealed with a red wax Templar cross.[39]
A Grand Master's power can extend beyond their own Rite, as their higher rank allows them to have influence over other Rites' members, including Master Templars.[40][41][42] To extend their reach further without breaking their own duties, Grand Masters could appoint agents to investigate the Order's operations elsewhere, as the British Rite's Grand Master Reginald Birch did when charging John Harrison with finding Isu sites and artifacts,[43] or Haytham Kenway when he ordered Shay Cormac to recover the Precursor box.[25]
Other tasks include collecting funds[44] and backing either local rebels or established governments by providing needed manpower, arms, medical supplies, and food in exchange for the Rite's intelligence and support.[45][43] If needed, sending a Templar agent to support specific campaigns can also be done,[46][47][48] including the killing of known traitors within other Rites.[14] A Grand Master would need to notify the visited Rite of the arrival of their own agents sent to help; should such a visit occur unannounced, the agent's safety could be less guaranteed. In turn, the visited Rite could request the agent's assistance for their own missions.[49]
All that being said, a Grand Master should not neglect their own Rite's goals to actively participate in the duties of other Templars. A prominent example of this was the Roman Rite's Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia, who was so influential over the other European Templars that the Order became blinded by greed and personal ambition above the Templar principles; for this reason, modern Templars regard this era as a "Dark Age of the Order".[50][1][51] In stark contrast, Reginald Birch, despite his fanatical obsession with the Isu, did not neglect his duties as Grand Master in England, appointing Haytham to lead the search for the Grand Temple while he focused on the Rite's local goals.[52][15]
Abusing Templar time and resources on personal matters is considered a neglect of the Grand Master's duties,[15] as is the sudden abandonment of their post, even if they leave their second-in-command to take charge and make decisions regarding the Rite on their behalf.[53]
The Grand Master would also occasionally meet with other Rites' members to discuss domestic and global politics, and the Order's own conditions,[11] while also communicating through their various businesses and organizations such as Templar fleets, like the one commanded by Shay Cormac.[41] Grand Masters have a personal network that functions as their eyes and ears everywhere, and they get regular updates from agents, especially Templars directly under their command.[54] Visiting Grand Masters must notify a Rite of their arrival in advance by using the local Templars within their own Rite that are associated with the host, and often participate in the host's local plans in exchange for support.[55][56]
Other responsibilities of the Grand Master include overseeing new members' initiation into the Order, with the approval of their fellow Rite members;[37][57][38] exiling those who have betrayed the Order, either directly through their actions or indirectly through their beliefs;[58][59] and witnessing or participating in the executions of offenders who broke Templar principles.[14][60]
Killing a Grand Master for personal reasons[61][62] and the promotion of the idea of making peace with the Assassins are considered treasonous. The latter case is grounds for executing the offender regardless of rank[61][14] and imprisoning any suspected allies,[63] with basic courtesies for visiting Templars being revoked to execute offenders for violating the Templar principles.[61][63] The sole exception to this rule is a strategic temporary truce with the Assassins against a common threat.[62] Other Rites' sanctions on the suspect faction range from compromising their spy network, failure to respond even to simple correspondences, or posting bounties on theses Templars.[64][61][65]
After the Inner Sanctum's founding, the Black Crosses kept the Grand Masters' powers under check as part of their duty to keep the various Rites free of corruption. If a Grand Master was found guilty of breaking the Order's principles, the Black Cross held the authority to execute them on the spot. During an ongoing investigation, all Templars, including the Grand Master, were obliged to assist the Black Cross by providing them with any information or resources they demanded, but were otherwise forbidden from interfering with the investigation or even speaking of their interactions with the Black Cross.[7] As of the 21st century, the Inner Sanctum also strictly regulates the number of Grand Masters worldwide, all of whom became answerable to Guardians and the General of the Cross.[66]
Accession[edit | edit source]
A Templar aiming to become the Grand Master must quickly recruit members within the group before initiating a coup,[67][61] and would ideally also contact other Rites to convince them that the action is necessary,[61][58] though the latter step is more of a courtesy since not all successors did so. Despite a Grand Master being the ruling authority of a Rite, excessive undermining and questioning by their subordinates can threaten their legitimacy, as can failing to maintain their support.[59] Conversely, should a competitor fail to attract sufficient backing, they will only facilitate their own end if the current Grand Master learns of their intentions and orders their death.[68]
As the Templars prefer internal stability, the outright murder of a competitor willing to negotiate and settle the leadership dispute via diplomacy would damage the offender's standing within the Order.[64] This likewise applies to defending incumbents,[69][17] as a Grand Master with their legitimacy under threat can be forced by their own subordinates to meetings. Should the Templar with birthright fail their education or the actions of the ruling Grand Master cause reason for ascension, any direct subordinate could forward themselves as a candidate for the next Grand Master.[11][59]
In the event of a Grand Master's death, a Templar with birthright will inherit the title, though they could lose it through inaction against a competitor; it is therefore in their best interests to claim it quickly, setting an example by stepping up within a Rite in a leadership crisis. By calling for a Templar council to consolidate their power among the prominent Templar families and allies of the previous Grand Master, inaction itself can make defense of the inheritance difficult under such a special meeting.[70][71][62]
In the event of a Grand Master's untimely demise, a successor may be appointed as the Rite's de facto leader until a new Grand Master is officially elected.[72] There have also been several instances of a Grand Master being chosen by the Rite itself for their own qualities as leaders, such as Ahmet becoming Grand Master of the Byzantine Rite while the long-time Templar Manuel Palaiologos was demoted to second-in-command,[1] and Crawford Starrick's rise in the British Rite until he was appointed Grand Master.[68] The transition between Grand Masters under the Inner Sanctum was controlled by preparing the future Grand Master for the position.[33]
Reforms[edit | edit source]
The first major reforms of the Templar Order were done by the French knight and Grand Master Hugues de Payens and his Templar colleague Bernard de Clairvaux in the 12th century. To secure an alliance with the church, Bernard sent nine trusted men to the Holy Land in search of Solomon's Temple. After the Templars returned nine years later, the Order was reformed when Payens and Bernard co-created the Latin Rule and gained the church's support. Thus, the Order became a public organization for the first time in its history, and was officially recognized as the Order of Knights Templars during the Council of Troyes in 1129. This marked the beginning of a Golden Age for the Order that lasted almost two centuries, during which the Templars influenced countless kings, popes, and men of science.[1][50][73]
During another major reform, while being led by the Inner Sanctum,[1] the Templars supported the classical liberalism ideals that emerged during the Age of Enlightenment, in which intellectuals such as Isaac Newton, Baruch Spinoza, John Locke, and Francis Bacon represented a new emerging society of science and technology.[50] After François-Thomas Germain joined the Parisian Rite,[74] he explored the Temple in Paris and found the Codex Pater Intellectus, a controversial manifesto written by the last publicly acknowledged Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, that advocated for abolishing the monarchy to create a capitalist society.[20]
Grand Master François de la Serre expelled Germain for espousing ideals from de Molay's heretical work,[1][74][75] but was oblivious to Germain recruiting followers.[76][77] This culminated in a successful coup that saw de la Serre assassinated and Germain installed as the new Grand Master.[69] The reformed Parisian Rite subsequently aimed to bring about de Molay's proposed changes for society,[20][61] and with critical support from the other Rites,[61] collectively known as the Outer Temple,[1] gradually redirected the entire Templar Order to adopt this policy[61] under the leadership of the Inner Sanctum.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Order of the Ancients[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Ra's Al-Af'a
- Main article: Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients
Before the Templar Order was created, the Order of the Ancients used various titles to denote their diverse branch leaders around the world. In 44 BCE, when the Roman Hidden One Aya asked the Ancient Lucius Septimius if Gaius Julius Caesar was the King of the Order, Septimius corrected her, stating that Caesar was the "Father of Understanding". Following the Hidden Ones' assassination of Caesar,[78] his adoptive son Octavian succeeded him as leader of the Order, but did not inherit the title of Father of Understanding.[79]
In the 9th century, the Order's leader in the Abbasid Caliphate was called the Ra's Al-Af'a, or the "Head of the Snake".[80] By the 860s, the position had been attained by the royal concubine Qabiha, whose Order eventually fell to the Hidden Ones based in Alamut while Qabiha herself was killed by the Master Assassin Roshan.[81]
In the case of the Order's Anglo-Saxon branch based in Great Britain, the organization was headed by a Grand Maegester, who was also known by the title of "The Father".[82] During the 9th century, the position was held by members of the House of Wessex, beginning with King Æthelwulf. After his death, King Ælla of Northumbria, another high-ranking Order member, was expected to succeed him as Grand Maegester, but due to his own demise at the hands of the Great Heathen Army, the title passed down to Æthelwulf's son Æthelred I.[2]
In 871, Æthelred died from wounds sustained during the Battle of Meretun,[5] and his younger brother Alfred succeeded him as both King of Wessex and Grand Maegester of the Order. Unlike his father and brother, however, Alfred was against the Order's beliefs and secretly sought to bring about its collapse.[2] Working under the pseudonym of a "Poor Fellow-Soldier of Christ", Alfred manipulated the Viking Eivor Varinsdottir into helping him achieve his goal, rendering the Order in Great Britain extinct and the title of Grand Maegester obsolete by 878.[6] Alfred subsequently set about rebuilding the Order into a new organization that more closely followed his Christian beliefs, and became its first Grand Master.[2]
Middle Ages[edit | edit source]
The first publicly known Grand Master of the Templar Order was the French knight Hugues de Payens. When he and his colleague Bernard de Clairvaux realized they needed the protection of the Church for their endeavors, they transformed the Templars into the publicly recognized military and monastic Order of the Knights Templar, trusted with the protection of pilgrims to the Holy Land, with Hugues becoming its first Grand Master in 1129.[83]
After two years without a Grand Master following Gerard de Ridefort's death, Robert de Sablé joined the Templar Order and reigned as the Grand Master of the Knights Templar during the year 1191. During his reign, he sought an Apple of Eden, intending to use it to achieve the Order's goal of establishing a New World Order. After losing the Apple, he launched an attack on the Levantine Assassins' stronghold of Masyaf to recover it, but was defeated. Later on, during the Battle of Arsuf, he was killed by his rival, the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.[84][85]
After Robert's death, Armand Bouchart took on the mantle of Grand Master as he and the Templars retreated to Cyprus. However, Altaïr pursued him and the two fought in the Templar Archive after the Assassin foiled the Grand Master's plans, resulting in Altaïr's victory and the Templars losing another leader.[86]
During the early 14th century, the French Assassins influenced King Philip IV into conspiring against the Templars, whom he branded as heretics and had hundreds ordered arrested. Grand Master Jacques de Molay, understanding that the Order would not survive as a public organization, allowed himself to be captured burned at the stake, saving the lives of his brethren and making his enemies believe that the Templars were finished, though in reality, the Order continued to exist underground.[87][83]
Renaissance[edit | edit source]
In 1476, the Italian Rite came under the leadership of the Spanish-born Rodrigo Borgia, originally a cardinal under Pope Sixtus IV. Operating from Rome, Rodrigo's primary objective was to unite Italy under the Templar banner;[88] however, the Italian Templars strayed far from the main Templar ideology and used the Order as a way to achieve and sustain power for themselves.[83][1] Despite facing complications from the Italian Assassins, mainly Ezio Auditore, Rodrigo managed to bribe the other cardinals and was appointed Pope during the 1492 papal conclave convened after Pope Innocent III's death, taking on the name Alexander VI.[88]
Rodrigo secured the church's power for the Templars and oversaw the progress of the other Templars in Europe, including England and Spain,[89] from the Pope's seat in the Vatican. However, by 1500, his resolve had weakened and control of the Rite fell to his son Cesare, who gathered supporters and assumed the Rite's de facto leadership. With his elder brother Juan providing funds, the French Army general Octavian de Valois offering military support,[90] and his executioner Micheletto Corella ensuring that puppets[89] and generals[91] obeyed him, Cesare led the Templars to untold power over Italy, though this was all for personal ambition.[50][1]
When Rodrigo refused to fund Cesare's unauthorized campaigns[17] following both Juan's[92] and Octavian's assassinations,[93] Cesare killed him in a blind rage and became the uncontested Grand Master.[17][94] However, without his father's power in the church, he could not maintain the same influence in Europe that his father had. Following Pope Julius II's ascension, he ordered Cesare's arrest and imprisonment[95] in the Castillo de la Mota, but Cesare escaped two years later and fled to his Navarrese brother-in-law King John III in Spain.[94] Ezio Auditore ultimately killed the Grand Master during Cesare's siege of Viana in 1507,[19] destabilizing the Templars in Europe and causing them to temporarily withdraw.[96]
Circa 1509, the Ottoman Prince Ahmet became the Grand Master of the Byzantine Rite[83] and sought to acquire the Masyaf Keys and open the library of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, believing the knowledge inside could lead the Order into a new era. However, Ezio Auditore opposed his efforts with assistance from the Ottoman Assassins, successfully driving the Templars out of the Empire while Ahmet was killed by brother Selim I for betraying his country.[96]
Colonial era[edit | edit source]
During the time of colonial expansion by the major European empires, the Cuban governor Laureano de Torres y Ayala assumed the role of the Caribbean Templars' Grand Master. Operating out of Havana, he sought the fabled Observatory in order to spy upon and thus bend the leaders of the European colonial empires to Templar will, ensuring peace through order. Before he could succeed in his goal, the pirate-turned-Assassin Edward Kenway killed him in 1722, ending the Templars' dominance over the Caribbean.[35]
In Britain, the local Rite's Grand Master was Reginald Birch, an Englishman who used the pretext of business to cover his affiliations. He was responsible for the Templars' growing influence in the British colonies by sending over Haytham Kenway to lead them.[52] Upon his arrival, Haytham gathered his co-conspirators whom Birch had recommended and became the first Grand Master of the newly-founded Colonial Rite.[40] The Rite soon grew in power, acquiring such influence that it soon posed a serious threat to the Colonial Assassins under Achilles Davenport. At the time, the Assassins were more preoccupied with investigating Pieces of Eden and largely ignored the organization's new leadership, an error that proved fatal.[41]
Shortly after founding the Colonial Rite, Haytham led it in an assault against the Assassins. Aided by the Assassin turncoat Shay Cormac and led on the field by Haytham himself, the Templars removed key figures in the Brotherhood, greatly reducing the Assassins' presence.[41] This cumulated in an attack on the Davenport Homestead in 1763, where the remaining Assassins were killed and Achilles was exiled on the condition that he never revive the Brotherhood, thus effectively exterminating the Colonial branch.[97]
In 1781, the title of Grand Master was bestowed upon Charles Lee following Haytham's death during the siege of Fort George at the hands of his son, the Assassin Connor.[12] Lee, as the only Templar conspirator left from Haytham's rule, attempted to flee back to England by ship after his initial plan to kill Connor failed.[98] He was unsuccessful, however, and Connor assassinated him inside the Last Drink tavern in 1782.[29]
In the lead-up to the French Revolution, the French Rite's Grand Master François de la Serre was unaware that his entire inner circle,[69] except Chrétien Lafrenière,[99][100] had pledged allegiance[69] to the recently-exiled François-Thomas Germain, who had successfully petitioned the American, Italian, and Spanish Rites for support following his banishment. After Germain had de la Serre assassinated in a coup and began purging all French Templars opposing him, Lafrenière and François' daughter Élise[61]—who had been presumed the heir apparent[69]—petitioned other Rites for aid, but they only lent their sympathies, believing there was no need for intervention since the Rite ran smoothly under Germain.[61]
The other Rites eventually began sanctioning Élise's faction following campaigns by the British Rite's Carroll family, after a feud with Élise over Haytham Kenway's letters, which suggested collaborating with the Assassins to end their war; a view which would have been grounds for execution.[13] Élise expressed these views in letters to her father and influenced him to meet[61] the French Mentor Mirabeau during the Estates-General of 1789, where they established a truce between both Orders in France,[99] with the intent of working together towards a peaceful revolution to implement reforms[101] for the good of the country and for a more democratic government.[102]
Following François de la Serre's death, Élise worked with her lover, the French Assassin Arno Dorian, to hunt Germain and his allies, eventually succeeding in killing the new Grand Master in 1794. However, this came at the cost of Élise's own life, leaving the French Templars leaderless and with no apparent successor to take up the mantle of Grand Master.[20]
Early modern era[edit | edit source]
In 1862, the British Templar Cavanagh sought to overthrow Grand Master Crawford Starrick with an Apple of Eden he had found. Without any significant support, however, his plans were ultimately fruitless. Starrick soon learned of Cavanagh's intentions and ordered his death.[68]
Within the next six years, Starrick expanded the Templars' reach using the networks and profits from the British Empire's colonies to impact every corner of industrialized London, from the highest official to the lowest criminal.[103] However, he was opposed by the few remaining Assassins in the city, namely Henry Green and the Frye twins Jacob and Evie,[104] who killed Starrick during his quest for a Shroud of Eden, freeing London from Templar influence.[105]
In 1925, the Assassins killed the Chinese Rite's Grand Master Sun Yat-sen. He was succeeded by Stirling Fessenden, who hoped to recruit Chiang Kai-shek into the Order and have him become the new Grand Master. However, Chiang ultimately rejected Fessenden's offer and ended his alliance with the Templars after they helped him gain control of Shanghai.[7]
By 1927, Thaddeus Gift had become the Grand Master of the British Rite, although he was a corrupt leader who used the Templars' connections to embezzle money for his personal gain. In retaliation for breaking the Order's principles, Gift was later assassinated by the Black Cross Albert Bolden.[7]
Contemporary era[edit | edit source]
In 1937, the "Founders" created Abstergo Industries, which from that point on served as the Templars' public front. Though its highest-ranking employees all held leadership in the Order,[106] there were multiple Grand Masters who still maintained control over their operations. As of 2014, there are three known Grand Masters operating respectively in Cuba, Mexico, and the United States. During this period, the Grand Masters were no longer the Templars' highest rank, instead being answerable to the Guardians, who in turn answered to the General of the Cross.[66]
Known Grand Masters[edit | edit source]
Order of the Ancients[edit | edit source]
Fathers of Understanding[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Father of Understanding
![Gaius Julius Caesar[78] Rome c. 47 BCE – 44 BCE](/wiki/File:ACO_Julius_Caesar_render.png)
Ra's Al-Afa's[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Ra's Al-Af'a
![Qabiha[80] Baghdad c. 860s](/wiki/File:ACMirage_DB_Qabiha.png)
Grand Maegesters[edit | edit source]
- Main article: Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients
![Æthelwulf, King of Wessex[82] England until 858](/wiki/File:Wiki_noimage.jpg)
![Æthelred I, King of Wessex[82] England c. 865 – 871](/wiki/File:ACV_BB_-_%C3%86thelred.jpg)
![Alfred the Great[82] England 871 – c. 873](/wiki/File:ACV_Alfred_the_Great_render.png){kind=small}
Order of the Knights Templar[edit | edit source]
![Hugues de Payens[83] French Rite / Levantine Rite Knights Templar 1118 – 1136](/wiki/File:Hugh_de_Payns.jpg)
![Robert de Sablé[84][85] Levantine Rite Knights Templar 1190 – 1191](/wiki/File:AC1_Robert_render.png)
![Armand Bouchart[86] Levantine Rite 1191 – 1193](/wiki/File:Bouchart1.png)
![Jacques de Molay[83] French Rite Knights Templar 1292 – 1312](/wiki/File:ACU_De_Molay_Render.png)
![Rodrigo Borgia[88][17] Roman Rite 1476 – 1503](/wiki/File:ACB_Rodrigo_render.png){kind=small}
![Cesare Borgia[94] Roman Rite 1500 – 1503 (de facto) 1503 – 1507 (de jure)](/wiki/File:ACB_Cesare_render.png)
![Ahmet[1] Byzantine Rite c. 1509 – 1512](/wiki/File:ACR_Ahmet_v.png)
![Laureano de Torres y Ayala[35] West Indies Rite c. 1673 – 1722](/wiki/File:AC4_Laureano_Torres_render.png){kind=small}
![Alan Jacob[108] British Rite c. 1725](/wiki/File:ACFT_-_Alan_Jacob.jpg)
![Reginald Birch[40] British Rite c. 1735 – 1757](/wiki/File:Reginald_Birch_ACIII.png){kind=small}
![Haytham Kenway[40] Colonial Rite 1754 – 1781](/wiki/File:AC3_Haytham_Kenway_render.png)
![Charles Lee[40] Colonial Rite 1781 – 1782](/wiki/File:AC3_Charles_Lee.png)
![François de la Serre[58] French Rite 1768 – 1789](/wiki/File:ACU_De_La_Serre_Render.png){kind=small}
![François-Thomas Germain[58] French Rite 1789 – 1794](/wiki/File:ACU_Fran%C3%A7ois-Thomas_Germain_Render.png)
![Crawford Starrick[104] British Rite until 1868](/wiki/File:ACS_Crawford_Starrick_Render.png){kind=small}
![Thaddeus Gift[7] British Rite until 1927](/wiki/File:ACT_Thaddeus_Gift.png){kind=small}
![Stirling Fessenden[7] Chinese Rite began 1925](/wiki/File:ACT_Fessenden.jpg)
![Alan Rikkin[110] until 2016](/wiki/File:ACM_Templar_Rikkin.jpg)
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
Assassin's Creed material occasionally identifies Assassins, including Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Mario Auditore, Mirabeau, and Mujir as Grand Masters of the Assassin Order.
References[edit | edit source]
