Grand Master of the Templar Order: Difference between revisions
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{{Youmay|the highest rank of the Templar Order|[[Grand Master|other uses]] of the title}} | {{Youmay|the highest rank of the Templar Order|[[Grand Master|other uses]] of the title}} | ||
[[File:Templars.png|thumb|250px|The emblem of the Templar Order]] | [[File:Templars.png|thumb|250px|The emblem of the Templar Order]] | ||
The title of '''Grand Master''' is one of the highest ranks of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. Originally, it was the organization's supreme head, but | The title of '''Grand Master''' is one of the highest ranks of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. Originally, it was the organization's supreme head, but changes over the centuries led to this status being superseded by newly-created authorities such as the [[Guardians (Templars)|Guardians]] and the [[Generals of the Cross|General of the Cross]].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 designated the Order's [[Templar Rite|Rite]] leaders, 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> | ||
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]] society in which the Father of Understanding ruled alongside the [[Mother of Wisdom]] and the [[Sacred Voice]].<ref name="ThePoorFellowSoldier">''[[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 | Having previously borne more public faces, most Grand Masters were better known than their [[Assassins|Assassin]] counterparts called [[Mentor]]s. However, as the Templars slipped into the shadows following their presumed [[Persecution of the Templars|public defeat]] in the 14th century, their leaders' identities eventually fell from the public consciousness. Over the same time, they had also undergone 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 of the Order's most prestigious members, the [[Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order|Inner Sanctum]] and the [[Council of Elders]]. The 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 accountable 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. | |||
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== | ==Structure== | ||
=== | ===Purpose=== | ||
{{Quote|The Order of Ancients | {{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, 878 CE.|Assassin's Creed Valhalla|The Poor Fellow-Soldier}} | ||
In commentaries written by the 9th century king [[Alfred the Great|Alfred]] of [[Wessex]],<ref name="ThePoorFellowSoldier">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[The Poor Fellow-Soldier]]</ref> who hated his involuntary inheriting of the position [[Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients]] from his late older brother [[Æthelred I, King of Wessex|Æthelred I]]<ref name="GSChapter 17">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga]]'' — Chapter 17</ref><ref name="AlfredDatabase">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Database: Aelfred]]</ref> and sought to destroy the Order for its Isu veneration,<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. 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="ThePoorFellowSoldier"/> 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"/> | |||
[[File: | ===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 to further the Templars' ideals in pursuit of the greater good.<ref name="Forsaken">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]''</ref> The strongest minds among the Order are meant to bear the responsibility of the peoples' will for freedom and responsibility,<ref name="ACUN 12 Apr">[[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="LeesLastStand">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Lee's Last Stand]]</ref><ref name="ACUN 12 Apr"/> Additionally, both combat and stratagem are part of their training.<ref name="ACUN">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' (novel)]]</ref><ref name="Forsaken"/> | |||
[[File:AC1 Solomon's Temple Altair attacks Robert.png|250px|thumb|Robert de Sablé thwarting Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's assassination attempt]] | |||
[[File: | The training itself is supervised by another Grand Master when it is a chosen Templar being trained,<ref name="Forsaken"/> or it is a birthright in a Templar lineage that ruled a Rite.<ref name="ACUN"/><ref name="AnAppleADay">''[[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> Even with their years of combat study in either the military or official Templar training, many Grand Masters who have directly fought various Assassin ranks are unable to survive the fight,<ref name="Assassination II">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Assassination II (Robert de Sablé)]]</ref><ref name="Pax Romana">''[[Assassin's Creed Brotherhood]]'' – [[Pax Romana]]</ref> and fewer still have fought an Assassin and been able to escape.<ref name="ACL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref><ref name="Play Along">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Play Along]]</ref><ref name="AManTheyCallTheSage">''[[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 two instances of this are recorded to have happened and both prove how dangerous it is when leaders fight as the loser's respective faction was near-totally dismantled, with 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 allies before killing him during the [[siege of Viana]] in 1507,<ref name="Pax Romana"/> while Grand Master [[Haytham Kenway]]'s defeating and crippling of the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Assassins]]' Mentor [[Achilles Davenport]] at the end of the [[Seven Years' War]] led to a [[Great Purge (1757-1763)|purge]]<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Non Nobis Domine]]</ref> that ended with a final attack on the [[Davenport Homestead]] and Achilles being forced into solitary exile.<ref name="DatabaseHomestead">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Database: Davenport Homestead]]</ref> | |||
the [[ | |||
Using any [[Piece of Eden|Pieces of Eden]] they have on their person has only prolonged a Grand Master's fight against Assassins. Although they are granted various powers to gain an advantage, it is only temporary until the Assassins either outlast it and kill them outright<ref name="A Night to Remember">''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' – [[A Night to Remember]]</ref> or sever the connection to the artifact before then defeating them.<ref name="Bocca al Lupo">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[In Bocca al Lupo]]</ref><ref name="Temple"/> In light of this, some Grand Masters have simply chosen to flee rather than attempting a direct fight, though this also only prolongs the inevitable.<ref name="End of the Road">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[End of the Road]]</ref><ref name="ChasingLee">''[[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=== | ===Authority=== | ||
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{{Main|Templar Rite}} | {{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}} | {{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"/> | A Grand Master controls a specific geographic region and their Rite is named after it.<ref name="ACEG"/> They had the authority to appoint [[Lieutenant of the Templar Order|lieutenants]] as their second-in-command and main advisor.<ref name="ACUN 5 Oct">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 5 October 1789</ref><ref name="Rank">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[A Cautious Alliance]]</ref> 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="BirdsOfAFeather">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Birds of a Feather]]</ref><ref name="TheBraddockExpedition">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[The Braddock Expedition (memory)]]</ref><ref name="MisterWalpole">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Mister Walpole, I Presume?]]</ref> The subordinate Templar ranks answering to the entire leadership are Seneschals, [[Advisor of the Templar Order|Advisor]], Commanders, Preceptors, Knights, Warriors, Clerics, and finally, the Disciples.<ref name="ACBH m/p">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Multiplayer]] – {{Cite|11 Oct 2024}}</ref> | ||
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 in charging [[John Harrison]] with finding Isu sites and artifacts<ref name="WarLetters">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[War Letters]]</ref> and Haytham Kenway ordering [[Shay Cormac]] to recover the [[Precursor box]].<ref name="NonNobisDomine">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Non Nobis Domine]]</ref> Other tasks include collecting funds<ref name="SivertDatabase">''[[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 a Rite's intelligence and support.<ref name="Naval Campaign">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Naval Campaign]]</ref><ref name="WarLetters"/> If needed, sending a prominent Templar member to support specific campaigns can also be done.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Battle of Labrador (memory)]]</ref><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Battle of Quiberon Bay (memory)]]</ref><ref name="AFoolsErrand">''[[Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]'' – [[A Fool's Errand]]</ref> | |||
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, | |||
If needed, sending a prominent Templar member to support specific campaigns can also be done.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Battle of Labrador (memory) | |||
However, this does not mean a Grand Master can neglect their own Rite's goals to actively participate in the duties of other Templars. A prominent example of this was the | However, this does not mean a Grand Master can neglect their own Rite's goals to actively participate in the duties of other Templars. A prominent example of this was the Italian 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 more local goals.<ref name="ADeadlyPerformance">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[A Deadly Performance]]</ref><ref name="Forsaken"/> | ||
The Grand Master would also occasionally meet with other Rites' Templars to discuss domestic and global politics, and the Order's own conditions,<ref name="ACUN 12 Apr"/> 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"/> An advantage of being Grand Master is 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="Forsaken"/><ref name="AltMethods">''[[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 participated in the host's local plans in exchange for support, even if the Grand Master position is a birthright.<ref name="ACUN 11 Feb">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' (novel)]] – 11 February 1788</ref><ref name="ACUN 20 Mar">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' (novel)]] – 20 March 1788</ref> | |||
The Grand Master would also occasionally meet with other Rites' Templars to discuss domestic and global politics, and the Order's own conditions,<ref name="ACUN | [[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]],<ref name="TheBraddockExpedition"/><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Scars]]</ref><ref name="MisterWalpole"/> exiling those who have either directly or indirectly betrayed the Order,<ref name="ACU">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''</ref> and witnessing or participating in the executions of offenders who broke Templar principles or<ref name="Forsaken"/><ref name="TheFoamAndTheFlames">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[The Foam and the Flames]]</ref> had killed a Grand Master for revenge.<ref name="ACUN 20 Jan">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – 20 January 1793</ref> The promotion of wanting peace with the Assassins is considered treasonous and grounds for any member's execution, be it a ruling Grand Master or one in training,<ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/> and the imprisoning of any Templar suspected of being allied with them,<ref name="InterceptLimassol">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'' – [[Intercept (Limassol Cathedral Square)]]</ref> with basic courtesies for visiting Templars being revoked to execute offenders for violating Templar principles.<ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/><ref name="InterceptLimassol"/> | |||
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> | |||
After the Inner Sanctum's founding, the Grand Masters' powers | |||
===Accession=== | ===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}} | {{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}} | ||
A Templar aiming to become the Grand Master must quickly recruit members within the group before initiating a coup,<ref name="CastelloCrasher">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Castello Crasher]]</ref><ref name="ACUN | [[File:Apple a day 4.png|250px|thumb|Cesare 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="CastelloCrasher">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Castello Crasher]]</ref><ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/> and would ideally also contact other Rites to convince them that the action is necessary,<ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/><ref name="ACU"/> though the latter step is more of a courtesy since not all successors did so. A Grand Master being the ruling authority, excessive undermining and questioning by their subordinates threatens their own legitimacy, as would failing to maintain their support.<ref name="ACUN 21 Jan">[[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 their target learn of their intentions and orders their death.<ref name="ACUW">''[[Assassin's Creed: Underworld]]''</ref> This likewise applies to defending incumbents,<ref name="HighSociety">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[High Society]]</ref><ref name="AnAppleADay"/> | |||
[[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 death, a successor may be appointed as a 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 a Rite 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 were controlled by preparing the future Grand Master for the position.<ref name="ACT-1"/> | |||
[[File:High Society 12.png|thumb|250px | |||
In the event of a Grand Master's untimely death, a successor may be appointed as a Rite's ''de facto'' leader until a new Grand Master is officially elected | |||
===Reforms=== | ===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 about the Order's transition from feudal monarchies to capitalism.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood|Rifts}} | {{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 about 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. For their efforts turning the Templar Order into a public organization, it was officially recognized as the Order of Knights Templars during the {{Wiki|Council of Troyes (1129)|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> | |||
The first major | |||
[[File:ACU The Execution 2.jpg|250px|thumb|Germain and his guards during his Templar revolution]] | [[File:ACU The Execution 2.jpg|250px|thumb|Germain and his guards during his Templar revolution]] | ||
During another major reform, while being lead by the Inner Sanctum,<ref name="ACEG"/> the Templars already were supportive of 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 and became Grand Master de la Serre's | During another major reform, while being lead by the Inner Sanctum,<ref name="ACEG"/> the Templars already were supportive of 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]] and became Grand Master [[François de la Serre]]'s lieutenant,<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">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Temple]]</ref> However, 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> The reformed Rite aimed to bring about de Molay's proposed changes for a society<ref name="Temple"/><ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/> and with critical support from the other Rites<ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/> collectively known as the Outer Temple,<ref name="ACEG"/> gradually redirected the entire Templar Order to adopt this policy<ref name="ACUN"/><ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/> under the leadership of the Inner Sanctum.<ref name="ACEG"/> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Order of the Ancients=== | ===Order of the Ancients=== | ||
{{Main|Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients}} | {{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]] 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.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]] – [[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[Sic Semper Tyrannis]]</ref> | |||
[[File:ACVBB - Aelfred and Aethelred.png|thumb|left|250px|Alfred and Æthelred, Kings of Wessex and Grand Maegesters of the Order]] | |||
In the 9th century CE, the Order's [[Anglo-Saxons|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".<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="ThePoorFellowSoldier"/> | |||
In 871, Æthelred died from wounds sustained during the [[Battle of Meretun]],<ref name="AlfredDatabase"/> 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="ThePoorFellowSoldier"/> 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="ThePoorFellowSoldier"/> | |||
In 871, Æthelred died from wounds sustained during the [[Battle of Meretun]],<ref | |||
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 | |||
===Middle Ages=== | ===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> | 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]] | |||
[[File:Siege of Masyaf Templars.png|thumb|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 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 | |||
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> | 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 French Assassins influenced King [[Philip IV of France|Philip IV]] into conspiring against the Templars, | 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=== | ===Renaissance=== | ||
[[File:In and Out 8.png|thumb|250px | [[File:In and Out 8.png|thumb|left|250px|Cesare Borgia and his father Rodrigo]] | ||
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 | 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, 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"/> | ||
Rodrigo then secured the | Rodrigo then 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"/> form the Pope's seat in [[Vaticano District|the Vatican]]. However, by 1500, his resolve had weakened and control over the order fell to his son 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>''[[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 above Templar principles.<ref name="EncyclopediaCh2"/><ref name="ACEG"/> When Rodrigo refused to fund Cesare's unauthorized campaigns<ref name="AnAppleADay"/> following both Juan's<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[In and Out]]</ref> and Octavian's assassinations,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Au Revoir]]</ref> Cesare killed him in a blind rage and became the uncontested Grand Master.<ref name="AnAppleADay"/><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. With Pope [[Julius II]]'s ascension in December, 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 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 [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Byzantine Rite]]'s Grand Master<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 also opposed his efforts with assistance from the [[Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins|Ottoman Assassins]], successfully driving the Templars out of the Empire while Ahmet's brother [[Selim I]] killed personally killed him for betraying his country.<ref name="ACR"/> | Circa 1509, the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Prince [[Ahmet]] became the [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Byzantine Rite]]'s Grand Master<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 also opposed his efforts with assistance from the [[Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins|Ottoman Assassins]], successfully driving the Templars out of the Empire while Ahmet's brother [[Selim I]] killed personally killed him for betraying his country.<ref name="ACR"/> | ||
===Colonial era=== | ===Colonial era=== | ||
[[File:Mister Walpole I Presume 9.png|thumb|250px|Laureano Torres explaining his plans with the Observatory]] | [[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.<ref name="AC4"/> | 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.<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 | 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="ADeadlyPerformance"/><ref name="Forsaken"/> Upon his arrival, Haytham gathered his co-conspirators whom Birch had recommended and became the first Grand Master of the newly-founded Colonial Rite.<ref name="AC3"/> | ||
[[File:ACIII-BraddockExpedition 3.png|thumb|250px | [[File:ACIII-BraddockExpedition 3.png|thumb|left|250px|Haytham Kenway leading the Colonial Templars]] | ||
During the | During the Seven Years' War, the Colonial Rite grew in power, acquiring such influence that they 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. 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.<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="DatabaseHomestead"/> | ||
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="LeesLastStand"/> 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>''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Laid to Rest]]</ref> He was unsuccessful however, and Connor assassinated him inside the [[tavern]] ''[[Last Drink]]'' in 1782.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed | 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="LeesLastStand"/> 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>''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Laid to Rest]]</ref> He was unsuccessful however, and Connor assassinated him inside the [[tavern]] ''[[Last Drink]]'' in 1782.<ref name="ChasingLee"/> | ||
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="HighSociety"/> except [[Chrétien Lafrenière]]<ref name="TheEstatesGeneral">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Estates General]]</ref><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Prophet]]</ref> had pledged allegiance<ref name="HighSociety"/> 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, Chrétien and François' daughter [[Élise de la Serre|Élise]]<ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/>—who had been presumed the heir apparent<ref name="HighSociety"/>—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 Jan"/> The other Rites eventually began sanctioning her faction following campaigns by the British Rite's [[Carroll family]] after a feud with Élise for [[Haytham Kenway's letters]], which suggested collaborating with the Assassins to end their war, a view the Carrolls said would have been grounds for execution for treason<ref name="ACUN"/> had Haytham not already been killed.<ref name="LeesLastStand"/> Élise expressed these views in letters to her father and influenced him to meet<ref name="ACUN 20 Jan"/> 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="TheEstatesGeneral"/> | |||
In Europe, François de la Serre had risen to the position of Grand Master of the Parisian Rite. However, he was ultimately deposed in a coup orchestrated by François-Thomas Germain, who usurped the position following de la Serre's death. Germain's ascension was opposed by de la Serre's daughter Élise,<ref name="ACU"/><ref name="ACUN"/> who worked with her lover,<ref name="ACU"/> the French Assassin [[Arno Dorian]], to hunt the Grand Master and his allies, eventually succeeding in killing Germain in 1794.<ref name="Temple"/> | In Europe, François de la Serre had risen to the position of Grand Master of the Parisian Rite. However, he was ultimately deposed in a coup orchestrated by François-Thomas Germain, who usurped the position following de la Serre's death. Germain's ascension was opposed by de la Serre's daughter Élise,<ref name="ACU"/><ref name="ACUN"/> who worked with her lover,<ref name="ACU"/> the French Assassin [[Arno Dorian]], to hunt the Grand Master and his allies, eventually succeeding in killing Germain in 1794.<ref name="Temple"/> | ||
===Early modern era=== | ===Early modern era=== | ||
[[File:ACS S6 Thorne in the Side 9.jpg|thumb|250px|Grand Master Crawford Starrick of the British Rite]] | [[File:ACS S6 Thorne in the Side 9.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Grand Master Crawford Starrick of the British Rite]] | ||
In 1862, the British Templar [[Cavanagh]] sought to overthrow Crawford Starrick with an [[Apple of Eden 7|Apple of Eden]] he 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">''[[Assassin's Creed: Underworld]]''</ref> Within six years, he 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> He was [[Liberation of London|opposed]] by the few remaining Assassins, 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, 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"/> | In 1925, 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"/> | ||
| Line 137: | Line 104: | ||
===Contemporary era=== | ===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 answerable to the Guardians, who in turn answered to the General of the Cross.<ref name="ACU | 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 answerable to the Guardians, who in turn answered to the General of the Cross.<ref name="ACU Database Memo"/> | ||
==Known Grand Masters== | ==Known Grand Masters== | ||
| Line 145: | Line 112: | ||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | <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 | ACO Julius Caesar render.png|[[Gaius Julius Caesar]]<ref name="ACO"/><br>[[Rome]]<br>c. 47 BCE – 44 BCE | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
| Line 156: | Line 117: | ||
{{Main|Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients}} | {{Main|Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients}} | ||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | <gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | ||
Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Æthelwulf, King of Wessex]]<ref name="ACV"/><br>[[ | 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 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 | ACV Alfred the Great render.png|[[Alfred the Great]]<ref name="ACV"/><br>England<br>871 – c. 873 | ||
| Line 172: | Line 133: | ||
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''}} | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | ||
Reginald Birch ACIII.png|[[Reginald Birch]]<ref name="AC3" | Reginald Birch ACIII.png|[[Reginald Birch]]<ref name="AC3"/><br>[[British Rite of the Templar Order|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 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 | AC3 Charles Lee.png|[[Charles Lee]]<ref name="AC3"/><br>Colonial Rite<br>1781 – 1782 | ||
| Line 185: | Line 146: | ||
ACT Fessenden.jpg|[[Stirling Fessenden]]<ref name="ACT"/><br>Chinese Rite<br>began 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Wiki noimage.jpg|[[Mexican Grand Master]]<ref name="ACU Database Memo"/><br>[[Mexican Rite of the Templar Order|Mexican Rite]]<br>c. 2014 | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
==Behind the scenes== | ==Behind the scenes== | ||
''Assassin's Creed'' material occasionally identifies Assassins, including Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, [[Mario Auditore]], | ''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== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 02:40, 12 October 2024
| This article is about the highest rank of the Templar Order. You may be looking for other uses of the title. |
The title of Grand Master is one of the highest ranks of the Templar Order. 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 designated the Order's Rite leaders, 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 society in which the Father of Understanding ruled alongside the Mother of Wisdom and the Sacred Voice.[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 called Mentors. However, as the Templars slipped into the shadows following their presumed public defeat in the 14th century, their leaders' identities eventually fell from the public consciousness. Over the same time, they had also undergone 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 of the Order's most prestigious members, the Inner Sanctum and the Council of Elders. The 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 accountable 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
Purpose
- "[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, 878 CE.[src]-[m]
In commentaries written by the 9th century king Alfred of Wessex,[2] who hated his involuntary inheriting of the position Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients from his late older brother Æthelred I[4][5] and sought to destroy the Order for its Isu veneration,[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. 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
- "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 to further the Templars' ideals in pursuit of the greater good.[10] The strongest minds among the Order are meant to bear the responsibility of the peoples' will for freedom and responsibility,[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, both combat and stratagem are part of their training.[13][10]
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][14] After the Inner Sanctum's founding, promotions to Grand Master came under their control.[7] Even with their years of combat study in either the military or official Templar training, many Grand Masters who have directly fought various Assassin ranks are unable to survive the fight,[15][16] and fewer still have fought an Assassin and been able to escape.[17][18][19]
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 two instances of this are recorded to have happened and both prove how dangerous it is when leaders fight as the loser's respective faction was near-totally dismantled, with the Italian Assassins' Mentor Ezio Auditore having already removed Grand Master Cesare Borgia's allies before killing him during the siege of Viana in 1507,[16] while Grand Master Haytham Kenway's defeating and crippling of the Colonial Assassins' Mentor Achilles Davenport at the end of the Seven Years' War led to a purge[20] that ended with a final attack on the Davenport Homestead and Achilles being forced into solitary exile.[21]
Using any Pieces of Eden they have on their person has only prolonged a Grand Master's fight against Assassins. Although they are granted various powers to gain an advantage, it is only temporary until the Assassins either outlast it and kill them outright[22] or sever the connection to the artifact before then defeating them.[23][24] In light of this, some Grand Masters have simply chosen to flee rather than attempting a direct fight, though this also only prolongs the inevitable.[25][26] Because so many Grand Masters have died in combat, a successful assassination of one is also rare[27][28] as is the thwarting of an attempt.[29]
Authority
- 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] They had the authority to appoint lieutenants as their second-in-command and main advisor.[30][31] 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.[32][33] 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.[34] 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.[35][36][37] The subordinate Templar ranks answering to the entire leadership are Seneschals, Advisor, Commanders, Preceptors, Knights, Warriors, Clerics, and finally, the Disciples.[38]
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.[39][40][41] 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 in charging John Harrison with finding Isu sites and artifacts[42] and Haytham Kenway ordering Shay Cormac to recover the Precursor box.[43] 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 a Rite's intelligence and support.[45][42] If needed, sending a prominent Templar member to support specific campaigns can also be done.[46][47][48]
However, this does not mean a Grand Master can neglect their own Rite's goals to actively participate in the duties of other Templars. A prominent example of this was the Italian 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".[49][1][50] 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 more local goals.[51][10]
The Grand Master would also occasionally meet with other Rites' Templars 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.[40] An advantage of being Grand Master is a personal network that functions as their eyes and ears everywhere, and they get regular updates from agents, especially Templars directly under their command.[10][52] 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 participated in the host's local plans in exchange for support, even if the Grand Master position is a birthright.[53][54]
Other responsibilities of the Grand Master include overseeing new members' initiation,[36][55][37] exiling those who have either directly or indirectly betrayed the Order,[56] and witnessing or participating in the executions of offenders who broke Templar principles or[10][57] had killed a Grand Master for revenge.[58] The promotion of wanting peace with the Assassins is considered treasonous and grounds for any member's execution, be it a ruling Grand Master or one in training,[58] and the imprisoning of any Templar suspected of being allied with them,[59] with basic courtesies for visiting Templars being revoked to execute offenders for violating Templar principles.[58][59]
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.[60]
Accession
A Templar aiming to become the Grand Master must quickly recruit members within the group before initiating a coup,[61][58] and would ideally also contact other Rites to convince them that the action is necessary,[58][56] though the latter step is more of a courtesy since not all successors did so. A Grand Master being the ruling authority, excessive undermining and questioning by their subordinates threatens their own legitimacy, as would failing to maintain their support.[62] Conversely, should a competitor fail to attract sufficient backing they will only facilitate their own end if their target learn of their intentions and orders their death.[63] This likewise applies to defending incumbents,[64][14]
In the event of a Grand Master's untimely death, a successor may be appointed as a Rite's de facto leader until a new Grand Master is officially elected.[65] There have also been several instances of a Grand Master being chosen by a Rite 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.[63] The transition between Grand Masters under the Inner Sanctum were controlled by preparing the future Grand Master for the position.[32]
Reforms
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. For their efforts turning the Templar Order into a public organization, it 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][49][66]
During another major reform, while being lead by the Inner Sanctum,[1] the Templars already were supportive of 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.[49] After François-Thomas Germain joined the Parisian Rite and became Grand Master François de la Serre's lieutenant,[67] 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.[24] However, de la Serre expelled Germain for espousing ideals from de Molay's heretical work,[1][67][68] but was oblivious to Germain recruiting followers.[69][70] The reformed Rite aimed to bring about de Molay's proposed changes for a society[24][58] and with critical support from the other Rites[58] collectively known as the Outer Temple,[1] gradually redirected the entire Templar Order to adopt this policy[13][58] under the leadership of the Inner Sanctum.[1]
History
Order of the Ancients
- 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 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,[71] his adoptive son Octavian succeeded him as leader of the Order.[72]
In the 9th century CE, 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".[73] 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
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.[74]
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.[75][76]
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.[77]
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.[78][74]
Renaissance
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,[79] 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.[74][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.[79]
Rodrigo then secured the church's power for the Templars and oversaw the progress of the other Templars in Europe, including England and Spain,[80] form the Pope's seat in the Vatican. However, by 1500, his resolve had weakened and control over the order 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,[81] and his executioner Micheletto Corella ensuring that puppets[80] and generals[82] obeyed him, Cesare led the Templars to untold power over Italy, though this was all for personal ambition above Templar principles.[49][1] When Rodrigo refused to fund Cesare's unauthorized campaigns[14] following both Juan's[83] and Octavian's assassinations,[84] Cesare killed him in a blind rage and became the uncontested Grand Master.[14][85] However, without his father's power in the church, he could not maintain the same influence in Europe that his father had. With Pope Julius II's ascension in December, he ordered Cesare's arrest and imprisonment[86] 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.[85] Ezio ultimately killed the Grand Master during Cesare's siege of Viana in 1507,[16] destabilizing the Templars in Europe and causing them to temporarily withdraw.[87]
Circa 1509, the Ottoman Prince Ahmet became the Byzantine Rite's Grand Master[74] 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 also opposed his efforts with assistance from the Ottoman Assassins, successfully driving the Templars out of the Empire while Ahmet's brother Selim I killed personally killed him for betraying his country.[87]
Colonial era
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.[34]
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.[51][10] Upon his arrival, Haytham gathered his co-conspirators whom Birch had recommended and became the first Grand Master of the newly-founded Colonial Rite.[39]
During the Seven Years' War, the Colonial Rite grew in power, acquiring such influence that they 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. 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.[40] 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.[21]
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.[88] He was unsuccessful however, and Connor assassinated him inside the tavern Last Drink in 1782.[26]
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[64] except Chrétien Lafrenière[89][90] had pledged allegiance[64] 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, Chrétien and François' daughter Élise[58]—who had been presumed the heir apparent[64]—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.[58] The other Rites eventually began sanctioning her faction following campaigns by the British Rite's Carroll family after a feud with Élise for Haytham Kenway's letters, which suggested collaborating with the Assassins to end their war, a view the Carrolls said would have been grounds for execution for treason[13] had Haytham not already been killed.[12] Élise expressed these views in letters to her father and influenced him to meet[58] the French Mentor Mirabeau during the Estates-General of 1789, where they established a truce between both Orders in France.[89]
In Europe, François de la Serre had risen to the position of Grand Master of the Parisian Rite. However, he was ultimately deposed in a coup orchestrated by François-Thomas Germain, who usurped the position following de la Serre's death. Germain's ascension was opposed by de la Serre's daughter Élise,[56][13] who worked with her lover,[56] the French Assassin Arno Dorian, to hunt the Grand Master and his allies, eventually succeeding in killing Germain in 1794.[24]
Early modern era
In 1862, the British Templar Cavanagh sought to overthrow Crawford Starrick with an Apple of Eden he found. Without any significant support, however, his plans were ultimately fruitless. Starrick soon learned of Cavanagh's intentions and ordered his death.[63] Within six years, he 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.[91] He was opposed by the few remaining Assassins, namely, Henry Green, and the Frye twins Jacob and Evie,[92] who killed Starrick during his quest for a Shroud of Eden, freeing London from Templar influence.[93]
In 1925, 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
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,[94] 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 answerable to the Guardians, who in turn answered to the General of the Cross.[60]
Known Grand Masters
Order of the Ancients
Fathers of Understanding
- Main article: Father of Understanding
![Gaius Julius Caesar[71] Rome c. 47 BCE – 44 BCE](/wiki/File:ACO_Julius_Caesar_render.png)
Grand Maegesters
- Main article: Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients
![Æthelwulf, King of Wessex[73] England until 858](/wiki/File:Wiki_noimage.jpg)
![Æthelred I, King of Wessex[73] England c. 865 – 871](/wiki/File:ACV_BB_-_%C3%86thelred.jpg)
![Alfred the Great[73] England 871 – c. 873](/wiki/File:ACV_Alfred_the_Great_render.png){kind=small}
Order of the Knights Templar
![Hugues de Payens[74] French Rite / Levantine Rite Knights Templar 1118 – 1136](/wiki/File:Hugh_de_Payns.jpg)
![Robert de Sablé[75][76] Levantine Rite Knights Templar 1190 – 1191](/wiki/File:AC1_Robert_render.png)
![Armand Bouchart[77] Levantine Rite 1191 – 1193](/wiki/File:Bouchart1.png)
![Jacques de Molay[74] French Rite Knights Templar 1292 – 1312](/wiki/File:ACU_De_Molay_Render.png)
![Rodrigo Borgia[79][14] Roman Rite 1476 – 1503](/wiki/File:ACB_Rodrigo_render.png){kind=small}
![Cesare Borgia[85] 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[34] West Indies Rite c. 1673 – 1722](/wiki/File:AC4_Laureano_Torres_render.png){kind=small}
![Reginald Birch[39] British Rite c. 1735 – 1757](/wiki/File:Reginald_Birch_ACIII.png){kind=small}
![Haytham Kenway[39] Colonial Rite 1754 – 1781](/wiki/File:AC3_Haytham_Kenway_render.png)
![Charles Lee[39] Colonial Rite 1781 – 1782](/wiki/File:AC3_Charles_Lee.png)
![François de la Serre[56] French Rite 1768 – 1789](/wiki/File:ACU_De_La_Serre_Render.png){kind=small}
![François-Thomas Germain[56] French Rite (radical faction) 1789 – 1794](/wiki/File:ACU_Fran%C3%A7ois-Thomas_Germain_Render.png)
![Crawford Starrick[92] 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[97] until 2016](/wiki/File:ACM_Templar_Rikkin.jpg)
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
hu:A Templomos Rend Nagymestere pt-br:Grão-Mestre ru:Великий Магистр Тамплиеров fr:Grand Maître