Templars: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|May the [[Father of Understanding]] guide us|One of the mottos of the Templars}} | {{quote|May the [[Father of Understanding]] guide us|One of the mottos of the Templars}} | ||
The '''Knights Templar''' | The '''Knights Templar''', or '''Brotherhood''' as they called themselves, was a religious military order-turned coporate giant during the second and third millenium AD. Founded during the First Crusade, the Knights Templar sought to create a perfect world, although the means by which they sought to do so were questionable. Sworn enemies of the [[Order of Assassins]], the Templar's suffered a crippling blow during the [[Third Crusade]], but survived. | ||
Adopting a less public position, the Knights Templar retreated into the shadows and thrived, continuing their war against the Assassins throughout the Renaissance, and into the [[Modern Times|Modern era]]. | |||
==Ideals and goals== | |||
The military order of the Knights Templar was founded publically in 1129 to counter the increasing threat against the Holy Land by the [[Saracens]], and protect the city of [[Jerusalem]].<ref name=HC>The History Channel, ''Decoding the Past: The Templar Code'', 7 November 2005, video documentary written by Marcy Marzuni</ref>. Over time, the Templars, or Brotherhood as they called themselves, began top believe it within their power to unite the world in peace, although their militaristic ways had a great influence on the means to used to procure an end<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>. | |||
Their systems of belief changed greatly upon the discovery of the [[Pieces of Eden]]; the realization of the non-existence of God, and that man had only itself to blame for its misdeeds orced the Order to become atheistic, although the publically maintained the pretense of following the Christian ways so as to not lose the support of the Church<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>. | |||
As time progressed however, the Templars' interest in the Pieces of Eden became more and more about seeking the power and domination that the artifacts offered. Their goals changed as they sought to control and unify the entire world under their grasp using the Pieces of Eden in a way similar to a "New World Order". | Realizing the power over man that the Pieces of Eden held, the Knights Templar began to seek out the artifacts, and in 1191 [[Robert de Sable]], then-Grand Master of the Order, personally sought the fabled ''Apple of Eden'', buried deep in the catacombs beneath [[Solomon's Temple]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. The theft of the piece of Eden by the Order of Assassins brought the two great powers into a sustained conflict with one another, which ended with death of [[Armand Bouchart]] in [[Limassol]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''</ref>. Despite this setback however, the Order maintained their belief in creating a world of peace, through manipulation of the Pieces of Eden. | ||
To their reasoning, with no afterlife or ultimate punishment or reward after death, there was no real reason to oblige by notions of morality and ethics; the end always justified the means, no matter how heinous the means. They thought that only this life was important, rather than preparing for a non-existent next life. With so many lower class people kept in line with the promise of a next life and so many upper class men blissfully ignoring such ideals, the Templars vowed to make a better world, one of lasting peace, no matter the cost<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. | |||
As time progressed however, the Templars' interest in the Pieces of Eden became more and more about seeking the power and domination that the artifacts offered. Their goals changed as they sought to control and unify the entire world under their grasp using the Pieces of Eden in a way similar to a "New World Order"<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
[[File:Assassins-creed-altair-1.jpg|thumb|A Knight Templar battles with Altaïr.]] | [[File:Assassins-creed-altair-1.jpg|thumb|A Knight Templar battles with Altaïr.]] | ||
Founded in Jerusalem in 1129, the Knights Templar sought a world at peace with itself. By 1191 though, they had come to the realization that such peace could only be maintained through use of the [[Pieces of Eden]], and as such made it their quest to gather as many as they could<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. That same year, after the theft of the ''Apple of Eden'' by the assassins [[Malik A-Sayf]] and [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] from the Templars, the Brotherhood entered into a brief period of sustained conflict with their Assassin enemies. Over the course of the year, ten Templar leaders from both [[Crusader]] and [[Saracen]] background fell to the blades of the assassin Altaïr, who was serving penance for crimes comitted during the theft; the deaths included not only the Grand Master of the Order, but also [[Al Mualim]], leader of the Order of Assassins in Syria and the only Templar not willing to share the power of the Apple with his nine brothers<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. | |||
With their leadership effectively wiped out by just one assassin, the Brotherhood retreated to the island of [[Cyprus]] under the command of the new Grand Master, [[Armand Bouchart]]. Pursued by Altaïr, the Templars were wiped out once again, although the treasures of the [[Templar Archive]] in Limassol were spirited away before they could be found<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />. The death of Armand forced the Order toconsider it's position carefully, and by 1312 the Order had officially disbanded. In reality however, the Order continued to thrive, adopting a much more secretive position in world affairs. | |||
===Renaissance=== | ===Renaissance=== | ||
By the late 15<sup>th</sup> Century, the Brotherhood had regained a position of strength on the world stage, spreading deep into the Church and nobility of [[Italy]]. Under the command of [[Rodrigo Borgia]], the Knights Templar sought to unify northern Italy under their command, and regain the Apple of Eden which they knew to be buried in Cyprus<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. Targeting [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], Duke of [[Florence]], the Templars found themselves confronted by the assassin [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]], who whilst not knowing of their Templar allegiances, was rapidly piecing together the clues. Following a near fatal encounter with Giovanni himself, Borgia arranged for the trial and execution of Giovanni and his three sons – [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]], [[Petruccio Auditore|Petruccio]] and [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]] – for the crimes of High Treason against the city of Florence. Corrupting the city official [[Uberto Alberti]], the city guards arrested Giovanni and two of his sons, narrowly missing their chance to capture the third, Ezio, who had spent the night at the house of [[Christina Vespucci]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. | |||
Realizing to late, the treachery of Uberto Alberti, whom his father had considered a friend<ref name="Assassin's Creed:Lineage">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref>, Ezio appeared at the execution of his family, watching in horror as his father and brothers were hung; he narrowly escaped such a fate himself. Unconcerned with the remaining Auditore, the Templars continued in their mission to assume control of the cities of northern Italy. In 1478, the Templar affiliated [[House of Pazzi]] made their push for control. In what would become known as the [[Pazzi conspiracy]], the family struck against the Medici during Mass, killing [[Giuliano de' Medici]] and fatally wounding Lorenzo, who was saved only by the timely intervention of Ezio Auditore, the son who had been allowed to escape. Lorenzo's survival and the arrival of Ezio spelt doom for the Pazzi family, who were left to their fate by Rodrigo Borgia. [[Vieri de' Pazzi|Vieri]], [[Francesco de' Pazzi|Francesco]] and [[Jacopo de' Pazzi]] were all slain by the lone assassin whilst the Templars acknowledged their defeat in Florence, instead turning the attention to the city of [[Venice]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. | |||
Utilising the [[House of Barbarigo]], the Brotherhood assumed control of Venice briefly in 1485, before they were once again overthrown by the lone Assassin. The distraction of controlling the city had been beneficial to the Templars however, as it had distracted the Assassins from noticing the preperations being made for the retrieval of the piece of Eden from Cyprus. Two years later, in 1487, the Templar expedition returned to Venice with ''the Apple'' in hand. Bringing it to Borgia, an undercover Ezio engaged the Templar Grand Master and, with the assisstance of his fellow Assassins, forced the Templars out of the city once more<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. With the Apple in the hands of the Assassins, the Brotherhood approached the [[House of Orsi|brothers Orsi]] – [[Ludovico Orsi|Ludovico]] and [[Checco Orsi|Checco]] – to obtain a map detailing the location of the Codex pages from the wife of the Templar [[Girolamo Riario]] – [[Caterina Sforza]]. Invading [[Forlì]], the Orsi brothers demanded the map, and ''the Apple'' in exchange for the lives of Sforza's children. The brothers were rebuked, and assaulted the [[Rocca di Ravaldino]]. Together with the city guards, the Assassins Ezio Auditore and [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] held off the assault, although a second succeeded in claiming ''the Apple'' briefly<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì">''[[Battle of Forlì (DLC)|Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì]]''</ref>. | |||
Despite the loss of ''the Apple'', Rodrigo Borgia was ultimately unfazed, and in 1492 became Pope [[w:Alexander VI|Alexander VI]] in order to gain access to the Papal staff, another of the Pieces of Eden. In 1499 Borgia was once again confronted by the assassin Ezio, this time within the [[Sistine Chapel]] itself<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. | |||
===Modern | ===Modern era=== | ||
Despite their defeat at the hands of the assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the Templar order continued to exist within the shadow. Inflitrating or starting up countless corporate entities, the Templars positioned its members in several world-defining positions, improving the planets technological level significantly. The Templars also worked to stiffle world progress however; [[Adolf Hitler]] used a Piece of Eden to rise to power in Germany, and subsequently started a [[w:World War II|world-wide conflict]]. He was "fought" by his Templar counterparts Franklin Delano Roosevelt and [[Joseph Stalin]], who ultimately won the conflict<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. | |||
By the early 21<sup>st</sup> Century, the Templar fronted [[Abstergo Industries]] had expanded into a global entity, far larger and more powerful than most companies that had come before it<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. For the most part this was not treated as suspicious, although there were those within the general population who viewed the company with suspicion<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. | |||
At this time, Abstergo Industires seemingly lacked a Piece of Eden capable of controlling the minds of humanity, and as such authorised the [[Animus]]-project in order to gain access to the memories of those who might know the location of one. By 2012, sixteen test subjects had been "retired" before the company succeeded with the sevententh – [[Desmond Miles]], the descendant of both Altaïr, and Ezio Auditore<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. With the location of all the Pieces of Eden now theres, the Templars were finally able to execute their plans to place ''the Apple'' into orbit, and use the device to control the minds of all citizens of Earth<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. | |||
==Members== | ==Members== | ||
Originally crusaders of unprecedented skill, as time progressed, they began to act secretly, utilizing powerful and influential people to further their cause. Often, these people are lured to being Templars by the promise of power and glory. | Originally crusaders of unprecedented skill, as time progressed, they began to act secretly, utilizing powerful and influential people to further their cause. Often, these people are lured to being Templars by the promise of power and glory. | ||
===Third Crusade=== | ===Third Crusade=== | ||
*[[Basilisk]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar) | * [[Basilisk]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar) | ||
*[[Robert de Sable]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Basilisk) | * [[Robert de Sable]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Basilisk) | ||
*[[Armand Bouchart]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Robert) | * [[Armand Bouchart]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Robert) | ||
*[[Tamir the Merchant]] (Black marketeer in [[Damascus]]) | * [[Tamir the Merchant]] (Black marketeer in [[Damascus]]) | ||
*[[Garnier de Naplouse]] (Grand Master of the [[Knights Hospitalier]]) | * [[Garnier de Naplouse]] (Grand Master of the [[Knights Hospitalier]]) | ||
*[[Talal the Slave Trader]] (Slave master in [[Jerusalem]]) | * [[Talal the Slave Trader]] (Slave master in [[Jerusalem]]) | ||
*[[Abul Nuqoud]] (Merchant king of Damascus) | * [[Abul Nuqoud]] (Merchant king of Damascus) | ||
*[[William of Montferrat]] (Regent lord of [[Acre]]) | * [[William of Montferrat]] (Regent lord of [[Acre]]) | ||
*[[Majd Addin]] (Regent lord of Jerusalem) | * [[Majd Addin]] (Regent lord of Jerusalem) | ||
*[[Jubair al Hakim]] (Head of the Illuminated and the chief [[scholar]] of Damascus) | * [[Jubair al Hakim]] (Head of the Illuminated and the chief [[scholar]] of Damascus) | ||
*[[Sibrand]] (Grand Master of the [[Knights Teutonic]]) | * [[Sibrand]] (Grand Master of the [[Knights Teutonic]]) | ||
*[[Al Mualim]] (Master and leader of the [[Assassin]]s, and a former Templar) | * [[Al Mualim]] (Master and leader of the [[Assassin]]s, and a former Templar) | ||
*[[Maria Thorpe]] (Robert de Sable's steward and his own personal assassin; became ally to the Assassins) | * [[Maria Thorpe]] (Robert de Sable's steward and his own personal assassin; became ally to the Assassins) | ||
*[[Roland Napule]] (Head of a Templar hospital in [[Tyre]]) | * [[Roland Napule]] (Head of a Templar hospital in [[Tyre]]) | ||
*[[Masun]] (Traitorous assassin who is a double agent to the Templar) | * [[Masun]] (Traitorous assassin who is a double agent to the Templar) | ||
*[[Alaat]] (Templar knight) | * [[Alaat]] (Templar knight) | ||
*[[Tamir (Altaïr's Chronicles)]] (A rich merchant allied to Basilisk) | * [[Tamir (Altaïr's Chronicles)]] (A rich merchant allied to Basilisk) | ||
*[[Master of the Tower]] (Basilisk's second-in-command, master of the art of killing) | * [[Master of the Tower]] (Basilisk's second-in-command, master of the art of killing) | ||
*[[The Master's Student]] (Templar killer) | * [[The Master's Student]] (Templar killer) | ||
*[[Harash]] (Al Mualim's second-in-command, traitor who joined Templars) | * [[Harash]] (Al Mualim's second-in-command, traitor who joined Templars) | ||
*[[Frederick The Red]] (Templar regent of Limassol) | * [[Frederick The Red]] (Templar regent of Limassol) | ||
*[[Pirate Captain]] (Leader of Cypriot pirates who joined the Order) | * [[Pirate Captain]] (Leader of Cypriot pirates who joined the Order) | ||
*[[Osman]] (Templar knight, secretly a member of Cypriot resistance) | * [[Osman]] (Templar knight, secretly a member of Cypriot resistance) | ||
*[[Moloch]] (Templar regent of Kyrenia) | * [[Moloch]] (Templar regent of Kyrenia) | ||
*[[Shalim]] (Armand Bouchart's second-in-command, son of Moloch) | * [[Shalim]] (Armand Bouchart's second-in-command, son of Moloch) | ||
*[[Shahar]] (Shalim's twin brother) | * [[Shahar]] (Shalim's twin brother) | ||
*[[Templar Agent]] (Armand Bouchart's highly trained, stealthy killer) | * [[Templar Agent]] (Armand Bouchart's highly trained, stealthy killer) | ||
*[[Isaac Comnenus]] (Former ruler of [[Cyprus]] and keeper of the [[Templar Archive]]) | * [[Isaac Comnenus]] (Former ruler of [[Cyprus]] and keeper of the [[Templar Archive]]) | ||
===Renaissance=== | ===Renaissance=== | ||
| Line 149: | Line 152: | ||
== The Historical Templars == | == The Historical Templars == | ||
[[File:Templar4.jpg|thumb|Depiction of Templars]] | [[File:Templar4.jpg|thumb|Depiction of Templars]] | ||
{{quote|Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da Gloriam<br>(''Latin for "Not to us God, not to us, but to Your Name | {{quote|Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da Gloriam<br>(''Latin for "Not to us God, not to us, but to Your Name Give Glory"'')|Historical motto of the Templars | ||
}} | }} | ||
''Ordre du Temple'' in French, the Knights Templar are amongst the most famous of the Western Christian military orders involved in the war. They are well known by the distinctive white mantles with a red cross. Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favored charity throughout Christianity, and grew rapidly in membership. Because the Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded. | ''Ordre du Temple'' in French, the Knights Templar are amongst the most famous of the Western Christian military orders involved in the war. They are well known by the distinctive white mantles with a red cross. Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favored charity throughout Christianity, and grew rapidly in membership. Because the Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded. | ||
| Line 158: | Line 161: | ||
*[[List of Templar Locations|List of Templar Locations in ''Assassin's Creed'']] | *[[List of Templar Locations|List of Templar Locations in ''Assassin's Creed'']] | ||
==Notes and references== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
{{AC}} | {{AC}} | ||
Revision as of 18:36, 23 March 2010
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- "May the Father of Understanding guide us"
- ―One of the mottos of the Templars
The Knights Templar, or Brotherhood as they called themselves, was a religious military order-turned coporate giant during the second and third millenium AD. Founded during the First Crusade, the Knights Templar sought to create a perfect world, although the means by which they sought to do so were questionable. Sworn enemies of the Order of Assassins, the Templar's suffered a crippling blow during the Third Crusade, but survived.
Adopting a less public position, the Knights Templar retreated into the shadows and thrived, continuing their war against the Assassins throughout the Renaissance, and into the Modern era.
Ideals and goals
The military order of the Knights Templar was founded publically in 1129 to counter the increasing threat against the Holy Land by the Saracens, and protect the city of Jerusalem.[1]. Over time, the Templars, or Brotherhood as they called themselves, began top believe it within their power to unite the world in peace, although their militaristic ways had a great influence on the means to used to procure an end[2]. Their systems of belief changed greatly upon the discovery of the Pieces of Eden; the realization of the non-existence of God, and that man had only itself to blame for its misdeeds orced the Order to become atheistic, although the publically maintained the pretense of following the Christian ways so as to not lose the support of the Church[3].
Realizing the power over man that the Pieces of Eden held, the Knights Templar began to seek out the artifacts, and in 1191 Robert de Sable, then-Grand Master of the Order, personally sought the fabled Apple of Eden, buried deep in the catacombs beneath Solomon's Temple[2]. The theft of the piece of Eden by the Order of Assassins brought the two great powers into a sustained conflict with one another, which ended with death of Armand Bouchart in Limassol[4]. Despite this setback however, the Order maintained their belief in creating a world of peace, through manipulation of the Pieces of Eden.
To their reasoning, with no afterlife or ultimate punishment or reward after death, there was no real reason to oblige by notions of morality and ethics; the end always justified the means, no matter how heinous the means. They thought that only this life was important, rather than preparing for a non-existent next life. With so many lower class people kept in line with the promise of a next life and so many upper class men blissfully ignoring such ideals, the Templars vowed to make a better world, one of lasting peace, no matter the cost[2].
As time progressed however, the Templars' interest in the Pieces of Eden became more and more about seeking the power and domination that the artifacts offered. Their goals changed as they sought to control and unify the entire world under their grasp using the Pieces of Eden in a way similar to a "New World Order"[2][3].
History
Founded in Jerusalem in 1129, the Knights Templar sought a world at peace with itself. By 1191 though, they had come to the realization that such peace could only be maintained through use of the Pieces of Eden, and as such made it their quest to gather as many as they could[2]. That same year, after the theft of the Apple of Eden by the assassins Malik A-Sayf and Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad from the Templars, the Brotherhood entered into a brief period of sustained conflict with their Assassin enemies. Over the course of the year, ten Templar leaders from both Crusader and Saracen background fell to the blades of the assassin Altaïr, who was serving penance for crimes comitted during the theft; the deaths included not only the Grand Master of the Order, but also Al Mualim, leader of the Order of Assassins in Syria and the only Templar not willing to share the power of the Apple with his nine brothers[2].
With their leadership effectively wiped out by just one assassin, the Brotherhood retreated to the island of Cyprus under the command of the new Grand Master, Armand Bouchart. Pursued by Altaïr, the Templars were wiped out once again, although the treasures of the Templar Archive in Limassol were spirited away before they could be found[4]. The death of Armand forced the Order toconsider it's position carefully, and by 1312 the Order had officially disbanded. In reality however, the Order continued to thrive, adopting a much more secretive position in world affairs.
Renaissance
By the late 15th Century, the Brotherhood had regained a position of strength on the world stage, spreading deep into the Church and nobility of Italy. Under the command of Rodrigo Borgia, the Knights Templar sought to unify northern Italy under their command, and regain the Apple of Eden which they knew to be buried in Cyprus[2]. Targeting Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Florence, the Templars found themselves confronted by the assassin Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, who whilst not knowing of their Templar allegiances, was rapidly piecing together the clues. Following a near fatal encounter with Giovanni himself, Borgia arranged for the trial and execution of Giovanni and his three sons – Federico, Petruccio and Ezio – for the crimes of High Treason against the city of Florence. Corrupting the city official Uberto Alberti, the city guards arrested Giovanni and two of his sons, narrowly missing their chance to capture the third, Ezio, who had spent the night at the house of Christina Vespucci[3].
Realizing to late, the treachery of Uberto Alberti, whom his father had considered a friend[5], Ezio appeared at the execution of his family, watching in horror as his father and brothers were hung; he narrowly escaped such a fate himself. Unconcerned with the remaining Auditore, the Templars continued in their mission to assume control of the cities of northern Italy. In 1478, the Templar affiliated House of Pazzi made their push for control. In what would become known as the Pazzi conspiracy, the family struck against the Medici during Mass, killing Giuliano de' Medici and fatally wounding Lorenzo, who was saved only by the timely intervention of Ezio Auditore, the son who had been allowed to escape. Lorenzo's survival and the arrival of Ezio spelt doom for the Pazzi family, who were left to their fate by Rodrigo Borgia. Vieri, Francesco and Jacopo de' Pazzi were all slain by the lone assassin whilst the Templars acknowledged their defeat in Florence, instead turning the attention to the city of Venice[3].
Utilising the House of Barbarigo, the Brotherhood assumed control of Venice briefly in 1485, before they were once again overthrown by the lone Assassin. The distraction of controlling the city had been beneficial to the Templars however, as it had distracted the Assassins from noticing the preperations being made for the retrieval of the piece of Eden from Cyprus. Two years later, in 1487, the Templar expedition returned to Venice with the Apple in hand. Bringing it to Borgia, an undercover Ezio engaged the Templar Grand Master and, with the assisstance of his fellow Assassins, forced the Templars out of the city once more[3]. With the Apple in the hands of the Assassins, the Brotherhood approached the brothers Orsi – Ludovico and Checco – to obtain a map detailing the location of the Codex pages from the wife of the Templar Girolamo Riario – Caterina Sforza. Invading Forlì, the Orsi brothers demanded the map, and the Apple in exchange for the lives of Sforza's children. The brothers were rebuked, and assaulted the Rocca di Ravaldino. Together with the city guards, the Assassins Ezio Auditore and Niccolò Machiavelli held off the assault, although a second succeeded in claiming the Apple briefly[6].
Despite the loss of the Apple, Rodrigo Borgia was ultimately unfazed, and in 1492 became Pope Alexander VI in order to gain access to the Papal staff, another of the Pieces of Eden. In 1499 Borgia was once again confronted by the assassin Ezio, this time within the Sistine Chapel itself[3].
Modern era
Despite their defeat at the hands of the assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the Templar order continued to exist within the shadow. Inflitrating or starting up countless corporate entities, the Templars positioned its members in several world-defining positions, improving the planets technological level significantly. The Templars also worked to stiffle world progress however; Adolf Hitler used a Piece of Eden to rise to power in Germany, and subsequently started a world-wide conflict. He was "fought" by his Templar counterparts Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin, who ultimately won the conflict[3].
By the early 21st Century, the Templar fronted Abstergo Industries had expanded into a global entity, far larger and more powerful than most companies that had come before it[3]. For the most part this was not treated as suspicious, although there were those within the general population who viewed the company with suspicion[2].
At this time, Abstergo Industires seemingly lacked a Piece of Eden capable of controlling the minds of humanity, and as such authorised the Animus-project in order to gain access to the memories of those who might know the location of one. By 2012, sixteen test subjects had been "retired" before the company succeeded with the sevententh – Desmond Miles, the descendant of both Altaïr, and Ezio Auditore[2][3]. With the location of all the Pieces of Eden now theres, the Templars were finally able to execute their plans to place the Apple into orbit, and use the device to control the minds of all citizens of Earth[2].
Members
Originally crusaders of unprecedented skill, as time progressed, they began to act secretly, utilizing powerful and influential people to further their cause. Often, these people are lured to being Templars by the promise of power and glory.
Third Crusade
- Basilisk (Grand Master of the Knights Templar)
- Robert de Sable (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Basilisk)
- Armand Bouchart (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Robert)
- Tamir the Merchant (Black marketeer in Damascus)
- Garnier de Naplouse (Grand Master of the Knights Hospitalier)
- Talal the Slave Trader (Slave master in Jerusalem)
- Abul Nuqoud (Merchant king of Damascus)
- William of Montferrat (Regent lord of Acre)
- Majd Addin (Regent lord of Jerusalem)
- Jubair al Hakim (Head of the Illuminated and the chief scholar of Damascus)
- Sibrand (Grand Master of the Knights Teutonic)
- Al Mualim (Master and leader of the Assassins, and a former Templar)
- Maria Thorpe (Robert de Sable's steward and his own personal assassin; became ally to the Assassins)
- Roland Napule (Head of a Templar hospital in Tyre)
- Masun (Traitorous assassin who is a double agent to the Templar)
- Alaat (Templar knight)
- Tamir (Altaïr's Chronicles) (A rich merchant allied to Basilisk)
- Master of the Tower (Basilisk's second-in-command, master of the art of killing)
- The Master's Student (Templar killer)
- Harash (Al Mualim's second-in-command, traitor who joined Templars)
- Frederick The Red (Templar regent of Limassol)
- Pirate Captain (Leader of Cypriot pirates who joined the Order)
- Osman (Templar knight, secretly a member of Cypriot resistance)
- Moloch (Templar regent of Kyrenia)
- Shalim (Armand Bouchart's second-in-command, son of Moloch)
- Shahar (Shalim's twin brother)
- Templar Agent (Armand Bouchart's highly trained, stealthy killer)
- Isaac Comnenus (Former ruler of Cyprus and keeper of the Templar Archive)
Renaissance
- Rodrigo Borgia (Grand Master of the Knights Templar and Pope Alexander VI)
- Marco Barbarigo (Corrupt Doge of Venice)
- Silvio Barbarigo (Member of the Supreme Tribunal of Venice)
- Emilio Barbarigo (Corrupt Merchant of Venice)
- Carlo Grimaldi (Member of the Council of Ten of Venice)
- Uberto Alberti (The Gonfaloniere of Firenze)
- Jacopo de' Pazzi (Head of the Pazzi Conspiracy)
- Francesco de' Pazzi (Patriarch of the Pazzi Family)
- Vieri de' Pazzi (Francesco's son - Ezio's rival)
- Stefano da Bagnone (Advisor to Jacopo de' Pazzi - Pazzi Conspirator)
- Bernardo Baroncelli (Banker - Pazzi Conspirator)
- Francesco Salviati (Archbishop of Pisa - Pazzi Conspirator)
- Antonio Maffei (Priest - Pazzi Conspirator)
- Dante Moro (Personal Guard of Marco Barbarigo)
- Tomas Torquemada (Spanish Inquisitor General)
- Gaspard Martinez (Spanish Inquisitor)
- Pedro Llorente (Spanish Inquisitor)
- Juan de Marillo (Spanish Inquisitor)
- Francisco Pizzaro (Spanish Conquistador)
Modern Times
- Alan Rikkin (Abstergo Industries CEO)
- Warren Vidic (Scientist of Abstergo Industries)
- Nancy Nilop (Abstergo Industries employee)
- Jane Birkam (Abstergo Industries employee)
- Audrey Jacobs (Alan Rikkin's assistant)
- Richard (Abstergo Industries employee)
Others
- Cain
- Xerxes
- Alexander the Great
- Qin Shi Huang
- Atilla the Hun
- Genghis Khan
- Cleopatra
- Caligula
- François Duvalier
- John Wilkes Booth
- Lee Harvey Oswald
- Rasputin
- Josef Stalin
- Mary I of England
- Thomas Edison
- Henry Ford
- Adolf Hitler
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- J. P. Morgan
Templar Groups
There are groups who act as unofficial divisions of the Templars, unrelated to them publicly, but in fact commanded by Templars (some of them through the membership of their leaders and others are part of the Templar Order itself).
- Third Crusade
- Renaissance
- 20th century
- 21st century
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The Historical Templars
- "Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da Gloriam
(Latin for "Not to us God, not to us, but to Your Name Give Glory")" - ―Historical motto of the Templars
Ordre du Temple in French, the Knights Templar are amongst the most famous of the Western Christian military orders involved in the war. They are well known by the distinctive white mantles with a red cross. Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favored charity throughout Christianity, and grew rapidly in membership. Because the Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded.
They were among the most skilled fighters at the time, which is reflected in the game. Their ruthlessness against non-Catholics was also infamous; this also is reflected in the game.
See Also
Notes and references
- ↑ The History Channel, Decoding the Past: The Templar Code, 7 November 2005, video documentary written by Marcy Marzuni
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Assassin's Creed
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Assassin's Creed II
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Lineage
- ↑ Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì
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