The Templar Order
| The Templar Order | |
|---|---|
| Origins: | Founded in 517 by the remnants of the Arcane Divinity. |
| Founded date: | 2-517-??-?? |
| Civilian Population: | 126000 |
| Military Population: | 124000 |
| Total Population: | 250000 |
| Power Status: | Major |
| Leader(s): | Tredigar Hackshield |
The Dwarven Templars of Tala Rane are among the most feared mortals in all of Amalur. Not all Dwarves within the city are Templars - many make their livings with more mundane work - but all military, magical, research and experimental work must go through The Order. The Templars are thousands strong, a diverse force made up of traditional soldiers, magic wielders and even engineers that build and maintain their technology.
The capital of the land controlled by the Templar Order is Tala Rane itself, with their only other city being Cloudwell to the south.
Tala Rane - and by extension The Order - was recently the subject of an act of great evil by the Demon Ghurrix which lead to thousands of deaths, including that of Prefect Maximus candidate Katwyn Irongull. As a result, Tredigar Hackshield was elected Prefect Maximus and named Samuel Truestone to succeed him as Prefect of Magic.
History
The original precusor to The Templar Order is considered to be the Arcane Divinity, founded in 1-1912 by Alain Brightsword to curb unsafe magical experimentation, which he believed was causing unjustifiable loss of life and resources. After his death at the hands of mage separatists, The Order Veracious formed to enforce a far more militarised verson of Brightsword's original vision. It was this Order that eventually formed into the Templar Order in 517, when Alain's descendant Daran Brightsword unified the Dwarven factions of the day in response to the rise in power of Mel Shenshir and Rathir.
Present Day
Today, the templars are more than a hundred thousand strong - with the highest militarised population percentage of any known state in the Material Plane. This has drawn noticeable criticism, especially from the other majors power of Amalur. However, the Templars assert that the majority of Auxillaries and Evocati are employed in roles that are not directly related to the military, and therefore that they should not be counted as such.
Tala Rane is made up of the Tala Rane Barony and the Maltashia Barony (which contains Cloudwell, the other major Templar settlement).
Ranks
Prefect Maximus
The leader of the Templar Order, voted on once every 50 years. The current Prefect Maximus is Tredigar Hackshield, who was elected after the attack on Tala Rane. The previous Prefect Maximus, Barren Lightbearer, vanished after the attack, and was later found beneath Tala Rane in the Pit Beyond having made a pact with a dark creature for immense power. He is thought to have been slain by the Orb Walkers, but this knowledge is not at all public.
Prefect
A well respected member of the Order, the 5 Prefects control the 5 branches of the Order (Engineering, Magic, War, Culture and Economics). The current prefects are, respectively : Fiora Darkbane, Samuel Truestone, Guladin Shortblade, Katwyn Irongull and Wolvar Evermead. Elections for Prefects are held every 50 years, out of phase of those for Prefect Maximus (i.e. 25 years between the two).
Octienne
A senior Templar, usually in a position of power over lesser Templars (eg leading a military group, a research team etc). Notable Octiennes of the recent past include Thoradin Clearsight, Mara Smithe and (former Octienne) Samuel Truestone.
- Appointment - There are ceremonies held several times a year to promote all of the Templar's to be promoted. It is presided over by a Prefect.
- Benefits - The pay is substantial compared with the lower Templar ranks.
Evocatus
A seasoned Templar, Evocati are sometimes sent on solo missions outside of Tala Rane, and as such need to be trustworthy, battle-tested and independent. Recent Evocati of notice include Valmet Blessedborn.
Auxillary
Any Templar who isn't one of the higher ranks. Here one finds the foot soldiers, researches, engineers, merchants and artists that are the lifeblood of Dwarven society.