Templar Order

"As a farmer reaps his wheat, so must the order harvest and purify the weeds."

- Templar scripture

The Templar Order was a group of holy warriors dedicated to the Light, renowned for their ferocity, tenacity, and prowess in battle.

Lore
The Templar were founded as holy warriors, fighting for justice and eschewing the dangers that lead to cultism and demonic possession by espousing self-denial. They did not merely pay lip service to protecting Sanctuary&mdash;they were battle-trained and experienced to a man. The chalices, vials, and sacred texts of the Templar Order often inspire a deep reverence in those who view or hold them.

History
The Order remained an enigma to many on the outside, and there were rumors regarding their exact founding and purpose. Though the Templars professed a dedication to the Light and seek to rid Sanctuary of demonic corruption, they were not officially sanctioned by the Zakarum church. Rather, they rose from the ashes of the Hand of Zakarum after it fell to corruption by Mephisto, and they viewed themselves as the new, pure continuation of that faith.

During the End of Days, the Templar searched for their holy scrolls, stolen by Archbishop Lazarus. It was found that the Order was involved in the creation of magical weapons, angelic in nature, but designed for human hands.

Reaper of Souls
When the Nephalem came to Westmarch to stop the onslaught of Malthael and his Reapers, Kormac learned that the Templar Order was meeting in the Vault of the Order, their great fortress in the city, and resolved to find out how deeply their corruption ran. When the Nephalem and Kormac entered the Vault, Kormac was hailed as one of the greatest Templars the order had ever seen for his role in destroying Belial and Azmodan, and the newest proclamation by the Grand Maester was given to them, which laid bare the Grand Maester's intent to turn every citizen of Westmarch, and beyond, into Templars in preparation for a "day of reckoning", an announcement that Kormac called "damning", indisputable proof that the corruption of the order went straight to the top. Kormac and the Nephalem came across the Templar Inquisitors preparing to torture a new Templar initiate, which Kormac swiftly put a stop to by demanding to know how they could do this to a fellow Templar. Kormac and the Nephalem were taken into the presence of the Grand Maester, who praised Kormac for his heroics before announcing his intention to name him as his successor as Grand Maester. Kormac refused, calling the Grand Maester and his Inquisitors out for lying to and betraying every Templar, beginning with the torture of their initiation.

The Grand Maester ordered the Inquisitors to kill Kormac and the Nephalem, but the two quickly proved too much for their combined forces to stop, and the Grand Maester fled. Kormac and the Nephalem pursued him, killing every Inquisitor who attempted to stop them. The two finally cornered the Grand Maester and his most loyal bodyguard in the courtyard of the Vault, and in a furious battle, the Grand Maester and his Inquisitors were defeated and slain, bringing an end to the Templar Order and its corruption as it stood. As Kormac and the Nephalem prepared to return to the Survivors' Enclave, Kormac vowed to track down every Templar still indoctrinated by the Order and show them the error of their ways, by force if need be.

Membership
The Templar Order abducted innocent citizens and subjected them to horrific torture, purging their memories and molding them into zealous adherents. This occurred within rue chambers&mdash;rooms within Templar strongholds where the penitents were "reeducated" through scourges and whips, to renounce their past "sins" and give themselves over to the Zakarum faith. The Templars Kormac and Jondar are two such examples of this practice being carried out.

In terms of organization, the Order was led by a Grand Maester. Its subordinate membership consisted of Inquisitors and Templar themselves. The Order's membership was entirely male. It is implied that the Templar had vows against romance, marriage, intercourse, etc.

Known Members
"Evil cowers at the sight of just one templar. Two will bring it to its knees."

- Kormac


 * Grand Maester
 * Lord Norlun
 * Brast (historian)
 * Hillenbrand
 * Jondar
 * Kamir
 * Kormac
 * Stefan