The Templar Order

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TemplarOrder.jpg
Founders: Father David Haden , Will McBlack , Aryell
Current Members: 40
Active Weekly Members: 20
Active Daily Members: 10
Officers
Commanders Father David Haden, Aryell
Officers Trent McCormick

Contents

History

The Knights Templar trace their origin back to shortly after the First Crusade. Around 1119, a French nobleman from the Champagne region, Hugues de Payens, collected eight of his knight relatives including Godfrey de Saint-Omer, and began the Order, their stated mission to protect pilgrims on their journey to visit The Holy Places. They approached King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, who allowed them to set up headquarters on the southeastern side of the Temple Mount, inside the Al Aqsa Mosque. During their time in the holy land, it was clear that they were protecting pilgrims from more then just bandits. Wars within wars were being waged by evil creatures and the evil men that served them. The Knight's Templar became an elite force for the purpose of rooting out the evil in the supernatural and destroying it.

The Crusades

The Knights Templar were the elite fighting force of their day, highly trained, well-equipped and highly motivated; one of the tenets of their religious order was that they were forbidden from retreating in battle. Not all Knights Templar were warriors. The mission of most of the members was one of support - to acquire resources which could be used to fund and equip the small percentage of members who were fighting on the front lines. Because of this infrastructure, the warriors were well-trained and very well-armed. Even their horses were trained to fight in combat, kicking or biting the enemies. The combination of soldier and monk was also a powerful one, as to the Templar knights, martyrdom in battle was one of the most glorious ways to die. Their code required them to stay on in battle almost to the point of recklessness, and they were forbidden to retreat unless outnumbered by 3-to-1, and even then only by order of their commander, or if the Templar flag went down.

The Templars, though relatively small in number, routinely joined other armies in key battles. They would be the force that would ram through the enemy's front lines at the beginning of a battle, or the fighters that would protect the army from the rear. They fought alongside King Louis VII of France, and King Richard I of England.[3] In addition to battles in Palestine, members of the Order also fought in the Spanish and Portuguese Reconquista.

During their time in the holy land many powerful mystical artifacts came into the possession of the order. These included The Ark of the Covenant, The Holy Grail, as well as the Lesser and Greater Keys of Solomon that pre-dated the fires at Alexandria.

The Fall

The Order of the Knight's Templar's popularity and success brought with it jealousy worldwide. Various nobles also had concerns about the Templars as well, both for financial reasons, and nervousness about an independent army that was able to move freely through all borders. Many Kings were indebted to the Templars because of their acumen for banking. The young Philip IV, King of France (also known as "Philip the Fair") had needed cash for his war with the English and asked the Templars for more money. They refused. The King assigned himself the right to tax the French clergy, and he tried to get the Pope to excommunicate the Templars, but Pope Boniface VIII refused, instead issuing a Papal Bull in 1302 to reinforce that the Pope had absolute supremacy over earthly power, even above a king, and excommunicated King Philip instead. The king responded by sending his councillor, Guillaume de Nogaret, in a plot to kidnap the Pope from his castle in Anagni in September 1303, charging him with dozens of trumped-up charges such as sodomy and heresy. This plot was thwarted by agents of the Knight's Templar.

Although this crisis was averted, it only created even more jealousy and resentment towards the order. Combined with the manipulations of the Inquisition of various powerful men, it was just a matter of time before the Templar themselves would come under direct attack.

At dawn on Friday, October 13, 1307, scores of French Templars were simultaneously arrested by agents of King Philip, later to be tortured in locations such as the tower at Chinon, into admitting heresy in the Order. Over 100 charges were issued against them, the majority of them identical charges to what had been earlier issued against the inconvenient Pope Boniface VIII: accusations of denying Christ, spitting and urinating on the cross, and devil worship. The main interrogation of the Templars was under the control of the Inquisitors, a group of experienced interrogators and clergy who circulated around Europe at the beck and call of any European noble. The rules of interrogation said that no blood could be drawn, but this did nothing to stop the torture. One account told of a Templar who had fire applied to the soles of his feet, such that the bones fell out of the skin. Other Templars were suspended upside-down or placed in thumbscrews. Of the 138 Templars (many of them old men) questioned in Paris over the next few years, 105 of them "confessed" to denying Christ during the secret Templar initiations. 103 confessed to an "obscene kiss" being part of the ceremonies, and 123 said they spat on the cross. Throughout the trial there was never any physical evidence of wrongdoing, and no independent witnesses; the only "proof" was obtained through confessions induced by torture.[7] The Templars reached out to the Pope for assistance, and Pope Clement did write letters to King Philip questioning the arrests, but took no further action.

Despite the fact that the confessions had been produced under duress, they caused a scandal in Paris, with mobs calling for action against the blaspheming Order. In response to this public pressure, along with more bullying from King Philip, Pope Clement issued the bull Pastoralis Praeeminentiae, which instructed all Christian monarchs in Europe to arrest all Templars and seize their assets.[10] Most monarchs simply didn't believe the charges, though proceedings were started in England, Iberia, Germany, Italy, and Cyprus,[11] with the likelihood of a confession being dependent on whether or not torture was used to extract it.

It is also worth noting that in no other dominion of Europe were accusations leveled as had been made in France by Philip IV, who was also coincidentally in terrible financial debt to the Templars. So widely was the injustice of Philip's rage against the Templars perceived that the "Curse of the Templars" became legend: Reputedly uttered by the Grand Master Jacques de Molay upon the stake whence he burned, he adjured: "Within one year, God will summon both Clement and Philip to His Judgment for these actions." The fact that both rulers died within a year, as predicted, only heightened the scandal surrounding the suppression of the Order.

In 1312, after the Council of Vienne, and under extreme pressure from King Philip IV, Pope Clement V issued an edict officially dissolving the Order. Many kings and nobles who had been supporting the Knights up until that time, finally acquiesced and dissolved the orders in their fiefs in accordance with the Papal command. Most were not so brutal as the French. In England, many Knights were arrested and tried, but not found guilty. However it became clear at this time that if the order were to survive, that it must go underground. Some of the knights joined other orders. But the core of the order moved to Scotland, and assisted then Scottish King Robert the Bruce in his defeat of the British at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Thus securing independence for Scotland. It was there in Scotland that the Templar order created it's first base of operations of the new secret order. Building the Rosslyn Chapel at the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland.


The Modern Order of the Knights Templar

Templars tend to work in Trinities, or groups of three hunters in their stationed areas.
The Knight's Templar despite what history has recorded has not vanished, other then from public view. They continued their fight against the forces of darkness throughout the ages, adapting their methods and tactics to fit with the times. They continue to remain an organization that covertly works within the Catholic church. It's members are encouraged to join the church as monks, Priests, and Nuns although this is not required. The order maintains orphanages around the world where they select from the most pious and skilled of the children to be trained to be elite warriors against evil. The order also actively recruits from various elite organizations around the world. Usually finding members of these organizations who have had an encounter with the supernatural and then bringing them into the fold. Members of the order have been recruited from the CIA, the KGB, British Intelligence, the Israeli Mosad, the Military and particularly the Special Forces. The order seeks members who are skilled as they are pious. And to join the actual knighthood conversion to the Catholic Faith is required. However the order is more then willing to work with operatives of other religions and faiths as long as their motivation to fight against the forces of darkness is the same.

Joining the order

Entrance into the Knight's Templar order itself can be achieved in a few ways. A member could be recruited as a squire to one of the order's senior knights. This knight would then see to the training both religious and martial of the squire until they are ready to be inducted into the order itself. Some squires are selected as children from one of the many orphanages that the order operates. Additionally entrance to the order can come from being knighted by an existing member of the order. This is only done if the knight in question has great trust in the faith and skill of the initiate in question. A tribunal is sometimes called to discuss the perspective knight's worthiness to serve. Usually the perspective knight will be sponsored by a member of the order in good standing. After the knight is inducted into the order through an elaborate ceremony and the swearing of oaths, their name is added to the annuls of the order, and their status as a knight is shared in a database that is accessible at any Templar headquarters. The Templar order no longer in any way discriminates on the basis of gender. Female knights are known as "Dames" and are treated with every bit as much respect. One of the most beloved saints of the order is St. Joan of Arc who also was wrongly killed by the Inquisition. As such any woman who meets the physical standards of the order will be granted membership.

The Templar Database and Templar Vaults

The Database

The Templar Database contains a vast quantity of knowledge of various supernatural creatures, along with their weaknesses and strengths. In addition vast quantities of knowledge of Christian and Hebrew rites and wards against evil can be found. Detailed files on members of the order and it's enemies are right at the fingertips of the user. The database is extremely secure, requiring many tests to access it including retinal, hand print, voice print, DNA analysis, and finally a spoken password. In addition to this a secret scan takes place when accessing the terminal, the nature of which is a closely guarded secret. (OOC Note: Alien technology given to the order scans the life-force or life essence of the user. There is no none means to fake this test.)

The Vaults

A "vault" as it is often called by members of the order is a sealed underground HQ, they are encased in walls made of pure Impervium five feet in thickness. The entrance of any such vault is guarded by the same security system mentioned to access the database and is usually hidden from view. Every vault has a database terminal, a sophisticated automated robotic doctor, and a well stocked armory containing weapons both modern, ancient, and sometimes magical in origin. Many vaults are further equipped with internal defense systems including but not limited to powerful machine gun turrets, laser turrets, and other automated weapons that use holy items such as holy water as weaponry. The ground in which a vault is constructed is usually consecrated by a high ranking Preist, Bishop or Cardinal friendly to the order.

Equipment available to the Templar

Each Templar knight upon his knighting is granted a sword blessed by holy power. These swords are often passed down to young knights from their mentors, or fallen knights who wished for their sword to be given to someone worthy. Vaults are stocked with the best in modern weaponry. Assault rifles, pistols, machine guns, flame throwers, rocket launchers and grenade launchers are all common. Body Armor is available, but most Templars when in the field forgo it's use in favor of the "Tac-suit". A skin tight black suit that has pads of Kevlar over various vital areas of the body, and is made of a material that helps shield the wearer from detection by modern surveillance and security equipment. Templar Knights usually also wear a tactical trench coat, that is lined with further Kevlar, and has storage for weapons, and ammunition. The order has also been granted access to certain technologies that are not commonly known. These "super science" items were given to the order by benevolent aliens, and the entity known as "The Professor". Their use is only granted with extreme caution as this technology cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.

(OOC NOTE: A good rule of thumb when determining what kind of technology the order itself has access to, the vast majority of it would be compared to the video game, Metal Gear Solid and it's various sequels. I try to keep the tech level to what is already being tested and used today. The point of Templar technology is to give an edge, but the real power of the Templar knights comes from their skill and fighting spirit. Use of "ray-guns" and other crazy technology should be kept to a minimum. But I include the "Super technology" so that people playing on both Hero side and Villian side can explain their travel powers, and other things not covered in conventional technology. For the most part a Templar would rather enhance conventional technology with blessings or the use of holy items as opposed to risking super technology falling into the wrong hands. Paint ball guns with balls filled with holy water, blessed ammunition, or other creative uses of things the ordained can create with their faith are good examples of what a Templar would do if faced with a being that is not affected by normal means. As a Templar knight your character should feel like a super spy, or a special forces commando; not Iron Man. For ideas on how this translates, imagine Frank Castle from Marvel's The Punisher,the Metal Gear Solid character Solid Snake, the recent James Bond films, or watch the movie John Carpenter's Vampires for ideas on how the Templar operate in a world of super humans. Then add devout religion, and you have it.)

Deployment in the field

Templars are usually deployed in groups of three called "Trinities". If an area is deemed to be in need of Templar presence a Vault will be constructed underneath a Catholic church, or a new church will be established. Sometimes these churches are also established with a Catholic school and orphanage. These schools are havens for those seeking shelter from the supernatural, or children who are supernatural themselves and wish to be left alone or join in the fight against evil. The rank of knights within a trinity is determined by either their seniority in the order, or a mutual agreement of the knights themselves as to who will take command. The Templar conduct operations with the utmost secrecy. Using the skills from their training to conduct recon, and sometimes infiltrate established havens of Vampires, Demons and other evil beings. Once this is complete they establish a plan to deal with them. In the rare instances that only a massive assault can destroy a stronghold, a trinity can request what is known as a "Call to arms". Such a call will be voted on by the ruling council of the order, and if successful the order will send whatever the trinity needs to rid the world of the threat.

Templar sponsored schools

These schools were established to help children who were orphaned by attacks of supernatural origin, or in many cases children who are actually supernatural themselves. If a trinity deems a child in need and trustworthy they will be admitted to the school regardless of their supernatural background. Demons and Vampires are rarely accepted. But Fae, Lycanthropes, Aliens, Psychics, Nephilim, Angels and other supernatural beings are very common. Sometimes the abilities of these children can be of great help to the Knights in their mission against the forces of darkness. Frequently the children grow up to become associates or consultants to the order. Fighting beside their former protectors.

Allies of the order

Frequently knights befriend adult supernatural beings and grant them access to the Templar order's resources. Although these beings cannot become knights, they are well respected allies and can expect equal treatment in the field. The rank of these beings within a specific chapter is determined by the leader of the local trinity. Sometimes they also take up positions as educators at the attached school. When these supernatural beings become affiliated strongly enough that they become active in the field, they are known as operatives. An operative holds a rank identical to a knight within the order of the specific chapter they belong to.

Enemies and Allies of the Knight's Templar

The Templar order has made many enemies throughout the centuries. However the knowledge of the order's continued existence is a closely guarded secret. Being discovered as an existing organization is perhaps the order's greatest enemy. If the order's existence was made known the Inquisition along with many other supernatural entities would make it their mission to destroy them. Some of the most noteworthy threats and allies to the Templar order are as follows:

The Inquisition (Malleus Maleficarum)

The Inquisition is an organization that now operates in covert fashion not unlike the Templar so that they may conduct their persecution without the burden of modern morality. The Inquisition recruits from many of the same elite organizations that the Templar does, however they look for people of a suitable mental state that would make them prone to fanaticism and cruelty in the pursuit of destroying "God's enemies" on the earth. Frequently Inquisitors find soldiers or government agents who have succumbed to violent madness and through indoctrination give their violent compulsions a purpose. This usually results in the perfect weapons that they desire. The Inquisition is the epitome of religion gone wrong. They are responsible for almost every atrocity committed in the name of Christianity. The Inquisition is not aware that the Templar order is still in existence, however they do suspect that havens for supernatural children have been established by some entity. And they diligently search for these havens as the Inquisition has no care whatsoever for the age or innocence of a supernatural being. If they are not human they are a spawn of Lucifer, and should be cleansed. Typically the Inquisitors will capture a supernatural being, and torture them in the hope that their captive will confess to their sins before God. If they confess then they will be killed by strangulation. If they do not confess they will be burned at the stake. The Inquisition has volumes of text on how to torture various supernatural beings and they are very devoted in their studies. Because of the violent nature of our world, and their willingness to recruit from Churches outside the Catholic church the Inquisition has had far more success at recruiting then the Templar, and therefore vastly outnumber them. It is ironic that perhaps the greatest enemy of the Templar order is not the demonic forces of Lucifer, but an organization of men and women who falsely believe they are fighting on the right side. The Inquisition has access to the same kinds of training and equipment as the Templar order. The most obvious sign that you are dealing with an Inquisitor is that they speak in archaic language. Speaking of cleansing the world of evil in holy fire, and other grandiose phrases appealing to the dramatic are common. In addition to all of these advantages, the Inquisition has managed to place many powerful operatives in high positions of the Catholic church. Bishops, and Cardinals.

Demons

The Knight's Templar has extinguished and banished many of these beings from various dimensions. In addition Father David has launched a campaign against the Circle of Thorns. The order is still deciding how to move forward with plans to eradicate the seemingly endless demonic activity in the Rogue Isles. Rarely a demon can be found to be a useful ally to the order. The one notable exception is Violet Sanders and her kingdom known as Cupidita Regnum. Violet having been raised by the Knight's Templar since her early teenage years fights for the same cause as the Order, though generally far more brutal in her approach.

Werecreatures

The position of the Knight's Templar on these cursed beings has changed over the years. They are treated on a one to one basis with caution being the rule of the day. If a werewolf or other lycanthrope proves to be willfully using their power to harm the innocent then they will be targeted. If they are however victims of their curse, or using their powers to help mankind then they will be aided rather then harmed. And offered safe haven. Some of the nature oriented magicians that the order is allied with have found magical means to allow a werecreature better control of it's faculties through shamanic practices that bring someone in line with the totem of the animal in question. This magical therapy is often sought out by people hoping to make peace with their curse. The Templar encourage this practice as it is quite capable of rendering what is normally a curse into a powerful weapon against evil.

Vampires

Being the Brood of Belial, normally the Order seeks to destroy Vampires and their minions on sight. In a few rare instances they are treated the same as Werecreatures. A notable exception is Angela Wilson and her breed of Celestial vampires

Necromancers, Warlocks and wielders of dark powers

The Templar order does not automatically seek to destroy those who practice magic. However these people are watched closely for signs that they may be selling their souls or working to bring about the apocalypse. Recently a sort of alliance has been forged between the magic users of the ancient earth faiths such as the true Witches, and Shamans and the Templar order. Though their beliefs on who the higher power is are different, their goals of destroying evil are the same. Many Witches and Shamans over the years have been rescued from Inquisitors by the Templar. And having been wrongly accused of being heretics themselves the Templar see that it is not something that should be taken lightly.

Aliens

Alien beings have aided the Templar order in the past. But the Templar still remain vigilant about the possibility of beings from other planets or dimensions having ill intentions. Recently St. Joan of Arc Catholic school's Headmaster established an alliance with Queen Xena and the Survivors of Vega so that the children of the ship might be able to attend school there.

Fae

The Templar order has granted shelter to many Fae of the Seelie court, but conflicts with the Unseelie or "dark" fae have started to cause the order to take interest in what could be done to deal with the threat the Unseelie court represents.


St. Joan of Arc High School and Church

On the surface it looks like any other Catholic Church with an adjoined Catholic school. But this deception is evident when you spend time there. This is the Templar Order's headquarters for operations in the Rogue Isles. Beneath the church itself is a fully equipped vault. The trinity stationed here is headed by Father David Haden. And his former squire Father Will McBlack. There is no third knight at this time.

The Church

The church is well built, and beautiful. It's congregation have the use of a Baptismal, as well as a confessional. Adjoined to the church is the offices of Father David and Father Will. Somewhere in David's office is the secret entrance to the underground vault.

The School

Miss white, the Headmaster in front of St. Joan of Arc.

The school is also well built, with two floors in the main building, an extremely well equipped library and gymnasium. Further plans are in the works for a swimming pool, and auditorium.

School uniforms

The students wear uniforms in the Catholic school style. The boys wear dress shirts and ties along with slacks and dress shoes. The girls wear plaid pleated skirts. Father David allows the children to choose whatever color they wish for the plaid of the skirts, the ties, slacks, etc. Generally trying to match the tie with the with the skirt or slacks. They are only required to wear these uniforms while in the school itself. Students with an unusual appearance are usually given access to holo-technology if need be to help them alter their appearance to appear normal. This is done in an effort to ensure that the school can pass as just another Catholic school for the sake of the safety of the children. And care is taken to make sure the children know that there is nothing wrong with them.

The Faculty

Headmaster/Principal

The headmaster or school principal is Miss Aryell White. She is beloved by the children for her ability to be everyone's mother. She has a calm and soothing aura around her that calms even the most frightened or angry children. When children are sent to her office for misbehaving even the most hardened troublemakers leave the office feeling sad that they let her down rather then feeling scolded or frightened. Her talent with children is seemingly unearthly in it's quality. And it is evident that she loves every one of them very much. Despite her motherly personality Miss White appears to be in her early twenties, and her beauty can be very intimidating. It is not uncommon for students to get a crush on her, and she handles it very delicately.

Teachers/Professors

So far the teachers come from a variety of backgrounds as diverse as the students themselves.

Math and Science:

Physical Education

History and Social Studies

Social Studies being handled by Rebecca Noel, a long time friend of the school and both Will and David.

Art and Music

Roessa teaches Art and music to the children.

Home Economics

Eshet Lillah teaches Home Ec, primarily baking and sewing, though she does teach other useful things.

Theology

Confiteor has recently joined the faculty as the school's theology teacher.

Out of character section

A guide to creating characters of this SG and determining if your character already fits

First of all, remember that your character can fit into this SG even if they are not one of the knights. The knightly order is just one facet of the story we are trying to tell with this Super Group. The following guide will give you an idea of what it is we are looking for and how to go about it.

The Knights

If you want to play a Templar knight, your character should be first of all, human. They should be Catholic, but how devoted they are to religion is up to you, within reason. One of the Templar Knights is for example an ex-spy. She joined the convent and became a Nun but is still very promiscuous and seductive. But when the chips are down she loves God and will fight to protect the innocent at all costs. And that last part is what is most important. Knights run from pious and devout to the point of Sainthood, or people who spend a lot of time in the confessional but still love God. Templar Knights are encouraged to join the church as Priests or Nuns but this is not required.

Power sets and arch-types for Knights

The Knights should be ex-soldiers, or spies or trained to be the as skilled by the order itself from childhood. A background in espionage, law enforcement, or the military are all good places to start. Most knights come from the Natural or Technology origins. The power sets we suggest are therefore:

Masterminds

Most Templar Masterminds use Mercenaries which RP wise are labeled as Squires for the Soldiers, Armigers for the Spec ops, and Sir for the Commando (These titles would be before the names of the NPCs, so "Squire William" for example). Thug Masterminds are generally considered to have well trained students who have not joined the Knighthood working with them. No knight would ever use Zombies. A Knight from the orient might use Ninjas, but this would be rare. Robots are a bit too high tech for the average Templar. Secondary power sets that are suggested are Traps, Pain domination, Force Fields (rare) and Poisons.

Corruptors/Blasters

Assault Rifle, Archery/Trick Arrow with a secondary that is easily explained with the tech level described earlier.

Stalkers/Scrappers

Martial Arts, Dual Blades, Claws (rare), Broadsword, with Ninjitsu, Super Reflexes, or Willpower.

Brutes/Tankers

If someone is to play this class as a Knight you have to take into account that Knights are still just normal humans, who rely on skill and training. If you really want to play one, stick with Dual Blades, Super Strength, Claws, or you could use a Riot Shield and go with a Nightstick (Sheild/Mace Brute/Tanker). Willpower is also a good choice.

Other classes or power sets

If you have a power set or class in mind that is not listed above for your knight, talk to one of the SG leaders and we can see if we can work something out.

The Students

When making a student, your choices for power sets and classes are virtually limitless as long as you have a solid supernatural reason for your character's powers. Whether you are a creature like a Fairy, Werewolf, Vampire, Demon etc or are just tainted or cursed in some way to possess a power that is supernatural, or perhaps a psychic, these are all options you can choose from. In addition, if your character is just a Witch, Shaman or Wizard of some kind you can pretty much justify any ranged power set with that as your reasoning. When making a student character be sure to reserve a costume slot for your school uniform. And remember that when you are wearing your uniform you should look as close to human as possible.

Other characters who would work with the Templar

If your making an adult supernatural of some kind who is just working with the school and the Templar, or perhaps even a teacher the guidelines for what your options for character concepts are equally limitless. If you plan to play a teacher, make sure to have a costume slot that looks professional.

Super Group Rules and Etiquette

If you want to join our SG, there are some things you should take into account before deciding to join.

Rule #1, No drama

This does not mean people should not talk about things bother them. This means they should, in as calm and polite manner as possible. As a leader of many guilds in online games I can tell you that generally no bad situation is made better by talking about someone behind their backs and not at least trying to talk to the person in question about whatever is bothering you. You can talk to people for the purpose of getting advice on how to talk to the person, but only with the intention of making whatever the problem is better by eventually talking to the person in question. Do not get angry at someone and then make what could be a problem between you and that person a problem for the entire SG. Particularly if you haven't even tried to work it out yet. If you are not confident in your ability to talk to the person then go to an officer and ask for a mediation. What your going to find, is that initially this kind of direct approach might be a bit uncomfortable at first. But what you will find over time is that eventually it creates a social situation where people generally look into helping each other and are open and honest about how they feel about things all the time. And where people get the message that being a jerk for the sake of it simply will not be tolerated.

I realize that this will be too much to ask for many people who come to online games because their real lives are not to their satisfaction. I don't mind not having those people in our SG. Because if I want to get stressed I can go to work and get paid for it. Not pay NCsoft $15.99 a month and pay for the chance to be stressed some more.

Finally I must stress this again. The no drama rule does NOT mean staying quiet when something bothers you. It means the opposite. Do not bite down on things that bother you for the sake of not "causing drama". If someone else is being obnoxious the drama is already started. You are just standing up for yourself.

NOTE: Your character roleplaying being a pain in the rear is not the same thing as intentionally causing drama, but if you make a habit of it to the point that you are ruining the fun of other players, you will be asked to cut it out, and if you don't you will be asked to leave.

Rule #2, You get from the SG what you put into it.

I came from Star Wars Galaxies where the communities were full of people who were very helpful and courteous to people not only in their own guilds, but with the rest of the community in general. In my SG you can expect to get as much help from me as I can possibly give you. But I expect that in return. Maybe someday for example I will take your new toon to Grandville and get him a Jetpack and some starting Infamy. All I would expect for doing that is that someday when some new person is in the SG you do the same for them. You will find that this also will create an atmosphere where people help each other so much that it's like a competition for being the most kind and courteous. I don't expect my members to give anything that is unreasonable. And I do expect that what they give will be paid back in Karma in the SG eventually. If someone PLs you with a 46 bridge on farms, you should return the favor to them sometime down the road. Treat others as you would have them treat you. Pretty simple.

Rule #3, RP conflict resolution

I actively discourage people brawling each other in character. I dislike text combat and prefer to avoid it. But if you must have a conflict with another character in the SG, I strongly advise that you talk to them OOC about it first. "Godmoding" is frowned upon, but so is getting into fights with people in the SG. Also, expect that your fights if they take place within sight or earshot of the Faculty and Knights to be broken up. I could go on for pages and pages about the troubles involved with this, but I will stick to a few key points.

Rule #4, Respect the officers, and officers respect the membership

If an officer tells you to do something unless you have a very good reason, do it. If you have a problem with something an officer told you, take it up with Aryell or Father David Haden. Officers, you have your positions to help facilitate the fun of the entire SG. Not to smack people around. If you abuse the authority I trust you with, then you will lose not only your position, you will likely be kicked out of the SG.

Rule #5, Power level of characters

The more powerful a character you portray, the more low key you should be with that character. If you are playing say an Archangel, then you have to have a serious amount of maturity and understand with that power comes responsibility not to make the other people in a scene feel inferior or useless. If you do not feel you can do this then don't play a powerful character. If you want to play something powerful please talk to an SG leader about it first. Templar for the most part is about normal humans fighting things that are much more powerful then them by outsmarting them. And the young children who are still learning to use their powers who help them.

Rule #6, Conduct during RP storylines

Due to recent issues, I felt a need to create a section about guidelines on how to conduct yourself during story lines and plots that other players are running.

UPDATE: Most of the problems with this have been fixed with the advent of the AE.

1. First of all, if you wish to run a plot and involve the Templar Order, please get permission from one of the SG leaders. Individual members are of course free to do whatever they want when off by themselves, but if you want to involve the school grounds, church etc. Then please get permission first.

2. The GM is in charge. And anyone who is involved in that plot should go into it knowing full well that they are submitting some control over what happens to their character for the sake of the story. When I run plots I also referee the text combats that come from it. If this is not acceptable to you, no hard feelings but please don't get involved in my plots.

You are going to run into situations where your character is unable to kill something. You will have to go through a period of research and legwork to figure out how to defeat that opponent. Then after the story has caused good RP situations you will finally get to defeat the opponent.

The only thing that is scripted is that I will keep a story running until everyone who wants to contribute has. I reserve the right to determine what affects my NPC's and what does not. Let me say that again. I reserve the right to determine how my NPC's are affected.You may offer polite suggestions, in private messages. But please do not engage in arguments with me about it. I have had more then one instance where someone wants to dictate to the storyteller what is going to defeat the plot antagonist. I will not tolerate it. And not because I have a big ego, or because I am a god-moder who gets off on beating people up. But because I am not going to allow someone else with an ego who created an uber powerful character to be the avatar of their self esteem cheat everyone else involved in a plot out of getting a chance to have their moments to shine.

As a GM my intention is to entertain people. I understand that some people get more entertainment out of stomping a mudhole in everything that crosses their imaginary path. I will warn you ahead of time if that is what you want you will not be happy in my storylines. So no offense, just don't get involved. If your not having fun, I fully recognize that not everyone likes to work for their victories. And some people plain just don't like my storytelling style. To each their own. Just don't crap in the cornflakes of the people who are having fun.

Real story comes from epic victories that come after crushing defeats. Imagine how interesting Star Wars would of been if they blew up the Deathstar in the first thirty minutes? Consider for a moment how lame it would of been if the player who played Princess Leia went on a tirade in the middle of the encounter because her ship had no chance of fending off Darth Vader's Star Destroyer? How much more lame would it of been if Princess Leia's ship was able to one shot Darth Vader's Star Destroyer?

Recognize that there are going to be things in the story that you cannot defeat without hard work and good RP.

About my personal NPC's

I don't play my characters with the intent of having characters that are "me" in the game. My characters are meant to be tools to help develop the story of other people's characters. I have a lot of them. They are distinct. They have their own strengths and their own weaknesses. They are all loyal to the school and to the church. They come in power levels from Fairy to Archangel. Some of these NPC's may or may not be more powerful then your character story wise. You can defeat them if you want to fight them but my guideline is that it has to make sense. Trying to walk up to Angela Wilson (who is a Vampire with military training and has made martial arts her life) and one punch her is probably not a formula for success. So rather then bellyaching about that, find another solution to your problem with her. Or maybe, just maybe, RP with her rather then trying to beat up everything. If my NPC defeats you, it's not me defeating you. It's an NPC who is part of the consistent world that I offer to the people I RP with being more powerful then you in the situation as it was presented. If you are not happy with a world where you may not be able to pimp slap everything in the world you are in, you are also once again more then welcome not to participate in my story telling.

Consistency is what is most important to me when this becomes an issue. If you are attacking a being that is immune to fire with fire, I don't care how much you complain to me or how awesome it would make you look to win, your not going to win.

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