Templar Mysteries

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici), popularly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple, were among the most famous of the Christian military orders. The organization, which existed for approximately two centuries in the Middle Ages, was created in the aftermath of the First Crusade of 1096 to ensure the safety of the large numbers of European pilgrims who flowed toward Jerusalem after its conquest.

Officially endorsed by the church in 1129, the Order became a favored charity across Europe and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar knights, easily recognisable in their white mantle with a distinct red cross, made some of the best equipped, trained, and disciplined fighting units of the Crusades. Non-warrior members of the Order managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom, innovating many financial techniques that were an early form of banking, and building numerous fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land.

The Templars' success was tied closely to the success of the Crusades. When the Holy Land was lost and the Templars suffered crushing defeats, support for the Order's existence faded. Rumors about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created mistrust, and King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Order, began pressuring Pope Clement V to take action. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip had many of the Order's members in France arrested, tortured into "confessions", and burned at the stake. In 1312, Pope Clement, under continuing pressure from King Philip, forcibly disbanded the entire Order. The sudden disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the name "Templar" alive in modern fiction.

One of the central accusations levied against the Knights Templar was the worship of a demonic entity called "Baphomet," depicted as a breasted hermaphroditic goat-creature in roughly humanoid shape, with a torch set between its horns and a pentagram upon its forehead. With two fingers it gestures above it, and with the two fingers of its other hand, it gestures below it (a gesture recognizable in the Magus of the Tarot as well). A set of great black wings rises from its back, and rather than genitals, a caduceus rises from its lap. Tattooed to one arm is the world SOLVE (Dissolve) and "COAGULA" (Congeal) is writ upon the other.

In truth, the first Knights Templar discovered a rare thing while in the Holy Land: the Awakening. Understanding the need to hide what they'd found, they constructed the Baphomet figure as a symbol that might be used to explain Atlantean Mysteries to those who came closer to Awakening, possibly spurring them into an Awakening for the glory of God. The tower-like torch, burning with the Supernal Flame rises above the animalistic head, representing the earth-bound intelligence, symbolizing the Watchtower at which the initiate signs his name (symbolized by the pentagram, which also suggests five Towers). The gesture of the Baphomet is an ancient Atlantean mudra, meaning "As Above, So Below," and symbolizing the act of drawing power down a Watchtower. The merging of opposites - male/female, beast/animal, Heaven/earth, sky/ground, dissolution/congealing - represents the goal of the Knights, which was unity with the glory of God by those who are unworthy and mortal.

Even its name is an atbash cypher; when the name is rendered in Hebrew, and the cipher applied (wherein a letter is exchanged with its opposite from the other end of the alphabet, so that the first letter from the right is exchanged with the first letter from the left, the second from the right is exchanged with the second from the left, etc.), it spells out the true name of the entity: the Hebrew name for "Wisdom."

Templar magic is based solidly around the concept of being one of God's warriors - of being the channel by which the Holy Light is brought to Earth. Because Templars originated the concept of banking in Western Europe, many Templars are quite wealthy and involved in the financial world, and among the nobility of Europe. It is almost unheard of for a woman to be Knighted by another Knight, but there are a rare few Dames of the Knights Templar, who are every bit as potent in battle as their male counterparts.

Prerequisites

Academics 2, Investigation 1, Occult 2, Weaponry 1, Specialty: Theology in Academics, Specialty: Templar Mysteries in Occult

Tradition Skills

• Academics: Specifically with regards to history, and the study of Christian theology. Many Knights Templar also learn tremendous financial skill, learning to place money where it will do the most good.
• Investigation: Knights Templar are inveterate code and cipher-users, as well as seekers after those who work for the powers of darkness.
• Occult: An understanding of Christian theurgy and the ancient symbolism coded into the Templar Mysteries is vital to understanding and experiencing those Mysteries.
• Persuasion: A diplomatic tongue, and one with which the glories of God are spoken to His Messengers, is expected of every potential Knight.
• Weaponry: All Templars learn not only the wielding of a blade, but the magic inherent in its wielding. To possess and weild a weapon is to wield a kind of power, and the skillful wielding of such physical power can translate into spiritual power.

Praxis

• Invocation of God's Light: The first and most important style of Templar magic involves the invocation of God's Light. Most magics that Templars wield are done in this style, using prayer and supplication to God's Will, rather than their own. Still being Awakened, the Templar knows that he plays a role in this - it is not entirely up to a capricious God. The Templar must keep himself a proper vessel for God's Light, for He will not send this power to just anyone. Thus, this is part of a covenant between Templar and God: the prayers of the pure and faithful will be answered, so long as the Templar keeps his part of the covenant.
• Theurgy: The summoning of angels is also a major part of Templar practice. The Templar tradition passes down a wide variety of angelic names which the Templar might use to summon the Lord's servant; indeed, it is said that no less than five angelic names are encoded in the image of Baphomet alone. Templars are careful to avoid unjustly using this gift, however - the angels they summon are not servants. Rather, the vassal Templar is simply supplicating to his King, who answers by sending one of his Generals. The Templar must remember that the angel is closer to God than he, and the only time angels speak is when they are motivated to do so by God.
• War-Magics: The third magical praxis of the Templars involves the use of war-magics. As God's champions, they are empowered to call on God's Light without the normal supplication and ritual, so long as it is in defense of what is good and righteous. A Templar knows that he must be careful to wield this authority with clarity of judgment and wisdom, and to atone properly for all sins afterwards.

Correspondences

• The Baphomet: An essential understanding of the Baphomet symbol is necessary in the practice of the Templar Mysteries. Indeed, it is generally considered the first of the Mysteries that the Baphomet represents not an outside entity - the Baphomet is the Templar himself. Many Templars meditate before the image of the Baphomet as part of their magical practices, or mimic the pose or features of the Baphomet as a means of creating sympathy between himself and the archetypal power invested in the Baphomet, which is the beastly exterior that comes of Wisdom.
• The Holy Cross: The Holy Cross of the Templars is not the same cross as the crucifix. Where the crucifix is symbolic of Christ's sacrifice, the Holy Cross is the shining of God's Light into the limited Earthly world, illuminating all within. Thus, rather than the typical cruciform shape, the Holy Cross is equal armed, and properly speaking, is found within a circle, which represents the World. Templars often wear their cross without the circle on vestment tabards to show that they are acting in the name of God alone, without influence by the World. Extended ritual magics are usually performed in a magical circle with the Holy Cross quartering it, demonstrating that the Templar stands in the presence of the Holy even while entrapped within the World.
• Codes and Ciphers: Templars believe that the process of unlocking codes and ciphers provides something more than protection from the secular world understanding its practices. Understanding a cipher is to the mind what vigorous exercise is to the body, or ascetic practices are to the soul - they strengthen the mind and make it a more proper vessel for God's Light. Many Templar magics utilize codes and ciphers as part of extended magical work (or even simply recalling them when performing instant spellcasting). More than this, however, Templars believe that everything in the World is a cipher of some kind, hiding God's Light, and that by utilizing a number of different codebreaking methods, even simple phrases, words and symbols found in the World around him can reveal part of God's plan for the Templar.
• The Sword of Faith: A sword is power. The one who wields the sword may impose his Will on the world around him - the sword makes the law. Thus, a sword wielded by a hand of Faith may bring God's Light into the world, making of the world a place worthy for that illumination. The sword is a weapon in the hands of a proper Templar, and he should not hesitate to wield it against the forces of darkness.
• Vestments: Clothing is a symbol, just as anything else is. When performing holy work, it is fitting that a Templar should shed the garb of the World, and come before God cleansed and prepared to see only Him. Most Templar vestments - whether simple tabards, cloaks or full robes - are emblazoned with the crimson Holy Cross outside of the circle, demonstrating that their actions are motivated by God's Light alone, and not of the World.

Higher Mysteries

• Knightly Oath (•••): When maintaining a Dedication appropriate to the Knight's Christian calling, he gains 2 Mana from maintaining that vow, rather than just the normal one.
• Mingling of God's Light (••••): The Templar may cast two or more spells from the Prime and Spirit Arcana as combined spells at one point of Gnosis lower than normal for doing so. Additionally, the Templar does not have to increase the effective rating of the Arcana involved in the casting by +1 - he may simply perform it at the normal levels to cast those effects separately.
• Holy Ground (•••••): The Templar's Tradition Rotes, when performed on a place properly sanctified as Christian holy ground, are not subject to Disbelief. They can still incur Paradox, however. This applies only to Spirit and Prime magics, however.