Templar Order

"Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him."

The Templar Order is a military order of the Chantry that hunts apostates and maleficar and watches over the mages from the Circle of Magi. While templars are officially deemed a force of defenders by the Chantry, established to protect the communities of the faithful from magical threats, they are in fact an army unto themselves; well-equipped, highly disciplined and devoted to their duties.

Background
Most people don't remember the Templar Order as it once was. In the days when the Chantry was still young, templars were known as the Inquisition and combed the land in search of all dangers to humanity—whether they came in the form of blood mages, abominations, cultists or heretics. It was a dark and terrifying time in the history of Thedas, and one that only ended when the Chantry convinced the Inquisition to unite under the banner of their common faith. This agreement, the Nevarran Accord, was struck in 1:20 Divine. The Inquisition was then divided in two groups: the Seekers of Truth and the Templar Order, with the purpose of the Order becoming that of guardian and warden rather than hunter.

Templar recruitment


Templars are considered by the common folk to be the saviors and holy warriors of Thedas, protecting the world from the dangers of magic unchecked. As the Chantry’s military arm, they are recruited primarily for their martial skill and religious dedication to the Maker. Given the difficult choices templars must make in the course of their duty, they must be unswervingly loyal to the Order and maintain an emotional distance from the plight of their charges. It is said that a templar’s obedience is more important to the Chantry than his or her moral center.

It is this sense of ruthless piety that most frightens mages when they get the templars' attention: when the templars are sent to eliminate a possible blood mage, there is no reasoning with them, and if the templars are prepared, the mage's magic is often useless. Driven by their faith, the templars are one of the most feared and respected forces in Thedas.

Templars go through a rigorous process of recruitment and training, sometimes in monastic refuges segregated from everyday society. While the majority of their members are male, some female templars do exist, having chosen to serve the Maker as a defender of the faith rather than a spiritual guide for the community. Templars take vows upon knighthood, but these do not include a vow of chastity. Templars are nevertheless discouraged from marrying or raising children since it is impractical to live apart from ones' dependents. Such unions are occasionally permitted, provided that the templar's spouse has his or her own means of support, for example, owning land or a title. A templar marrying another templar or a mage within the same Circle would be considered fraternization within the ranks and would seldom receive permission.

Prior to taking their vows templar recruits undergo a vigil. After the vigil, the knight's life is changed. The templar is given a philter- their first draft of lyrium- and its power. The Templar Order dictates that templars are not to seek wealth or acknowledgement. Their lives belong to the Maker and the path they have chosen.

Non-human recruits such as elves are not barred from joining the templars, but are not common in their ranks.

The brutality of the Templars in the Mage-Templar War significantly cut back recruitment, especially with their actions in Val Royeaux against the Chantry, as well as Corypheus corrupting the Order to become Red Templars. If Leliana became Divine, the order would reform in a new purpose: protect the common people instead of policing mages who were now free, and their ranks would swell again.

Duties of a templar
Templars are sworn to protect the world from the dangers of magic, but they also protect mages from the outside world, a world that fears these magic users for very good reasons. It is the templars' place to watch their charges for signs of weakness or corruption and, should they find it, to act without hesitation for the good of all. One of the Order's most important duties occurs during a mage's Harrowing. During this, a templar watches over the body of the mage, ready to kill them if demonic possession occurs. In addition, templars are responsible for seeking out mages newly come into their power and bringing them into the Circle. Inevitably, the Order must also pursue mages who escape the Circle but typically can track the fugitives using a phylactery of blood from their quarry.

In the extreme event that an entire Circle of mages becomes corrupted, templars also have access to the Right of Annulment which authorizes them to "pacify" or kill all mages in a Circle tower. This would be used in the event that total chaos was unleashed by the mages and there is no chance that anyone in the Circle could be saved. The considerable power the Order holds over mages occasionally leads to charges of tyranny and abuse, since the balance between protection and oppression of the mages is precarious. Nevertheless, according to the Chantry, this is the price that must be paid for the security the templars offer.

Abilities
Templars are the ideal foils for mages, having been trained specifically to counter and "deny" magic. This is done by a unique method of reinforcing the reality and immutability of the world. When a mage--or a demon--seeks to work magic, they tap into the Fade in order to reshape reality. A templar's ability "declare[s] the world real" and closes off a mage's access to the Fade. Magical effects dissipate and the mage is unable to reshape a suddenly stubborn world. From a mage's perspective it appears to be less spell interruption and more a templar reinforcing a reality in which that spell cannot be cast in the first place. The Seekers of Truth share these powers, and some believe their abilities to be gifts from the Maker.

Templar abilities to dispel magic and inhibit spellcasting, as well as develop a considerable immunity to magic, come primarily through ingesting lyrium. Cole says that the bodies of the templars become incomplete and try to connect to something older and bigger than they are. They reach for that "other thing" and magic has no room to come in. The lyrium is prepared by philters- boxes containing tools that are used by templars to prepare the daily draught of lyrium which consequently allows the denial of magic. If Lyrium ingestion is stopped, Templars will eventually lose their abilities. Though their abilities are mostly used as a foil for mages and fade creatures, some of their talents can have practical uses for the mundane. Holy Smite for example, is an attack that causes magical Spirit damage. Abilities such as Silence and Lasting Cleanse can prevent even normal opponents from using their talents for a short time.

Even without their abilities, templars are among the best warriors in Thedas. Aside from combat training, they are also taught the Chant of Light, history, and how to improve their mental focus.

Lyrium addiction
"The mages have made their suffering known. The templars never have."

- Cassandra

"Inside you, there is something you don't know you possess. Becoming a templar will make you keenly aware. You will feel empowered. It is joyous. But once you are accustomed, that something will get hungry. You have never felt this. The Order fights it with brotherhood."

- Ser (character)

All templars are addicted to lyrium, which is officially used to help develop their anti-mage skills and unofficially used as a control mechanism by the Chantry. A lack of lyrium causes the templar to lose touch with reality and suffer from delusions within 1-2 months. The effects of lyrium addiction for templars include paranoia, obsession, and dementia. Symptoms of lyrium hunger pangs include fatigue, forgetfulness, an unquenchable thirst, and cold hands. Over time, templars grow disoriented, incapable of distinguishing memory from present, or dream from waking. They frequently become paranoid as their worst memories and nightmares haunt their waking hours. Templars also lose their memories to prolong imbibing of lyrium. It starts small at first- a misplaced item or words to a song- but more fades away over time. According to Cullen, those cut off from lyrium and could not endure the suffering either go mad or die. Templars start receiving lyrium once they've taken their vows and are conditioned to be dependent on this mineral. Ingestion also seems to change how the recipient smells after a while, descirbed as something akin to burnt ozone.

Though unusual, dwarven initiates are not immune from the risks, either. Exposure to lyrium does not preclude the dangers of ingestion. This also indicates that dwarves are recruited into the order, or at least the training.

It is confirmed that lyrium does have effective benefits for templars, as it builds a resistance to magic in them over time, as well as increasing the effectiveness of their templar abilities, such as being able to shut off a mage's abilities entirely. It also puts templars in a state of boldness and empowerment. Some people think that templars are conditioned to be dependent on this mineral for its attributes and that the Chantry knows of its addictiveness. Both Alistair and Evangeline claim that "the Chantry controls the supply of lyrium, and thus they control the templars." Alistair claims that templars don't need to take lyrium to learn templar talents, only that it makes templar talents more effective.

Hierarchy
The Order is composed of numerous branches, each of them centered around a specific community or region they are assigned to defend and monitor. Templars may be assigned to the Circles of Magi but also to individual chantries. Each main branch of the organization is led by a Knight-Commander. In Thedas there are at least fifteen Knight-Commanders, who in turn answer to the head of the local chantry, often a Grand Cleric, depending on the region in question. The size and strength of each branch also differs, depending on the community they serve or their specific mandate. For example, the templars present in Lothering are few in number, and may in fact be a smaller unit within a larger chapter. Meanwhile, the templars assigned to watch over the Circles of Magi in Kinloch Hold and Kirkwall are much more powerful, and in the case of Kirkwall, perhaps more powerful even than the civilian government in the city.

The Order itself is ruled from the glittering White Spire in Val Royeaux by a Knight-Vigilant. However, there are other sources that suggest that the Order is actually led by a series of Knights Divine, a division within the Order who serve directly underneath the Divine herself and act as her enforcers and bodyguards. In addition to making the rules, these Knights oversee day-to-day operations. Above the Templar Order, but separate, are the Seekers of Truth who serve as “watchers of the watchmen,” providing accountability for the templars.

Heraldry
The Templar heraldry is a stylized representation of a flaming sword. The flames represent purification, just as Andraste was purified by flame upon her martyrdom at the height of the first Exalted March. The sword is an emblem of mercy in Chantry symbolism because Hessarian ran Andraste through with his sword to save her from a slow and painful death. The sword was also a part of Constellation: Visus; it is said that the star that marks the point of its blade only appeared in the night sky after Andraste's death. The early Inquisition took Visus as their symbol, and upon their partition the Templar Order took the sword while the Seekers of Truth retained the eye.

The exact design varies. There are at least six variations.
 * The sword is pointing up with two small flames on either side.
 * Pointing down with four larger flames.
 * Pointing down with three flames on either side.
 * With the sword pointing down with four flames on either side. The flames end about two thirds of the way down.
 * Same as above but the flames are larger closer to the hilt.
 * With four flames on either side running the length of the sword.

Notable templars



 * Delrin Barris, may be promoted to Knight-Commander by the Inquisitor (c. 9:41)
 * Bryant, templar commanding the Lothering unit of Templars (fl. 9:30)
 * Carroll, Templar at Kinloch Hold (fl. 9:30-9:41)
 * Carver Hawke (if not present during The Deep Roads Expedition)
 * Cullen Rutherford, Templar at Kinloch Hold (to 9:31), Knight Captain in Kirkwall (9:31-9:37), Knight Commander in Kirkwall (9:37-9:40)
 * Emeric, templar in Kirkwall (fl. 9:31-9:34)
 * Evangeline de Brassard, Knight-Captain at the White Spire (fl. 9:40)
 * Greagoir, Knight-Commander at Kinloch Hold (fl. 9:30-9:32)
 * Hadley, Knight-Captain at Kinloch Hold (fl. 9:32)
 * Haron, the companion of Inquisitor Ameridan
 * Harrith, Knight Commander of the Redcliffe Chapter of Templars (c. 9:30-9:31)
 * Irminric, Templar in the Denerim chapter of Templars (fl. 9:31)
 * Laros, currently the only known dwarven templar (c. 9:42)
 * Martel, Knight-Commander in Orlais (c. 9:22)
 * Meredith Stannard, Knight-Commander at The Gallows (9:21 - 9:37)
 * Mettin, templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31 - 9:37)
 * Nolan Brisson, Knight-Divine and alleged lover of Divine Amara III (Exalted Age)
 * Otto Alrik, templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31 - 9:34)
 * Raleigh Samson, a templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31-9:37)
 * Rylock, a Ferelden templar (fl. 9:31)
 * Tavish, Knight Commander of the Denerim Chapter of Templars (c. 9:30-9:31)
 * Thrask, a templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31 - 9:37)
 * Trentwatch, Knight-Vigilant and leader of the Templar Order (c. 9:41)
 * Varnell, a templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31 - 9:34)
 * Wesley Vallen, a Ferelden templar (fl. 9:30)
 * Ser Mallorick, supervisor of the laundry room at the Circle of Magi in Ansburg
 * Georg, Knight-Liutenant of the Denerim Chapter of Templars, prominent mage hunter during the Fourth Blight