Grail Templars

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A religious and knightly order based in the Kingdom of Listeneisse, more properly named the Knights of the Temple of the Holy Grail (KOTHG). Admittance to the Order is considered a life-long vocational committment, much like the clergy.

The Grail Templars are considered a paramilitary organization. They act as the royal guards at Castle Carbonek.

Many are trained in combat operations, and often serve on duty with the Royal Army (RAL), Royal Navy (RNL) or Royal Air Force (RAFL). Many learn survival expertize with the Royal Forestry Service or study law and forensics in order to work with the King's Sherriffs or other law enforcement branches. They may also be fully-educated as doctors, psychologists, ministers or deacons, historians, linguists, or other fields of practical or theoretical sciences.

While specific studies or disciplines are not forced upon a member of the Grail Templars, each one is encouraged to select one or more specialities to bolster the Order's missions and capabilities.

The Grail Templars are comprised of both commoners (Sergeants) and nobility (Knights). They may be full members of the Order (the Ordinaries) or lay members (the Auxilliary).

  • The Ordinaries wear the distinctive white surcoat with the red cross over their battle dress, or wear white suits or white dress uniforms with red neck ties. They are always 'on duty' much like a member of the military. They can be given furlough for personal business.
  • The Auxilliary are much like reservists. They do not wear uniforms, though they might wear white suits and red ties to show their affiliation with the Order. They may hold other positions of government, and for the most part, carry on as they wish. In time of national need they are to report to the Order.

The distinction between a knight and a sergeant is not as great as it once was. But there are still certain legal rights a knight can invoke which a sergeant cannot. For instance, a knight may, in certain cases, enact 'summary justice' on behalf of the King: acting as judge, jury, and executioner of sentence. The peril for abusing this power is severe, and overstepping normal bounds of law is a rare occurrance. Yet many criminals fear having Grail Templars assigned to their case, because it is often a sign of Royal permission to exact an immediate sentence upon the criminal's capture.

The Order is given a great deal of latitude by the King so long as they remain loyal, and maintain a sterling reputation.

The Order is formally considered part of the Church of the Holy Grail, the state-supported religion, and nominally report to the Archbishop of Listeneisse. However, through their Knight Grand Cross, for all practical purposes they report directly to the King who acts as head of the state church. The Archibishop usually reserves and maintains the right to veto actions of the Grail Templars, to approve and hold ceremonies over the appointment and induction of new members and leaders, to investigate charges of corruption or wrong-doing, and dismiss leaders or members found guilty by canon law.

Appeals of judgements of the Archbishop can be brought to the King, but he usually lets rulings stand unless there is clear evidence of innocence. Even a cloud of suspicion of corruption over a Grail Templar is considered ill-fated. Therefore, members hold themselves to the highest possible standards of personal behavior. Vows of chastity, temperance (no drinking, smoking, or substance abuse), poverty (giving all worldly wealth to the order), and other types of religious pledges are expected though not expressly required from the Order's members. Auxilliary members have a bit more latitude in their behavior.

Grail Templars are selected by an ancient and secretive processes. What is widely known is that (usually) only the most loyal, devout and steadfast individuals get accepted. Women are now permitted into the order, but they are rarely admitted.

The pledge of a Grail Templar to the Order is life-long. While they can retire, they will thereafter be considered a member of the Auxilliary. Ordinaries that retire to become Auxilliary members are debriefed and monitored for the remainder of their careers much like the members of an intelligence agency.

Some even consider the Grail Templars 'spies' of the King. They are indeed lawfully and properly 'agents' of the King. But while many of their duties may be secretive, even dangerous, their open admittance of their identity and their distinctive dress and presence often makes it hard for them to act as 'secret agents.'

They are one of the branches of the government directly enabled and chartered to respond to UN missions and operations. Their unique capabilities for peacekeeping, law enforcement, medical treatment, transport, search and rescue operations, even ministries and counselling, make them highly appropriate and flexible to different missions.

Did Your Know?

  • If mobilized for national defense or overseas operations, the Grail Templars would field a brigde-sized standing force (5,000+ personnel), and a full division's worth with the mustering of the Auxilliary (15,000+).
  • The Grail Templars do not like being called 'Knights Templar.' They believe the Knights Templar were a derivative and debased branch of their more ancient and esteemed order. While the Knights Templar trace their origin back to the Crusades in the 11th-13th Century A.D., the Grail Templars purportedly trace their origins directly to followers of Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st Century A.D.
  • They do not refer to their red-cross-on-white emblem as the Cross of Saint George, but the Cross of Saint Josephus. It is also the same symbol as seen on the flag of the nation. It is also sometimes called 'Galahad's Cross' because it was the historical heraldry of the Knight of the Round Table who achieved the Holy Grail and returned with it to heaven.

UN Relief Activities

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