History of the Knights Templar

[SteveAlt (OP)]

History of the Knights Templar

After the First Crusade captured Jerusalem in 1099, many European pilgrims travelled to visit what they referred to as the Holy Places. However, though the city of Jerusalem was under relatively secure control, the rest of the Crusader States were not. Bandits abounded, and pilgrims were routinely slaughtered, sometimes by the hundreds, as they attempted to make the journey from the coastline at Jaffa into the Holy Land. In 1119, two veterans of the First Crusade, the French knight Hugues de Payens and his relative Godfrey de Saint-Omer, proposed the creation of a monastic order for the protection of the pilgrims. King Baldwin II of Jerusalem agreed to their request, and gave them space for a headquarters on the Temple Mount, in the captured Al Aqsa Mosque. The Temple Mount had a mystique, because it was above what was believed to be the ruins of the Temple of Solomon. The Crusaders therefore referred to the Al Aqsa Mosque as Solomon's Temple, and it was from this location that the Order took its name of Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, or "Templar" knights. The Order, with only nine knights, had few financial resources and relied on donations to survive. Their emblem was of two knights riding on a single horse, emphasizing the Order's poverty.

The Templars' impoverished status did not last long. They had a powerful advocate in Bernard of Clairvaux, a leading Church figure and a nephew of one of the founding knights. He spoke and wrote persuasively on their behalf, and in 1129 at the Council of Troyes, the Order was officially endorsed by the Church. With this formal blessing, the Templars became a favoured charity across Europe, receiving money, land, businesses, and noble-born sons from families who were eager to help with the fight in the Holy Land. Another major benefit came in 1139, when Pope Innocent II's papal bull Omne Datum Optimum exempted the Order from obedience to local laws. This ruling meant that the Templars could pass freely through all borders, were not required to pay any taxes, and were exempt from all authority except that of the Pope.

With its clear mission and ample resources, the Order grew rapidly. Templars were often the advance force in key battles of the Crusades, as the knights on their heavily armed warhorses would set out to gallop full speed at the enemy, in an attempt to break opposition lines. One of their most famous victories was in 1177 during the Battle of Montgisard, where some 500 Templar knights helped to defeat Saladin's army of more than 26,000 soldiers.

Although the primary mission of the Order was military, relatively few members were combatants. The others acted in support positions to assist the knights and to manage the financial infrastructure. The Templar Order, though its members were sworn to individual poverty, was given control of wealth beyond direct donations. A nobleman who was interested in participating in the Crusades might place all his assets under Templar management while he was away. Accumulating wealth in this manner across Europe and the Crusader States, the Order in 1150 began generating letters of credit for pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land: pilgrims deposited their valuables with a local Templar preceptory before embarking, received an encrypted document indicating the value of their deposit, then used that document upon arrival in the Holy Land to retrieve their funds. This innovative arrangement may have been the first formal system to support the use of cheques; it improved the safety of pilgrims by making them less attractive targets for thieves, and also contributed to the Templar coffers.

During this period, the Templars carried out extensive excavation beneath Solomon?s Temple in search of the fabled Solomon?s Treasure. What they discovered took the greatest minds of the Order two hundred years to completely understand and became the most closely guarded secret in the entire world. Within twenty years of the initial discovery, the Grand Master was finally persuaded that in the distant past a ship from another world had somehow travelled across the heavens and crashed on Earth. The ancient people of the time had covered up the ship with rock and earth creating what appeared to be a natural hill, upon which several different temples had been constructed over millennia. All the wealth of the Order was poured into extracting the secrets of the ship and with glacial slowness they began to learn. Fortunately, the ship retained some power and the scientists of the time were able to access computer terminals, determine their function and gradually begin to understand the alien language and the computer interface. Sometimes an entire year would pass without any advance in their knowledge but slowly and surely the expertise of the Templar scholars grew and the more they learned, the more the process of learning accelerated. Seventy years after the original excavation, the first new weapons were produced. Crusader knights armed with rifles and machine guns slaughtered their enemies and the Crusader States grew in size and power, led by the increasingly powerful Templar Knights.

The first aircraft appeared in 1275, along with armoured vehicles, and the rate of expansion grew. The European Christian Kingdoms, aware of their complete helplessness, soon gave their allegiance to the Order and in 1290, with tanks parked in the gardens of the Lateran Palace, Pope Nicholas IV relinquished control of the entire Christian Church to Grand Master Guillaume de Beaujeu. With mobile rocket artillery and jet aircraft, the Crusaders moved east and north-east, smashing the Mongol Empire within three years and moving into India and China. By 1325, the entire Eurasian landmass was under the control of the Knights Templar and all other religions had been eradicated or driven underground. Several expeditions had explored Africa and the recently discovered western continents and by 1330, they were under constant observation by satellites. The first moon landing took place in 1335.

The Order?s industrial and scientific strength was sufficient to make the breakthrough into an understanding of Trans-Baconion Physics in 1340. The planned invasion of the western continents was put on hold as the economy of Eurasia was fully devoted to a conversion to the new technology. Impressive Research Facilities were created and several Shipyards were built to produce advanced spacecraft while Maintenance Facilities were setup to maintain the growing space fleet. To increase production of Trans-Baconion minerals beyond those available on Earth, a mining colony was established on Palamon, one of the moons of Uranus. The conquest of the western and southern continents was carried out, almost as an afterthought, in 1370.

In 1395, the last of the information from the alien space craft led to an understanding of jump point theory and the Order?s shipyards began constructing gravitational survey ships and jump cruisers. By late 1399, six jump points had been discovered and on January 1st 1400, Grand Master Gilles Barbin announced that the Knights Templar would lead a Crusade to the stars, bringing the one True Church to all God?s subjects, wherever they may be and in whatever form they may be found.

The population of Earth on January 1st 1400 was approximately one billion and the industrial capacity of the planet was as follows:
Shipyards/Slipways 10/19
Research Labs: 40
Construction Factories: 1000
Ordnance Factories: 200
Fuel Refineries: 400
Maintenance Facilities: 50 (10,000 tons)
Ground Force Training Facilities: 10
Naval Academy: Level 4
Commercial Freight Facility: 1

On January 1st 1400, the spacecraft schematics and the order of battle for the Templar Space Navy were as follows:

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Shield class Destroyer    6000 tons     596 Crew     902 BP      TCS 120  TH 480  EM 420
4000 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 14-400     Sensors 1/0/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 34
Replacement Parts 5    

Daumont Ion Engine (8)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 102.9 billion km   (297 days at full power)
Gamma R400/14 Shields (7)   Total Fuel Cost  98 Litres per day

Quad 10cm Laser Turret (2x4)    Range 48,000km     TS: 12800 km/s     Power 12-12     RM 3    ROF 5        3 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Point Defence Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 48,000 km   TS: 12800 km/s     79 58 38 17 0 0 0 0 0 0
Large GCF Reactor (2)     Total Power Output 28    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Missile Detection Sensor (1)     GPS 32     Range 320k km    Resolution 0.4



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Temple class Jump Cruiser    10000 tons     770 Crew     1433 BP      TCS 200  TH 780  EM 0
3900 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 18/10/15/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 0
Parasite Capacity 2000 tons     Replacement Parts 15    

Navarre JX Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 10000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Daumont Ion Engine (13)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 190,000 Litres    Range 117.3 billion km   (347 days at full power)

Janvier-18 Thermal Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 18     Detect Signature 100: 1.8m km
Recherche-80 Search Sensor (1)     GPS 3600     Range 36.0m km    Resolution 45
Gaultier-10 Grav Pulse Detection Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 10     Detect Strength 100: 1m km
Fregnier-15 Electromagnetic Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 15     Detect Strength 100: 1.5m km



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Covenant class Destroyer    6000 tons     655 Crew     948 BP      TCS 120  TH 480  EM 600
4000 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 20-400     Sensors 6/5/5/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 24
Magazine 600    Replacement Parts 10    

Daumont Ion Engine (8)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 102.9 billion km   (297 days at full power)
Gamma R400/14 Shields (10)   Total Fuel Cost  140 Litres per day

Talon M4-40 Missile Launcher (6)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 40
M1200 Missile Fire Control (1)    Range: 1200k km
Longsword ASM (90)  Speed: 18,000 km/s   Endurance: 33 secs    Range: 594k km   Warhead: 3    Size: 4
Halberd ASM (60)  Speed: 12,000 km/s   Endurance: 75 secs    Range: 900k km   Warhead: 3    Size: 4

Janvier-6 Thermal Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Signature 100: 0.6m km
Recherche-48 Search Sensor (1)     GPS 2160     Range 21.6m km    Resolution 45
N1 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 240     Range 2.4m km    Resolution 15
Gaultier-5 Grav Pulse Detection Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 5     Detect Strength 100: 0.5m km
Fregnier-5 Electromagnetic Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 5     Detect Strength 100: 0.5m km



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Rhodes class Freighter    9700 tons     430 Crew     754 BP      TCS 194  TH 720  EM 0
3711 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/0/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 0
Cargo 50000    Cargo Handling Multiplier 10    Replacement Parts 5    

Daumont Ion Engine (12)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 63.6 billion km   (198 days at full power)

N1 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 240     Range 2.4m km    Resolution 15

This design is classed as a freighter for maintenance purposes


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Hospitaller class Colony Ship    9700 tons     480 Crew     1654 BP      TCS 194  TH 720  EM 0
3711 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/0/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 0
Colonists 100000    Cargo Handling Multiplier 10    Replacement Parts 5    

Daumont Ion Engine (12)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 63.6 billion km   (198 days at full power)

N1 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 240     Range 2.4m km    Resolution 15

This design is classed as a freighter for maintenance purposes


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Antioch class Survey Ship    3750 tons     335 Crew     690 BP      TCS 75  TH 300  EM 0
4000 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 6/0/0/3/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 0
Replacement Parts 5    

Navarre J375 Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 3750 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Daumont Ion Engine (5)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 164.6 billion km   (476 days at full power)

Janvier-6 Thermal Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Signature 100: 0.6m km
Gravitational Survey Sensors (3)   3 Survey Points

This design is classed as a non-combatant for maintenance purposes


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Lance class Fast Attack Craft    1000 tons     107 Crew     190 BP      TCS 20  TH 120  EM 0
6000 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/0/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 6
Magazine 60    Replacement Parts 1    

Le Tavernier FAC Engine (1)    Power 120    Efficiency 7.00    Signature 120    Armour 0    Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 6.2 billion km   (11 days at full power)

Talon M4-200 Missile Launcher (3)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 200
M400 Missile Fire Control (1)    Range: 400k km
Battleaxe ASM (15)  Speed: 18,000 km/s   Endurance: 16 secs    Range: 288k km   Warhead: 4    Size: 4

N2 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 120     Range 1.2m km    Resolution 15



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Voulge class Early Warning Craft    1000 tons     77 Crew     230 BP      TCS 20  TH 120  EM 0
6000 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/0/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 0
Replacement Parts 1    

Le Tavernier FAC Engine (1)    Power 120    Efficiency 7.00    Signature 120    Armour 0    Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 20,000 Litres    Range 12.3 billion km   (23 days at full power)

Recherche-128 Long Range Search Sensor (1)     GPS 10240     Range 102.4m km    Resolution 80
N2 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 120     Range 1.2m km    Resolution 15



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Dagger class Fast Attack Craft    1000 tons     97 Crew     182 BP      TCS 20  TH 120  EM 0
6000 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/0/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 4
Replacement Parts 1    

Le Tavernier FAC Engine (1)    Power 120    Efficiency 7.00    Signature 120    Armour 0    Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 20,000 Litres    Range 12.3 billion km   (23 days at full power)

15cm C3 Near Ultraviolet Laser (1)    Range 72,000km     TS: 6000 km/s     Power 6-3     RM 3    ROF 10        6 6 6 4 3 3 2 0 0 0
FAC Fire Control (1)    Max Range: 72,000 km   TS: 6400 km/s     86 72 58 44 31 17 3 0 0 0
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 4    Armour 0    Exp 5%

N2 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 120     Range 1.2m km    Resolution 15



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Guisarme class Support Vessel    6000 tons     555 Crew     945 BP      TCS 120  TH 480  EM 0
4000 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 18/15/15/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 0
Replacement Parts 10    

Navarre J600 Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 6000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Daumont Ion Engine (8)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 680,000 Litres    Range 699.4 billion km   (2023 days at full power)

Janvier-18 Thermal Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 18     Detect Signature 100: 1.8m km
Recherche-128 Long Range Search Sensor (1)     GPS 10240     Range 102.4m km    Resolution 80
N1 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 240     Range 2.4m km    Resolution 15
Gaultier-15 Grav Pulse Detection Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 15     Detect Strength 100: 1.5m km
Fregnier-15 Electromagnetic Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 15     Detect Strength 100: 1.5m km



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Solomon class Missile Cruiser    9750 tons     1108 Crew     1525 BP      TCS 195  TH 780  EM 960
4000 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 32-400     Sensors 6/5/5/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 48
Magazine 1200    Replacement Parts 10    

Daumont Ion Engine (13)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 170,000 Litres    Range 107.6 billion km   (311 days at full power)
Gamma R400/14 Shields (16)   Total Fuel Cost  224 Litres per day

Talon M4-40 Missile Launcher (12)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 40
M1200 Missile Fire Control (1)    Range: 1200k km
M800 Missile Fire Control (1)    Range: 800k km
Longsword ASM (156)  Speed: 18,000 km/s   Endurance: 33 secs    Range: 594k km   Warhead: 3    Size: 4
Halberd ASM (108)  Speed: 12,000 km/s   Endurance: 75 secs    Range: 900k km   Warhead: 3    Size: 4
Battleaxe ASM (36)  Speed: 18,000 km/s   Endurance: 16 secs    Range: 288k km   Warhead: 4    Size: 4

Janvier-6 Thermal Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Signature 100: 0.6m km
Recherche-48 Search Sensor (1)     GPS 2160     Range 21.6m km    Resolution 45
N1 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 240     Range 2.4m km    Resolution 15
Gaultier-5 Grav Pulse Detection Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 5     Detect Strength 100: 0.5m km
Fregnier-5 Electromagnetic Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 5     Detect Strength 100: 0.5m km



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Fortress class Planetary Defence Centre    15400 tons     2060 Crew     2510 BP      TCS 61.6  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 4     Sensors 1/128     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 160
Magazine 4000    

Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres    Range N/A
Talon M4-20 PDC Missile Launcher (40)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 20
M2400 PDC Missile Fire Control (2)    Range: 2400k km
Longsword ASM (400)  Speed: 18,000 km/s   Endurance: 33 secs    Range: 594k km   Warhead: 3    Size: 4
Halberd ASM (400)  Speed: 12,000 km/s   Endurance: 75 secs    Range: 900k km   Warhead: 3    Size: 4
Battleaxe ASM (200)  Speed: 18,000 km/s   Endurance: 16 secs    Range: 288k km   Warhead: 4    Size: 4

Recherche-128 Long Range Search Sensor (1)     GPS 10240     Range 102.4m km    Resolution 80
N1 Navigation Sensor (1)     GPS 240     Range 2.4m km    Resolution 15


This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre


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Clairvaux class Geosurvey Ship    3750 tons     335 Crew     690 BP      TCS 75  TH 300  EM 0
4000 km/s    JR 3-50     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 6/0/0/0/3     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 0
Replacement Parts 5    

Navarre J375 Jump Drive     Max Ship Size 3750 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Daumont Ion Engine (5)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 164.6 billion km   (476 days at full power)

Janvier-6 Thermal Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Signature 100: 0.6m km
Geological Survey Sensors (3)   3 Survey Points

This design is classed as a non-combatant for maintenance purposes


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Paris class Terraformer    8350 tons     700 Crew     1327 BP      TCS 167  TH 360  EM 0
2155 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/0/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 0
Replacement Parts 20    
Terraformer: 2 module(s) producing 0.0024 atm per annum

Daumont Ion Engine (6)    Power 60    Efficiency 0.70    Signature 60    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 73.9 billion km   (396 days at full power)

This design is classed as a non-combatant for maintenance purposes

3x Temple Jump Cruiser
2x Solomon Missile Cruiser
2x Covenant Missile Destroyer
1x Shield Escort Destroyer
4x Fortress Planetary Defence Centre
3x Hospitaller Colony Ship
3x Clairvaux Geological Survey Ship
2x Antioch Gravitational Survey Ship
1x Guisarme Jump Tender

to be continued...

Steve

[kdstubbs]

Steve,
      Excellent use of medieval history, just plausable enough to be fun.  Looking forward to reading of your future Martin Luther.  

Kevin

[SteveAlt (OP)]

It will be a little while before Martin Luther arrives (1517 I think was when he nailed the 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg) but it will be interesting to see what would happen. I wonder if should consider the concept of religion within Aurora as a game effect rather than just a role playing description. Potentially, there would have to be different religions within an Empire and perhaps the same religion spanning more than one Empire.

Steve

[kdstubbs]

Might want to be careful of religion in the aurora universe, too many opportunities to goad someones ox.  While goading an ox can be fun in the right settings, it can be a real pain in others.  

The idea of competing religious loyalties spanning multi-species empires could be really fun for civil wars and breakaway provinces--Huguenots under the Hapsburg-Valois Wars of the 16th century comes to mind--or Joan and her struggle for French Nationalism in the early 15th century.  The chance that one species would adopt the religion of another is rather difficult to accept but anything is possible.  

Regardless Have fun with the Knights, looks like fun

Kevin