Knights: Knights and the Temple

Knights and the Temple

Going to sound off here -

(thanks for the heads up about this thread, btw)

There is, actually a lore-related reason for Templars and Knights being mutually exclusive. It has little to do with good, evil, theology, or even Cambruin. It has everything, instead, to do with politics.

The following is an obscure lore tidbit that I've told a few people about, but that hasn't had a public viewing until now. (btw, I think it had been the Tribunal that I revealed it too)

Look back to the end of Cambruin's realm, and the split that was arising between the pious Knights of the Sash (as led by Caeric the Paladin and championed by Sirs Adelard and Mardiock) and the more worldly knights - Eric the Drake and lords of that ilk.

Now Malorn was a staunch member of the Pious camp (as one might imagine), but he never got along with Adelard and Mardiock very well. The man who would later become a Saint thought that his background as a Crusader gave him a much more intimate notion of the All-Father's will.
For their part, Adelard and Mardiock were put off by Malorn's rabid hatred of Elves, and thought his methods extreme (Malorn had a nasty habit of shouting "take no prisoners!").

Now, let us advance to the Day of Woes itself - literally, the Turning happened a few hours ago. The stunned Champions gather around the slaughtered body of their King, and immediately, arguments begin.

Malorn, wide-eyed, told a tale of blessings from on high, a flaming sword, and a Heavenly mandate for vengeance. Many of the more worldly knights, enraged, agreed with his call to slaughter every fleeing elf they could find. He also told a tale of a traitor, an Aelfborn he slew. Sir Sesherin's body, however, was nowhere to be found.

Mardicok and Adelard counseled caution. Tempers flared. By the end of the discussion, Malorn had denounced Adelard and Mardiock as cowards, cast his sash to the bloody ground, and stormed away.

Thus began the breach.

So you see, its not so much that Templars are incapable of adopting Cambruin's Code - many of them probably follow it anyway. It has nothing to do with morality, although the Temple is often all too willing to look the other way when it comes to means.

At the end of the argument, the most salient fact is this: the modern order of Knighthood is the new incarnation of the Knights of the Sash, and it was founded by (you guessed it!) Sirs Adelard and Mardiock. And they and Malorn don't get along at all.

So, it's not that Templars can't be Knights, it's that Knights won't take Templars...

Such is the role of personality in the flow of history.