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“ | Order. Purpose. Direction. No more than that. | „ |
~ Haytham Kenway explaining the Colonial Templars goals (circa 1778). |
The Colonial Rite of the Templar Order, later known as the American Rite of the Templar Order, are major antagonists in the Ubisoft Assassin's Creed video game franchise, appearing as the main antagonists of Assassin's Creed III and the main protagonists of Assassin's Creed Rogue. The Colonial Templars were one of the various factions based in the thirteen colonies of British America that served as one of the rites of the Templar Order. This organization consists of about 28 members.
Their goal was to locate the Grand Temple and help unite the colonies under Templar Rule by orders of Reginald Birch, the Grand Master of the British Rite of the Templar Order. The Colonial Rite would play a major role in shaping the American Revolution as they sought to shape the newly formed United States in their image but faced opposition from the newly reformed Colonial Assassins.
History[]
Pre-Foundation[]
In 1738, Reginald Birch of the British Rite of the Templar Order, had named Lawrence Washington to become the Master Templar of the British Colonies in the New World and was tasked with locating various temples and other First Civilization relics located in the region. Upon arriving, he would go and recruit new members to the Templar Order such as Samuel Smith and William Johnson, and also contacted Christopher Gist. Gist also got into contact with Jack Weeks, a young thief who attempted to pickpocket him but was recruited into being his errand boy instead after he was caught.
12 years later in 1750, Birch had sent Templar Agent Geogre Monro to assist Washington in his search for the temple and Monro was introduced to Weeks by Gits in the process who had also agreed to assist him in his search in the process. Eventually, Monro taught Weeks about the Templar Order and had him initiated into the Templar Order 1751 along with Gist that same year. In 1751, an earthquake had ravaged Port-au-Prince in the French colony of Haiti and the Templars took advantage of that and ended up stealing numerous relics from the Haitian Assassins; the Percuser box and the Voynich manscript and handed over the artifacts to Samuel Smith on his plantation in 1752 by Washington before being killed by Assassin Shay Cormac.
Afterwards, Wardrop took over as the de-facto leader of the Templars in the colonies while Smith traveled to Europe to find a scientist who could make the box work. In 1754, Smith had returned to Colonial America only to be killed by Shay Cormac who claimed the box for the assassins. That same year during the Albany Congress, the Templars came into contact with Benjamin Franklin to see if the scientist could make the box artifacts work however, Shay Cormac had arrived again and killed Wardrop before he could pass the maniscript over to Johnson and recovered the artifact.
Foundation[]
In the year 1754, British Templar Haytham Kenway had acquired a mysterious key known as the Grand Temple Key after he had killed Miko, the Mentor of the British Assassins, and after further examination, the Templars had concluded that it was a key to the Grand Temple and Reginald had ordered Kenway to travel to the colonies to find the site. In August, Haytham had arrived in Boston and was greated by Charles Lee, a hopeful man who had sought to join the Templar Order. With Lee's help, Haytham was able to gather the four Templars Birch had ordered him to; William Johnson, Benjamin Church, and John Pitcairn. Having met Jonhson in the Green Dragon Tavern, Haytham soon learned that the Assassins had stolen John's research on the native tribes. With Charles and Thomas Hickey, Johnson's assistant and fellow Templar member, Haytham reclaimed the chest with Johnson's research. Now with his papers, Johnson concluded that the symbols on the Grand Temple key were from a tribe known as the Kanien'kehá:ka, and that they would need their aid to find the Temple. Haytham and Charles searched for Benjamin Church, but discovered that he had been abducted by Silas Thatcher, a cruel British officer who demanded protection money. Fortunately, Haytham and Charles managed to save him from Silas' assistant, Cutter.
Later, Haytham and Charles tried to recruit John Pitcairn, but was stuck in the British Army by General Edward Braddock because he believed that he was a deserter. Some time after, Haytham and Charles attacked the guards who were escorting Pitcairn and freed him. Learning that Thatcher had a group of Kanien'kehá:ka slaves, Haytham and his brothers decided to infiltrate Southgate Fort as British soldiers and free the natives in exchange for the location of the Grand Temple. The Templars then managed to find and steal a slave carriage where a native woman, named Kaniehtí:io was being prisoner. Upon arrival at the fort, the young woman flew the carriage to free the native. The Templars and Kaniehtí:io succeded in liberating the slaves, which created a fight between the guards and the prisoners. During the battle, Church shot Thatcher in the head. When the natives left the fort, Kaniehtí:io smiled to Haytham as sign of gratitude.
In 1755, Haytham and Charles had searched for Kaniehtí:io in the Frontier and when they found her, the woman tried to run away but Haytham managed to caught her. The Templar explained to her why he needed her help but Kaniehtí:io refused before Haytham tried to prove that he could be trusted. Haytham even promised to help the natives stop the British expeditions into their territory. During their investigation, they discoverd that with the outbreak of the French and Indian War and the British Government had arranged for Edward Braddock to lead an expedition to the French-controlled Fort Duquesne.
In July, the combined assault of Haytham's Rite and the Kanien'kehá:ka tribes, together with a timely assault by the French Army, led to the destruction of the expedition, and the presumed death of Edward Braddock at Haytham's hands. True to her word, Kaniehtí:io led Haytham to the Precursor site, though the latter was disappointed to find little more than a cave. Later, Haytham returned to the Green Dragon and explained to his brothers that the Kanien'kehá:ka cave had led to nothing. He decided to officially establish the Colonial Rite of Templar Order with him as the Grand Master, and inducted Charles Lee in their ranks. The Templars would continue to search the Temple and helped the unification of the Colonies by aiding the British Crown against the French.
Purge of the Assassins[]
In 1756, Monro and his men had saved Shay Cormac, who was left for dead after he had betrayed the Colonial Assassins. On Shay, Monro had found the Voynich Manscript. Now understanding his new allegience, Monro lead the former assassin to Barry and Cassidy Finnegan, a couple who's son is in the Templar Order, to recover his wounds. The Finnegans were then attacked by an Assassin-affiliated gang and Monro plotted to attack their headquarters but a recovered Shay got there first and killed their leader. Seeing the potential in Shay, Monro had covinced Shay to work for him without revealing his Templar affiliation and agreed to help the colonel rebuild New York City.
Notable Members[]
Leaders[]
- Haytham E. Kenway (1725 – 1781) - First Grand Master of the Templar Order and main antagonist of Assassin's Creed III. Active during the Seven Years' War and the Revolutionary War.
- Charles Henry Lee (1731 – 1782) - General of the Continental Army and second-in-command of the Colonial Rite-turned Grand Master following the death of the Haytham Kenway.
- William Magear Tweed (1823 – 1878) - American politician most notable for being the Boss of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century New York City and State. He was the Grand Master of the American Rite of the Templar Order around the time of the American Civil War.
Agents[]
- George Monro (1700 – 1757) - Colonel in the British Army during the Seven Years' War
- Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet (c. 1715 – 1774) - Anglo-Irish Official of the British Empire and buyer of Native American land.
- John Pitcairn (1722 – 1775): British military commander and leader of the British armies in the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill.
- Thomas Hickey (? - 1776) - Soldier of the Continental Army and personal bodyguard to George Washington. Secret spy for the Templar Order and mastermind behind plot to kill Washington to replace him with Charles Lee.
- Johann Gottlieb Rall (c. 1726 – 1776) - German colonel in command of Hessian troops serving the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.
- Jeremiah Scudder (? - 1777): Spymaster for the Continental Army who was based in Newport, Rhode Island where he ran a secret network of spies on behalf of the Order, using a merchant stall as a front for his activities.
- Benjamin Church, Jr. (1734 – 1778)- Surgeon General of the Continental Army and Member of the Templar Order.
- Nicholas Biddle (1750 – 1778) - Patriot Naval Officer and spy for the Templar Order. Was known for raiding settlements.
- George Dorrance (1737 – 1778) - Officer of the Continental Army who was responsible for the displacement of several Iroquois villages.
- Johann von Robais, Baron de Kalb (1721 – 1780) - German-born French soldier. During the American Revolutionary War, de Kalb joined the Continental Army and was made a Major General. He postured himself for promotion into higher ranking positions to increase Templar influence in the Continental Army.
- Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. (1710 – 1785)- Governor of Connecticut both before and after the American Revolution.
- Edmund Judge (c. 1730 – 1784) - Templar doctor who became a target of the Assassin Aveline de Grandpré.
- Christopher Gist (1706 - ?) - Accomplished American explorer, surveyor, frontiersman and Shay's first-mate on his ship, the Morrigan.
- Jack Weeks (1723 - ?) - African-American Member who operates in New York.
- Shay Cormac (1731 - ?)- Former member of the Colonial Assassins-turned member of the Templar Order.
- Matthew Davenport (? - ?) - British Army officer.
- Eleanor Mallow (? - ?) - Daughter of Commander Matthew Davenport, a British military officer
- Coyote Man (? - ?) - Deadliest hunter of Assassins active on the east coast of North America during the 18th century.
- Father Federico Perez (? - ?) - Preacher of Spanish descent
- Gillian McCarthy (? - ?) - Seductress who manipulated her way into the upper echelons of society, acquiring power and wealth even at the expense of her own family.
- Victor Wolcott (? - ?) - Doctor of British descent who was infamous for his experiments.
- Gerhard von Stantten (? - ?) - Hessian soldier during the American Revolutionary War, in the employ of the British Army.
- Solomon Bolden (? - 1805) - Inquisitor of the Inner Sanctum like all the Black Crosses before him, Bolden travelled all around the world to keep an eye on the Grand Masters of the various Rites, to verify that they followed the Templar Code and if necessary to eradicate any corrupt Templars he could find.
- Alice (? - 1872) - Field agent of the American Rite of the Templar Order, who was active during the 19th century.
- Charles W. Sandford (1796 – 1878) - American general, lawyer and businessman. He was a senior officer in the New York State Militia for over thirty years and commanded the First Division in every major civil disturbance in New York City up until the American Civil War, most notably, the draft riots in 1863.
- Richard Barrett Connolly (1810 – 1880) - Irish-born American politician and member of the Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century New York City and State.
- Abraham Oakey Hall (1826 – 1898) - American politician, lawyer and writer who served as the Mayor of New York City from 1869 to 1872 as a Republican.
- Peter Barr Sweeny (1825 – 1911) - American politician and lawyer who was a member of the Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century New York City and State.
- Cudgel Cormac (?- ?) - Grandson of Shay Cormac, a famous Assassin hunter and Master Templar
- John Pierpont Morgan (1837 – 1913) - American financier, banker, and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time.
- Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich (1841 – 1915) - Prominent American politician and a leader of the Republican Party in the United States Senate, where he served from 1881 to 1911.
- Henry Pomeroy Davison, Sr. (1867 – 1922) - American banker and philanthropist. He was a senior partner of the J. P. Morgan Company. He was a participant in the secretive meeting on Jekyll Island, Georgia that laid the foundation for the creation of the Federal Reserve system in 1913.
- Charles Dyer Norton (1871 – 1923) - American banker and President of the First National Bank of New York, dominated by J. P. Morgan.
- Benjamin Strong, Jr. (1872 – 1928) - American banker and the Governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 1914 until his death.
- Thomas Alva Edison (1847 – 1931) - American inventor, scientist, and businessman famous for inventing and improving devices such as the phonograph, motion picture camera, and incandescent light bulb.
- Paul Moritz Warburg (1868 – 1932) - German-born American banker and early advocate of the U.S. Federal Reserve System.
- Frank Arthur Vanderlip, Sr. (1864 – 1937) - American banker. From 1897 to 1901, he was the Assistant Secretary of Treasury for President William McKinley's second term. He was also a founder of Abstergo Industries.
- Harvey Samuel Firestone (1868 – 1938) - Founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the first global makers of automobile tires and an important contributor to North American economic growth during the 20th century.
- Henry Ford (1863 – 1947) - American founder of the Ford Motor Company, a pioneer of modern assembly lines used in mass production, and one of the Founders of Abstergo Industries.
- Harry Dexter White (1892 – 1948) - American economist, working for Abstergo Industries. He participated in the Bretton Woods Conference and the formation of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
- Ransom "Ranny" Eli Olds (1864 – 1950) - Pioneer in the automobile industry, and one of the "Founders" of Abstergo Industries.
- Albert "Albie" Bolden (1893 - ?) - Templar agent active during the early 20th century, who traveled around the world under the guise of the leading trumpeter in Albie Bolden and the Harlem Hotsteppers, a touring night club jazz band.
- Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908 – 1973) - 36th President of the United States who played a role in Templars' and Abstergo Industries' attempt to assassinate President John F. Kennedy, who had an Apple of Eden in his possession and wanted to make a joint venture to the Moon with the Soviets. He escalated U.S involvement in the Vietnam War, a Templar conspiracy.
- William King "Bill" Harvey (1915 – 1976) - Director of the Central Intelligence Agency who founded the Bloodstone Unit in the Assassin Brotherhood led by Boris Pash. After secretly defecting to the Templar Order, he performed as a double agent within the brotherhood.
- Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. (1930 - ) - American engineer and former astronaut and the second person to walk on the Moon. He was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history.
Gallery[]
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Villains | ||
Isu Proto-Templar Organizations Cult of Kosmos (Peloponnesian War) Order of the Ancients
Knight Templars Mongolian Templars Egyptian Templars Italian Templars Spanish Templars Byzantine Templars Chinese Templars Japanese Templars Caribbean Templars
Portuguese Templars Louisiana Templars Colonial Templars/American Templars British Templars Parisian Templars Austrian Templars Russian Templars German Templars 21st Century Templars (Abstergo Industries, mainly)
Assassin Brotherhood & Their Allies Bellatores Dei Girolamo Savonarola's forces The Tyranny of King Washington Xiongnu Jack the Ripper Mythological Creatures Miscellaneous |