Templar Order
The Templar Order is an Acrean military order that is believed to have been founded in its earliest incarnation circa 375 BCE. The Templar Order was formed dually as both a religious organisation and a military organisation, charged as the protectors of Acrea's most important religious site in the High Temple of the Asur, and as a bodyguard for the royalty. By the 1st Century CE, the Templars also fulfilled an important as an elite fighting force on campaign. The word "Templar" is derived from the Old Acrean Nordic word, tempelriddari, referring to their status as warriors who protected major places of worship.
For much of Acrean history, the Templars formed the core of Acrea's warrior society. They were considered to be an iconic embodiment of the virtues of ancient Acrean culture such as discipline, fitness, and strength in mind and body. The ancient elite warriors of the Templar Order were historically known as the Arcani. They are also known as Praetorians from the Sabrian name for Templars, Praetorii. The name Arcani was hellenicised by the Makedonians as Archonai. Although membership in the order was at first dependent on a warrior's acceptance following trials, by 275 BCE this had been supplemented by the establishment of the aleiðval. Referring both to the institution and the regime practiced there, the aleiðval was a strict regime of training and education which parents could enter their sons (and in some recorded cases, daughters) into at the age of eight. Sponsored by the state, the aleiðval put pupils through a rigorous curriculum that would last until the age of 20. Although much of the education at the aleiðval focused on fostering martial skills such as cunning, critical thought, and strategy, pupils were also instructed in literature, poetry, academics, and politics. Accompanying this education was sports and wargames, reinforcing a strict fitness regime. Pupils were considered to have passed the aleiðval once they reached the age of 20, having satisfactorily reached all of the milestones and expectations set by their instructors, at which point they were inducted as full warriors. Failing to meet all of these expectations did not necessarily mean that a pupil was cast out from the aleiðval, depending on the aspects of their education that they failed. Although failing the academic portions of their education normally meant expulsion, those who did not prove as physically strong but performed strongly in academics would be retained to serve in the Order's administration. The creation of the aleiðval meant that by at least 200 BCE, being a Templar was often a generational matter as children were born into such families would pass through the aleiðval as their primary schooling and education.
With their status in Acrean society, Templars have historically been known not just for their battlefield prowess but for their secretive nature and political intrigues. Historically, Templars often made up a number of the highest military advisory positions in royal cabinets, something which only began to change following the Ivorian Reforms of the 14th century. Their status as royal bodyguards and in numerous historical cases, royal confidantes, has left the Templars inextricably linked to Acrean royalty to the present day. Today, the Templars have largely reverted to their original roles, serving as the primary guards for Acrean sacred sites and as royal guards. Although no longer forming their own elite component of the Acrean military, Templars still serve dutifully within the modern Acrean Army and are often over-represented in some of its most elite formations.