Parisian Rite of the Templar Order

"For centuries we have focused on the trappings of power: the titles of nobility, the offices of Church and State. Caught in the very lie we crafted to shepherd the masses... In the wake of revolution, the Order will adapt. They will retreat to the shadows and we will, at last, be the secret masters that we were meant to be."

- Germain to Élise de la Serre, regarding the Templars' agenda, 1794.

The Parisian Rite of the Templar Order, sometimes known simply as the Paris Rite, was one of the autonomous factions comprising the Templar Order. The Rite operated throughout Paris and Versailles, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The Rite was centered in Paris and notably managed to maintain a truce with the French branch of the Assassin Order, negotiated between the Grand Master François de la Serre and the Assassin Mentor Mirabeau, despite the opposition to the idea among the members of both factions.

Division
A high ranking Templar and a Sage, François-Thomas Germain, became influenced by the ideals of the Grand Master Jacques de Molay regarding the shape of the Templar Order and humanity itself, after discovering the Codex Pater Intellectus written by de Molay in a vault beneath the Temple in Paris. Germain proposed these radical changes to Grand Master de la Serre, but was cast out due to his fanaticism.

Germain deemed the Order corrupt, its influence in politics making the Templars forget their true purpose. Faking his death, Germain secretly plotted with the members of the Order who shared his ideals, as well as recruiting the individuals disillusioned by the corruption of the French monarchy.

In 1789, members of the Order gathered at the Palais de Versailles for the induction of Élise de la Serre, daughter of Francois de la Serre. According to Chrétien Lafrenière, the group had not gathered together since Germain's exile. However, Germain used this opportunity to stage a coup against de la Serre. Two of Germain's agents lured de la Serre into the gardens of the palace and murdered him.

Following the coup d'état, Germain was named as the new Grand Master and set in motion a series of events which culminated in the French Revolution, with his main aims being revenge for the death of Jacques de Molay, and stripping French aristocracy and upper class of power. He reasoned that granting it to the lower class citizens would make the populace easier to manipulate by the Templars.

Despite Germain's recognition as Grand Master, he was still opposed by the conservative faction led by Lafrenière and Élise. Germain was imprisoned in his residence for several months by Lafrenière's men. However, he was rescued by the Assassin Arno Dorian, who sought to avenge the death of François de la Serre, who adopted Arno following the death of Charles Dorian at the hands of Shay Cormac.

With subtle manipulation, Germain led Arno to believe that Lafrenière was behind de la Serre's murder. The Assassin subsequently killed Lafrenière before he could amass his own forces against Germain's followers. In disarray, the remaining members of the conservative faction were wiped out, leaving Élise as the sole survivor.

The French Revolution
With his main opposition force crushed, Germain and his followers began orchestrating the French Revolution, to overthrow the French monarchy and to publicly condemn and execute the king. With the monarchy gone, it would be replaced by the Republic of France, headed by Templar Maximilien de Robespierre. Robespierre would enforce the Reign of Terror, to subjugate the populace through violence.

Germain believed that with the horrors of the resulting anarchy, the people would once again submit themselves to a higher power rather than to themselves. Another reason for Germain's desire for the king's condemnation and execution was to avenge the death of his idol Jacques de Molay, who was similarly condemned and executed by Philip IV.

Extremist faction

 * Arpinon
 * Duchesneau
 * François-Thomas Germain
 * Flavigny
 * Jean Gilbert
 * Marie Lévesque
 * Marcourt
 * Denis Molinier
 * Payen
 * Louis-Michel le Peletier, Marquis de Saint-Fargeau
 * Maximilien de Robespierre
 * Roi des Thunes
 * Frédéric Rouille
 * Charles Gabriel Sivert
 * Aloys la Touche

Conservative faction

 * Jean Burnel
 * Jean-Jacques Calvert
 * Le Fanu
 * Marquis de Kilmister
 * Chrétien Lafrenière
 * Magdelaine Lévesque
 * Marquis de Pimôdan
 * Élise de la Serre
 * François de la Serre
 * Julie de la Serre
 * Marquis de Simonon

Allies
 * Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie
 * Jacques Roux
 * Perrault