The Red Templars

The Red Templars
Not long after the Mage rebellion, though arguably even before, a splinter group of the rebel Templars fell in with the Elder One. Both Lord Seeker Corin and Samson, working for Corypheus, drew in large groups of wayward Templars and urged them to master the Red Lyrium, claiming it stronger than the usual Blue.

Over time, those who had resisted were forced to ingest it, and while it isn't known known how much control the Eldar One exerts over the Red Templars, the Order was born. Before long, the side affects of the dangerous and tainted Lyrium began showing, but were written off as more power. More freedom from the Chantry. Though some notes do claim that within the ranks, some seek release and redemption.

Within the ranks of this recently risen organisation are more than a few individuals with strength enough to use the powers of the Red Lyrium without falling to it. At least not immediately. Dangerous and deadly, they provide our heroes with some serious challenges.

Nemesis: The Red Swordswoman
The mysterious Templar who led the Venatori in their purge of Ostwick, nearly killing the Kestrals in the process. Even though Agent Adaar dropped a burning building on her, she is unharmed. Relentless in her pursuit of her goals, she is driven by the most powerful motivation of all: A belief that what she is doing is right, regardless of the cost.

While she sees those who live under the Maker's light as those she is trying to save, she tolerates no obstacle, willing or otherwise. She sees weakness as an affront to the divine spark the maker instilled in man. Most of all she seeks to wipe Mages from the face of Thedas, saving Elves and Dwarves as next on the list.

Armed and trained to the highest Templar standard, her formidable powers have been further enhanced by the ingestion of Red Lyrium, something she seems highly reliant to. Also bearing the Red Lyrium Blade "Last Sin," she is an army in her own right.

As of yet, her true name or a shred of her past is hidden from our heroes, but maybe something there could be found to help defeat her? Or maybe, just maybe, open her eyes?

Adversaries: The Red Templars
The rank and file of the Red Templars. These include the entire menagerie of the degrees of corruption by Red Lyirum, from those recently contaminated, to the truly lost.

Drawn from the length and breadth of the former Orders of the Chantry Templars, the warriors sworn to the Red Lyrium are often deluded or angry Knights and their initiates, manipulated into taking the tainted crystal dust. Knowing only a life of addiction and dependance on the Chantry for their supply, it doesn't take much convincing.

However, these Red Templars soon discover that they have swapped one master for another more horrible one. The Red Lyrium taints them, driving them mad with visions and paranoia. Albeit it renders them drunk on the power it also gives: enhanced strength, stamina and more, eventually the true cost becomes clear.

The red crystal warps them, tearing their bodies and minds apart replacing them both with slavering corrupting monsters, slaved to the whims of the Elder One and driven to kill and spread the taint.

Red Templars focus on heavily armoured infantry, hard hitting and well equipped. While originally the Templar Order lacked dedicated ranged fighters, the evolution of the new Red Order has created new monsters to fill the roles: Shadows for unseen assassins and Horrors, who provide deadly firepower from their their ultra shard shards.

While they have forgone much of their anti mage training, it has been replaced with new powers derived from the Red Lyrium. Extending beyond the enhanced physical abilities, some more corrupted members can enhance the corruption in their fellows, while others can taint those they strike, spreading the corruption even further.

Left unchecked, the Red Templar threat could well coat all of Thedas with a field of crimson desolation.

Red Templar Warrior
A Red Templar often represents a novitiate or lower class, armed and armoured by the finest weapons and armour the Templar Orders could provide.

While not a true Knight, they are still skilled fighters and with the ingestion of Red Lyrium are enhanced combatants. Although their powers in subduing mages have been cast aside, the corruption in them allows them to afflict their opponents, causing them to become stunned and vulnerable.

 Special Features 

Favored Stunts: Mighty Blow, Pierce Armour, Corrupting Strike (2SP).

Weapon Groups: Light Blades, Heavy Blades.

Equipment: Broadsword, Light Plate Mail, Throwing Axe.

Corrupting Strike: Anyone hit by a Red Templar's strike must pass a Willpower (Self Discipline) test at TN: 13. Failure causes the victim to become Stunned until the end of their next turn.

Red Templar Marksman
While the mainstay of the Red Templar order, like the original order from which it was drawn, is line troops: Some initiates turn their skills to archery. Although being enhanced by the Red Lyrium, their lesser status allows them to have retained some of the prior training, making them still especially deadly against Mages.

 Special Features 

Favored Stunts: Pierce Armour, Skirmish.

Weapon Groups: Bows, Light Blades, Brawling.

Equipment: Long Bow, Short Sword, 30 Arrows., Heavy Mail.

Red Templar Knight
Large and horrible to look upon, the anointed knights who turned their loyalties to the Red Templars have portions of their flesh being fused to their armour.

Having had a more intense and longer exposure to Red Lyrium, they hit hard and are even able to strengthen nearby Red Templar soldiers. Red Templar Knights are able to channel Red Lyrium into lesser allies to accelerate the speed of their corruption, transforming them into Horrors almost instantly. Despite having being truly lost to the taint within them, they act as captains, leading the Red Templars from the orders given to them from the music in the blighted red crystal.

 Special Features 

Favored Stunts: Accelerate Corruption (3/5SP), Mighty Blow.

Weapon Groups: Brawling, Heavy Blades.

Equipment: Heavy Plate Mail.

Talents: Armour Training (Novice).

Accelerate Corruption (3/5SP): The Red Templar Knight may choose a Red Templar Warrior within 6 yards and convert them into a Red Templar Horror immediately. It may instead convert a Red Templar Horror into a Red Templar Behemoth for 5 Stunt Points.

Crystalline Armour: Crimson crystals have begun erupting from the Knights flesh, melding his armour to his body and further enforcing him from harm. It's Armour Rating is counted as 12.

Essence of Red Lyrium: The Red Templar Knight gains a +2 when testing against poison and becoming stunned.

Red Templar Shadow
Shadows are those Red Templars whose corruption has into its near final phase. No longer human in any sense of the word, they are simply hunting creatures whose arms have been taken over by sharp red lyrium crystals. They stalk the battle field and attack unseen, hoping to spread the crystal in the corpses of It's enemies.

Disturbingly lithe and capable despite the hardened plate mail which remains on it's body, It's weaponized arms are capable of puncturing even the mightiest armour with ease.

 Special Features 

Favored Stunts: Lightning Attack (3SP)

Weapon Groups: Shard Hands

Crystalline Armour: Crimson crystals have begun erupting from the Shadow's flesh, melding his armour to his body and further enforcing him from harm. It's Armour Rating is counted as 7.

Red Lyrium Edge: The Shadow's Shard Hands cause piercing damage, halving it's victims armour (Rounding up).

Lost to the crystal: The Shadow is crazed beyond rational thought, It automatically passes all Willpower tests it is called upon to make. This includes resisting certain magical attacks.

Red Templar Horror
Not unlike the Shadow, the Horror has also undergone a horrific change from noble Knight into horrific creature. While the Shadow has evolved into a stalking assassin, the Horror attacks from afar, casting out grown shards of Red Lyrium like arrows.

 Special Features 

Favored Stunts: Penetrating Shot (2SP), Skrimish.

Weapon Groups: Shard Shot, Claws.

Spells: Arcane Bolt, Arcane Shield, Fireball, Flame Blast, Rock Armour.

Talents: Armour Training (Novice), Primal Magic(Novice).

Red Lyrium Edge: The Horror's Shard Shot causes Piercing damage, halving it's victims armour (Rounding up).

Penetrating Shot (2SP): This Stunt replaced Piercing Shot in that it makes the attack Penetrating.

Lost to the crystal: The Horror is crazed beyond rational thought, It automatically passes all Willpower tests it is called upon to make. This includes resisting certain magical attacks.

Red Templar Guard
Specializing in defensive combat, the Guard previously played the role of bodyguard or watchmen. Virtually untouchable behind their gigantic tower shields, they ensured the safety of important Chantry charges, or ensured the delivery of apostate prisoners from rescue.

Safe behind their wall of metal, they represented the protection that the Templar Order once provided Thedas from the Malificarum. Now, as Red Templars, it represents nought but the inexorability of the advance of that terrible red crystal.

 Special Features 

Favored Stunts: Defensive Stance, Knock Down.

Shield Wall: The Guard can slam his heavy shield down, becoming a slow moving but implacable wall of stabbing steel. Activated as an Minor Action, the Guard halves his movement rounding up. However while activated he cannot be affected by the Knock Down Stunt. Also, the Guard's shield bonus is doubled when dealing with attacks from the front and sides.

Equipment: Light Plate armour, Heavy Shield, Long Sword.