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Knight of the Temple of Morr - Preceptor

Generally, a Preceptor (or Commander of Knights) is responsible for the operation of a single Chapterhouse (comprising a small unit of knights, sergeants and men-at-arms, and other servants) These Chapterhouses (or Preceptories) exist in most major cities of the Old World.

Although subordinate to the Masters of the Order, a Preceptor is more likely to participate in large scale conflicts. For this reason, the Preceptors are particularly influential members of the Order!  As a Preceptor must complete a 'Quest to the Unholy Lands' before he can advance to the position of Master, he is also more likely to directly confront the Order's most hated enemies, the Tomb Kings of Khemri and their blasphemous Liche Priests.

'Friendly' competition amongst the Preceptories has never been discouraged by the Masters of the Order. Consequently, some of the older Chapterhouses have become a power within themselves and often hold 'secret' meetings to discuss ways in which they might improve their standing within the Order. Members of these Chapterhouses are expected to know the history and achievements of the former Preceptors (particularly the founder of the Chapterhouse). Some of the more famous Chapterhouses even have their own motto, which is usually emblazoned on the Preceptor's battle banner.

The Preceptor's most important duty is to ensure the Chapterhouse troops are well trained and are 'blooded' on the battlefield.

Although the ability to read/write is viewed as an unnecessary distraction when a Novice and Templar, it becomes more important once becoming a Preceptor (particularly if lucky enough to be granted stewardship of a Chapterhouse).

Once the skills have been mastered, the Preceptor must complete the 'Quest to the Unholy Lands'.

Knight of the Temple of Morr - Master
The Masters of the Order include the Grand Master (Ruler of the Order), the Marshal (or Deputy), and the Grand Preceptors (or Commanders of Houses).

The Grand Master and his deputy the Marshal preside over the ten provinces (Northern Tilea, Southern Tiles, Estalia, Northern Bretonnia and The Wasteland, Southern Bretonnia, The Eastern Border Princes, The Western Border Princes, The Northern Empire, The Southern Empire, and Kislev) and spend most of their time at the Main Chapterhouse, which adjoins the Mausoleum of Morr in Luccini.

The Grand Master has the last word on all issues and may even amend the Templar's Rule if he sees fit.  The Grand Master is answerable to only one living person, the High Priest of Morr.

The Grand Preceptors each govern one of the 10 provinces.  Although the Grand Preceptors have considerable power, only the Grand Master and Marshal have unrestricted access to the most holy artefacts and most secret texts owned by the order and held in Luccini (many of which are written using intricate codes).

Notes

Skills:

* Weapon Mastery: Confers an additional +10 WS with the specified weapon.
Templar's Oath:

Once an applicant has been accepted by a Master or Preceptor, a Novice must swear the Templar's Oath in front of his superiors in the Order and a senior Priest of Morr.  The oath is as follows:

(Novice) "I <<Insert Name>>, hereby proclaim my devotion to Morr, guardian of the dead, and request service in the Order of the Knights of the Temple of Morr."
(Master/Preceptor) "Do you swear to faithfully obey the Rule of the Knights of the Temple of Morr."
(Novice) "Let all bear witness, I do so swear."
(Master/Preceptor) "Arise <<Insert Name>>, and join your brothers."


Quest of Virtue:

Once the fundamental skills have been mastered, the Novice must complete the 'Quest of Virtue'. This minor quest might involve collecting a donation from a nearby city or escorting pilgrims to/from a nearby city. The quest is generally undertaken with little assistance from the Order and its main purpose is to test the Novice's ability to adhere to the Templar's Oath and Rule. Even a minor transgression at this stage can end a Novice's aspirations of becoming a fully fledged Templar of Morr!

Quest of Valour:

To advance to the position of Preceptor, a Templar must show outstanding service by completing the 'Quest of Valour'. This quest generally involves the slaying of a powerful Undead creature and its minions. Only by completing such a quest and facing one's fear of death can a Knight of the Temple of Morr claim the right to the esteemed title of Preceptor.

Quest to the Unholy Lands:

As the name implies, this quest requires that the Templar takes part in a Crusade to the Lands of the Dead. The Knights Templar of Morr are one of the few orders who still Crusade in this region. This quest may be as part of an organised expedition, or may be a solo endeavour.
Ask No Quarter:

After many years service, a Master Templar is so devoted to Morr's service, that he no longer fears death. The Master Templar now fully understands that service to Morr does not end with the physical death of his body. Master Templar's must therefore accept every combat, no matter how outnumbered, and must ask no quarter (and give none). Consequently, nearly all of the Order's Grand Masters have died on the battlefield or from wounds received in battle.