A Temple in Africa

When Lalibela returned from Jerusalem in 1187, he brought with him a small group of Knights Templar who were in Cairo at the time. The knights sought to establish a second region from which to organize attacks on their enemies in the Levant and retake the recently conquered Holy City of Jerusalem. As part of their plans, they fought for Lalibela against his brother, Kedus Harme, winning the emperor's trust.

These knights are a secret ally of the Emperor, attempting to build a cadre of like-minded knights in his cavalry, learning the extent of Lalibela's temporal powers and now maneuvering to gain as much influence as possible. Their discovery of a Hermetic covenant in Ethiopia may lead them to press for some form of alliance with the magi, to attempt to destroy the potential rival, or to subtly manipulate the covenant's activities toward the Templars' goals, but the direction of such a saga all depends on the sort of Templar Order the storyguide wishes to portray, be it Divine, Infernal, or mundane.

Saga Seed: The Angel's Share

If the Templars are in Ethiopia, then one very strong reason for their continued presence is a desire to claim the Ark of the Covenant in exchange for their actions and services. With the Ark of the Covenant in their possession, they would easily be able to return to France and provide their Order with the spiritual authority to establish themselves not only as an organization independent of the pope, but perhaps even justify the establishment of a nation governed by the Templars. By sending and receiving correspondence through the twice-annual letters sent by the patriarch of Alexandria, before his death in 1216, they have some idea of the events which have been transpiring in Provence. A single missive sent in 1219 alerted them to the presence of the Fifth Crusade in Damietta, and underlined the

possibility of success in their endeavor.

However, the Templars who arrived in 1187 are approaching their late fifties and early sixties. Their pages, squires, and sergeants,young when they arrived, are in their late forties. If they want any chance of seizing the Ark of the Covenant from the Church of Maryam Tsion in Axum and making the journey back to Europe alive, the time to act is now.

Depending on their relationship with the covenant, the Templars may attempt to trick the magi into stealing the Ark for them, enlist their support in forcibly acquiring it, or engineer a double-cross where the magi create a situation enabling the knights to steal the Ark. In these cases, the Templars and magi might engage in a long, overland chase toward the Crusaders in Damietta. Should the Ark reach the army, it is possible their attempt to take Cairo in July of 1221 will not fail. Or, if the magi wish to foil the Templars without resorting to bloodshed, they may replace the Ark with a replica in an elaborate heist of their own.