Templars & The Grail

Who were the medieval Knights Templar?  How did they become so powerful and influential?  Why were they suddenly arrested and tortured in 1307?  What happened after their suppression?  And how does their memory live on today?

The powerful Knights Templar, famed monastic warriors of the Crusades, have long been shrouded in mystery.  They were believed to conduct mystical rites, guard various relics, and perhaps possess the lost treasures of Jerusalem.  They were also bankers to kings, trusted diplomats, skilled farmers, business scions, and navigators.