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Im trying to make a decent backstory for a secretive order of space marines based on the Knights Templar. So far i havent really came up with anything great so if if you dont like it, please give advice or something.

Officially endorsed by the Adeptus Ministorium around 129 M39 as a "final solution" to the prolems caused by the Xenos menace and the Traitor Legions. Subsequently after many victories against the Necrons during the later days of the 41st Millenium, the Order became a favored charity throughout the Imperium, and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were among the most skilled fighting units of the Adeptus Astartes. The Order became one of the most idolised, yet enigmatic chapters within the Adeptus Astartes and by the time the 13th Black Crusade was launched, the Order had swelled to three times its anticipated numbers.
The Templars' existence was tied closely to the Black Crusades; the Order was tasked with spearheading counter attacks aginst the ruinous powers and eradicating any stragglers of the Traitor Legions. However when several continents on Cadia were lost during the 13th Black Crusade, support for the Order faded. Rumors about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created mistrust, and the High Lords of Terra, deeply in debt to the Order, took advantage of the situation. In 023 M42, many of the Order's members on Cadia were arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and then beheaded. Under pressure from the High Lords, the Order disbanded and its knights faded away. Another band of heroes left forgotten and discarded amongst the countless others before them.

I like the idea.

Initiation could be an analog to the real initiation where faith (we'd have to go with this Chapter actually considering the big E a god) on the Emperor, those who in the end have their faiths crumbled are executed, those whose faith endures are inducted.

Now, how did the HLoT became indebted to them? I can't see a Chapter being also bankers. But hey, in the grim darkness of the dark future only the rumours about their initiation would be enough to bring the wrath of the High Lords who'd, ironically, send the Inquisition.

Now onto imagery (since I feel you want to be accurate on the representation, which I like): if you go with tabards (alla Dark Angels) with the crosses, keep in mind crosses were small, on the right of the chest.

And storm/combat shields should be preferentially black o top, white underneath with an optional red cross on the black section.

Thanks

yeah, i was thinking of using Dark angels vets or BT upgrade packs to make the knights.
And the reason they were indebted to the Order is what im trying to think of really.
The original Order of the Knights Templar had members who werent involved in combat handling economics and what not, and King Philip of France owed a large sum of money to the Order. Im trying to fit that in somehow, but spehss Mehrehns dont tend to have bankers among their ranks so that wouldnt really work out.

Exactly, the main 2 factors were:

- Phillip owed money to the Templars

- (and what I consider to be even more important) Which european king would want one of the best armies their society could have, in their kingdom and not answering to their rule?

First, as we both agree, it's unlikely, the second one, well, Chapters are pretty much autonomous anyway.

That's why I suggest focusing on their "heretical ways". Still, on second thought, in WH 40K any rejected aspirant (who ends up abjurating the Emperor) would be executed, so I can't see a butthurt aspirant spreading lies. At best we can have a visiting inquisitor who totally misunderstands their ways.

The Orders chaplains are highly potent psykers and it is they who conduct the orders rites of initiation. The Chaplains attempt to manipulate the minds of the initiate to assassinate a high ranking member of the Adeptus Arbites. This test is designed to show the iniatiate's resistance to psykers, if the target is successfully killed the initiate is far too vulnerable to psychic manipulation and is then "removed" from the Orders records. If the Initiate proves to resist the manipulation and refuses to kill their target, then the initiate is accepted into the ranks of the Knights Templar.
However when the Order was due for inspection by the Ordo Hereticus, the inquisitors performing the inspection were horrified by the heretic ways of the Rites of Initiation and the High Lords of Terra decreed
the Order Excommunicate Traitoris. The members of the Order were systematically hunted down by the Officio Assassinorium. By 112 ,M42 only six Knights remained. Still haunted by their previous masters.

 sierra 1247 wrote:
The Orders chaplains are highly potent psykers

Please don't.

I hope you meant Librarian.

 DeffDred wrote:

 sierra 1247 wrote:
The Orders chaplains are highly potent psykers

Please don't.

I hope you meant Librarian.

Or they are the Silver Skulls

 Lightcavalier wrote:

 DeffDred wrote:

 sierra 1247 wrote:
The Orders chaplains are highly potent psykers

Please don't.

I hope you meant Librarian.

Or they are the Silver Skulls

Or they're from the Space Marine movie.

I feel like they may be a bit too close to Black Templars as it is, since they are already based on the Knights Templars. I mean, you changed the color basically from what GW gave them. While they have a bit of a special job compared to the BT the BT could easily be charged with doing the same thing. I would suggest simply choosing another military order that has the same feel, but falls inline with your story a bit more clearly as well as give them more "defined fluff".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_order

Edit: I guess you did give them psykers which does make it a little different, but "three times it's anticipated numbers" just feels so much like the current Black Templars. I do like the idea of them being the "anti-black crusade" force, but I think maybe orienting them around that more would be cool. Make them a bit more mysterious I would think....however you like. Something along the lines of them being abscent from records and attendance of Imperium issues until only a Black Crusade launches, and than they show up. A secret order per say, that the origin of is hard for the Imperium to peg but they embrace their presence as they always seem to show up right when needed as a Black Crusade is launched.

Edit edit: You could expand this even further, having them persecuted after the Black Crusade is over since their timing and arrival draw suspicions from the High Lords of Terra/Inquisition as they always seem to have semi-precognition about a Black Crusade's launch. This causes them to obviously go into hiding just before the fighting is finished, leaving no trace and only to be seen when the next Black Crusade is launched. Obviously you can fill the gaps how you please just throwing out some ideas. Also Rogal Dorn and his Veteran Space Marines were never found when he supposedly "died". Who's to say he didn't run off and create his own order? While he did lead the IFs to be extremely codex adherent, it's not like he really enjoyed the idea originally.

Where do they go after disbanding? What happens to their leaders? Renegade time? Absorbtion? All blackshielded into Deathwatch?

whoops, sorry it was supposed to say librarian not chaplain.

So instead of being the "final solution" to the Xenos threats, they were formed by the great Malcador the Sigillite in the events just after the Horus Heresy to counter any threat from the traitor legions. The Order answered to no one, only their creator and the Emperor would give the Knights Templar Orders.
With every Black Crusade launched by the forces of Chaos, the Order was deployed at the forefront of the fighting, descending from the heavens to cleave an opening in the ranks of the traitors.
However the secrecy of their methods and the very fact that not even the High Lords could control them made for a lack of faith in the Order.

When the order was finally given by the High Lords to hunt down the remnants of the Order, most were hunted down and tortured by the Inquisition. Although several members were scattered throughout the Segmentum Solar. The survivors of the purge that came to be known as "The Descent" were left alone to survive the threats from Chaos and the Inquisition. They remained vigilant for the rest of their lives, waiting for one last call to arms, for another black crusade to arrive so that the Knights may redeem their fallen Order. Yet that call never came and the Order remained nothing but a bitter memory..

So they are the Grey Knights merged with huge elements of Dark Angels backstory?

Not really, they are based on the Order of the Knights Templar from the First Crusade in the Holy Land. They are not daemon hunters like the GK but in a way are similar to DA in the way that they hunt the traitor legions, however they do not hunt their previous brothers like the DA do. The Order is formed by Malcador the Sigillite to eradicate any CSM attempt to take over the Imperium.

and the GK are part of the Inquisition, the Order operates outside of most Imperial command structure, only following the orders of the Emperor or the Sigillite

For the mini's, use the BT set.
Moar knightly.

was considering using the BT set