ANDREW & HEATHER

ANDREW is a DJ, alternative Karaoke master and shower maker/fixer/knot tie-er (spelled any other way looks wierd) His playa personae is Jacques De Molay, Grandmaster of the Knights Templar during the Crusades.

The Knights Templar were a monastic military order formed at the end of the First Crusade with the mandate of protecting Christian pilgrims on route to the Holy Land. Never before had a group of secular knights banded together and took monastic vows. In this sense they were the first of the Warrior Monks. Feared as warriors, respected for their charity and sought out for their wealth, there is no doubt that the Templar knights were the key players of the monastic fighting orders. The Templars, being extremely wealthy and powerful as well as clever, changed the manner in which loans were paid and were able to finance kings. In European political circles, they became very powerful and influential. This was because they were immune from any authority save that of the Papal Throne. (Pope Innocent II exempted the Templars from all authority except the Pope.) After the crusades were over, the knights returned to their Chapters throughout Europe and became known as moneylenders to the monarchs. Many historians believe they invented the Banking System.

They were destroyed, perhaps because of this wealth or fear of their seemingly limitless powers. In either case, the order met with a rather untimely demise at the hands of the Pope and the King of France in 1307 and by 1314, they ceased to exist. The secret meetings and rituals of the knights would eventually cause their downfall. The King of France, Philip the Fair used these rituals and meetings to his advantage to destroy the knights. The real reason for crushing the Templars was that he felt threatened by their power and immunity. Philip, who desperately needed funds, to support his war against England's Edward I made his move against the Knights Templar. On October 13th, 1307, King Philip arrested all the Templars on the grounds of heresy. This was the only charge that would allow seizing of their money and assets. The Templars were tortured and as a result, ridiculous confessions were given. These confessions included: trampling and spitting on the cross, homosexuality and sodomy and worshipping of the Baphomet.

Philip was successful in ridding the Templars of their power and wealth and urged all fellow Christian leaders to do the same thing. On March 19th, 1314 the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay was burned at the stake. De Molay is said to have cursed King Philip and Pope Clement as he burned asking both men to join him within a year. Whether he actually uttered the curse or if it is simply an apocryphal tale what remains as fact is that Clement died only one month later and Philip IV seven months after that.

HEATHER is Andrew's other half. Also known as Broken Heather, her playa personae is Hekmet Fahmy, a famous belly dancer who worked at the Kit Kat Cabaret, and used her to maintain "intimate" contact with several British officers. She began to gather intelligence that could be transmitted to Rommel

THIS SITE IS UNDER DESTRUCTION.....