The order was originally a part of the Knights Templar, a group of soldier-monks that were formed during the Crusades originally to protect pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land, and who grew quite powerful before being disbanded. The members of the Order had a falling out with the other Templars and formed their own group, named for their leader Dumas ("who nobody else has ever accused of being a Saint"). The centuries-old villain Ra's al Ghul once had "an adventure" with Dumas, and Ra's later described the founder of the Order as "...[a] vicious man, an insane fanatic." The Order eventually stole Ra's Wheel of Plagues, which contains a record of biological weapons. Ra's himself also took their precious battle armor, the Suit of Sorrows, to pass as a family heirloom.