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For Trinity in other continuities, see here.

The Order of Trinity, commonly abbreviated as Trinity, is a religious military order and a group of fanatics that sought control over the fate of humanity as a whole through the use of ancient artifacts.

A millennia-old cabal that existed long before the birth of Jesus, Trinity eventually became associated with the Roman Catholic Church; by 978 AD, one of its senior leaders was a Catholic Bishop. This association persisted into the modern day, as a mercenary hired by Trinity for the Kitezh operation in 2014 was able to trace the source of the organization's funding to Rome, Italy, and the leader of Trinity's High Council prior to Dr. Pedro Dominguez was a Cardinal.

After the operation in Paititi, the organization has been left crippled with the loss of its senior members and the Trinity High Council.

Culture[]

Religion[]

Trinity's core belief system was monotheistic and their members devoutly worshiped the God of the Abrahamic religious. According to Trinity's manifesto, the world was last pure and untainted after God cleansed it in the Biblical Great Flood endured by Noah, which they claimed to have occurred around four thousand years ago. Since then, they view the world has became mired in weakness, sin, sickness and chaos. Given these views, Trinity believes they are on a divine mission to restore humanity to paradise. To accomplish this blessed task, they sought to acquire mythical relics of supernatural power by any means necessary, and to eradicate all traces of any blasphemous and heretical civilizations that once made use of those relics.

The members of the Order of Trinity have shown themselves to be very zealous and fanatically believe that their work to be righteous. Given the self-proclaimed righteousness of their sacred mission, they have even come to justify the use of violence, manipulation and intimidation in pursuit of their goals. This is because they view these acts as small evils and a necessary sacrifice for the ultimate greater good of humanity as a whole.

Military[]

Given Trinity's inexhaustible pool of wealth and resources, they have an extremely well funded private army of experienced soldiers who are all show fanatical dedication to Trinity's cause. The initiated soldiers wear black jackets, boots, gloves, bulletproof vests and grey pants as standard uniform. Many also wear helmets or balaclavas. When deploying troops to the jungle, Trinity soldiers wear camouflage combat fatigues and netting for further camouflage.

The Flamethrower trooper wears a flame retardant suit and a gas mask with a mirrored visor. The main difference between an initiated Trinity member and other hired mercenaries is that initiated Trinity soldiers have a patches and medals on their uniforms, which symbolize the organization. Uninitiated troopers don't have a standard uniform, and seem to wear clothes based on personal preference.

They also have access to sophisticated military technology such as drones, satellite systems, armoured personal carriers and even attack helicopters. A fierce combination of military technology and combat prowess allowed to equally match undead superhumans, such as the Deathless Ones, in combat. Despite initially fighting the Deathless ones on equal footing, they were eventually overwhelmed by them.

Known Weapons[]

Known Vehicles[]


History[]

Pursuit of the Deathless Prophet[]

Trinity Illustration

Byzantine Fresco

Around 978 AD, a man known as the Deathless Prophet of Constantinople began spreading miracles throughout the Byzantine Empire. He gathered his followers in an oasis deep within modern Syria, where they built a city. The Order of Trinity hunted the Prophet across the Empire, routing the Prophet's followers at every turn. When the Prophet was finally killed, his body was taken to a tomb built in the cliffs above the oasis. At the same time, Trinity received reports that the Prophet yet lived. Trinity's knights redoubled their efforts, tracking down the oasis and besieging the supposed impostor-Prophet and his followers in the tomb. Although most of his followers perished, the Prophet slipped through Trinity's fingers once again. Trinity sealed the tomb behind them and took measures to ensure the oasis was forgotten, then continued after the Prophet, pursuing him into Siberia.[1]

Paititi and the Cult of Kukulkan[]

Trinity sent an expedition in search of the fabled Key of Chak Chel and Silver Box of Ix Chel in the hidden city of Paititi in 1603 AD. The expedition team became part of a Jesuit mission consisting of twelve Spanish soldiers and two molosser dogs led by Trinity agents and Catholic missionaries Andres Lopez and Truylos Serrano. Paititi was discovered without any difficulty thanks to directions provided to Trinity by Jesuit missionaries at the nearby Mission of San Juan, and Lopez and Serrano were able to allay the Paititians' suspicions of outsiders. The expedition ventured into an ancient cenote near Paititi that contained the Silver Box, but the Yaaxil guarding the artifact harassed the expedition until only Lopez and Serrano remained. They retrieved the Silver Box, but their exposure to the artifact's supernatural energy had caused them to become disillusioned with Trinity. With the consent of Paititi's emperor, the Silver Box was taken from Paititi and hidden at the Mission of San Juan to keep it out of Trinity's hands. Lopez left behind a trail of clues so that a future "Chosen One" would still be able to locate the Silver Box.

Not long after this, Trinity sent a second expedition to Paititi when Lopez and Serrano failed to return. They found the hidden city wracked by a deadly plague, and took advantage of the chaos to establish the Cult of Kukulkan to serve as Trinity's proxy in Paititi. From then on, the Cult became the true power in the city, and its kings and queens were relegated to figureheads who had to obey the Cult's orders to maintain their grip on the throne.

Yamatai and the Star Phenomenon[]

During World War II, a contingent of the Imperial Japanese military rediscovered Yamatai, a long-lost island that was once the heart of an ancient Japanese civilization. A Nazi scientific expedition was allowed to study the island's constant, unnatural storms in the hopes of learning how to control them for use as a weapon in the war. At least one covert Trinity operative arrived with the expedition, and when Trinity learned that the Axis powers were close to acquiring the "Star Phenomenon", the supernatural source of the storms, the operative was ordered to sabotage the expedition to prevent this from happening. It is unknown to what extent, if any, the Axis forces were sabotaged, but in the end they were wiped out completely by the Oni.

At some point not long before Lara Croft's arrival on Yamatai in 2013, another Trinity operative was dispatched there to investigate the Star Phenomenon. The operative discovered Mathias and his Solarii Brotherhood, but initially underestimated them. He realized too late that they were close to securing the Star Phenomenon and awakening the Sun Queen Himiko, who the operative identified as an enemy to Trinity's interests. Planting numerous GPS Caches across the island that contained a coded report for his assumed replacement to find, the operative was eventually fatally wounded by the Solarii.

After Lara and her friends escaped the island, Trinity sent a team there to clean up and contain Yamatai's rediscovery. The remaining Solarii and Stormguard were exterminated, and the Sun Queen's bodies and tombs were found and completely destroyed.

Excavations in Cozumel and South America[]

Dr. Pedro Dominguez, an archaeologist and expert in pre-colonial Maya history as well as the leader of the High Council of Trinity, spearheaded several archaeological digs on the Mexican island of Cozumel. By ingratiating himself with the island's inhabitants through philanthropy, Dominguez was able to scour Cozumel unhindered for ancient Mayan ruins related to the mythical Paititi culture, which he hoped would contain the Key of Chak Chel and the Silver Box of Ix Chel, two artifacts that, together, held the power to remake the world.

While Dominguez personally led the Cozumel operation, he knew that the artifacts were likely stored separately, and directed several Trinity recovery teams to search possible sites in northern Brazil and Peru. Multiple ruins were found and demolished by Trinity in both Cozumel and South America between the late 1990s and 2015, but the artifacts remained elusive.

Discrediting Lord Croft[]

Lord Richard James Croft came to the attention of Trinity when he began publishing his research into the immortal soul, based off of myths and folklore from around the world. As Lord Croft's research strayed dangerously close to information that Trinity had been suppressing for centuries, Trinity tried to dissuade Croft from his work. At some point, Pedro Dominguez befriended Croft and allowed him to visit his dig sites in Cozumel, possibly in an attempt to convert Croft to Trinity's cause.

When Croft refused to give in, Trinity used their resources to launch a media campaign that succeeded in discrediting him. However, as even the loss of his reputation failed to stop Croft, who now was on the verge of exposing Trinity, they resorted to a third tactic. Dominguez sent an operative, Ana, to get close to Croft and eliminate him, but she developed feelings for him and refused to kill him herself when ordered. Trinity dispatched another assassin. In 2003, Croft was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his study by his daughter, Lara, with his research left incomplete. It would be years before Lara would confirm that Trinity was behind her father's death.

The Prophet's Tomb and Kitezh[]

Following Lara Croft's return from Yamatai, Trinity targeted her and worked to discredit her as they had her father. In 2014, when Lara set her sights on a fabled tomb in Syria said to house the soul of an immortality-granting prophet, Trinity followed her, hoping to claim the Divine Source, an artifact said to grant immortality. The tomb proved to be empty, however, and Lara managed to escape Trinity's forces alive. Trinity demolished both the tomb and the ruins of the Prophet's oasis city.

Lara later connected the symbol used by the Deathless Prophet and found in his tomb with the lost city of Kitezh, known as the "Russian Atlantis". Trinity sent an assassin to eliminate Lara, but she fought him off. The assassin fled, stealing Lara's research and giving Trinity her breakthrough. A large Trinity force traveled to Siberia, arriving just ahead of Lara and securing an old Soviet military installation near Kitezh to serve as a base of operations. Ana and her brother Konstantin led the operation, the former desiring the Divine Source to cure her lung cancer. Trinity encountered unexpected resistance in locating Kitezh, as the city was protected by the native Remnants who carried out a guerrilla campaign against the invaders. Upon finally reaching the city, Trinity found themselves embattled against the defending army of immortal Deathless Ones.

Ultimately, the Trinity task force was overrun by the Deathless Ones and Lara destroyed the Source, which in turn destroyed all of the immortals. In the aftermath, as Lara and Ana made their way through the Siberian wasteland, Ana confessed that Trinity had ordered her to kill Lara's father, but she had refused to do it. Before she could divulge anything else, Ana was assassinated by a Trinity sniper. The sniper had the opportunity to kill Lara as well, but was ordered by his superiors to allow Lara to live for the time being.

Himiko and the Divine Source[]

With the Divine Source destroyed, Trinity sought another way to harness the power of the Divine Source. They found a possible connection in the form of Samantha Nishimura. Trinity bought the Halberg institute where Samantha was being treated after her ordeal on Yamatai, and appointed Dr. Taffe as Samantha's new doctor, in order for him to attempt to make a connection to the Divine Source. Taffe began running experiments on her in order to harness the power of Himiko. However, these experiments allowed Himiko to gain control of Samantha's body, causing her to escape, killing at least one nurse.

Lara Croft arrived in an attempt to pick up Samantha's trail. Trinity managed to capture Lara, and attempted to interrogate her about Samantha's whereabouts, believing that she helped her to escape. Lara managed to break free and flee their facility, killing several guards in the process. They then tracked Lara to Bamberg, where she was in the company of Professor Morrow. Trinity's forces were ordered to recapture Lara and kill Morrow, though Lara manged to escape the church through hidden tunnels, killing more of Trinity's soldiers.

The Cross of Stars and the Tomb of Eden[]

Not long after the events at Kitezh, Trinity began a noble pilgrimage to locate the Cross of Stars, a Biblical relic which was crafted by the hands of Saint Christopher himself and had the power to whisper the location of Yahweh by finding the Tomb of Eden in Antarctica. After Lara found the Cross, one of the members of the High Council of Trinity, The Cardinal, sent a squad of agents to finish Lara off before she could leave for Antarctica in search of the Tomb, but she survived unscathed.[2]

Lara then headed to Antarctica to find the Tomb of Eden, which was believed to be the original birthplace of humanity as it housed the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge. There she found a Trinity cell already excavating the site. It was led by Nadija Katlego, one of Trinity's most dangerous commanders and assassins, as well as an old acquaintance of Ana. Nadija would later die after trying to harness the power of the Tree of Knowledge and The Cardinal would try to kill Lara with an explosion that destroyed the place, but Lara manage to escape by boat.[3]

Destroying Trinity Cells[]

After her departure from Antarctica, Lara decided to travel the world with Jonah and to terminate all of Trinity's operations, by eradicating every one of the order's cells. They managed to destroy all the cells around the world except one. This cell was under the direct command of the leader of the High Council of Trinity himself, Dr. Pedro Dominguez and was stationed in Cozumel. The actions of Lara and Jonah weakened Trinity and the High Council's plans for the order, were put in the hands of Dominguez and his work.[4]

The Cleansing[]

In 2018, Lara Croft arrived in Cozumel to investigate Dr. Dominguez, whose work was mentioned in her father's notes from before his interest in the Deathless Prophet and Syria. Initially, Lara thought Dominguez was only the leader of the local Trinity cell, but while shadowing him and his lieutenant, Commander Rourke, she learned he was the leader of Trinity's High Council. After Lara removed an ancient Mayan artefact, the Key of Chak Chel, from a subterranean temple that Dominguez had been preparing to enter, she was cornered by Trinity mercenaries. Dominguez took the Key from her, but when he found that Lara did not possess the Silver Box of Ix Chel, he realized she had unknowingly triggered a Mayan apocalypse known as 'The Cleansing'. Dominguez and Trinity escaped Cozumel as it was ravaged by a tsunami, the first sign of The Cleansing, and headed for Peru and the mythical city of Paititi to find the Silver Box in order to halt the disaster.

In Paititi, Lara discovered that Dominguez's true identity was Amaru, the brother of the late King Sayri of Paititi and the High Priest of the Cult of Kukulkan that ruled the city. The Cult had served as Trinity's proxy in Paititi and oppressed its people since the 1600s, and Amaru had been indoctrinated from an early age and brought to the outside world, where he was personally trained by Trinity's previous High Council Leader, Cardinal Gualtiero de Luca Dominguez, to become his replacement. Over the years, Amaru divided his time between working his way up the ranks of Trinity and visiting his homeland. When Sayri was killed while hunting for food in Paititi's outskirts during a devastating famine, Amaru became grief-stricken and seized control of the city from the rightful ruler, Sayri's wife Unuratu. He became obsessed with protecting his home from the encroaching dangers of the outside world and began his search for the Key and the Silver Box, but became tempted by the possibility of using them to remake the world in his own image.

Lara eventually recovered the Silver Box of Ix Chel from the Mission of San Juan, but Dominguez snatched it from her and also divulged the truth behind her father's death. Dominguez had ordered Richard Croft's murder not because his work threatened to expose Trinity's activities, but because it could expose Paititi to the outside world and lead to the city's destruction.

With the Key and the Silver Box in hand, Dominguez returned to the Great Pyramid of Paititi to conduct the Sun Ritual to remake the world. He summoned the entire High Council of Trinity to observe the ritual. Before the ritual could be completed, however, the Yaaxil, the creators and guardians of the Key and the Silver Box, sided with Lara and attacked Trinity. The High Council, Commander Rourke, and most of the Trinity soldiers in Paititi were slaughtered, save for a few who fled following the death of the High Council at the hands of the Yaaxil. Dominguez met his own end by Lara's hands.

Aftermath[]

Trinity was already severely weakened by the loss of many of its cells due to Lara Croft's persistent interference following the events at Kitezh. With Dominguez, his personal troops, Commander Rourke, and the High Council wiped out in Paititi, any remaining Trinity cells and staff elsewhere in the world most likely lost their influence and financial support, rendering them essentially crippled for the time being. 

Known Members[]

Dominguez

Dr. Pedro Dominguez, Leader of (the High Council) of Trinity (Deceased)

CommanderRourke

Rourke, Commander of Trinity's Military Forces (Deceased)

Konstantin

Konstantin, brother of Ana and a Field Commander (Deceased)

Ana

Ana, sister of Konstantin and a Field Commander/Spy (Deceased)

Trinity has an almost unlimited amount of wealth, influence, and resources, but few members. Trinity prefers to use mercenaries and outside contractors as much as possible likely to reduce deaths of their own people or avoid exposing their order. Trinity can easily afford to pay massive sums of money to an army's worth of mercenaries. Individuals are usually only granted the opportunity to become initiates after several years of dedicated service.

Known Initiates[]

Known Allies[]

Enemies[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Trinity were watching Yamatai, attempting to get to Himiko's remains. They are referenced several times during the events of Tomb Raider.
    • Finding all the GPS caches will reveal a message from a Trinity Soldier who was attempting to kill Mathias, where he requests that whoever finds his message, finish his mission.
    • When Lara is making her way to the Palace, a message is received from a rescue helicopter, saying it is inbound from a freighter called Trinity. Whether this was a vessel of the organization or not, is unknown.
  • Three members have attempted to recruit Lara Croft and failed: Auger Ramille, Kennard Montez and Ana.
  • Trinity are very similar to The Cabal, from the the Tomb Raider animated series, although they are only associated with one religion, and not a coalition of religions.
  • Trinity is known to pay massive sums of money to hired mercenaries, as throughout the campaign for Rise of the Tomb Raider, soldiers can be overheard talking about how well they pay and how they were trying to get work with Trinity for years.
  • Public knowledge of Trinity is all but non-existent, however it seems to be rather well known among mercenaries, as many soldiers early in game can be heard talking about having spent years trying to get work with Trinity.
  • The Order of Trinity share many similarities with the Knights Templar, a Catholic Military Order active during the Crusades for the Holy Land. Their leader holds the Title of Grand Master.

References[]

  1. http://discover-the-legend.xbox.com/fire.html
  2. Tomb Raider: Survivor's Crusade
  3. Tomb Raider: Inferno
  4. Shadow of The Tomb Raider
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