Trinity (Survivor Timeline)

The Order of Trinity is a mysterious and ancient militant organization that seeks control over the world and the fate of mankind. Trinity is known to have existed at least as early as 978 AD, and may be even older.

It was rumored to be associated with the Roman Catholic Church, as one of its senior leaders at the time was also a Catholic Bishop. This association appears to have persisted into the modern day; a mercenary hired by Trinity for the Kitezh operation was able to trace the source of the organization's funding directly to the Vatican.

Beliefs and Ideology
They are monotheistic and believe their goal to shepherd the world to be God's command alone. To accomplish this righteous task, they seek to acquire mythical relics of supernatural power, and to eradicate all traces of any civilizations that once made use of those relics, viewing them as blasphemers and heretics.

Trinity's members and even their hired mercenaries are deeply religious and believe their work to be righteous, that the violence they commit are a small evil, and a sacrifice for the ultimate greater good. Like monotheistic faiths, they hold God in the highest esteem and believe in him.

Pursuit of the Deathless Prophet
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.

Yamatai
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 forces 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, 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 were exterminated, every single Stormguard was killed and the Sun Queen's bodies and tombs were found and completely destroyed.

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. When he refused to give in, they 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. Trinity co-leader Dominguez sent an operative, Ana, to get close to Croft and eliminate him. Croft was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his study by his daughter, Lara, his research left incomplete.

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. 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.

Reattempt to Claim 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 Sam was being treated after her ordeal on Yamatai, and appointed Dr. Taffe as Sam'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 Sam's body, causing her to escape, killing at least one nurse.

Lara Croft arrived in an attempt to pick up Sam's trail. Trinity managed to capture Lara, and attempted to interrogate her about Sam's whereabouts, believing that she helped her to escape. Lara managed to break free from her confines and flee their facility, killing several guards in the process. They 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 several of Trinity's soldiers.

Searching for the Cross of Stars
In Tomb Raider: The Survivor's Crusade, it is seen that Trinity has began a noble pilgrimage to locate the Cross of Stars, a Biblical relic which was crafted by the hands of Saint Christopher himself and has the power to whisper the location of God.

Uniform
Trinity's 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 fatiques 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 guns is that initiated Trinity soldiers have a patches and medals on their uniforms, which symbolize the organisation.

Uninitiated troopers don't have a standard uniform, and seem to wear clothes based on personal preference.

Known Operatives
Trinity has an almost unlimited amount of wealth, influence, and resources, but only a very small number of initiated members. Trinity prefers to use mercenaries and outside contractors as much as possible likely to reduce risk to 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

 * Contemporary
 * The Cardinal - A leader of Trinity
 * Dr. Dominguez - A leader of Trinity
 * Kennard Montez - Operative/Assassin
 * Mr Cruz - Assassin (Deceased)
 * Konstantin - Field Commander (Deceased)
 * Ana - Spy/Field Commander (Deceased)
 * Dr. Taffe
 * Auger Ramille - Assassin (Deceased)
 * Historical
 * Axis infiltrator - Spy (Deceased)
 * GPS cacher - Spy/Assassin (Deceased)
 * The Hunter - Knight (Deceased)
 * Carraldus - Knight (Deceased)
 * Lone Survivor - Knight (Deceased)
 * Envoy to the Mongols - Knight (Deceased)
 * Killer of the Prophet - Knight (Deceased)
 * Roman Catholic Bishop - Leader (Deceased)

Known Affiliates

 * Contemporary
 * Kaz Weiss (Former)
 * Countless mercenaries and military contractors
 * Historical
 * Captain of the Maria Adula (Deceased)
 * Unidentified Mongol Khan (Deceased)
 * Countless Mongol soldiers

Enemies

 * Lara Croft
 * Richard Croft
 * Kaz Weiss
 * Jonah Maiava
 * The Immortals
 * The Deathless Prophet
 * Remnants
 * Deathless Ones
 * Samantha Nishimura
 * Himiko
 * Solarii Brotherhood
 * Stormguard

Trivia

 * Trinity were watching Yamatai, attempting to get to Himiko's remains. They 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 amongst 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 Grandmaster.