Star Wars gave birth to an entity of immense impact on the galaxy: the Sith Triumvirate. This dark alliance, consisting of Darth Nihilus, Darth Traya (also known as Kreia), and Darth Sion, emerged during the tumultuous era of the Old Republic. Its formation marked a significant shift in the balance of power within the Sith Order. Departing from the usual doctrine of treachery and betrayal, their ideology emphasized unity and cooperation among Dark Side practitioners. Their mission was clear: to crush the Jedi Order, eliminate potential rivals among the Sith, and unleash their malevolent influence upon the unsuspecting galaxy.
The Sith Triumvirate was first featured in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords, a game created by Obsidian Entertainment and LucasArts. Released in 2004, the game quickly attained cult classic status, and to this day is cherished by dedicated Star Wars fans.
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The Triumvirate's Members
Darth Traya: Lord of Betrayal
Darth Traya, a Sith Lord of intricate layers, once walked the path of a Jedi Master, but the rigid teachings and disconnection from the Force's true essence disillusioned her. Seeing the Jedi Order's eventual downfall tied to their dogma, she embarked on a divergent journey. Betrayed and cast out by the Jedi Council, Traya embraced the allure of the Sith ways. With unwavering determination, she claimed command over the Trayus Academy, where dormant Sith Assassins awaited her call. The Academy, under her guidance, became a crucible to shape a new generation of Sith, honed to dismantle the Jedi Order.
In her unyielding quest, Traya's gaze fell upon two powerful Sith Lords who held the potential for the death of the Force itself – Darth Nihilus and Darth Sion. Recognizing their formidable strength, she enlisted them into her cause, and thus, the infamous Sith Triumvirate was born.
Darth Nihilus: The Lord of Hunger
Darth Nihilus, once believed to be a Jedi, clung to life by a thread amidst the merciless devastation of Malachor V during the relentless Mandalorian Wars. There, he encountered an ominous shadow that devoured almost everything in its path, leaving him hungering for Force energy like an insatiable beast. The affliction ravaged his body, turning him into a living wound in the Force.
Darth Traya sensed this “wound in the Force” and sought out its origin. She found Nihilus and revealed to him the truth behind his hunger — it was the Force itself that fueled it. Cunning and alluring, she proposed to train him in the ways of devouring entire worlds, a twisted solution to satiate his unquenchable desire. Nihilus accepted the offer and followed Traya to her school, the Trayus Academy, nestled on a distant planet.
At the academy, Nihilus delved deeper into the dark side of the Force, alongside another budding Sith. Each of Traya's pupils honed their unique aspects and skills in the arts of darkness until they transformed into full-fledged Sith Lords. Embracing their newfound power, the trio bestowed upon themselves distinctive titles, with Nihilus adopting the moniker "Lord of Hunger."
Darth Sion: The Lord of Pain
Darth Sion fought as a Sith Marauder in the ranks of Exar Kun's Sith Empire during the Great Sith War. However, fate dealt him a crushing blow as he was struck down on the battlefield. But Sion was not one to accept the embrace of death easily. Instead, he unearthed a dark and torturous secret. By harnessing his excruciating pain, seething anger, and boundless hatred, he could defy death itself, attaining a twisted form of immortality. Yet, this immortality came at a steep price: the relentless agony that consumed his very being.
With his body fractured and decomposing, held together solely by the sinister grip of the Dark Side of the Force, Sion miraculously survived the horrors of the Great Sith War. His path eventually led him to the remnants of Malachor V, where he stumbled upon Trayus Academy and the one who would become his new master, Darth Traya.
Sion's loyalty to the Sith Triumvirate stemmed not from a thirst for power or ambition, but from a profound devotion to Darth Traya. He perceived her as his savior, the only individual who truly understood the depths of his torment and suffering. Embracing his role as the Triumvirate's enforcer, Sion hunted down any Sith foolish enough to challenge their unholy alliance, ensuring that their iron grip on the Sith Order remained unyielding.
The Betrayal of Darth Traya
After completing their training and ascending to power, Darth Nihilus, Darth Traya, and Darth Sion became co-rulers of a formidable Sith Empire. The Sith Triumvirate devised sinister plots to corrupt Jedi, enticing them to embrace the Dark Side, thus amplifying their own power and influence.
Over time, tensions brewed among the Sith Triumvirate. Darth Sion's thirst for vengeance against the Jedi and the Republic drove him to impatience, eager for direct confrontation. Conversely, Darth Nihilus, known as the Lord of Hunger, faced a different urgency — he was in a perpetual state of weakness and starvation due to his relentless craving for Force energy, compelling him to seek sustenance wherever he could find it.
The mounting impatience of Darth Sion and the insatiable hunger of Darth Nihilus created a rift between them and Darth Traya. The two Sith Lords plotted against their former ally, seizing the moment when she was vulnerable during meditation within the Trayus Core. With calculated precision, they pounced on her from both sides, leaving her defenseless and trapped. Darth Nihilus unleashed the full force of his power, hurtling Traya against a pillar. Despite her resistance, she was overwhelmed, and Darth Sion joined in the ruthless assault. In a final act of cruelty, they employed the dreaded Sever Force technique, sundering her connection to the Force and stripping away the dark power that had once corrupted her.
Cast out and betrayed by both the Jedi and the Sith, Darth Traya was left embittered and disillusioned. She directed her rage not only towards her former allies, but also towards the very essence of the Force itself. Viewing the Force as a manipulative and insidious power, Kreia became obsessed with the idea of destroying it, believing that only then could true balance be achieved in the galaxy.
Leaving the Sith Triumvirate she had once formed, Kreia turned her attention to the Jedi Exile, a former Jedi Knight who had severed her connection to the Force, becoming a wound in the Force much like Darth Nihilus. Kreia saw in the Exile the potential to be a weapon against both the Jedi and the Sith, and she manipulated events to bring about the downfall of the Sith Triumvirate and pave the way for her grand plan.
The Triumvirate's Downfall and Legacy
The manipulations of Darth Traya eventually led to the fall of the Sith Triumvirate. The Jedi Exile confronted and defeated each member of the Triumvirate, exposing their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Darth Sion, unable to die due to his twisted connection to pain and hatred, was finally granted the release of death at the hands of the Exile. Darth Nihilus was ultimately stripped of his power and consumed by the void he had become.
As for Kreia herself, she met her end at the hands of the Jedi Exile, who saw through her deceit and understood the true extent of her malevolence. Nevertheless, Kreia and the Sith Triumverate’s legacy in Star Wars lived on through her ideas and actions, influencing the galaxy's destiny and leaving a profound impact on those she encountered.
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