The Trifecta

The Trifecta is the trio of powerful shamans who overthrew the Federation of Mugen and won the Second Poppy War, reunifying Nikan under the new Emperor. They are the Warrior, the Vipress, and the Gatekeeper. In history, they are Yin Riga, Su Daji, and Jiang Ziya.

General Information
The story of the Trifecta is told as a tale of salvation and reunification of Nikan. Legend describes them as three war orphans who led the Nikara out of the clutches of their oppressors using powers granted by the gods. The three overthrew the impotent Warlords, and the Warrior proclaimed himself the Dragon Emperor of Nikan.

Legend
Most of what is known about them is told as folklore, and so cannot necessarily be treated as fact. The three of them trained with the monks of the Wudang temple until their martial arts skills were extraordinary; after their apprenticeship, they climbed Mount Tianshan, the highest peak in the land. They climbed the seven thousand steps to the peak and walked into the temple at the summit, through which they entered the Pantheon, the home of the gods.

The Dragon Emperor is the first hero and the strongest; deemed the leader, he was summoned by the Dragon God and gifted a sword.

The Vipress is the second hero and the only woman. She walked past the gods of war, the Dragon Lord, the Tiger Lord, and the Lion Lord, to kneel at the plinth of the Snail Goddess Nüwa. She chose a “woman’s battlefield in deception and seduction” and pleased the goddess, who made her as deadly and hypnotic as a serpent.

The Gatekeeper is the third hero and the humblest: he is described as weak and sickly, but loyal and devoted to the gods. He knelt before the tortoise who let them into the Pantheon and asked for the strength and courage to protect his friends and country. The Great Tortoise gifted him with the chain of keys around his neck and named him the Gatekeeper, able to unlock the menagerie of the gods.

On returning from the Pantheon, the monks recognized their new powers and the Trifecta’s reputation grew until they were known across all provinces. They invited all the Warlords to a banquet at the base of Tianshan, who were each enraged that the others had been invited and began to plot against the Trifecta. But during the meal, the Vipress poisoned their drinks and paralyzed them, and held them so as the Warrior declared himself the Emperor of Nikan and demanded their loyalty in face of death. The Warlords agreed and Nikan was reunified “without the shedding of a single drop of blood”. With the combined might of the united Provinces and the Trifecta’s power, they defeated and drove out the Federation of Mugen and liberated the Nikara Empire.

History
Some of the events described in the Trifecta’s legend is confirmed or implied to be true. Su Daji, the Vipress and later Empress of Nikan after Riga’s death or disappearance, did poison the Warlords with numbing agent. Riga, the Warrior, did declare himself the Emperor of Nikan and was known as the Dragon Emperor in his reign.

As shamanism has fallen off of common knowledge (but not common imagination), the part of the legend describing the Trifecta’s journey to the Pantheon is often considered exaggeration. However, it is confirmed that the Trifecta are shamans.

The Vipress is Su Daji, who calls upon the Snail Goddess Nüwa for her powers—it is implied in The Dragon Republic that she may be possessed by Nüwa at times. She is the only shaman in the books who has not lost her mind to the gods.

The Gatekeeper is Jiang Ziya. He has shamanic powers, he calls upon the Jade Emperor to summon the beasts of his menagerie. He has been sealed by the Vipress and as a result lost all of his memories rendering him a whimsical eccentric.

The Dragon Emperor is Yin Riga. He is not described much in the first two books. He has disappeared prior to the first book. He is the cousin of the Dragon Warlord Vaisra. Not much is known about is shamanic powers. He is responsible for the genocide of the Speerlies which lead to him being sealed by Daji which left him in a coma.