Tren Krom (Being)

"No one can approach without my assent. No one can fight me. No one can kill me. I am eternal!"

- Tren Krom, Federation of Fear

Tren Krom was an ancient, fully organic entity created by the Great Beings. He was older than Artakha, Karzahni, and the Great Spirit Mata Nui. He was an immensely powerful being, but regarded as simply a myth by many.

Biography
Tren Krom was initially created by the Great Beings and placed in Karda Nui to temporarily run the Matoran Universe while they finished their work. Once Mata Nui was created, Tren Krom was no longer needed, and was approached by an Av-Matoran Toa Canister builder who informed him that his job was complete. Afterwards, Tren Krom was removed from the universe core and sealed away by the Great Beings, permanently fused to an island they placed him on so that he could not leave.

The Brotherhood of Makuta once wished to seek out Tren Krom to ensure he was not a threat to them. The Makuta Mutran was chosen to go to his island and investigate. When he arrived, Mutran was confronted by Tren Krom, who then merged their minds to search through Mutran's thoughts. As a result, Mutran learned not only what Tren Krom truly is, but how the universe works, and even why it does. Afterwards, he fell unconscious, and when he awoke he realized he had the key to aiding Teridax in overthrowing the Great Spirit.

When Order of Mata Nui member Brutaka and his team arrived on the island to retrieve a hidden weapons cache, they were attacked by Tren Krom. He attacked out of loneliness and a desire to know what had happened to his universe after his exile, manipulating the stone of the island to suppress the group. Then, he pulled Brutaka into the cave with a tentacle. He interrogated Brutaka and attempted to probe his mind, but Brutaka's mental training prevented him from doing so. He then informed Brutaka and his team, who had followed Brutaka into the cave, of his origin and what his purpose was. Lariska began protesting their imprisonment, and was then grabbed by Tren Krom, who probed her mind and learned all of what had happened to the universe. Upon being told of the fate of the universe should Teridax's Plan succeed, he instilled horrible visions into their minds.

Meanwhile, Carapar attempted to sneak up on Tren Krom and kill him. However, a third eye grew on Tren Krom, and shot out an energy beam that completely disintegrated Carapar. He then ordered them to leave, claiming that the fate of the universe was what they deserve and far worse than anything he could do to them.

Teridax's Reign
Later, after Makuta Teridax had successfully taken over the Matoran Universe, Toa Nuva Lewa was teleported to Tren Krom's island by Artakha to persuade Tren Krom to fight against the Makuta. Tren Krom informed Lewa that there was a way to free him from his prison so that he could help, but at a great cost to the Toa of Air. Lewa replied that he was willing to risk anything, and Tren Krom transferred his consciousness into the Toa's body, and placed Lewa's into his gelatinous form. Tren Krom departed the cave, intending to remove Teridax from power in accordance with his bargain. Despite his previous anger against the Great Beings, he felt no extreme animosity toward them, and instead felt obligated to save the universe he had once been in charge of. Realizing that he could not access Lewa's Air abilities, Tren Krom used his telepathy to contact Artakha. Tren Krom convinced the ancient being to transport him to Metru Nui, where he could carry out his plan.

After arriving in the Archives, Tren Krom was approached by Hafu, Kapura, and Toa Tuyet. Tren Krom quickly scanned their minds, and discovered Tuyet's past actions and current intentions. Tuyet deduced that he was not the real Lewa from the mental probe, although Tren Krom adopted the treespeak pattern of speech to fool the Matoran. The group, after emerging onto the surface, encountered Pouks and Bomonga. The Matoran explained how they had been acting strangely, and after he read their minds, Tren Krom figured out what Teridax had done to them and broke the illusion around them and the other Toa Hagah. Tren Krom then instructed the group to head to the Coliseum, where he intended to send a message to Mata Nui.

When the group arrived in the chamber underneath the Coliseum they encountered Toa Helryx. A portrait of Miserix caught the attention of Tren Krom, and he used his power to free the Makuta from the illusion he had been placed in. He then located a piece of machinery, and began utilizing it to send his message. After he was done, he was drawn into a conflict, siding with those who did not want to destroy the Matoran Universe. During the fight, Tren Krom fought with Miserix and was slammed to the ground. He retaliated with a vicious mental attack, only to be thrown into a wall. The fighting, however, was interrupted by the arrival of Artakha, who instructed Tren Krom to leave. Tren Krom attempted to exit the chamber, but was stopped by Artakha, who demanded that he return the body. Tren Krom tried to persuade Artakha to let him keep it, but Artakha told him to have faith in Mata Nui, and restored Tren Krom and Lewa to their original bodies.

Spherus Magna
After Teridax was killed and the Matoran Universe heavily damaged, Tren Krom was released from his island.

Tren Krom was later murdered, sending out a telepathic scream with an image of the Red Star that was heard by Kopaka, Pohatu, and Gaardus. They soon found his remains scattered over a forest on Spherus Magna.

Abilities and Traits
Tren Krom is said to possess great power, nearing that of Mata Nui. He had extensive telepathic abilities, allowing him to read beings' thoughts, and affect their mental state. While being mentally searched, the subject in turn could have access to Tren Krom's mind, though the connection usually had adverse effects on the target. Tren Krom could create an extra eye and emit a beam from this eye which could dissolve a target into dust. Tren Krom also possessed the ability to swap minds with another being, but only if the target gives consent.

Due to his extensive knowledge of the fundamental workings of the Matoran Universe, Tren Krom had the ability to manipulate certain aspects of his environment, such as the rock his island was composed of.

Tren Krom was horrifying and despicable in appearance, and primal in nature. He was fully organic and his scarlet body was covered with tentacles coated with sharp hooks. His eyes were simply holes inlaid into his gelatinous skull. His appearance was so terrible that it was known to drive lesser beings insane. Order of Mata Nui member Brutaka had to struggle to hold on to his sanity after seeing Tren Krom.

In Lewa's body, Tren Krom did not have access to many of his abilities, but retained his mental powers. He could, however, use Lewa's Miru Nuva, and swap it with Kanohi Nuva from the Le-Suva.

Quotes
"Tren Krom is no myth. He is older than the stars themselves, born in a time when there was no Mata Nui, no Makuta, only never-ending darkness that encompassed all. He walked through a universe in the throes of its birth, and even the shadows feared him."

- Makuta Mutran, The Mutran Chronicles

"Rather than crush me in his grasp, Tren Krom explored my consciousness, like an Archives mole rooting about for a meal. It was amazing... it was horrifying... it was a view into a mind as far beyond mine as mine is beyond a fireflyer's... and it was feeling my mind turn into a nest of serpents, hissing and slithering and trailing slime."

- Makuta Mutran, The Mutran Chronicles

"You think me an alien ... an 'other' ... But I am of the substance of this universe, and I walked here long before you or even Mata Nui himself."

- Tren Krom, Federation of Fear

"Before the Great Spirit Mata Nui was born, the Great Beings created one being who was purely organic. They taught me the ways of the universe they were creating and they placed me in its core. There I was to remain, maintaining the heat, the light, all the forces that made their creation whole ..."

- Tren Krom, Federation of Fear

"I surrendered myself to my fate, only to be exiled here by the Great Beings and bound to this rock. The universe, it seems, did not need two entities supreme."

- Tren Krom, Federation of Fear

"I helped to birth a world of order. But from what I have seen in the female's mind ... you have turned it into a universe of madness and fear. It is not worth saving. But it is the universe you and your kind deserve. Take yourselves from my prison ... take your memories and plans with you ... for the horrors already in your minds are worse than any I could visit upon you. I condemn you to your fate — life in the universe you and your kind have made."

- Tren Krom, Federation of Fear

Trivia

 * Tren Krom was inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. BIONICLE writer Greg Farshtey stated this to be a "tip of the hat" to the author.
 * If Tren Krom's body was still imprisoned on his island, the only beings with the power to free him would have been whoever was controlling the Matoran Universe and the Great Beings.
 * The Tren Krom Break, the Tren Krom Peninsula, the Tren Krom Raiders and the Tren Krom River were all named after Tren Krom.

Appearances

 * The Mutran Chronicles (In a Flashback)
 * Federation of Fear
 * Reign of Shadows
 * The Powers That Be