New Human Empire

New Human Empire
Imperial Emblem
Type of government	Absolute monarchy
Head of state	Empress
Capital	Byzantium
Official language	Imperial
Currency	Akçe
Demonym	Imperial
Native race	Methuselah Terran
Date established	2250 AD

"The New Human Empire had occupied the eastern half of the sphere of the globe since the Armageddon. It was the only great anti-human nation of its time."

―Trinity Blood: Reborn on the Mars. Volume II: The Iblis

The New Human Empire / Tsala Methsaluth (真人類帝国 / ツァラ・メトセルート) (,Shin jinrui teikoku' / ,tsuara metoserūto'), also referred to as the True Human Empire, the Empire of the True Race, the Methuselah Empire, or simply the Empire, is a sovereign state consisting of territories in Eastern Europe, the Levant and Northeast Africa. It was founded around 2250 AD, sometime after the Vatican succeeded in driving the majority of Methuselah out of Western Europe. Although the Empire is a Methuselah nation, its total population also contains a Terran minority. Empress Augusta Vradica is the founder and current head of state of the Empire.

For centuries, the Vatican and the Empire struggled for dominance, resulting in several conflicts with inconclusive results. By the mid-31st century AD, the two nations were engaged in a state of cold war. While some Terrans and Methuselah greatly desired another war between their races, the Vatican and the Empire both took painstaking efforts to avoid a direct conflict with each other. By 3064 AD, Vatican-Imperial relations had improved significantly due to several key individuals on both sides, including Abel Nightroad, Esther Blanchett, Astharoshe Asran and Ion Fortuna.

History

"This nation, led by Augusta, who reigned over all vampires, had abundant land and many powerful lost technologies. Its latent national power was rumored to exceed even that of the Vatican. Its existence was certainly the greatest threat to humanity as it recovered from the Armageddon; therefore, one could call it the greatest threat to the Vatican, which was the leader of all human societies."

―Trinity Blood: Reborn on the Mars. Volume II: The Iblis

During the era of the Dark Ages, a period of extreme turmoil that followed in the wake of Armageddon, the Methuselah unleashed a reign of terror on the remnants of humanity. Their actions directly contributed to the genocide of millions of Terrans, the Earth-born descendants of the humans who never lived on Mars. The extinction of the human race was ultimately prevented by the intervention of the Vatican. By uniting the Terrans under the banner of the Catholic Church, the tide of the war turned in mankind's favor and culminated in the decisive defeat of the Methuselah by 2220 AD. Humanity's former persecutors were now faced with the prospect of becoming the persecuted. Instead, many Mathuselah fled Western Europe in order to escape the vengeful Terrans and the wrath of the Church. The purge of the few remaining Methuselah nations in the west was completed with the destruction of the vampire kingdom of Granada in 2401 AD.

The Methuselah who retreated eastward formed a new vampire nation in Eastern Europe under the leadership of Seth Nightlord. The New Human Empire was officially established as a sovereign state by 2250 AD. As the founder of the Empire, Nightlord proclaimed herself Empress "Augusta Vradica"—the first and only sovereign ruler of the Methuselah race in the east. With an abundance of lost technologies at its disposal, the Empire quickly established itself as the greatest rival to the Vatican.

Relations between the Empire and the Vatican have been strained at best; both sides fought each other in multiple conflicts over the centuries, but neither side gained a distinct advantage over the other. By the mid-31st century AD, the two nations were engaged in a cold war. Despite the centuries of hatred and distrust between Terrans and Methuselah, there were some individuals on both sides that desired a lasting peace between the Vatican and the Empire.

The Empire's supply of lost technology made it the most advanced nation on Earth—even more advanced than the Vatican and Albion, both of which possessed their own supply of lost technologies. In part because of this, the Vatican has made efforts to remain on good terms with the Empire, which eventually led to joint assignments and peace talks between the two governments.

The Empress brought nature back to the lands damaged by Armageddon, and founded a new Kingdom which would exist separately from the outside world. The Empire itself is a vast land surrounded by airborne particles that filter out the ultraviolet radiation so that the Methuselah may move about by day. That is why the Empire appears to be bathed in the evening dusk, even during the day.

Geography

The Empire and its neighboring states, 3064 AD.

The capital city of the Empire is Byzantium (otherwise known as Constantinople). The Imperial capital is the primary residence of the Empress, a large number of Methuselah aristocracy, and the automata who serve in the Empress' court. The area that the Empire occupies covers most of Eastern Europe and stretches to the region where Turkey once existed. The Empire extends further eastward into the Middle East, controlling territories that once belonged to Israel and Syria. The Empire also possesses a small part of northwestern Iraq, as well as the lands of Greece and Egypt.

The Empress brought nature back to the lands damaged by Armageddon. The city of Byzantium is surrounded by airborne particles that filter out the ultraviolet radiation, creating a barrier that enables the Methuselah to emerge during the day without fear of the Sun. As a side effect of the barrier, Byzantium appears to be bathed in the evening dusk, even during the day.

Cities and regions

Byzantium (capital) Alexandria Babylonia Beograd Bessarabia Gaza Heraklion, capital of Crete Khartoum Kiev Luxor Memphis

Misr Moldavia Mycenae Navarino Nicaea Odessa Tabriz Tigris Timisoara - The second largest city of the Empire. Zagreb

Society

The Imperial Palace, home of the Empress (left); a cityscape view of Byzantium (right).

The Empire is home to both humans and vampires who live in peace together, under the rule of Empress Augusta Vradica and her Imperial aristocracy. As a nation, the Empire has adopted an isolationist policy in regards to the outside world, which is dominated by Terrans. As a result of their isolation, the people of the Empire have developed their own culture and national language.

The Empire is a nation of many races, and therefore possesses many variations of names. It is also governed by strict social protocol that affects the relationship between its Methuselah and human subjects. For instance, romantic relationships between Methuselah and humans is considered a taboo.

By proclamation, the Empire is governed by a system of absolute meritocracy through which humans and Methuselah theoretically co-exist as equals, at least insofar that they have equal opportunity to advance their place in society. Although the total number of Imperial Methuselah is less than one percent of the Empire's human population, the highest-ranking positions in society is exclusive to the former, who enjoy more privileges and benefits than their human counterparts.

The human citizens of the Empire may rank anywhere from the servant class to the nobility. The members of the noble class act as feudal lords, ruling over various lands in the Empire and in the Empress' name. All Imperial citizens from both races are regarded as the Empress' "children." However, the Empire's Terran population is considered the "property" of the Empress. In part because of this, the Methuselah who live in the Empire are forbidden from harming their Terran counterparts.

The Empress is regarded as the Empire's greatest strength and source for peace between Terrans and Methuselah. However, it is also the Empire's greatest weakness. The racial balance in the Empire is predicated on the Empress' reign. In the event of her death, the Empire is almost certain to collapse into a state of chaos. The probability of disaster following in the wake of the Empress' death is an even greater possibility because of the fact that there is no apparent method of succession in the Empire, which was essentially built around a personality cult—the Empress herself. As the self-styled "Augusta Vradica, the First and Only" [Empress], the Empire was not created to outlive the Empress. It is therefore ill-prepared to endure her eventual death.

There are strict dress codes with specific colors and styles depending on the social class and occupation of the person. A slave is expected to wear grey-colored clothing, while citizens wear black uniforms with white edging. Green is an imperial color in the Empire. Therefore, only the Empress is permitted to dress in green-colored clothes.

Although the Empress commands the loyalty and respect of her subjects, very few citizens or foreigners have actually seen her in person. In this regard, the Empress has become an authoritarian personality; an absolute monarch who rules the Empire as both an enigmatic dictator and symbolic figurehead. The citizens of Byzantium are unaware of their Empress' true identity and origin as Seth Nightlord. They are also oblivious to the fact that their Empress occasionally lives among the citizens of Byzantium. In the mid-31st century AD, the Duchess of Moldova impersonated the Empress while the real one disguised herself as "Seth," a young child who lived in the capital as a tea merchant.

Characters from the Empire

Boyar

The Imperial nobility (Imperial: "boyar") consists of all Methuselah citizens of the Empire. Despite the official policy of Terran and Methuselah equality in the Empire, it is the latter race that controls the government and military. The Empress is the absolute monarch of the Empire; from the Imperial throne flows all authority, civic and military, to the nobles who serve as the highest-class bureaucrats, occupy central posts, and govern the territories of the Empire in the Empress' name.

• Augusta Vradica, Empress of the True Race
• Mirka Fortuna, Chief Privy Counselor and Duchess of Moldova
• Süleyman, Second Privy Counselor and Duke of Tigris
• Feron Lin, Third Privy Counselor and Marquise of Damascus
• Astharoshe Asran, Countess of Odessa and Marquise of Kiev
• Ion Fortuna, Count of Memphis
• Shahrazad al-Rahman, Countess of Babylonia
• Radu Barvon, Baron of Luxor
• Baybars, Baron of Khartoum
• Agamemnon, Count of Mycenae
• Endre Kourza, Count of Zagreb
• Nazim, Count of Gaza
• Vashmar, Marquis of Navarino

Imperial Navy

• Bad Hanmon, a flagship
• Nereiades, a deep-sea assault ship

Others

• Ahmed, Shahrazad's retainer
• Chadarli Kara Haril, Astaroshe's steward
• Ibrahim, navigator of the Nereiades
• Mimarl Suinan, a medicine seller
• Ryustem bin Shadaad, First Mate of the Nereiades
• Selim, Shahrazad's retainer
• Socorul, chief sailor of the Nereiades
• Guzino, crewman of the Nereiades
• Hairedin, crewman of the Nereiades
• Hussein, crewman of the Nereiades
• Nedim, crewman of the Nereiades
• Orhan, crewman of the Nereiades
• Sarkis, crewman of the Nereiades