Characters

[Youptour]

u]The Vatican[/u]
The Vatican stands in Rome as the center of human existence after the Armageddon. In light of the devastation, people sought refuge and protection in the Church, giving the Vatican responsibility and leadership over the humans. Despite its once supreme authority, humans have begun to put their faith in local leaders and nobles, taking authority from the Vatican. Despite its weakening hold over the nations, the Vatican still stands as the greatest form of human leadership, after the Armageddon.
Leaders
Alessandro XVIII
His Holiness, Alessandro XVIII, is the 399th Pope of Rome, and the son of the former pope, Gregorio XXX. After the death of his father, Alessandro's siblings made sure he was given the title of Pope over his uncle, Archbishop Alfonso d'Este. Alessandro did not choose the position himself, and is a nervous and easily frightened teenager who lacks conviction and confidence in himself. He is highly anthrop phobic and cannot handle shouting, especially when it is directed towards him. Despite his holding the highest position in the Vatican, Alessandro is a puppet ruler who feels unable to make decisions on his own, usually deferring to his older brother's views in important matters.
After a kidnapping attempt, Alessandro must seek refuge with vampires in Albion. This experience opens his eyes and paves the way for him to gain more confidence in himself and his leadership, and to learn that not all Methuselah are evil. Now able to stand up on his own, Alessandro pledges to direct his efforts toward a new world of peaceful coexistence.
Francesco Di Medici (Sir Di)
Duke of Florence, Duke of Tuscany, and a Cardinal of the Vatican, Francesco is a tall and intimidating man. As he is a bastard son, he could not be elected Pope and may harbor some bitterness over it. Using intimidation and loud vocal displays, he frequently attempts to pressure his younger brother to bend to his way of thinking. Harboring a strong hatred for vampires, he frequently clashes with his younger sister, Cardinal Caterina, in her pursuits for negotiation and diplomacy. As the head of the Department of Inquisition, Francesco does not believe in compromise, preferring to respond to situations with militarism, violence and force. He has no compunctions about making decisions that might kill innocent bystanders claiming his actions are done "in the name of God", and would gladly sacrifice his brother to further his own cause. He is an American karate expert.
Caterina Sforza
Cardinal Caterina Sforza, the Duchess of Milan, is a strong willed, determined woman who shows no fear and has a strong resolve in anything she believes in. She is the head of the Ministry of Holy Affairs and leads the department's special operations group, the AX Agency.
Caterina first met Abel Knight when he saved her from a group of vampires who attempted to kill her by order of the Contra Mundi, Cain. After she was safe, he promised that he would always protect humans. They have been close friends ever since. Caterina greatly loves her brother Alessandro, the current Pope, and has shown herself to be willing to die to protect him. Caterina frequently clashes with her other brother, Cardinal Francesco, who abhors the idea of peace with vampires and has little regard for the life of Alessandro.
Despite her past experiences, Caterina strongly believes in the need for peace between humans and vampires. Though discovery of her actions could result in her execution, Caterina secretly works to form diplomatic relations with the Empire, knowing they both have a much more deadly enemy in the Rosen kreuz Orden( Order of the Blood, Blood Crew Order). She has used the AX Agency towards this goal, including arranging a joint operation that teamed Abel Knight with Empire representative Christa Asra to capture a vampire mass murderer at large in Venice suspectedly completed by a vampire known as Clown.
Alfonso d'Este
Archbishop of Cologne, he is uncle to Alessandro XVIII, Francesco and Caterina. After losing the papal elections to his child nephew, his hatred and a desire for revenge caused him to hire the Rosen kreuz(Blood Crew) to create an ultimate weapon which he could use to destroy Rome and kill his niece and nephews. Unsatisfied with the first test of the Silent Noise machine, he has Isaak Fernand von Käikin test on the city of Barcelona. Abel Knight and Sister Noélle Bor learn of the plot, but are unable stop it. The machine levels the city and Noélle is killed during the attack. Satisfied with the test, Alfonso d'Este delivers the machine to Rome under the guise of a goodwill reunion with his family. The AX agents, suspicious of his sudden about face in light of recent events, are able to stop the city from being completely destroyed and arrest Alfonso.
Antonio Borgia
Antonio is described as an impressive young man with long hair, and a rather undignified appearance for someone of his position. The Prince of Raispania and a top student of the University of Colonge, Antonio is a genius who received seven doctorates by the age of twenty-three.Being of noble blood, Antonio comes from a powerful family with valuable connections both inside and outside of the Vatican. Although somewhat vain, he appears to be outwardly cheerful at all times, even in the midst of dangerous situations.
When first introduced, Antonio is portrayed as a vain and cowardly individual, even referring to Abel Knight as his "bullet shield" while they were under attack. Although the reluctant priest remained unsure of Antonio's intentions throughout the mission, the young nobleman actually managed to lead their attackers into a devious trap, ironically saving them both. Upon his return to Rome, Abel expressed great surprise when Antonio joined the clergy as a priest.
Despite his young age, Antonio is later seen serving as a Cardinal, as well as the Minister of Vatican Public Relations. While having obtained a high position, he shows an obvious lack of formality when speaking with his fellow church officials, often referring to Caterina as "honey". As a consequence, his behavior is looked down upon by both Caterina and Francesco, both of whom appear to share a certain sense of disgust and intolerance for the younger Cardinal's behavior. He also appears alongside Cardinal Francesco after Radu Barvon's first attack on Carthage, requesting that the church send members from the Inquisitorial Department to assist in the defense of the city.
AX Agents
AX, short for Arcanum Cella Ex Dono Dei (Latin for Papal State Affairs Special Operations Section), serves as the special division of the Ministry of Holy Affairs. The agents are all elite priests and nuns, trained in different arts of combat, many of whom have special abilities granted to them by lost technologies. The members of the AX unit serve under Cardinal Caterina Sforza, and are often referred to as deputy enforcers. While they are often sent to investigate issues relating to or involving vampires.
Abel Knight Hybane
On the surface, Abel appears to be a clumsy, absent-minded Catholic priest who has bad luck with money and is always hungry. In reality, he is a Crusnik, a vampire with extraordinary powers that can feed on other vampires. Nearly a millennium in age, Abel was created in 2088 A.D. as one of four test tube babies whose bodies were infused with Crusnik nanomachines by the Mars human colonists. Abel once had a hatred for humanity and joined the Methuselah in the war against humans after the Armageddon. During the war between the humans and Methuselah, Abel Knight killed seven million humans. Elizabeth's death during the war caused him to abandon his hatred. He spent 900 years weeping and mourning in Elizabeths's crypt at the Vatican, until a young Caterina Sforza fled there to escape Methuselah assassins. Abel, realizing that it was his task to continue Elizabeth's work and defend the humans, saved the young Caterina and chose to live on. He joined the AX at its foundation in May, 3055 A.D.
In penance for his earlier sins, Abel now adheres to a strict principle of pacifism and has taken a vow not to kill unless he absolutely must. Though accepting of his Crusnik form, he will generally only use it as a last resort. After meeting Esther, he is reluctant to use his Crusnik form in a battle for fear of her seeing it, and after she does see it for the first time, Abel is extremely distraught and screams in agony. Later he tells her it is the mark of his sins. He seems to be oblivious to Esther's romantic feelings for him, and possibly to his own feelings for her. Asthe seems to have noticed, though, and calls him a dunce for not being bothered by Ion's affections for Esther. While he mostly responds to her with fatherly affection, when he thought she had been killed, he lost control of himself and went into Crusnik form, seeming to delight in killing the Methuselah Radu who he thought had killed Esther. It is Esther that helps him return to normal.
Abel eventually learns that Elizabeth's killer and his brother, Cain, is still alive and swears to find and kill him, once and for all. After Abel finds and confronts him, Cain defeats Abel and sends him into a near death state. While Esther mourns at Abel's grave, Cardinal Caterina retrieves the nanomachines from Elizabeth's body and sends Father Tres to take them to Abel in order to revive him. Tress delivers them to Abel's grave, both reviving him and allowing him to achieve 100% Crusnik fusion without the insanity that manifested in Cain. Immediately afterwards, Cain arrives and Abel battles him again, but the fight ends in a draw and Abel must continue his quest to destroy his brother, now joined by Ion Fortuna.
In his human form, Abel fights with a gun loaded with silver bullets a copy of Cain's gun known as the Slinger. With 40% of his Crusnik nanomachines activated, his eyes become red, his lips turn dark blue, his teeth become fangs, and a gigantic red scythe composed of crystallized blood materializes in his hands. At 80% activation, his nails turn into claws, grows black wings and he can generate massive amounts of electricity and controls electromagnetic fields. He can only achieve this form, or higher, if he has fed on a vampire, otherwise there is a risk the nanomachines will refuse the command and cause him to collapse. At 100% activation, he turns into a humanoid creature with dark skin, black bat-like wings, and blue markings that cover his entire body. He also generates more electricity than his 80% form and a second blade forms on the other end of his blood scythe similars to Seth. While in Crusnik form, the blood of Methuselah is drawn to him and goes directly into his body without using his fangs.
Esther Blanchett
Born as the legitimate granddaughter of the queen of Albion, she was brought to Ishtvan shortly after her birth in order to save her from assassins. She is the daughter of the late Prince Gilbert who was assassinated just after she was born. She was raised in Ishtvan as a nun by Bishop Laura Vitez, who loved Esther like her own daughter.
Esther meets Abel during an attack on Count Gyula's City Military Police as the leader of a band of rebels called the Partisans who worked to oust Count Gyula's tyranny over Ishtvan. After a vampire kills one of the clergy and Bishop Laura is killed in a subsequent church bombing, Esther goes with Abel to Gyula's home to stop his plans and rescue the captured Dietrich. The meeting of Esther and Abel differs between adaptations., Esther meets Abel while smuggling drugs with Dietrich. much of the Star of Sorrow arc is changed, starting with the meeting which occurs when Esther appears at Gyula's home to escort Abel to Saint Matthias. Esther had also murdered Colonel Lattikar to avenge the earlier murder of Bishop Laura. She and Abel are captured by Gyula's soldiers and Dietrich is killed by Cain at the church before it is burnt to the ground. After being captured, Abel and Esther successfully stop Gyula and Dietrich's plans.
Esther decides to journey to the Vatican with Abel and Tress to try to understand why so many people had to die, who Dietrich really was and his goals, who Abel really is, and what she wants to do with her life. Once they arrive at the Vatican, Esther is accepted into the Ministry of Holy Affairs and becomes a fledging AX agent. A vivid, star-shaped birthmark adorns her side, marking her as Albion's "Star of Hope". This mark is later revealed to be proof that she is part of the royal family of Albion.
Esther appears to have growing romantic feelings towards Abel , though he seems oblivious to this (as well as to his own feelings for her), though others have noticed. She also develops a strong friendship with Ion Fortuna, even offering to let him feed on her after he's sent into a blood lust by Dietrich. , she blames herself for Abel's apparent death and stays by his casket for several days, not once leaving his side until Virgil Walsh comes to bring her to Albion. At first she still refuses to leave, despite learning she is the heir to the throne, but she hears Abel's voice and it gives her the strength to go. She is also a witness to Abel's revival by Tres and another battle between Abel and Cain. As she watches them battle, she comes to understand that Abel will continue battling Cain for all eternity or until one of them has killed the other, and that he must leave. Realizing she can make a difference in the world, Esther faces her destiny and is crowned Queen of Albion.
Tress Iqus
Created 3036 AD, Father Tress Iqus is one of ten "Killing Doll" mechanical soldiers created by Vatican scientist Professor Gepetto Garibaldi in an attempted rebellion. Because his cyborg body is composed of both organic and mechanical parts, he must take vitamins to maintain it. Tress, unit HC-IIIX, is the only one of the units known to still be operational. He was saved from destruction and recruited for AX by Cardinal Caterina Sforza, where he now has the code name Gunslinger. In Reborn on the Mars, it is revealed that his full name is Hercules Treq Iques, however he rarely uses it and is known primarily by Tress Iques.
Being a battle android, Tress works with an unemotional, relentless efficiency and his functions are mostly limited to combat situations. He tends to use expressions much like a computer might, such as asking for a "status report" to assess someone's physical status and responding to questions with "negative" or "positive." Despite his mechanical nature, he has had moments where he appears to display concern for others, a sense of humor, and annoyance. Tress is also extremely loyal to Caterina, and Abel remarks that Tress always appears to be in a bad mood when travelling because half of him is always home in Rome. When AX is dissolved, he joins the Rosenkreuz Orden with Caterina.
Kate Augusta Scott
Originally from Albion, Sister Kate is the holographic captain of the AX battleship the Iron Maiden, and later the Iron Maiden II. Kate also oversees most of the AX missions from within the ship, coordinating the agents moves and relaying information via the earpieces all of the agents wear. Kate is also skilled in making herbal tea blends which are well loved by the AX agents and Cardinal Caterina.
Kate, whose real body is comatose, is able to project herself in various places with the help of her long-time friend Professor Wordsworth and his inventions. The novels suggest that Susan von Scorzeny, an androgynous female pilot for the Rosenkreuz Orden known as the Red Baroness, caused the accident at the University of Rome the resulted in Kate's condition. Kate originally met Cardinal Caterina in college, and she was one of the founding members of the AX. Kate is a more youthful appearance, and a stronger, no-nonsense personality.
Hugue de Watteau
Born in 3032 AD in Antwerp of the Four City States Alliance, Hugue is the sole survivor of the Watteau family, a paramilitary clan whose clansmen kept the position of Chief Inspector for the Four-City Alliance. Hugue is driven by the desire to avenge his clan after the large scale attack on their home by vampires. The only survivor of his family's murder aside from himself, is his sister Anis (or Ana), but she is missing and presumed to have been taken away by the murderers. Despite his position in the AX, Hugue will often defy orders and search for his little sister as well as his family's murderer. With his independent nature, he frequently leaves AX at a whim to track down vampires.
Hugue, whose code name is Sword Dancer, wields a blade-staff with both a kitana and wakizashi and has artificial arms that enhance his speed and strength, enabling him to easily match the average vampire in a fight. His analytical skills are far beyond that of the average human, allowing him to kill a vampire without wasting a single movement. On one of his earlier missions in the series, he was sent to investigate the murders of several clergy members by a vampire. After a brief conflict, he killed a vampire who was trying to capture the sole survivor, a nun named Sister Agnes. While resting at the church, Hugue and Agnes are captured by the servants of the area's leading vampire, Count Karel van der Verf. The vampire plans to execute him, chaining the priest in a pit and forcing him to fight a Werewolf. Hugue appears to be losing until Sister Agnes retrieves his weapon and returns it to him. His does't fights a werewolf, but Agnes returns his weapon to him just the same. Count Karel stabs her for her actions, badly wounding her, which enrages Hugue. , after quickly slaughtering the werewolf, Hugue kills Karel and the rest of the area's vampires who had been watching the fight. A masked man (most likely Isaak) kills Karel. Father Hugue later appears to deliver the Rosenkreuz Orden's plans to destroy Rome and aided in the battle against Archbishop Alfonso d'Este. He also turned up in Albion to help the Vatican's forces in destroying Isaac's ship. His appearance during the Silent Noise arc, is only in the Anime.
In the original novel, it is revealed that Hugue's childhood friend, Jan van Maylen, employed the vampires to destroy his clan. Jan came from a third class noble family and desired the job as Chief Inspector of the Four City Alliance, a position long held by the men of the Watteau Clan. Hugue finds him, but spares his life, asking him to come to the church where they first met. Instead, Hugue finds his former lover and Jan's current wife, Rachel. She attempts to dissuade him from killing her husband, but fails. Before leaving, Hugue confronts Memlink of the Count Four, the vampire who had framed Karel for the attack on the church in Amsterdam. Memlink attempts to kill Jan, believing that he had intended for Hugue to kill him at church, but is killed by Hugue. Jan begs his old friend for forgiveness, but Hugue refuses, vowing that he would return to carry out his vengeance after he has finished killing the remaining two Counts, Gie and Darsus.
Vaclav Havel
Born 3021 AD in Bohemia, Havel originally worked with the Inquisition Bureau. After leaving his position, he became Caterina's personal bodyguard, and he later was one of the founding members of the AX. Codenamed "Know Faith", much of Vaclav's body has been replaced with mechanical parts and appears to be capable of flight. He has also been implanted with a system that gives him the ability to camouflage himself. As such, he is one of the most powerful AX Agents, and holds the highest rank under Cardinal Caterina. He is also one of Caterina's most trusted friends, having known her for over 10 years. After Noélle's death, he is the only one Caterina seems to be able to cry in front of. Havel spends most of his time at Caterina's side, though he does occasionally go on missions like the other members of the AX, and is the most trusted with important matters.
during the Bohemia War, he calls himself the "Unbeliever". Although he was often considered to be one of the most religious men in the AX unit, Father Havel began to doubt his faith after seeing so much suffering in the world. Sometime after losing his belief in God, Father Havel joined the Neue Vatican, and became one of Alphonso d'Este's followers. He kidnaps the Pope, resulting in a conflict with his former comrades. Although Abel tries to convince him to return to the AX, he turns him down. Hearing that the Inquisition forces plan on killing all within the city, an injured Havel attempts to stop them, but is subsequently killed by Sister Paula. Before he dies, the priest claims admits that he had found his faith once again. The events prove ironic, as Vaclav Havel personally participated in the arrest of Archbishop Alfonso d'Este.
William Walter Wordsworth
Born 3023 AD in Albion, William Walter Wordsworth was one of the four great prodigies of the University of London, along with Gepetto Garibaldi, Catherina Lange, and Isaac Butler. Framed by Isaac Butler, he was charged for a terrible incident that also killed his fiancée, and expelled from the university. He later became a founding member of the AX along with Abel, Vaclav, Kate, and Caterina.
As a member of the AX unit, Father Wordsworth has a number of talents that he utilizes throughout the series. While he occasionally works as a professor at the University of Rome, he finds the students bothersome and prefers not to teach. He is also a noted inventor, even dabbling in lost technologies from time to time. As a result, he often comes up with somewhat bizarre inventions - some of which work well while others end up as spectacular failures with a tendency to blow up. Among his inventions are a flying car equipped with missiles and rocket boosters with a shape that makes it difficult to fly. Although he has made a variety of interesting creations, Father Wordworth firmly believes that science should never be misused. In addition to his scientific prowess, the professor is also proficient with the use of a sword cane, a talent that is displayed more openly.
Leon Garcia de Asturias
Born 3031 AD in Raispania, Leon was once a decorated professional soldier with a penchant for showing off. When he killed his wife and thirty clergymen, he was sentenced to a 1,000 year prison term. He is allowed to leave, however, to assist the AX with their cases. In return for his help, the length of his sentence is reduced by a couple of decades, so long as he survives and returns.
He carries a pendant with a picture of his daughter around his neck at all times, and loves her more than anything in the world, although her current status is unknown. When not working, his prison is actually the Vatican's orphanage. Father Leon fights with sharp chakrams and a bazooka, and specializes in sabotage and guerrilla tactics. He takes great offence at being called an old man, but despite his gruff exterior, Father Leon still shows signs of caring for others, particularly children. He agrees with Abel's idea at the end of the Barrie case in sending the children who had been turned to vampires to Albion instead of executing them.
Father Leon acts like a pervert around women, including Esther Blanchett and Noelle.
Noélle Bor
Part of the AX personnel, her power is visual empathy, an ability that allows her discern the emotions of others and to clairvoyantly track where people have gone by their empathic residue. She has romantic feelings for Abel. In the anime series, she confessed her feelings while she and Abel were on assignment in Barcelona. Although he receives her confession gracefully, he gently lets her down by telling her he is truly blessed to have such a "special friend”. In the novels, she is a retired agent who left the AX member, due to her unresolved feelings toward Abel. In the novels, she is also shown to have speed and strength beyond that of the average human.
She was killed in May of 3060 A.D. during the destruction wreaked by the Silent Noise machine in Barcelona. After her death, Abel is devastated and consumed with guilt about not being able to save her, to the point that he almost quits the AX.
Monica Argento
Known as the Black Widow, Monica Argento is the daughter of a mafia boss, working for the AX. While she is a nun, she prefers to dress like a priest, and enjoys killing. Monica has the ability to teleport, and her primary weapons are a pair of rose daggers.
Kaya Syokka
Given the codename, Gypsy Queen, Sister Kaya is a valuable member of the AX. Known for her loyalty to Caterina and the Church, she despises all vampires and believes that she is doing the right thing by killing them. She is one of the youngest members of the AX, and is first mentioned by Abel, as the leader of the investigation in Barcelona. After Noelle's death, she is placed in charge of recovering the body, and the data that she was able to obtain prior to the destruction of the city. Sister Kaya fights using fans, and aided Father Wordsworth in killing Kaspar von Neumann by burning him to death.
Roman Treyus Riddik
Once a human with a mysterious past, a pyrophilia, and a mechanical right arm, he is now the Vaticans newest holy weapon known simply as The Trinity
His destructive potential is far greater than the Cruzniks however is is under strict control of the Vatican and he is personally self loathing. He is able to transform his right arm into virtually anything.
The Department of Inquisition
The Inquisitorial Department is composed of a group of elite fighters who see themselves as soldiers of God. They carry out the Vatican's will under the orders of Cardinal Francesco. Their first mandate is the elimination of all vampires. The members of the Inquisition are known to resort to extreme methods to carry out their orders, and have clashed with Cardinal Caterina's Deputy Enforcers. It is said that many of the Inquisitors are singled out by the church at a young age, and conditioned to despise anything that goes against the authority and beliefs of the Catholic Church. Because of these violent tendencies, they are also known as the "Fangs of the Church" as mentioned by the AX.
Brother Petro Orcini
Born 3034 AD, Brother Petro, the Knight of Destruction, is the head of the Department of Inquisition. He fights with a giant mechanical lance called "The Screamer", and wears extensive, heavy armour. he uses an experimental injection to give him vampire-like agility.
Brother Petro can be thick-headed and violent, with an intense hatred for vampires. When Father Abel Knight delayed his pursuit of Ion Fortuna, Brother Petro insisted on fighting Abel and won after Abel slipped and fell from a cliff. Brother Petro has a strong sense of honor and he threatened to kill one of his men who insulted Abel after his apparent death, saying that while misguided, he was still a brother under God. He also is extremely loyal to the Pope, above anyone else, feeling that the Pope is God's representative and that if he does not follow him, he would not be following God. Nor is he above showing reason or compassion, even for a Methuselah, and is seriously wounded trying to protect Ion Fortuna. Though he was a witness to Abel's Crusnik form during a battle with Radu, Petro has never mentioned it or appeared to be bothered by it.
Sister Paula Souwauski
Born 3036 AD at Krakow, Sister Paula Souwauski currently serves as the Vice Chief of the Inquisitorial Department, and is Brother Petro's second-in-command. Codenamed "Lady of Death", Paula is an extremely skilled mercenary who has taken many lives in her line of work. She first appears alongside Brother Philippo on a mission to Brno, to stop the machinations of former Archbishop Alphonso d'Este. Believing that all within the city were guilty of heresy, she attempted to activate a missile to destroy them all, but was eventually thwarted by Abel Knight and Vaclav Havel.
Although skilled with a variety of weapons, Paula claims that her true battle prowess lies in hand-to-hand combat, but she prefers to strike fear into her enemies through the use of weapons. She prefers to use her Moon Blades, two weapons with crescent shaped blades protruding from each side, that can be wielded like knives or thrown like shurikens. Even the Methuselah, Radu Barvon, was unable to detect her presence until she was ready to attack. Despite his enhanced abilities, she was easily able to outmaneuver him. In the anime series, she struck him with what appeared to be a killing blow during the Iblis incident, but Radu survived the wound.
Paula has an unwavering loyalty to the Church and believes that people are either with it or against it. She once stated that her mission was to "kill all heretics, regardless if they be man, woman, or child." Despite her ruthless nature, she is extremely loyal to her superiors, particularly Brother Petro and Cardinal Francesco. Her loyalty to Cardinal Francesco far exceeds that of her loyalty to the Pope, as seen during her mission in Brno when she was willing to let the young Pope die under orders from Francesco.
Brother Matthaios
An ex-mercenary who was involved in many wars before he entered the Church's service. He is known as the Devil of Morocco for his participation in the siege of Morocco. During that battle, he met Father Leon Garcia, against whom he has carried a grudge ever since.
Brother Bartholomaios
Born in 3036, he is technically a brother of Tress Iqus, being the second of the ten "Killing Doll" androids created by Gepetto Giribaldi. Where as Tress was recruited by the AX, Duo Iqus, renamed Brother Bartholomaios, was saved from destruction by the Inquisition department. He wields a large rifle named "Deus Ex Machina." After the Gunmetal Hound incident, his status remains unknown.
Brother Phillipo
A ruthless member of the Inquisitorial Department, Brother Phillipo was first seen alongside Sister Paula during her mission in Brno. Although short in height, he is surprisingly strong for his size, easily able to match Father Leon in a test of strength. In addition to his physical strength, Phillipo's body contains cells which allow him to conduct a powerful electric current, which allow him to shock an opponent with 300,000 volts of electricity.
The New Human Empire
The New Human Empire, also known either as the Methuselah Empire or the Empire of the True Race, was founded around years related to the events of the Mars Incident. Fleeing from the persecution of the Terrans, the Methuselah were guided to these lands by Empress Vradica. The Empress brought nature back to the lands damaged by the 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. It is because of this that the Empire appears to be bathed in the evening dusk, even during the day. The capital city of the Empire is Byzantium, which is the home to both the Empress and a large number of Methuselah Aristocracy who serve in the Empress' court. The Empire lies in Far Eastern Europe and stretches to where Turkey once was and the outer Middle East (Israel,Syria and a small part of northwestern Iraq),It also Borders the continent of Asia that is now uninhabitable, Possibly due to extensive use of Biological and Nuclear Weapons by human forces during the war.
The Empire is home to both humans and vampires who live in peace together, under the rule of the Empress and her imperial aristocracy. Having existed separate from the outer world, the people of the Empire have developed a culture of their own. Before the Empress, both races are equal, and it is said that she alone may keep the peace. The nobles of the New Human Empire act as feudal lords, and rule over the various lands in the empire. The mortals who live in the Empire may rank anywhere from the servant class to the nobility, and are each given an equal chance to rise to the noble class. They are considered the property of the Empress, and the Methuselah who pledge their loyalty to the Empress are not allowed to harm them.
The Empire is the most technologically advanced nation on earth, with weapons and machines that surpass both the Vatican arsenal and Albion, a nation which manufactures the hardware necessary for the production of technologically advanced machines. In part because of this, the Vatican attempts to remain on good terms with the Empire, which eventually lead to peace talks between the two nations. Because of the current world situation, the end of the Empress' reign would result in chaos which could potentially lead to war with the outside world if not quickly contained.
Lilith Krito Adol d' Hybane
Cherish Sahl is the Empress of the New Human Empire. Her real name is Lilith Hybane. She is the youngest of the Hybane siblings, and the third Crusnik. A member of the Alliance Aerospace Navy, Lilith viewed Seth as a Father figure and holds Abel in great sisterly affection. When Cain was fatally wounded in an accident, she injected him with 100% Crusnik, restoring his life, but changing him for the worse. After he killed Elizabeth during the war, Lilith joined Abel in confronting him and together they succeeded in launching him out of an airlock. Cain returned and sealed away his sister for a century and decided to spare her. He constantly threatens her but is obsesive over her well being.
Among the four Crusnik siblings, she has spent the most time with Methuselah, but like Abel, she does not feed on them. Around 800 years ago, Cherish Sahl led the Methuselah to the lands where the Empire would eventually stand, to save them from persecution. She helped restore nature back to the lands, returning them to their former glory before the Armageddon. She then became the Empress of the New Human Empire, ruling over her kingdom as the heart of the Empire itself. As the Empress, Lilith is seen as a mother by her people, and treats her subjects as she would her own children. However, most of her courtiers and servants have never seen her before in all the centuries that they have served her, mainly due to the heavy veils she wears to cover her appearance as well as the use of a voice modifier. Though she does age, she still appears as a little girl, but is well over nine hundred years old. It is implied that she does not wish to declare war on the Vatican territories due to her brother's support of the humans. As his sister, she knows Abel very well, and has commented that he is quite popular with the girls for some unknown reason.
During a plot to overthrow her, Lilith disguised herself as a tea-seller and a medical student in the human district of the capital city, Byzantium. During that time, she met Ion Fortuna and Sister Esther Blanchett, though neither knew who she was. She later alerted Abel and Asthe when Ion and Esther were in danger, and saved Esther from one of Dietrich's puppets.
When her Crusnik powers are activated, Lilith's eyes turn red, her lips turn greenish-blue, her voice becomes deeper, wings styled like fairy-like prop from her back and a pair of giant tuning forks made of blood materialize in each of her hands. In this state, she can almost instantly disintegrate her enemies. Similar to Cain, her power appears be based on a manipulation of sound waves. She calls her technique "The Fire of Sound".
Mirka Fortuna
Head of the Imperial Secret Council, the Duchess of Moldova, the Prime Minister of the Empire, and a keeper of Secret History, Mirka Fortuna is known for her cunning and eccentric nature. She is Empress Augusta Vradica's most trusted advisor and friend, being one of the few people in the Empire who knows the Empress' true appearance. Mirka acted as a decoy for the Empress during an assassination plot in order to draw out those behind the plot. Faking her own death, she allowed her grandson, Ion, to be framed for the murder.
Ion Fortuna
Born in 3045 AD, the Earl of Memphis and the Empress's Swords Keeper, Ion Fortuna is very young by Methuselah standards. The grandson of Mirka Fortuna, he is full of pride for both the Empire and his race, and is quite nimble and strong for his age. He is ordered by the Empress to act as an Imperial messenger and envoy to negotiate with the Vatican. Upon his arrival at the Vatican embassy of Carthage where Caterina was staying, the building caught fire, causing the Vatican's agents to believe that he was involved. He fled from Father Tres' gunfire, but was injured by a silver bullet. Abel and Esther established contact with Ion and Radu, and aided their escape through the underground passages beneath the city.
After learning Radu has betrayed him to the Rosenkreuz Orden, Ion is terribly saddened, but finds comfort in Esther's friendship. Initially, Ion holds strong prejudices against Terrans, but after his acquaintance and growing familiarity with Esther, his attitude changes considerably, from the once selfish and human-loathing character seen when he first shows up at the Vatican. Proved when the Puppet Master tries to control him, Ion attempts to commit suicide in order to stop himself from unwillingly killing Esther in a bloodthirsty rage, but is thwarted and saved from this fate by Father Knight. Ion seems to fall in love with her, though he does not tell her how he feels. Through his experiences with the treachery of the Order, Ion develops a growing desire for vengeance, and eventually joins Abel in his quest to destroy them..
Astharoshe Asran
Astharoshe "Asthe" Asran, Viscountess of Odessa and Duchess of Kiev and known for her striking beauty, is an undercover agent for the New Human Empire. She is a direct, no-nonsense individual who has a very low opinion of Terrans, referring to them as barbaric and stupid, among other things. Her opinion of humans, however, seems to have primarily been formed through Empire propaganda combined with having little exposure to or understanding of humans. Asthe takes being called a "vampire" as an insulting slur, and only refers to herself as a Methuselah. Asthe fights with a weapon called the Sword of Gae Bolg. The most powerful close-combat weapon found amongst the Lost Technology relics, the sword uses ionized xenon gas to create a high-density, high-temperature plasma blade capable of cutting through anything.
Asthe's view of humans begins to change after she is sent to Venice to arrest Endre Kourza, a vampire mass murderer whose newest round of killings in Vatican territory could spur a war. As part of her mission, she is partnered with Father Abel Knight from the AX Agency. When the two find Endre, Asthe becomes solely focused on killing him because he murdered her partner. She is so blinded by her rage that she destroys the Rialto Bridge, killing and wounding many humans that had come for a festival. Abel also sustains injuries while protecting her from her own sword, which flew back at her in the explosion. She greatly regrets her actions, and keeps a better handle on her emotions when they go after Endre again and arrest him. Though she initially berated Abel for calling himself her partner, a word of special meaning to Asthe, at the end of the mission, he earned her respect enough for her to call him her partner. She also became more accepting and tolerating of humans in general.
Her partnership with Abel would become an important step in the secret peace negotiations between the Vatican and the Empire. She would later be assigned to shelter the Vatican diplomats and the Earl of Memphis after the Rosenkreuz Orden's attempt to assassinate Cardinal Caterina. Through this turn of events, Asthe would also become a core Empire representative in the question to stop the Rosenkreuz Orden's continued efforts to start another war between the Methuselah and Terrans.
the partner that Endre killed was the Countess Len Yearnoshe. She and Cain seem to be suspiciously curious of each other.
Süleyman
The third highest ranking noble in the Empire, Duke of Tigris Süleyman has spent over 300 years of his life serving the Empress. He is the Deputy of the Imperial Secret Council and seems to have known Astharoshe since she was a child and considers himself to be her uncle. After Mirka Fortuna's feigned death, he serves as the Acting-Head of the Imperial Secret Council. In truth, he is the apparent leader of the extremists in the Empire and is part of the plot to assassinate the Empress and the Duchess of Moldova so he can seize the throne. Süleyman controls the ring of Solomon, which is capable of firing deadly blasts of energy. Despite his hatred and disagreement with the desire for peace between humans and Methuselah, when he has a chance to take a shot at the Empress, he can't bring himself to kill her and intentionally misses. He is killed by Asthe.
Baibars
Baibars, the Duke of Khartoum, is a gigantic, dark skinned man who serves as the chief of the Yeniceri, the Empire's Palace guard. A loyal subject of the Empire, he is also the bodyguard of the Empress, and is an aggressive and skilled fighter. He is first seen leading a group of Palace Guards to arrest Ion Fortuna, and later appears to intercept Abel's uninvited excursion into the palace. When Astheroshe Asran and Abel Night sneak into the palace through the underground catacombs, Baibars and the Yeniceri appear to defeat the Death Hunters sent by Dietrich, allowing the pair to pass safely into the palace.
Endre Kourza
Endre Kourza, Count of Zagrev, is considered the Empire's worst mass murderer, having impaled over 300 Terrans and relentless slaughtering many others in various ways. Boyish in appearance, Endre is purely evil and was exiled from the Empire. He is later absorbed by Cain for his intelectual prowess. He formed an association with the Rosenkreuz Orden, with Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer acting as his contact. At the Orden's request, he goes to Venice for the purpose of murdering the Pope, however he goes on another massacre spree, killing dozens, in hopes the Empire would send Asthe after him. Having once killed her partner by using Asthe's partner as his shield, he enjoys tormenting her with that knowledge and repeats the scene by using a child as his shield, then killing the little girl the same way he killed Asthe's partner.
When fighting, Endre protects himself with an Aegis shield, a series of orbs that forms an impenetrable shield around its wielder. A powerful defense system, the Aegis only weakness is that while activate, the person using it is also unable to attack and must drop the shield to make an offensive move. Asthe, partnered with AX Agent Abel Knight, finds Endre, but he escapes their grasp and Asthe, letting his constant taunting get to her, causes massive casualties amongst the humans. The pair realize his real purpose for being in Venice, however, and set up a trap for him. Asthe belittled him in order to infuriate him so he will drop his shield and attack her, giving Abel the chance to wound him with a silver bullet. He is arrested, but while he is being transported back to the Empire for his trial, Kämpfer frees him, then kills him.
In the anime series, Endre's name is changed slightly to Enderle Kudza. His appearance is greatly modified, giving him an older, more adult appearance rather than the child-like appearance described in the novels. The more gruesome details of his crimes, particular his multiple murders of children, are also not mentioned, nor is his death.
Shahrzad Al-Rahman
Known as the "Merciful" or the "Benevolent", Shahrzad is the noble and sweet-natured Countess of Babylon and niece of the Duke Süleyman. She's described as a beautiful girl of an age between sixteen and twenty years old with dark skin, black hair and mauve eyes, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Süleyman. Thanks to her uncle's education who raised her after the death of her parents and living outside the main influence of the Nobility of the Empire, Shahrzad learned to love Terrans as her true equals and friends, yearning to be a Terran herself to enjoy her beloved sun again.
Prior to her appearance, Shahrzad lived in the second Capital, Timişoara, until she was involved in her uncle rebellion against the Empress. After this act, she and her servants (who were like her family) had to flee the Empire. On their flight to Dumblin, they were captured by the new Archbishop of István, Emmanuelle D'Annunzio, who holds her family hostage to blackmail Shahrzad in murdering Esther Blanchett lauded as Lady-Saint by his deceptions in the anniversary of István liberation from Marquis Gyula's iron fist. Shahrzad opts to kidnap Esther and protect her from his plans to start a war between the Outer and the Empire. Both girls begin a deep and meaningful friendship and comradeship, facing the Inquistion, the police and Esther's old terrorist allies and the Ax to rescue Shahrzad's family. Unfortunately, they arrive too late to save them. In the tragic outcome of their adventure, Shahrzad decides to sacrifice herself to clean Esther's name and give her a chance to make the world a better place: pretending Esther murdered her and, therefore, have her get the title of Saint to make a difference. Esther buries her next to Gyula and promises her to honor her partying wish to change this unfair world.

The Rosenkreuz Orden
The vampires terrorist organization Rosenkreuz and its members are the primary antagonists . The Orden is led by the crusnik Cain, who is also referred to as "Contra Mundi." Preferring to work in the background and keeping their activities secret, they often manipulate unsuspecting humans and vampires into doing their dirty work for them.
The Orden claims to want to make a "new world order," and many of their activities center on triggering a new apocalyptic war between the Vatican, the New Human Empire, and Albion. Given Cain's desire to destroy the world, however, he may be manipulating the entire organization to suit his own own personal vendetta.
Cain Reid Hybane
The oldest of the Test Tube Babies, Cain is often seen as Seth's elder twin. He was once the gentle, beloved leader of the Mars Colonization Project, until an accident killed him. Seth injected him with hyper-arenal Crusnik nanonmachines which saved his life, but also drove him insane. In the war following the return of the colonialists to Earth, he and Abel took the side of the vampire returners. When Cain’s lover’s influence made Seth question their choice, Cain killed her. Furious, Abel, and Lilith confronted their brother, pushing Cain out of the space ship and into the atmosphere. His body burned into a pile of ash. Cain was able to regenerate his body from the ash, however.
Nine hundred years later, he met Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer. Together, they took over the Rosenkreuz Orden, a small, insignificant organization in Berlin that consisted of enemies of the Vatican. Through Cain and Isaak's charisma and power, the Orden grew into the world's leading terrorist organization. Cain's motivations are unclear, but he seems bent on the destroying humanity and the world though he is one of its very saviors. His subjects refer to him as "Mein Herr" which is German for "My Lord." He is also referred to as "Mein Herr Contra Mundi", German for "My Lord Against the World". His most popular title, however, appears to be Contra Mundi.
Once his brother Abel learns Cain is alive, Abel's primary goal becomes to kill Cain once and for all. When Cain leads the Rosenkreuz Orden on an attack of Albion, the two brothers have their first clash and Cain kills Abel with relative ease due to his higher Crusnik fusion level and Esther's sudden appearance that distracted Abel. Realizing Abel had destroyed the control panels of the rocket, he plans to merge himself with Abel's body to get the access codes from Abel's memory. However, Abel is revived with Elizabeth's nanomachines thanks to Catherina and Tress. This puts Abel at the same power level as Cain and their next clash ends in a draw. Accompanied by Ion Fortuna, Abel has pledged to hunt Cain for eternity, if need be, until he is destroyed.
When his Crusnik powers are activated, Cain's eyes turn Silver, his hands grow blue claws, he grows four Skeletal wings, and a black sword materializes in his hands. He appers as a spitting image of the storybook grim reaper at 100% except for his Crusnik tattoos his clothing and The cross on his for head….his sword also transforms. In this state, he can generate destructive red energy. When not in Crusnik form, he appears to have the power to launch a destructive and invisible force from his hands and to possess super strength. Among the four Crusniks, Cain is the only one who has fused 100% with his nanomachines, He soon journeys with Seth after regaining alittle of his sanity.
Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer
An inventor of the Rosenkreuz Orden, Isaak is also called Panzer Magier. Isaak is the vampire who is responsible for making Abels's current body, which had been permanently damaged by Seth and Cain 900 years ago. Despite his many talents, Isaak is somewhat of a mystery and has gone by many aliases in the past. He used to study at London University under the name of Isaac Butler, and was involved in the incident which killed William's fiancé and led to both to them being expelled. Since he met Cain, Isaak takes care of Cain's regeneration and leads the Orden with him, though his true motivation for doing so is unknown. He enjoys smoking cigarillos and quoting works of literature. Issak does not usually appear in public, preferring to let others carry out his plans. When he does move to the front lines, he shows excellent battle prowess and is not easily defeated.
Isaak possesses many talents and is well versed in the use of Lost Technologies. His primary weapon is an attack called the Arrow of Belial, a massive sphere of light that shoots a multitude of energy bolts at his opponent. He also possesses the ability to project a nearly impenetrable electromagnetic wall, known as the Shield of Asmoday tought to him by Cain, around his body. This defense can be utilized at will and is capable of blocking almost any assault. In addition, Isaak created artificial demons that he can summon into battle to aid him. He has two kinds of demons: dwarfs called the "Schatten Kobolds" that appear to be little devils concealing their forms in Kämpfer's shadow, and knomes, monstrous worm-like creatures with the ability to tunnel through the ground at amazing speed. He also employs the use of thin mono-carbon fibers, called the Sword of Beelzebub, which are strong enough to cut through the hardest diamond, thus making for another formidable weapon.
Dietrich von Lohengrin is Isaak's protege and it is probably under his tutelage that Dietrich gained the knowledge to create the Death Hunters. Isaak is last seen piloting the Orden's air ship while leading an attack on the city of Londinium in Albion. Through the combined efforts of the Church and the Kingdom of Albion, the ship was destroyed, presumably killing him in the explosion…
Dietrich von Lohengrin
Born 3042, Dietrich joined the Orden at the age of 7, and by the age of 10 he had earned a high ranking position. Before joining the Orden, he was the son of the Duke of Germanicus. As a child, he was avoided for his unusual intelligence, and his evil nature. It was for this reason that his father tried to kill him. He failed, and Dietrich killed him along with the rest of his family. After slaughtering his family, Dietrich took over as ruler, and continued living in his home. He continued terrorizing the villagers, until the day he met Cain and Isaak, and joined the Rosenkreuz Orden. Dietrich is the only known Terran in the Orden, and believes that his involvement has a great purpose for the world.
He is extremely beautiful and is said to have the face of an angel but the heart of the devil. Known and feared for his extreme sadism, Dietrich seems to view the world and people in it as his personal toys for use to relieve his constant boredom. After meeting Esther Blanchett, he seems to develop a mild obsession with her, delighting in taunting her and calling her name whenever he is around her. That doesn't stop him from sending Ion into a blood thirst while he's locked up with Esther in the dungeons below the palace. He then gives Esther the option of dying at Ion's hands or killing Ion to save herself.
Dietrich, also known as the Marionettenspieler (Puppet Master), is the creator of the Order's foot soldiers, which he affectionately refers to as Death Hunters. These puppets are vampire corpses that are controlled using a lost technology that utilizes thin string-like living fibers transplanted on the skin. Once fused into the nervous system, the fibers sends out electrical impulses which allows the "puppeteer" to control his victim's nervous system and senses. This ability can be used on living beings as well, forcing the person under his control to perform tasks against their will. Despite his skills with Lost Technology, it is said that his most fearsome trait is his ability to play with the hearts of other people.
Dietrich fails to gain control of a rocket during a mission in Albion and Cain kills him for his failure however events occur and Dietrich survives.
Radu Barvon
The Baron of Luxor and Ion Fortuna's foster brother, Radu is Ion's most trusted friend and is chosen by the Empress to accompany Ion on a mission to negotiate with the Vatican. The visit is ruined when a terrorist bomb causes the Vatican to believe Ion came to kill Cardinal Caterina, and Father Tres attacks him. Abel and Esther meet with Ion and realize it was Radu who set the bomb and betrayed Ion. As a member of the Orden, Radu was given the orders to kill Ion and Cardinal Caterina, to cause a war between the Empire and the Vatican. Radu appeared to be killed by Sister Paula but he reappears a short while later injured, but alive. Note, Sister Paula's appearance in the Iblis arc is only in the anime.
With Dietrich's help, he seizes control of the Inquisitorial Department's weapons and turns them on the city of Carthage. After Radu severely injures Ion and Brother Petro, Abel activates his 80% Crusnik nanomachines, and kills him. Radu's sun-burnt dead body is retrieved and repaired by Dietrich, using artificial blood and skin, turning him into a puppet. Though Radu manages to return to his old self to stop Dietrich from using his body to kill Ion, Dietrich is able to quickly regain control and says Radu is no more. Radu's body is destroyed for good when Seth, in her Crusnik form, disintegrates him.
Radu possesses the unique ability to produce and control blue flames from which he gained the nickname Flammenschwert (flame sword). After he is turned into a puppet, Dietrich gives his blood the ability to burst into flames. Radu's fire production and manipulation abilities are due to his being a rare breed of vampires known as Efreet.
Radu later appears to be more reluctant in serving the Order, appearing horrified when he finds out about Dietrich's use of vampire corpses in the creation of the "Death Hunters".
Helga von Vogelweide
Helga, codenamed Eishexe ("Ice Witch"), holds dominion over cold and ice using the Winter Maiden staff created by Isaak. She is a highly ranked member of the Rosenkreuz, having the same rank as Dietrich von Lohengrin. Helga is in love with Cain and becomes jealous over Isaak's "monoplizing" him. She conspires with the Neumann brothers to kill Isaak and Dietrich and seize their power, but Isaak learns of the plans and attempts to kill her, forcing her to become an exile.
Balthasar von Neumann
A Methuselah, whose father was apparently a human, Balthasar lives in a castle together with his brothers. He is known to hate unnecessary violence, possessing an artistic nature and is a great tactician. Nicknamed Basilisk, Balthasar has the ability to generate a petrifying venom from his palm which can crystallize the living target. He can also petrify his own bodily fluids and fire them in needle-like projectiles. Balthasar is one of the few people Isaak respects, however, when Batlhasar conspires with Helga, Isaak kills them both.
Melchior von Neumann
The middle von Neumann brothers, Melchior is a silent man with a "bent and twisted" personality. He spends a lot of time around Helga and she seems to be the only one aware of his powers. Melchior can confuse electronic sensors and he can snap Dietrich's puppet strings. Melchior created an army of Auto-Dolls (earning his code name Pygmalion), with the most special one being Siegelind.
Kaspar von Neumann
Born from a Terran father and a Methuselah mother, Kaspar is a noble from Ostmark, Vienna. He is the youngest of the von Neumann brothers. Though he has a very tough looking exterior, Kaspar thinks and refers himself as a woman: the little sister "her" brothers look after and who at times put in shame their good name. He is single-minded and vicious despite his natural intelligence and seemly good-natured personality. Unlike his more sophiscate brothers, Kaspar is deviant enough to drink blood raw but hates the taste of "old men's blood." Like his brothers, he has a special power. He is a polymorph, and can change his appearance very well. For this reason he is known as Hundert Gesicht (A Hundred Face) - a grammatical error for Hundert Gesichter (A hundred faces).
Under Balthasar's orders, he disguises himself as Caterina Sforza to stab Professor Wordsworth. Against his brothers' approval, he travels alone to Rome to finish off the injured Wordsworth. He ends up dueling with Wordsworth, who leaves his hospital bed to defend Caterina Sforza. Sister Kaja uses the distraction of the battle to burn Kaspar to death.
Guderian
Also known as Reißzahn (fang), he is a silent man, and does not ever seem to talk. He works as Isaak's chauffeur and bodyguard, but is also given important orders. He is apparently a werewolf (probably a sub-race of the Methuselah). He extremely ferocious as a werewolf and attacks William and Vanessa.
Susanne von Skorzeny
Also known as Red Baronness, nothing much is known about this androgyneous woman as of yet, except that she is a pilot ace and her only love seems to be her ship. It is hinted that she might be the one responsible for putting Kate in a coma. She seems to obsess over Cain.
The Kingdom of Albion
A prominent Kingdom that has existed long before the Armageddon, Albion is the name for England, or Great Britain. As with history, it is one of the few countries not under control or influence of the Vatican. Known for its large production of Lost Technology, Albion is second only to the Empire in terms of technological advances. Under the streets of the Capital City of Londinium lies the underground city of the Methusulah, more commonly known as the Ghetto. It is here that Albion's vampires live in isolation, away from the humans. They also are the secret behind Albion's technology, and work to produce it.
Mary Spencer
A colonel of the Albion Navy and a master of the sword, Mary took command of Albion after the death of the queen. Colonel Spencer is a serious type who deals with problems accordingly. After the Pope was kidnapped, she realized that she could not control nor appease the Methuselah the way the Queen had. When Cain attacked the palace, Colonel Spencer stood on the front lines with the palace guards in a futile attempt to stop him. Many of the guards were killed, and Mary was injured. Loyal to her country and devoted to her duty, she continued to attempt to calm the rebellion until Esther is revealed to be the "Star of Hope" and takes her rightful place as Queen.
Virgil Walsh
Virgil is a Methuselah who manages the Ghetto and the production of lost technology in Londinium. He tends to stay very calm and relaxed, even in a crisis, and works closely with the government to monitor the factory in the Ghetto. Virgil is also the Count of Manchester, and a privileged member of the House of Manchester. Though he understands the desire of the enslaved Methuselah to be free, he is against his sister Vanessa's willingness to use violence to accomplish it. He has his hopes in the next generation of rulers, who he feels will see how wrong the situation is and will correct it.
When the Queen of Albion died, he was assigned the task of searching for the heir to the throne of Albion, known as the "Star of Hope." After Abel's supposed death and the Rosenkreuz assault on Albion, Virgil goes to the church in Londinium where Esther is mourning for Abel. He reveals to her that she is, in fact, their "Star of Hope", the heir to the throne of Albion and pleads with her to save her people.
Vanessa Walsh
Unlike her calm and rational brother, Virgil, Vanessa Walsh is much more high strung, angry and short-tempered. Vanessa is also the leader of a Vampire Terrorist Group who attempted to capture Pope Alessandro so that they could use his safety as a bargaining chip. Despite her anger, she was really hoping to free her people, rather than harm the Pope. Vanessa learned that there were some humans who cared about their hardships when Pope Alessandro XVIII stopped Brother Petros from taking her life. She would later destroy Dietrich's death hunters to save the Pope. She would also help the AX destroy Isaak's ship by explaining the mechanics of defensive shield surrounding the aircraft. Though she is a methuselah she shows a weakness for Cain’s brother Seth.
Brigitte II
Brigitte II was the queen of Albion until her death. At the time of her death, Brigitte II prophesied the coming of Esther Blanchett, the "Star of Hope" to Virgil Walsh. Brigitte's only son Crown Prince Gilbert and heir to the throne was previously assassinated by the Order. Though her country is not starkly religious, she is stated as being a Catholic in private. As Queen, she was described as being an amazing person, able to keep the Methuselah from rebelling for years under her leadership. The Methuselah radicals claim it was done through oppression, and some believe only the younger generation would be able to truly understand them and bring change.
Supporting characters
Elizabeth Lyre Kaidin
Elizabeth was a Crusnik married to Cain and obsesed over by Abel. She was in charge of the Health Care area and usually acted as the voice of reason during the conflicts between the Hybane siblings. During the war, Elizabeth sided with humanity and the Vatican to save them from the Methuselah, while Cain, Seth, and Abel joined the Methuselah. Elizabeth began to convince Abel that his hatred for humans could be wrong. For this, toward the end of the war, Cain tricked her into meeting him for peace and he murdered her. Cain also sealed away his sister Lilith. Abel took her body to the Vatican where it lies encased in glass in an underground tomb in Rome. Abel remained in her tomb for 900 years to mourn her death, before rescuing a young Caterina from vampires, leading him to protect the humans as Elizabeth had. Her Crusnik nanomachines are used to revive Abel from a death-like state.
Her past shows her to have had beautiful blue wings as Crusnik, and to be a powerful combatant and strategist, protecting humanity from Cain, Seth, Abel, and the Methuselah during the post-Armegeddon Human-Vampire War. Cain secretly aims to return her to life.
Gyula Kadar
The Marquis of Hungary, Count Gyula was the Methuselah ruler of Istavan along with his beloved wife, Maria. Maria was a computer genius who loved the Church and frequently visited the town to care for and help anyone in need. After his wife was murdered, Gyula was filled with hatred and consumed with the desire for vengeance against the humans, who he believed had killed her. He became a dictator, ruling Istavan with an iron fist through his military police force. He initially tolerated the presence of Saint Matthias Church, because it helped him keep the people under control. Gyula sent a vampire to attack the clergy at the church, who was injured and arrested by Abel, then sends his troops to attack the clergy member's funeral. Father Abel, Sister Esther and Dietrich rush to his home to stop him from using the "Star of Sorrow," a piece of lost technology that his wife restored, to destroy Rome. After realizing Dietrich was betraying both sides, Abel and Esther are able to stop the satellite and cause it to self destruct. Gyula, badly wounded from fighting Abel at 40% Crusnik activation, shields Esther from the gunfire of one of his men. He offers to allow Esther to kill him for revenge, but she declines and holds him while he dies.
he had Bishop Laura murdered for refusing to run the church per his orders, then later had the church burnt to the ground. He captured Father Abel and Sister Esther and forced them to watch as he activated the "Star of Sorrow". After being defeated and the Star self-destructed, he used a dagger to kill himself so that he could die in his own home rather than spend his life in the Vatican dungeons. As he lay dying on the floor, he offered Esther the chance to take her vengeance for Bishop Laura, but she refused and instead comforted him in place of his wife until he died.

Seth Dania Vizious d' Hybane
The second eldest Hybane sibling and the "twin" half brother of the psycotic serial homicidal Crusnik, Contra Mundi (Cain), Seen early on as a bio-genetic chemist. He was born infused with 50% nanomachines 5% Human and 45% Werewolf but through a time paradox the loutus cure he created to cure the Crusnik virus had been mixed with Bacillus nano machines. This was from a previous Methusalah encounter with Cain that left blood all over the lab. After being cured he was narrowly killed by Cain and Vanessa in battle. He became weaker over time and was forced to confront a mage in order to go back in time to save himself. He was then tossed from the time portal and met a woman by the name of Atheria Fang. They live together for 5 years and had a child who would become Seth's grand father. Because of the Crusnik, Methuselah, and human mix their child became the first werewolf. The mage returned him to his time after 6 years lost in time..
Seth is known for his stubborn attitude. Much like Cain(minus the Psychotic Schizophrenia) he is seemingly reasonably careless and forgetfull, while actually being extremly focused and a philosophical and tactical genius.
Seth's crusnik form is the most unique as he, unlike his siblings, grows no wings but instead becomes an inhanced werewolf with mach speed capabilitys just like his arieial siblings. His eyes turn from Crusnik green to red and he emits an orange energy. He and Cain both wear sacred items on their ears to contorl their basic powers. Seth is known for his ability to manipulte sound waves at dangerous frequencies and amplitudes. He uses a duel sided scythe and when infused with his blood it becomes a lance like sicle.
He has a seeming romantic interest in Vanessa Walsh who is not aware that he and Cain are not Terrans. However she still seems to pursue him with haste. Cain was once hired by unknown organizations as a bounty hunter to kill her father and succeded along with her mother and uncle. Seth is unaware of this fact however.