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[D]efenders of the Right to Be
Name: Virgil Walsh
Location: Londinium, Albion
Title(s): Earl of Manchester, Knight of Albion, General of Monsters
Age: Several centuries
Date of Birth: ?????
Gender: Male
Species: Methuselah
Marital Status: Single
Family: Vanessa Walsh (twin sister)
Threadjacking: In dear-mun/player
Forth-Walling: In dear-mun/player
Mindreading: Plot first
Fighting: Plot first
Injury: Plot first
Romance: Depends upon chemistry
Smut: Depends upon chemistry
Offensive Subjects: Plot first
Age: 24
Timezone: GMT(-6)
Contact: Skype available upon request
Virgil is roughly average height with a very slim figure. He has pale skin and similarly pale blond hair, which reaches past his shoulders and is usually left loose; the only instance otherwise is when facing Todd with a rapier picked up from a recently murdered London Tower guard, in which case a ribbon is used to tie his hair back into a low ponytail. His eyes are similarly pale, specifically an icy blue that's framed by long, light eyelashes. The guy looks like moonlight would reflect off of him. Being a twin to his sister, they look nearly identical (and are noted to have similar voices), though Virgil keeps a neat and polished appearance, as opposed to Vanessa wearing ripped clothing with wild hair. Also notable is a pair of fangs, due to his status as a Methuselah. The Methuselah are a race of beings similar to humans, though infected with (or born with) the Kudlak Bacillus in their bodies, resulting in vampire-like qualities such as fangs, a need for blood, and a tendency to burn down to their bones in sunlight due to the UV radiation.
When we first see Virgil, he's dressed in a large hooded cloak that obscures his face, resulting in Colonel Mary Spencer to scold him for wearing ominous clothing while on royal grounds, after Virgil rushed to the palace after hearing of Queen Bridgit II's poor health. Indeed, for much of his time on panel, he wears this cloak with the hood down, which is likewise worn over a black suit. After escaping from the Tower of London with the help of Pope Alessandro, he wears the same outfit, minus the cloak and jacket. At this point, it's also revealed that he wears a necklace beneath his clothing with a pendant akin to a shield, a necklace Mary Spencer--the illegitimate granddaughter of the queen--is also shown wearing, indicating some connection to the royal family. He also wears a pocket watch with a crown symbolizing royalty, though when Colonel Mary Spencer and the Inquisition attack the Ghetto, it's revealed this pocket watch contains a button that triggers the Ghetto to completely seal itself from the outside world.
Virgil cares greatly for both Queen Bridget II, and the other Methuselah in the Ghetto. It's a delicate balance, though Virgil explains that he and the other 104 Methuselah wish to be left alone and ignored: a longing for peace and quiet. Indeed, his methods of working towards these goals are very non-violent, and he often scolds Vanessa for losing her temper and becoming violent herself. Instead, he works closely with the Albion government as he oversees production in the Ghetto's factories using lost technology, while also being a bit of a dark knight to protect Albion from the shadows. He saves Abel when Abel is injured by Jack the Ripper, later revealed to be Sergeant Jack Ironside, and likewise saves the pope from Lance Corporeal Todd. When Vanessa decides Virgil's methods are too mellow, she sees fit to knock him unconscious via silver nitrite and morphine to prevent him from stopping her. When he's nearly killed by Todd, what would have been his last thought is "Bridget", indicating a closeness to the queen and a familiarity to call her so informally. When he regains the ability to walk after being incapacitated by Vanessa, one of his first words is to ask Colonel Mary Spencer if the queen is aware of the attempt to exterminate the Methuselah in the Ghetto. Even when first meeting Esther, there's a moment he seems stunned into silence due to her resemblance to Bridget, later revealed to be her grandmother.
Typically, Virgil treats others with formality, respect, and kindness. Even when receiving a report of an artillery shell, he remains calm and relaxed, and during the invasion of the Ghetto he still shows an ability to remain collected in crisis. He's very prim and patient, as well as a good host. While Abel, Esther, and the pope are in the Ghetto, he entertains them by giving them a tour of the compound and explains what the Methuselah do, as well as the balance that's kept between the Terrans above and the Methuselah below. He's also shown to be observant: when Esther zones out, asking herself what she can do as she notes how both Terrans and the Methuselah in the Ghetto fear each other, he asks her if she's alright, noting that she's turned pale. Still, there's a degree of trusting to him; when Esther lies about her thoughts, he accepts the explanation without hesitance and answers her question about the Methuselah's thirst and how they manage it.
Needless to say, Virgil also shows concern for the future; he gains a sad expression when admitting that, if discovered and forced out, it's likely very few if any Methuselah would make it to the New Human Empire without being killed or wounded on the way. Even so, he makes an attempt to brush it off, stating that he would escort the guests back to the surface when the sun set. There's a hopeful note to him as well, believing in younger generations and future rulers to recognize the wrongness of the Ghetto, as he does understand the Methuselah's wish to be free.
As mentioned, Virgil is a being called a Methuselah (though called vampires as an insult). This is due to the Kudlak Bacillus, which is less a bacteria and more a creation of the sentient nanomachine Krusnik to be their food. Methuselah live much longer than humans, though they aren't immortal and can be killed in the same ways a human could, and a couple more. For example, UV radiation from the sun causes the Kudlak Bacillus to effectively go into overdrive, causing the host body to break down and appear to burn, even including their bones. Usually, the Kudlak only devour red blood cells, but UV radiation causes it to devour everything, until there's nothing left of the host and the bascillus devours itself. Silver is also harmful (sort of) to Methuselah, with a small shot of silver nitrite combined with morphine enough to keep Virgil unable to walk for three to four hours, and silver is also used when he's tortured for information in the Tower of London. Silver causes the Kudlak Bacillus to halt, meaning a Methuselah affected by silver will be unable to regenerate and can more easily be killed or affected by drugs. The Kudlak Bacillus devours red blood cells, causing a need for them to be replaced and creating the bloodthirst; a Methuselah can either bite a Terran in typical vampire fashion, or take capsules made from blood. Doing nothing, on the other hand, seems capable of causing the Kudlak Bacillus to drive the host to attack a Terran even if they wish not to; in a scene with the Methuselah Count Ion Fortuna earlier in the manga, it appears as if the Kudlak Bacillus are themselves speaking through Ion and vocalizing their need for blood/food, while Ion himself speaks Esther's name separately from them. This seems to indicate the Kudlak Bacillus is about as sentient as the Krusnik Bacillus that created it many eons ago. For those bitten by a Methuselah, there's only a very small chance they could become one as well; it's most likely they'll either be able to continue life as normal, or perhaps die of a brain infection. Methuselah can either be infected with the Kudlak Bacillus, as the original Methuselah were, or are born with it if their mother was a Methuselah. For all intents and purposes, Virgil was born a Methuselah.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Kudlak Bacillus also carries some perks: not only do they have much extended life-spans (up to three centurues), but the Methuselah have supernatural strength and reflexes. Though weakened to the level of a Terran by the silver nitrate, Virgil is able to hold his own against Lance Corporeal Todd quite easily, in his words due to training with rapiers and fencing for several centuries. When he aims the killing blow, he strikes Todd hard enough that the rapier he wields shatters upon contact with Todd's sword and bullet-proof skin. Methuselah are also able to regenerate, even regrowing lost fingers overnight.
Methuselah also have developed means to deal with the faults of the Kudlak Bacillus: the development of synthetic blood capsules to deal with the thirst, and UV gel which protects the Kudlak Bacillus in their bodies from the sun's radiation, thus allowing them to move about in the day. The New Human Empire and the Blue Circus pirates both made use of a blue dome that similarly blocks UV radiation without the need for UV gel.
Some Methuselah also have special powers, such as ability to control flames or to use their hair as a weapon. In Virgil's case, he's a Nachzehrer; a Methuselah capable of manipulating his own shadow which then melts anything it touches. For example, when saving Abel from Jack the Ripper, Virgil's shadow extends towards Jack at fast speeds and the cobblestone street is shown melted where the shadow extended across it. This only occurs when actually using this ability; unless Virgil has extended his shadow, it causes no harm to what it touches.
The story of Trinity Blood starts with Armageddon, which is a bit dramatic to say, but accurate. This world was much like ours, though centuries in the past. Over-population and a lack of resources caused humans to start the Mars Colonization Project in the hopes of making the red planet habitable and remove some of the strain on earth. While on Mars, a spaceship later known as The Ark was discovered, containing the preserved remains of aliens, and one notably more preserved than the rest.
These long-dead corpses became the source of the Kudlak and Krusnik Bascilli. It's to note that while both are called bacilli, neither are actually bacteria and are instead sentient nanomachines. The humans injected themselves with the Kudlak Bascilli, becoming what in the series are known as Methuselah, the long-lived race. The Krusnik Bascillus, on the other hand, proved more difficult to reproduce and control; only four test-tube babies with enhanced bodies were able to survive the procedure. Countries on earth wanted the Kudlak Bacillus due to its life-extending properties, and this became the cause of the nuclear war that became known as Armageddon; on Mars, it was the Martian Civil War as each Methuselah on the planet aligned themselves with their country on earth.
In time, the Methuselah returned to earth after spending eighty years building a spaceship to do it, as the original was destroyed during the war. What they found was a planet in ruins. These Returners also found another issue: while it wasn't a problem on Mars, the closer proximity to the sun on earth caused the Kudlak Bacillus in their bodies to react to the UV radiation from the sun, creating the symptoms akin to vamparism described above. War again broke out between the Terrans--the humans on earth who were never infected with the Kudlak Bacillus--and the Methuselah.
It's been centuries, but the effects are still felt. Terrans and Methuselah both fear and detest one another, often living in separate spaces rather than co-existing. Many instances of co-existence end in the Methuselah being targeted by frightened or fanatic Terrans, such as the incident that left another resident of the Ghetto, a Methuselah child named Angelica, scarred, mute, and orphaned. Likewise, this apparent inability to co-exist is what created the Ghetto in the first place, a complex located beneath the city of Londinium, in the Kingdom of Albion. Roughly speaking, this would be London, England in the present day. Much of the series is set in Europe, though there's also mention of various locations in the North Africa and Middle Eastern area. The New Human Empire is roughly located in the area of present-day Greece, and what we would know as Russia is simply Terra Incognita; unknown land. This is the state for the rest of the world as well.
Virgil's past is unknown. Though we know he and Vanessa are twin siblings, nothing is known of their parents or any other family, or even how long they've been in the Ghetto that was created generations ago. It's possible they've been in it all their lives, or they may be old enough they saw the Ghetto created in the first place. How Virgil became so close to the Queen of Albion, Bridget the II is also unknown, though we do know she does much of the work with keeping balance between the Terrans and the Methuselah in her kingdom. Colonel Mary Spencer mentions that Virgil is actually banned from the castle for "committing taboo against her majesty", though what this taboo was or even if it is true is similarly unknown. Still, he's also said to show up regardless of the ban with various excuses and reasons, further showing some attachment to the queen as he refers to himself as "a loyal knight of Bridget".
There's also no mention of how Virgil began to govern the Ghetto or gain the title of a nobleman, beyond it being the queen's wishes. Instead, he's first seen when Colonel Mary Spencer and Esther Blanchett find him on royal grounds, headed towards the palace after hearing of Queen Bridget II's poor health. However, he's turned away by the colonel and scolded for his attire. Soon after, he saves the priest Abel Nightroad from Jack the Ripper, taking him to the Ghetto so his injuries can be treated.
When Abel awakes, he mistakes Virgil for his sibling and in typical Abel clumsiness prompts Vanessa to attack him until Virgil arrives on the scene, who then makes her release Abel. He apologizes for his sister's temper. Afterwards, Virgil also saves Esther and the pope after being sent by Abel to do so. Upon returning with the two in tow, he stops Vanessa from attacking Abel before apologizing for her again, before telling the three to wait while he speaks to Vanessa privately.
After the reunion, Virgil begins showing the group on a tour of the Ghetto, and when Esther sees a group of Methuselah working in pharmaceuticals, Virgil explains that they create materials for companies on the surface using lost technology--technology largely destroyed by the wars--to help as there are few Methuselah in the Ghetto. Shortly afterwards is when Virgil notices Esther lost in thought and asks if she's alright. When she lies and asks how the Methuselah manage their thirst instead, Virgil doesn't question it and explains that the blood capsules are bought from the New Human Empire, publicly writing them off as medical supplies. Creating the capsules in the Ghetto would be too expensive due to the population being only 104 (including children).
Shortly after, Virgil claims that the Methuselah don't care about any hate they receive or how they're shunned, as long as they have peace and quiet. Whether these are Virgil's own feelings on the matter or truly that of the rest of the small population is unknown. However, Vanessa arrives with a report of an artillery shell, and in the process of trying to reason with her, Vanessa poisons him with silver nitrite and morphine. In confusion, he asks why she had done so before collapsing. He's next seen in a hallway as Colonel Mary Spencer makes note of the fact that Virgil was the only one who referred to her as "your highness", something Mary says was important to her and yet also seems to anger her. Though she tries to kill Virgil, her robotic suit begins to break down due to damage in an earlier battle, and Virgil sets off the alarm to shut down the Ghetto.
Though Virgil saves what remains of the population of the Ghetto by closing it off to the point the Albion military can't force themselves inside, Virgil himself (and the Methuselah child Angelica) are captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Virgil is tortured for information and injected with silver nitrite to weaken him. Chained and tied to a post, the pope lies his way into the chamber and begins to apologize to Virgil, who was barely conscious.
Still, Virgil urges Pope Alessandro to leave citing his public image, though remarks that he knew of Colonel Mary Spencer's plan and held no ill will towards the pope. Before leaving, Pope Alessandro gives Virgil a paperclip and a map of the Tower's blueprints, shocking Virgil. He recognizes the pope's "gift from God" in the form of photographic memory, before smiling and assuring him that he will, at the least, ensure Angelica's escape.
Once outside, the pope is attacked by Lance Corporeal Todd who kills the guards around him, but Virgil arrives and defends the pope. Todd recognizes Virgil as the "General of Monsters", and while Virgil admits to being of low birth, he also expresses pride in being a knight of Albion as he ties his hair back and takes a rapier from one of the deceased guards.
It initially appears as if Virgil has the upper hand in the fight against Todd, but what would have been the killing blow is deflected by Todd's iron skin which can't be pierced by sword or bullet. Virgil asks why a soldier of Albion would attack the pope, but Todd only explains that he was a dead man brought to life by the "Queen of the Dead" and no longer a soldier of Albion. After overpowering Virgil, Todd plans to turn him into a scapegoat, explaining a desire to frame Virgil for the murders of Esther Blanchett and Queen Bridget II. When he's about to be killed, Virgil's thoughts focus on the queen--calling for her by name--but is saved by Father Tres Iqus arriving on the scene and driving Todd off.
Virgil is last seen being picked up by Tres, seemingly unconscious.