Nicodemus Drusus II

Nicodemus Drusus II (born: Nicodemus Zirchon XI, 9107 CE) was a Virchan Human and last Imperator of the Dominion of Astraeus to rule as diarch. He ruled alongside his wife, Yuuho Drusus, and oversaw a period of prodigious expansion as the Dominion grew to control over ninety percent of Eos and seven star systems besides. Up to that point, he was the shortest-reigning individual of rank Imperator, but currently does not place in even the top ten shortest reigning Imperators thanks to the Warring States Period his death helped to usher in.

Nicodemus was born during the reign of his father, Amrbose Drusus in the Lords' Assembly Building, Vrch, the first of four children. Still crying, the newborn was crowned Duke of Vrch, in this case the rank of Nomenklatura I. His uncle, Liuxian Zirchon, ruled as duke regent until Nicodemus finished his education at 24. He promptly married Tange Yuuho. Three years later, he had his first son, Jeroboam Zirchon. At 44, he became Imperator but did not give up his previous title of duke, instead he held onto it and had Jeroboam act as governor of the duchy despite having not completed his education.

Nicodemus reigned during a time in which the Tenshin and Vrchan nobles had largely become one in both customs, religion, and beliefs save for House Lai who would be a thorn in the side of Nicodemus and the wider Dominion for centuries to come. Nicodemus started the project to assimilate Sagittarium's oligarchs and mold them into a new aristocracy. The ultimate goal was to expand the Dominion into the only Human territory the Dominion had yet conquered. He had Jeroboam marry the chancellor's daughter and heiress, Eloise Ejikeme, who was fifteen years Jeroboam's senior.

Nicodemus and Yuuho had a famously rocky relationship, only made worse by her insistence that Rehoboam, their second son, be made heir. Both she and Nicodemus, as rulers in Mars' name, felt the presence of the spirit in their daily lives. Mars had long rejected Jeroboam for then unclear reasons, but Nicodemus refused to undermine the century's old tradition of determining the heir by birth right. Thus, Yuuho had Jeroboam on the front lines more often than not. Nicodemus often joined his son on the front.

Imperator Nicodemus II perished at the hands of Jeroboam in 9267 CE. Jeroboam had grown so powerful that he made short work of his siblings and their divisions worth of guards. Jeroboam attempted to succeed his father, but would ultimately take his own life.