At the start of the story, the vampiric Methuselahs, still a major political and military force, continue to wage war on the "Terrans," as they call regular humans. The Roman Catholic Church is a major military power determined to protect humans from the Methuselahs, with its seat of power based in the Vatican. The Methuselahs have their capital of Byzantium, which is surrounded by a field of particles to filter out UV radiation, protecting the Methuselah population.