- "Are you serious? Who are the Authority? What gave them the authority? Nothing. No one. They took it, as I am taking it today. I no longer recognize the.. Authority."
- ―Russell Edgington[src]
The members of the Vampire Authority during a meeting.
The Vampire Authority is a semi-religious, clandestine council originally comprising eight[1] of the most politically powerful vampires in existence, but has since lost nearly all original members to the True Death. This council is the ultimate authority over all vampires across the globe. It is worshiped by many and feared by even more.
History
- "I swear fealty now, and always to the one true Vampire Authority, whose wisdom and justice I..."
- ―Jorje Alonso de San Diego[src]
Nan interviewing Eric at Fangtasia.
The Authority was originally created to protect the blood of Lilith. Lilith is estimated to be about 6,000+ years.The Vampire Bible says that after she met the Sun, her progeny collected her remains the following night. Later transferred to a flask containing only her blood, the Authority is said to have guarded it ever since. It is from this lineage and the blood of Lilith that Authority derives its power and religious stature.
The Authority is said to be thousands of years old. The halls of its current sanctum are supposed to date to the Byzantine era. However, Eric Northman spoke of the Authority's existence of only 500 years as commonly known fact, casting doubt on its antiquity.
It was led by Guardian [of the Blood] Roman Zimojic for over 400 years, working in secret to acquire absolute power over the vampire race. Using state-of-the-art technology and a secret police, the Authority controls every aspect of institutionalized vampire society, from the monarchs to the agenda of the American Vampire League, by setting law and settling disputes.
Defying the Authority is considered blasphemous, treasonous act.
The Authority sanctions all vampire monarchs known to hold crowns and will forcibly remove, by way of the True Death, any king or queen who loses its favor. Some degree of the Authority's oversight of the monarchs was exercised by the Magister, the highest adjudicating official in the New World. The Magister was sworn to serve the Authority. It is known that many vampires fear it, though Russell Edgington mocks the idea.
Agenda
Due to the Authority's secret nature, not much is known about its official policies. Since at least the 20th century, mainstreaming was the focal point of the body's agenda. It was the brainchild of and masterminded by the Authority under the leadership of the late Roman Zimojic. The idea of mainstreaming was also part of an agreement between the Authority and the United States government. The Authority, at the height of the Authority's support for mainstreaming, feeding on Humans in public was punishable by the True Death. However, several of its members were never true supporters of the policy.
Following the coups which culminated in the death of Guardian Roman and Chancellor Braun, Sanguinistism was supported by the Authority for a time.
All of the Authority Chancellors have now either met the true death or resigned as have many of the Authority's employees and guards. Only Bill remains as a member. It is unknown what the Authority's agenda will be or if the organization is now defunct. It is likely that the U.S. military will launch an assault on what is left of the authority due to the death of general Cavanaugh.
Shortly after the downfall of the authority, its headquarters is destroyed; removing all traces of its origins.
Opposition
Under its mainstreaming agenda, Sanguinistas were opposed to the Authority. However, the Authority then became Sanguinista controlled. Thus mainstreamers then became the ones opposed to the Authority.
Russell Edgington was also opposed to the Authority for a time due to their being an obstacle for his ambitions and later for the threat he posed to mainstreaming. After he was freed by Salome Agrippa and played his part in her coup, he joined the Authority for a short time, but eventually dissented from them, finding the Sanguinistas just as irritating as the mainstreamers.
The United States government will likely be opposed to the Sanguinista controlled Authority due to the death of their general on the vampire compound and the bombing of the True Blood factories.
Membership
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The Guardian
- Salome Agrippa (Formerly, Destroyed)
- Roman Zimojic (Formerly, Destroyed)
Chancellors
- Kibwe Akinjide (Formerly, Destroyed)
- Dieter Braun (Formerly, Destroyed)
- Bill Compton
- Eric Northman (Formerly, Resigned)
- Alexander Drew (Formerly, Destroyed)
- Russell Edgington (Formerly, Resigned then Destroyed)
- Nan Flanagan (Formerly, Destroyed)
- Nora Gainesborough (Formerly, Resigned)
- Rosalyn Harris (Formerly, Destroyed)
Minions
- Molly (Technology expert; destroyed)
- Chelsea (Receptionist; destroyed)
- Hayes (executioner/assassin; destroyed)
- Jorje Alonso de San Diego (the Magister of North America, i.e. the highest adjudicator and legal inquisitor; destroyed)
- The Gatekeeper
- Louis Pasteur (researcher)
- Gondry (V-Fed; destroyed)
- Lambert (V-Fed; destroyed)
Deceased Members
- Nan Flanagan betrayed the Authority and attempted to recruit Bill Compton and Eric Northman to the Sanguinistas by blackmailing Bill with the true identity of Sookie. After further taunting, she and the rebelling V-Feds are quickly killed by Eric Northman
- Alexander Drew is revealed to be a traitor and a closeted Sanguinista and is promptly staked by Roman.
- Roman Zimojic attempts to execute Russell Edgington who was supposed to be incapacitated with a heavy dose of intravenal silver. However, the iStake strapped to Russell malfunctions and Roman is quickly overpowered and staked by Russell Edgington.
- Dieter Braun is beheaded by Russell Edgington after Roman was destroyed and Dieter spoke out against Salome's Sanguinista leanings and denied the existence of Lilith.
- Kibwe Akinjide is beheaded by Bill after he angers Bill by saying that he is Lilith's Chosen One.
- Russell Edgington resigned from the Authority to hunt down the fae shortly before he was staked by Eric while trying to attack Sookie and the other fairies of Hooligans.
- Rosalyn Harris was killed by Sam when she attempted to attack Luna for exposing the Sangunista agenda on live television. Sam, in the form of a fly, flew into Rosalyn's mouth and then he transformed back into a human while still inside her. causing her head to explode.
- Salome Agrippa was tricked by Bill into drinking blood laced with a massive dose of silver. He then staked her while she was weakened.
Image Gallery
Behind the scenes
- The Authority is mentioned in the Season 3 episode Everything Is Broken, as well as "Post-Mortem: Sunday Morning with McCafferty" and other after-hours specials on HBO. The Authority was actually shown in Everything Is Broken when Nan Flanagan questions Eric at Fangtasia about the Magister's death.("Everything Is Broken")