Ziyaad of the Levant
| Ziyaad of the Levant زياد | |||||||||
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| 1st Secretary-General of the International Organization for Strategic Cooperation | |||||||||
| Tenure | 30 December 2029 – 10 June 2039 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Position established | ||||||||
| Successor | Jean-Louis Subercaseaux | ||||||||
| King of Seleucia | |||||||||
| Reign | 14 November 2029 – 28 October 2040 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Position established | ||||||||
| Successor | Saluqus | ||||||||
| Born | 20 June 1976 Mosul, Mesopotamia, Levantine Sultanate, Middle East Federation | ||||||||
| Died | 28 October 2040 (aged 64) Karakul Lake, Bactria, Lorica | ||||||||
| Spouse | Sukaina | ||||||||
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| Dynasty | Nadirid | ||||||||
| Father | Baaqir II | ||||||||
Abu Saluqus Ziyaad el-Amer ibn Baaqir al-Nadiri (20 June 1976 – 26 October 2040; Arabic: أبو سلوقس زياد الأمر إبن باقير النضير), better recognized by his shorthand names Ziyaad of the Levant, Ziyaad of Seleucia, Ziyaad and Abu Saluqus, was the Deseleni King of Seleucia and the 1st Secretary-General of the International Organization for Strategic Cooperation. He was an 81st-generation descendant of Seleucus I Nicator. He also was the principal leader in the formation of the Seleucid State, and reigned as its king for over 10 years. Ziyaad is also known to be the only wielder of the Kataibatic Tablet since Seleucus XI Theos, his confirmed direct ancestor, and his infamy for unleashing the Kataibatic Event during the last years of the Neocon War, which constituted the deadliest days in Eordis' history.
Ziyaad was born to Baaqir II, father of Pantaleon II. As a young child, he developed a diverse range of interests in history, the ancestral Seleucid dynasty, medicine, aromatherapy and botany. After graduating from the University of Lebanon at Baalbek and served in the Levantine Army for four years, Ziyaad founded a pharmaceutical business alongside two business partners, and started a farm for essential oils right next to his personal palace. During the Chalcedonic War, he was captured and suffered acid torture by the 16th SS Paranormal Regiment Seleucia that scarred his face. He also held his father and James Robert Boya, his mentor in politics, in high regard, figures which influenced his views on realpolitik and Machiavellianism. He grew close with Pantaleon II and his side of the family, especially Abdul Rashid, whom he played chess with often. However, overtime, he advocated for neoconservativism as a means of achieving world peace, and soon fell out of favor with Pantaleon and Rashid.
With consultation and the Deseleni Seven (Michael IV Timotheos of Pergamon, Bastian zu Schärtal-Tangersten of East Europa, Nerseh Astvadzadourian of Armenianna, Esfandiar Golchin of Persianna, Mariangel Cicerón de Santa Cruz of Ilari, Qian Yuhan of Tangutia, and Cheonsu Alexander of Joyonghea), and substantial backing from the Neocon Five countries, Ziyaad consolidated the Levantine Sultanate and adjacent nations that were formerly part of the Seleucid Empire into the Seleucid State and subsequently declared himself King of Seleucia. On 27 December 2029, he alongside the leaders of eleven neoconservative countries established the International Organization for Strategic Cooperation (INTORSC), and was elected as its first Secretary-General. He ruled with much benevolence towards his people and political competence, sustained economic growth, and contributed to the neoconservative war effort during the Neocon War. However, sensing the looming coup against him by Pantaleon, Ziyaad ordered an assassination of Pantaleon, his core family, and the Musaaid al-Shehadeh cabinet via poisonous gas, ending a partial success as the survivors included Rashid, his sister Mentullah, his mother Tahaani, Prime Minister Musaaid al-Shehadeh and less than half of his cabinet.
Ziyaad was a key military commander and oversaw the three Neocon invasions of the Erebonian Empire during the Neocon War, obsessed with fulfilling revenge for Seleucus XI's failure in and demise as a result of the War of the North, all of which ended in failure. During the later years of the conflict, the State suffered an economic crisis and multiple uprisings, which led him to implement an increasing amount of authoritarian measures in conjunction with increased benefits, and became increasingly disillusioned with the Neocon cause. Ziyaad discovered the first segment of the Kataibatic Tablet within the deepest and sealed chamber of the Protusian necropolis and ordered the killings of the Neocon archaeological team that found it. When the Heimdallr invasion of the Seleucid State occurred, where no Neocon reinforcements would be provided, Ziyaad, now inspired by a vision of a Vermillion Paradise, resolved to use the Tablet against the Heimdallr forces and several Neocon cities and military installations, unleashing a power of apocalyptic scale that resulted in 750,000 deaths in a single day. He continued his search for the remaining two segments of the Tablet which contained incantations that not only included new abilities, but also amplified the effects observed during the First Cataclysm; after the second segment was found, he announced his resignation as Secretary-General at his final meeting with the Neocon leadership and unleashed the Second Cataclysm which inflicted 1,500,000 deaths and incurred a more severe weather effect than that of the First Cataclysm. Retreating to Western Lorica, he eventually found the third and final segment of the Tablet, and would have his final stand at Karakul Lake as he attempted to unleash the full destructive power of the Tablet for a Third Cataclysm near the Shrine of Ethurane while being affected by the Kataibatic Madness Curse, resulting in his death.
His reign left a negative impact by contemporary historians and the peoples of the Middle East, with the Kataibatic Event overshadowing his achievements as a ruler. However, his philosophy, dreams, visions, and his demise inspired a substantial amount of international followers, including the Concordian Bunch who wished to pursue a new version of a Vermillion Paradise, which culminated in the Ziyaadist Uprising.