The Order of the Dawn

The Order of the Dawn are a secret society of ruthless vampire hunters based in Europe in the Bloodbound series. They are first referenced in Bloodbound, Book 2, in Scholar Jameson's notes in Chapter 2 (premium choice), and later in Chapter 7. They make their first appearance in Book 2, Chapter 8.

History
"'The Order of Dawn exists as the sun to block out the moon, the flame against the shadow, the righteous striking the wicked.'-Bloodbound, Book 2, Chapter 13"

According to Adrian, as long as there have been vampires in Europe, there have been vampire hunters, specifically an elite, fanatical, and ruthless secret society that the public does not know about. They are well-funded and influential in both finance and politics, which evolved them from a small guild to an army. The order is thousands of years old, with roots in ancient Greece. Before they were called the Order of the Dawn, they were called the Knights of Light and the Holy Brotherhood. In the 4th century, they were called Holy Sacred Knights of the Rising Dawn, according to Serafine's notes. They are extremely religious and have an intense devotion to the concept of the light, while vampires represent the dark. They are the main reason why Gaius Augustine immigrated to America to build his Shadow Kingdom, because the Order cannot touch vampires there.

According to Elias Moralis who belonged to the Order in the 1800s, they are very good at propaganda and fearmongering. They paint vampires as Other. This terrifying Other was a force that couldn't be understood: violent beasts that preyed on them, their wives, and their children. So the Order existed to put a stop to it. They needed members to keep the world safe.

What was discovered at the Order headquarters on Mydiea is that the Order's history extends farther than previously thought. It began in 8th century B.C. when Xenocrates imprisoned Rheya in the Tree of Life and left Gaius. With Gaius's mind still warped by Rheya's influence, Gaius did not want to listen to Xenocrates and only wanted revenge. They did not part on good terms, and Xenocrates made it his mission to wipe Vampires off the face of the earth.

Present Day
"'We serve the Holy Light! We stand against the dark! We are the flame, the blade, the lions of light!'-The Order Chant in Bloodbound, Book 2, Chapter 9"

The Order is feared by vampires throughout the world, nearly wiping out whole bloodlines several times. Their sole mission is the eradication of vampires, and their drive to accomplish this eclipses everything else. They are incredibly tactical, usually scouting a den or an individual before moving in. They know what it takes to slow down a vampire such as stakes, decapitation, and fire. They move with military precision and are backed up by the latest technology. They are some of the most elite and efficient killers in the world. They are spread throughout Europe, but are mostly concentrated in France and England. They are founded by powerful corporations, dignitaries and even by nobility, and use shell corporations and overseas accounts to funnel the money.

Up until Book 3, Chapter 5, the Order was divided among many local cells, all of them reporting to the Grand Cleric. Most lower ranked members of the Order as well as Vampires with intel believed the most recent Grand Cleric was a man named Erik Balthazar the Fourth, who was incredibly wealthy and a true believer in the Order's cause. The leadership and title was passed from father to son and kept within a single family line.

It was discovered by Your Character and her friends that Erik Balthazar IV was actually Xenocrates, inferring that the leadership and title belonged to him since 8th century B.C. Upon his death, the Order's High Council tried to reestablish control but was subsequently killed by a freed Rheya, Serafine, Vlad Tepes, and other Vampires.

Current Intel
They are aware of the existence of certain notable Vampires including but not limited to the following:
 * Gaius Augustine - King of Vampires
 * Kamilah Sayeed - Gaius' Queen
 * Adrian Raines
 * Serafine Dupont - captured as of Book 2, Chapter 9, freed as of Book 2, Chapter 14
 * Vlad Tepes - possible traitor to other Vampires

They also have certain misconceptions of Vampires or choose to ignore evidence which may contradict their beliefs. They believe Vampires cannot feel emotions except for hunger and hate, and that Vampires have no souls, no compassion, and no capacity for good.

Appearance
Members used to wear silver knight's armor with the Sun symbol on their shoulder plates and the Fleur de lis symbol on the tunics. Modern day members wear white combat gear complete with helmets that hide their identities. Some members have the Sun symbol on their uniforms. Order Commanders wear a larger helmet with a visor, a bulletproof vest, and a white cape.

Members

 * Erik Balthazar IV (Current Leader) †
 * "Erik Balthazar III" (Past Leader)
 * Elias Moralis (Formerly) †
 * The High Council (All members deceased)
 * Baron Gustav Von Sydow (deceased)

Trivia

 * In Book 2, Chapter 9, their members refer to vampires as abominations and monsters and refuse to use the pronouns "he" and "she" when talking about specific vampires - they use the pronoun "it" instead.
 * If you read Serafine's notes in the same chapter, she mentions that the Order are an army a hundred thousand strong, meaning that they have 100,000 members.
 * Their crimes include mass murder and terrorism.
 * Considering that their emblem is almost identical, their preference of Crossbows as the best weapons against a vampire, their ruthless and implacable techniques, and their sole mission to hunt and exterminate vampires, they resemble the Dawnguard a lot, a faction of vampire hunters from The Elder's Scrolls V: Skyrim and their respective DLC.
 * In Book 3, Chapter 5, it is mentioned that the remaining cells were destroyed by Rheya in a span of ten days.
 * If you unlock the bonus scene at the end of Bloodbound: Dark Solstice (which is set between Books 1 and 2), the Order will be mentioned by Serafine who prays that this will be the year that The First returns and that the Order will burn.