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
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.

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.

They are divided among many local cells but all of them report to the Grand Cleric. The current Grand Cleric is a man named Erik Balthazar the Fourth, who is incredibly wealthy and a true believer in the Order's cause. The leadership and title are passed from father to son and kept within a single family line.

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) †

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.