The Order's insignia
| “ | The Order of the Dragon. Some liken them as a vampiric version of the Illuminati and I can understand the comparison. They are the ruling body of vampire society, founded by Dracula himself before his destruction. Their vigilance is unyielding. If they learn of your awareness, your fate is sealed. Vanishing without a trace, your friends and family members becoming potential targets. They are believed to have infiltrated every sphere of mortal life. With vampires embedded in roles spanning from CEOs to law enforcement, and even in the echelons of politics and government. No place is beyond their prying eyes. | „ |
| ~ Klaus Von Reinherz |
The Order of the Dragon, also known as the Camarilla, was a monarchical chivalric order only for selected higher aristocracy and monarchs. It is now a powerful order of vampires who serve as the ruling body of vampire society.
History[]
Background[]
The Order flourished during the first half of the 15th century, primarily in Germany and Italy. After Sigismund's death in 1437, its importance declined in Western Europe. However, after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, it continued to play a role in Hungary, Croatia, Albania, Serbia and Romania, which bore the brunt of the Ottoman incursions. After it was overtaken by Vlad the Impaler, who then became a powerful vampire, the order was rechristened into a coven of Nosferatu.
The aim of the order was to fight the Ottoman Empire, defend the Hungarian monarchy from foreign and domestic enemies, and the Catholic Church from heretics and pagans. It also included foreigners (and non-Catholics), such as the Orthodox Serbian ruler Stefan Lazarević and the Wallachian rulers. The aim was then changed during its re-christianization to not only establish itself as the ruling body of the vampires but also oversee and control the operations that are being run by vampires associated with the Order of the Dragon around the world.
Reorganizing[]
In the ages that followed after Dracula's defeat at the hands of Sparda, Sypha, and Trevor Belmont, their aim is to maintain the relative 'peace' between the human world and vampire world. With the death of Dracula, the vampire society fell into chaos with many vampires warring against each other in a bid to fill the power gap left behind the vampire king. Things grew even more dire with the sudden surge in hunters after Trevor Belmont began to rebuild the Belmont Clan.
It was not until a bold attack was made on the castle of the elder vampire Hardestadt led by the famous thinner Taniv. The Founders-to-be recognized the need for a unified front and so banded to pool all their resources together to create a powerful ruling body that would maintain an ironclad grip unto rebellious vampires. The second was fostering a truce between them and the hunters. Seeking an audience with Christopher Belmont, they introduced the creation and enforcement of the Masque, which demands all vampires to conceal their true nature from humankind, less they become overwhelmed by humanity's sheer numbers. Christopher also proposed that if a vampire is not following their laws or is not bound by the Order's circle he and any band of hunters are to destroy said vampires which they agreed to.
New World[]
They manage and oversee the laws set forth by the vampire lords that sit in their table, and any vampire within their circle is caught breaking such laws will be met with severe consequences. In addition to preventing the growing mortals masses from discovering the existence of vampires, the Order of the Dragon aims to maintain the status quo of vampire society. During the 17th century the 'younger' vampires began migrating to the New World en masse, leaving most of Europe to the Order of the Dragon's older members. For a time there was some debate as to whether to pursue their rivals to the Americas, but eventually the idea of staking out new territories was accepted as a means of placating younger new bloods.
The Order has a very tense relationship with the likes of Libra, the Hellsing Organization, or the Dhampir vampire hunter Nago given their reputation in eradicating vampires. However, despite the tension, they recognize that such individuals are necessary in maintaining the delicate balance of keeping the veil afload between their world and the mundane. There also seems to be an unspoken alliance between the Order and these hunters, specifically when vampires are marked in the Red Book and classified by the Inner Circle as grave dangers and whose destruction is one of the first priorities, should they show themselves. Information of these marked vampires are transferred over to the hunting organizations to eliminate them although it depends on the scope and scale of the danger these rogue vampires pose.
Description[]
In the beginning the primary representatives of "the perfidious Enemy" remained the Ottoman Turks, who continued to be a problem for Sigismund's successors. The Order's outward focus on foreign threats was also aimed at achieving a level of domestic cohesion. The statutes go on to describe the order's symbols of the ouroboros and the red cross, which were worn by its members and gave the order its corporate identity. They also list the mutual obligations of the king and his nobles. The members were to swear loyalty to the king, queen, and their future sons and to protect the royal interests. In return for their services, the nobles could expect to enjoy royal protection, honors, and offices.
The Order of the Dragon became a congregation of not just Nosferatu, who act as the ruling body over the coven, but all vampires that are associated with the Order of the Dragon. Despite it being a unification of the most prominent vampire clans, they still contend with other factions, each vying for control over their territories which is to be met with a fair and reasonable exchange or trades. The vampire race only come together, particularly when summoned by the Order, when an issue concerning the safety and impending destruction of not just them but the entire world as a whole is on the rise. Moreover, the Order of the Dragon has established certain rules but what these rules like Masque and to not reveal the secrets of the Order nor other clans amongst one another unless allowed so by a prince.
What is known about these rules is that any vampire who is not affiliated with the Order is exempt from these rules and as such is not a matter to be taken seriously. However, vampires that initiate plans that threaten the Order itself are to be terminated with extreme prejudice. This is evident in the Sinclair Family whom are members of the Order of the Dragon aiding the forces of the Hellsing Organization and the Order of the Silver Cross in their war against the Scarlet Brood and the resurrection of Absalom.
Membership[]
Members of the Order are referred to in the statutes as Barons, Dukes, Counts, and other lesser royal monikers. Basically, the members of the Order consisted of aristocratic and nobleman vampires.
After some time, the ranks of the Order began to expand and a second group of inductees was initiated. As membership grew, the Order of the Dragon came to have two degrees. There was a superior class, which wore both the dragon and the cross as the Order's emblem and a more elaborate version afterwards. The second degree had a large number of members, and its symbol was only the dragon.
Following Dracula's defeat at the hands of Abraham Van Helsing, the Order lost prominence but was still active nonetheless and remained to be a powerful unseen force that oversaw the night and its creatures. Moreover, the prestigious emblem of the Order was retained on the coat of arms of several European noble vampire families, including Báthory, Bocskai, Bethlen, Szathmáry, Sinclair, Benyovszky, Kende and Rákóczi.