Blood Dawn Synopsis
_What do you do when you were
literally made to be a killer? For Lilith, who masquerades under a human alias
during the day, the answer is simple; you do your duty, and do it with pride.
She takes her status as the firstborn of the Bruxsa, or hunters as they are
more commonly called, very seriously. Raised by the company that created her
kind to view vampires as monsters that must all be destroyed, Lilith accepts
their mission without hesitation or moral qualms- regarding the killing as a
necessary evil to safeguard the human population who as a whole don’t even know
they exist. She presents a strong, brave face to the outside world and focuses
on her duties while she struggles to hide the pain and guilt she feels over the
separation of her flight- the brood of hunters she was born and grew up
with-several years before. Even though
the traumatic event culminated in the murder of her youngest sister by one of
the guards the company had sent to facilitate the separation, she places the
blame on herself rather than the human scientists who created them.
Her one remaining sibling, the much gentler Lucifiel, isn’t as content to blindly accept the company policy, or their stated purpose. Already looked down upon by their creators for his milder hunting drives, he has always harbored the secret doubt that the indiscriminate slaughter of any and all vampires they encounter is just as wrong as the global event that led to the creation of his own kind. Many vampires are evil, he’s willing to admit, but surely not all of them are. This view often leads him into arguments with his fiery sister and flight leader…
Detective William Buchanan has problems of his own to deal with. In addition to his duties as a regular police officer, he also serves as a member of their city’s night squad; a secret strike force trained expressly for the purpose of hunting down and killing vampires. A wrench is thrown into his routine when the police chief loans his team-mates out to another city- leaving Buchanan behind with the responsibility of training an entirely new cadre of recruits. At first irritated- he views his new assignment as just another effort by his chief to keep him from resuming his personal investigation into the secretive corporation Genesis Industries- he soon becomes eager when he discovers that one of his new recruits is a skilled hacker. His new investigation attempts have barely begun, however, when a vampire’s body arrives in the city morgue- with wounds that point to the presence of a previously unknown breed of monster. Buchanan decides to explore both mysteries at the same time- not realizing the two are intrinsically connected.
Lilith’s own routine is disrupted when a new hunter is transferred into their branch- ostensibly to help make up for Lucifiel’s lackluster killing record. Crusader is cordial, intelligent, and seems like a perfect addition to her tiny flight, but for the first time in her life the ordinarily business-minded Bruxsa is forced to deal with a male of her kind that she doesn’t view as a sibling. The attraction she feels for Crusader flusters her, and digs at her deep-seated fears of allowing herself to grow close to someone only to lose them again. She guiltily resolves to keep her new flight-mate at a distance even as Lucifiel- at a loss at how to deal with the tension between Lilith and Crusader, becomes embroiled in a moral dilemma all his own.
His unconventional views are put to the test when he has a chance meeting with Hannah; a coffee shop waitress and an unwilling vampire convert. Genesis policy is very clear; hunters are forbidden to have voluntary contact with vampires unless it occurs during a kill. For if vampires discover the fledgling race of hunters, despite their superiority they could be wiped out due to their low present numbers. Despite the dangers however, Lucifiel finds himself drawn to Hannah’s warm and caring personality, and the two strike up a friendship.
Meanwhile Buchanan, having recognized Lilith from some of his previously acquired evidence on Genesis Industries, approaches her about becoming a part-time security guard at the office- thinking it the perfect opportunity to continue his investigation on the inside of the company. Naturally suspicious of the admitted detective’s motives, she attempts to read his mind to discover his intent- only to realize that Buchanan is what the corporation refers to as a nuller; a human who is naturally immune to psychic tampering. Shortly after confessing to Crusader the truth about what happened to her birth flight, and thus easing a great deal of the tension between them, they discover Buchanan and his new squad dispatching a vampire. Reporting this finding to the director of their office- he decides to hire Buchanan on with the reasoning that keeping him close will more easily allow them to discern his possible motives.
Having been ordered to feign friendship with the human detective to better disarm him, Lilith finds herself genuinely beginning to care for the open, dedicated officer. This budding camaraderie almost ends in tragedy; as during a routine sweep of the city one night she discovers Buchanan in an alley after a savage vampire attack- drained of blood and on the verge of death. In a desperate gamble she gives the dying detective some of her blood- hoping that its inherent healing properties will be enough to save his life. It does…but has the unprecedented side-effect of bringing about his own transformation- into a Bruxsa, not a vampire. With no other choice, Lilith is forced to tell him the truth about herself and the company he has long been suspicious of. Their situation is further complicated by her discovery of Lucifiel’s friendship with Hannah, but a greater threat soon comes from an unforeseen source- Genesis itself!
Her one remaining sibling, the much gentler Lucifiel, isn’t as content to blindly accept the company policy, or their stated purpose. Already looked down upon by their creators for his milder hunting drives, he has always harbored the secret doubt that the indiscriminate slaughter of any and all vampires they encounter is just as wrong as the global event that led to the creation of his own kind. Many vampires are evil, he’s willing to admit, but surely not all of them are. This view often leads him into arguments with his fiery sister and flight leader…
Detective William Buchanan has problems of his own to deal with. In addition to his duties as a regular police officer, he also serves as a member of their city’s night squad; a secret strike force trained expressly for the purpose of hunting down and killing vampires. A wrench is thrown into his routine when the police chief loans his team-mates out to another city- leaving Buchanan behind with the responsibility of training an entirely new cadre of recruits. At first irritated- he views his new assignment as just another effort by his chief to keep him from resuming his personal investigation into the secretive corporation Genesis Industries- he soon becomes eager when he discovers that one of his new recruits is a skilled hacker. His new investigation attempts have barely begun, however, when a vampire’s body arrives in the city morgue- with wounds that point to the presence of a previously unknown breed of monster. Buchanan decides to explore both mysteries at the same time- not realizing the two are intrinsically connected.
Lilith’s own routine is disrupted when a new hunter is transferred into their branch- ostensibly to help make up for Lucifiel’s lackluster killing record. Crusader is cordial, intelligent, and seems like a perfect addition to her tiny flight, but for the first time in her life the ordinarily business-minded Bruxsa is forced to deal with a male of her kind that she doesn’t view as a sibling. The attraction she feels for Crusader flusters her, and digs at her deep-seated fears of allowing herself to grow close to someone only to lose them again. She guiltily resolves to keep her new flight-mate at a distance even as Lucifiel- at a loss at how to deal with the tension between Lilith and Crusader, becomes embroiled in a moral dilemma all his own.
His unconventional views are put to the test when he has a chance meeting with Hannah; a coffee shop waitress and an unwilling vampire convert. Genesis policy is very clear; hunters are forbidden to have voluntary contact with vampires unless it occurs during a kill. For if vampires discover the fledgling race of hunters, despite their superiority they could be wiped out due to their low present numbers. Despite the dangers however, Lucifiel finds himself drawn to Hannah’s warm and caring personality, and the two strike up a friendship.
Meanwhile Buchanan, having recognized Lilith from some of his previously acquired evidence on Genesis Industries, approaches her about becoming a part-time security guard at the office- thinking it the perfect opportunity to continue his investigation on the inside of the company. Naturally suspicious of the admitted detective’s motives, she attempts to read his mind to discover his intent- only to realize that Buchanan is what the corporation refers to as a nuller; a human who is naturally immune to psychic tampering. Shortly after confessing to Crusader the truth about what happened to her birth flight, and thus easing a great deal of the tension between them, they discover Buchanan and his new squad dispatching a vampire. Reporting this finding to the director of their office- he decides to hire Buchanan on with the reasoning that keeping him close will more easily allow them to discern his possible motives.
Having been ordered to feign friendship with the human detective to better disarm him, Lilith finds herself genuinely beginning to care for the open, dedicated officer. This budding camaraderie almost ends in tragedy; as during a routine sweep of the city one night she discovers Buchanan in an alley after a savage vampire attack- drained of blood and on the verge of death. In a desperate gamble she gives the dying detective some of her blood- hoping that its inherent healing properties will be enough to save his life. It does…but has the unprecedented side-effect of bringing about his own transformation- into a Bruxsa, not a vampire. With no other choice, Lilith is forced to tell him the truth about herself and the company he has long been suspicious of. Their situation is further complicated by her discovery of Lucifiel’s friendship with Hannah, but a greater threat soon comes from an unforeseen source- Genesis itself!