History Main / AncientTradition

** The previous information (not appearances -- ''Skyrim'' was the first time they showed up in person) on them had them closer to the aiding category, in that when they Artaeum was present (it has disappeared for varying lengths of time more than once) the Psijics often served as advisers to rulers -- though the Tamrielic Empire, for reasons never quite explained, did not like the Psijics taking this role, and so prohibited it in the Imperial government proper, and discouraged it for Provincial governments.

* ''ComicBook/New52'': The ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}} organization, which seems to have its origins in ''ComicBook/DemonKnights''.

As opposed to the AncientConspiracy, which is generally in control of (at least a significant portion of) the world or planning to be so, a group with an AncientTradition has some tradition of passive observation or of helping destined heroes or are an AncientOrderOfProtectors guarding some object of power. These are groups that pretty much stay in the background, but aren't actually controlling things from the shadows like an AncientConspiracy. Often big on OnlyTheKnowledgableMayPass. It may be an OstentatiousSecret, with its existence and even its membership well known.

** In ''Subterranean Animism'', her power is amongst Reimu's attack mode. [[spoiler: She sponsors Reimu to stop [[PhysicalGod Yasaka Kanako's]] ''nuclear conspiracy''. Kanako herself is two-woman AncientTradition with Suwako.]]

* Somewhere between the types, but more 2 than 1, we have the Archaic in ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}}'', a secret society devoted to researching AliensAndMonsters and keeping them separate from humanity. Unusually for this trope, they're extremely corrupt, and willing to sacrifice the lives of lower-ranking members to protect the upper echelons.

* Chizuru Kagara, guardian of {{Orochi}}'s seal in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters '96''.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', Yukari Yakumo is a one-woman Ancient Tradition who only helps when she feels like it, although the fact that she sleeps most of the time undoubtedly also affects things.

* The Treewalkers in VideoGame/TheNightOfTheRabbit, who have the power of using trees to travel across different worlds, times and possibilities. They use their magical powers to help the people of worlds they visit.

* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's short story ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Legacy Lost Legacy]]''. A benevolent secret society of people with psychic abilities lives under Mount Shasta. Their membership has included UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln, Creator/AmbroseBierce, Creator/MarkTwain and Creator/WaltWhitman. They help the protagonists refine their mental abilities and fight the opposition group that wants to keep humanity ignorant.

* The Oogami family in ''Anime/KannazukiNoMiko'' train the priestesses of the Sun and Moon so that they can seal {{Orochi}}.

* The Hieda family in ''Manga/AsagiriNoMiko'' protect against demonic forces and assist the Amatsu family in sealing Yagarena.

!!Examples:

!!Examples of Passive Observation

* Knuckles, guardian of the Master Emerald in ''SonicTheHedgehog''.

* Konoha of ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'', part of a [[PettingZooPeople half-dog]] {{Ninja}} clan with an ancient pact of appointing someone as the Millenium Guard of Kamui, the [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Thousand Years Protector]].

** On one occasion, the Watchers as a group made a decision to violate their own rules: in ''ComicBook/{{Marvel 1602}}'', they help prevent the destruction of the omniverse, which they feel would leave them without anything to watch. In doing so, they condemn all the people and possible people of a certain reality to non-existence, which is one of the reasons why they never interfere.

* ''ComicBook/{{New52}}'': The ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}} organization, which seems to have its origins in ''ComicBook/DemonKnights''.

%% [[Creator/JohnCWright The Mansion Everness]] in ''Literature/WarOfTheDreaming''.

* ''Literature/{{Safehold}}:''
** The Brotherhood of St. Zherneau's was founded in Charis after reading knowledge about the true history of Safehold and its enforced MedievalStasis left to them by an Adam. From that point on they became the safeguard of that history and knowledge and work to ultimately bring that knowledge back to Safehold. Most of Charis' previous kings were part of the plan. Upon revealing themselves to Merlin and Cayleb, the Brotherhood becomes a check-and-balance for the Inner Circle, vetting new candidates to be inducted.
** ''Hell's Foundations Quiver'' introduces the Sisterhood of Saint Khody. They've been active much longer than the Brotherhood, but the source of their knowledge is a journal left behind by one of the original ''seijins'', who had only begun to suspect what had been done, so they lacked the full awareness of Safehold's past that the Brotherhood possessed. They are just as committed to the defeating the CorruptChurch and have access to mainland resources that the protagonists otherwise lack.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* The Talamasca in Creator/AnneRice's ''Literature/TheVampireChronicles'' and Witch series.
* The Old Ones in ''Literature/TheDarkIsRising''.
* ''Literature/SecondApocalypse'' has the Mandate, a school of sorcery committed to preventing the second apocalypse. Because their ancient enemy is so long forgotten that it is considered a myth, the Mandate are something of a joke among the sorcerous schools, but then again they're the only ones who still know Gnostic magic, which is far more powerful than the Anagogic magic of the other schools.
* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's short story ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Legacy Lost Legacy]]''. A benevolent secret society of people with psychic abilities lives under Mount Shasta. Their membership has included UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln, Creator/AmbroseBierce, Creator/MarkTwain and Creator/WaltWhitman. They help the protagonists refine their mental abilities and fight the opposition group that wants to keep humanity ignorant.
* Creator/DavidWeber's ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' series has the Brotherhood of St. Zherneau's, a monastery that is the only keeper of pre-Safehold knowledge besides Merlin Athrawes. Because of the power of the Church of God Awaiting, they have kept in the background and paid lip service to them all the while gradually moving the kingdom of Charis towards being able to reveal the CorruptChurch's origins as a PathOfInspiration.
* In the short story "The Splendid Source" by Creator/RichardMatheson, the hero discovers that an ancient fellowship makes up and spreads most or all of the world's risque jokes. (Creator/ErnestHemingway, alive at the time the story was written, is shown to be a modern-day member.)
-->"That is history's secret," rejoined the Dean, "veiled behind time's opacity. Our venture does have its honored past, however. Great men have graced its cause -- Ben Franklin, Mark Twain, Dickens.... Shakespeare, of course.... Horace and Seneca.... Yea, in the palaces of Tutankhamen was our work done.... Scraped on rock, in many a primordial cave, are certain drawings. And there are those among us who believe that these were left by the earliest members of the Brotherhood. But this is only legend..."

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* In VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim, the Blades have apparently been reduced to this.

* The Second Foundation in Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' series is created largely as a safeguard to make sure the first Foundation follows the right path. It stays in the background and does not interfere, but does have operatives in place in case things get too OffTheRails from the original Seldon Plan.

If a member of a passive AncientTradition is a recurring character, they tend to break their [[AlienNonInterferenceClause vow of non-interference]] with shocking regularity. If the tradition starts taking a more direct approach, they often become TheOrder.

* The Utrom Guardians in ''[[TMNT2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' are one of these: established almost a thousand year ago in Japan, they protect the stranded Utrom aliens from outsiders.

%% [[JohnCWright The Mansion Everness]] in ''Literature/WarOfTheDreaming''.

* DavidWeber's ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' series has the Brotherhood of St. Zherneau's, a monastery that is the only keeper of pre-Safehold knowledge besides Merlin Athrawes. Because of the power of the Church of God Awaiting, they have kept in the background and paid lip service to them all the while gradually moving the kingdom of Charis towards being able to reveal the CorruptChurch's origins as a PathOfInspiration.
* In the short story "The Splendid Source" by RichardMatheson, the hero discovers that an ancient fellowship makes up and spreads most or all of the world's risque jokes. (Creator/ErnestHemingway, alive at the time the story was written, is shown to be a modern-day member.)

* The Priory of Sion in ''TheDaVinciCode'' turned out to be this at the end of the day. All the organization is concerned with is protecting the descendants of Jesus and practicing their own brand of Gnosticism. The organization appeared to be an AncientConspiracy and much more powerful at first glance because it attracted a lot of bright people to join its ranks; however, the achievements of these members (that we know of) are almost always accomplished independently of their Priory membership.

* The Guardians of the Universe who give the Comicbook/GreenLantern Corps their power in Franchise/TheDCU.

* The Guardians of the Universe who give the Comicbook/GreenLantern Corps their power in TheDCU.

** The mere ''presence'' of Uatu, without actually speaking a word of warning, is a clear indication that something of cosmic significance is about to happen. And most of Marvel's heroes [[GenreSavvy know it]].

* The Second Foundation in Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''{{Foundation}}'' series.
** This is certainly true early in the series, but by the third book and beyond, a strong argument could be made [[spoiler:that they are an AncientConspiracy]].
*** Nope: the first foundation is [[spoiler: the ancient conspiracy]], the second foundation is [[spoiler: the safeguard of the ancient conspiracy]], and finally [[spoiler: we have the collective-consciousness planet/civilization Gaia]] which is [[spoiler: a safeguard of the safeguard of the ancient conspiracy]], and all exist because [[spoiler: a positronic Xanatos spent 20,000 years following the dying wish of a friend]]
* [[JohnCWright The Mansion Everness]] in ''Literature/WarOfTheDreaming''.