History Main / SecretCircleOfSecrets

* Damien from ''TheOmen'' has a secret cult of devil-worshipers that serve and protect him. When they're not murdering people or attending black masses, they're care-takers, teachers, priests, and Cub Scouts. Since there doesn't appear to be any influential people in this cult, it could almost be a MilkmanConspiracy.

Let's face it. [[VillainByDefault Secret societies]] [[AlwaysChaoticEvil make good villains]] [[HiddenAgendaVillain because you can do]] [[CardCarryingVillain almost anything]] [[DesignatedVillain you want with them]]. If your story needs some hidden group to be the bad guys, you can't go wrong with a shadowy cabal of [[MalevolentMaskedMen masked demon worshippers.]]

* The sex cult in ''EyesWideShut'' (see picture above).

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cult.jpg]]

* ''Dark Matter'', a roleplaying game for the ''{{Alternity}}'' system based enormously on contemporary conspiracy and ''XFiles''-like science fiction, had the Final Church, THE worldwide conspiracy for demons and satanists - basically, pretend that every paranoid rumor regarding Satanism mentioned in the 'Real Life' section was actually true, and you get the gist. There was even a web book devoted solely to the group at the end of ''Alternity'''s run, and the group makes a come back in ''{{D20 Modern}}'''s ''Menace Manual''.

* The ''{{Warcraft}}'' universe's Cult of the Damned is a group that worships a {{liche}} in order to achieve eternal life through undeath. In contrast, the apocalyptic Twilight's Hammer cult exists to awaken [[EldritchAbomination the Old Gods]] [[SealedEvilInACan sealed beneath Azeroth's surface]], knowing full well that doing so will bring about the end of the world.

* The LitchiHikariClub has shades of this, especially in the opening, which depicts them from the perspective of an outsider.

* In "Teen Titans", there are two: the Church of Brother Blood, and the unnamed cult that worships Raven's demon father, Trigon.

* The 1987 [[TheMovie film parody]] version of {{Dragnet}} featured the [[FunWithAcronyms P.A.G.A.N.S.]] (it stands for "People Against Goodness And Normalcy"), a motorcycle gang-cum-satanic cult whose leader chants in really bad rhyme.

* The cult in ''TheFinalSacrifice'' are a band of cloak-wearing, machete wielding madmen.

* The Ku Klux Klan follows this trope more than you'd expect from a real-world organization. Night-time meetings, bonfires and burning crosses, and not to mention the all-enclosing robes and masks (not to mention that the leadership wears [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience differently colored masks]] and robes than the [[{{Mooks}} common membership]]).

* Chaos Cultists from ''{{Warhammer}}'' (and ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' qualify.

* Dark Matter: A roleplaying game for the Alternity system based enormously in contemporary conspiracy and X-files like science fiction had the Final Church, THE worldwide conspiracy for demons and santanists (basically, pretend that every paranoid rumor regarding Satanism mentioned in the 'Real Life' section was actually true, and you get the jist). There was even a web book devoted solely to the group at the end of Alternity's run, and the group makes a come back in D20 Modern's Menace Manual.

* The Cult of the Damned is a group of [[{{Warcraft}} freakshow subhumans who worship a Lich]].
** At least the Cult of the Damned has a reasonable motivation (eternal life through undeath). The Twilight's Hammer cult exists to awaken whatever SealedEvilInACan they can get their hands on because of a suicidal devotion to ending the world. And [[GenreSavvy they know]] that EvilIsNotAToy. Now that's faith.

* The SilentHill series has an evil cult which has a large role in every game except arguably Silent Hill 2. Hints to some sort of actual religious theory beyond "serve the evil god in exchange for power," appear in the third game (for example: that Alessa is both the mother and daughter of God). The third game also has examples of true believers (Claudia) and people mostly in it for power and money (Father Vincent).
* The Order of the Blessed Agonies in TheChzoMythos.

* The Circle of Cold Flames. from the ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', are an order of mystics and sorcerers dedicated to overthrowing Heaven and instituting a reign of evil over the earth (and put themselves in control over it all in the end). They go in for all the trappings: {{black cloak}}s, pentagrams, [[VirginSacrifice sacrificing virgins]] to their [[{{Satan}} demonic overlords]], and so on.

* Damien from ''The Omen'' has a secret cult of devil-worshipers that serve and protect him. When they're not murdering people or attending black masses, they're care-takers, teachers, priests, and Cub Scouts. Since there doesn't appear to be any influential people in this cult, it could almost be a MilkmanConspiracy.

* In the {{Discworld}} novel ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night are a secret society behind the plot to summon a dragon and overthrow the Patrician. While the leader is a cunning manipulator, the members are pathetic petty-minded lower-middle class losers who mainly want to get back at people. Apparently there are so many secret societies in Ankh-Morpork that there is a whole series of identically designed meeting places with dread portals. At one point a member mistakenly knocks on the door of the Illuminated and Ancient Brethren of Ee, at another one man realizes that he's in the wrong place right at the point when the Supreme Grand Master is announcing what will be done to any outsiders present. [[NoodleImplements Figgins]] are involved...

[[EvilMinions The members of such groups]] meet in [[DarkIsNotWellLit the middle of the night]], and when they meet are almost always garbed [[BlackCloak in cloaks that hide their body shape]], along with identity-concealing masks. The leader of the cult, of course, will almost always be wearing a much more extravagant, often differently colored cloak (red is a popular option), and his mask is usually more elaborate as well.

[[EvilMinions The members of such groups]] meet in the middle of the night, and when they meet are almost always garbed [[BlackCloak in cloaks that hide their body shape]], along with identity-concealing masks. The leader of the cult, of course, will almost always be wearing a much more extravagant, often differently colored cloak (red is a popular option), and his mask is usually more elaborate as well.

* The Order of the Blessed Agonies in The Chzo Mythos.

Don't expect much of a [[ReligiousHorror detailed, coherent religious philosophy]] beyond "serve the GodOfEvil in return for power (or to keep him from smiting us)," a bit of [[NietzscheWannabe Pseudo-Nietzschean]] nihilism, and perhaps a bit of [[SocialDarwinist Social Darwinism]] with special focus on "culling the weak."

* Pretty much any group of worshippers of an EldritchAbomination, such as those found in HPLovecraft and his imitators' works. "Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!"

** "Iä! Iä! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods With a Thousand Young!"

* The Satanists in Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's ''GoodOmens'' [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] and parody this concept, with a coven of secretly Satanist nuns who are doing their best to fulfill the prophecies leading to the conception of the Antichrist, but are [[PunchClockVillain otherwise just decent people]] following the tenets of the religion they were raised in, not that different from anyone else.

* In the {{Discworld}} novel ''[[Discworld/GuardsGuards Guards! Guards!]]'' the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night are a secret society behind the plot to summon a dragon and overthrow the Patrician. While the leader is a cunning manipulator, the members are pathetic petty-minded lower-middle class losers who mainly want to get back at people. Apparently there are so many secret societies in Ankh-Morpork that there is a whole series of identically designed meeting places with dread portals. At one point a member mistakenly knocks on the door of the Illuminated and Ancient Brethren of Ee, at another one man realizes that he's in the wrong place right at the point when the Supreme Grand Master is announcing what will be done to any outsiders present. [[NoodleImplements Figgins]] are involved...

* The first {{Discworld}} videogame is based on ''[[Discworld/GuardsGuards Guards! Guards!]]'', mentioned above, and so has a similar secret society.

* When the fans get a hold of the Black Cloak Society in KingsQuest, they usually get this treatment. [[FanSequel AGD's remake of the second game]] has several hints that they're prepping to survive TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt - possibly the events of Mask of Eternity. AGD puts another example in their version of the game by [[spoiler: having the benevolent monk]] from the original turn out to be running a [[spoiler: FurVersusFang racket against what turns out to be the FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire]]
* The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Evil Spaghetti Cult]] from ''KingdomOfLoathing'''s Nemesis quest, as it plays out for Pastamancers. They worship your Nemesis, an evil spaghetti elemental. There's a brief ShoutOut [[http://kol.coldfront.net/thekolwiki/index.php/A_Protestor to Project Chanology]] (which devolves into a general spoof of 4chan memes), although otherwise the cult doesn't have much in common with the ChurchOfHappyology.

* The Circle of Cold Flames. from the ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', are an order of mystics and sorcerers dedicated to overthrowing Heaven and instituting a reign of evil over the earth (and put themselves in control over it all in the end). They go in for all the trappings: [[BlackCloak black cloaks]], pentagrams, [[VirginSacrifice sacrificing virgins]] to their [[{{Satan}} demonic overlords]], and so on.

* ''Tomb of Dracula'' featured The Enclave, a cult of [[BlackCloak cloaked]] devil-worshippers sworn to destroy Dracula.

* 1957's ''Night Of The Demon'' was all about an investigator who discovers one of these groups.

* ''Curse Of The Demon'' featured a skeptical psychologist pitted against a devil-worshipping cult leader.

Don't expect much of a [[ReligiousHorror detailed, coherent religious philosophy]] beyond "serve the GodOfEvil in return for power (or to keep him from smiting us)," a bit of [[NietzscheWannabe Pseudo-Nietzschean]] nihilism, and/or a bit of [[SocialDarwinist Social Darwinism]] with special focus on "culling the weak."

Don't expect much of a [[ReligiousHorror detailed, coherent religious philosophy]] beyond "serve the GodOfEvil in return for power (or to keep him from smiting us)," a bit of [[NietzscheWannabe Pseudo-Nietzschean]] nihilism, and perhaps a bit of MightMakesRight.

[[AC: Live Action TV]]

* Damien from ''The Omen'' has a secret cult of devil-worshipers that serve and protect him. When they're not murdering people or attending black masses, they're care-takers, teachers, priests, and cub-scouts. Since there doesn't appear to be any influential people in this cult, it could almost be a MilkmanConspiracy.

* The Satanists in Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's ''Good Omens'' [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] and parody this concept, with a coven of secretly Satanist nuns who are doing their best to fulfill the prophecies leading to the conception of the Antichrist, but are otherwise just decent people following the tenets of the religion they were raised in, not that different from anyone else.

* In the {{Discworld}} novel ''[[Discworld/GuardsGuards Guards! Guards!]]'' the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night are a secret society behind the plot to summon a dragon and overthrow the Patrician. While the leader is a cunning manipulator the members are pathetic petty minded losers who mainly want to get back at people. Apparently there are so many secret societies in Ankh-Morpork that there is a whole series of identically designed meeting places with dread portals. At one point a member mistakenly knocks on the door of the Illuminated and Ancient Brethren of Ee, at another one man realises that he's in the wrong place right at the point when the Supreme Grand Master is announcing what will be done to any outsiders present. Figgins are involved...

* ''VampireTheRequiem'' features the Shadow Cults, an invention of the Mekhet that allows them control over humans (and other fringe benefits) by promising to unearth the secrets of existence. One of them, the Moulding Room, promises to reveal the power behind modern pop culture but is explicitly revealed to be a Situationalist prank -- in other words, founded entirely ForTheEvulz.

* The satanic cults in the works of Dennis Wheatley (mostly based on Aleister Crowlet and company), plus {{Hammer Horror}} versions thereof.

* The Circle of Cold Flames are an order of mystics and sorcerers dedicated to overthrowing Heaven and instituting a reign of evil over the earth (and put themselves in control over it all in the end). They go in for all the trappings: [[BlackCloak black cloaks]], pentagrams, [[VirginSacrifice sacrificing virgins]] to their [[{{Satan}} demonic overlords]], and so on.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cult.jpg
[[caption-width:450:Membership Has Its Privileges]]