Secret Societies

Earth is home to a number of secret societies which are concerned with supernatural or extraterrestrial matters. Some are benevolent, some are deeply sinister. Some seek to protect the public at large from the horrors which lurk in the shadows, others ARE the horrors that lurk in the shadows.
The Men of Learning
Arguably the most ancient Secret Society on Earth, it is made up of people interested in the collection and study of arcane knowledge. It has existed in some form or another throughout all periods of history, quietly preserving knowledge while remaining largely apart from the concerns of the public world. Many members of the Men of Learning are magic users.
While the existence of the Men of Learning is accepted by most other Secret Societies, they are believed to have died out long ago. This belief is encouraged by the Men of Learning themselves to the point that Alexandra Knight was shocked to discover Helen Hammer was one and that they weren't a myth.
AEGIS
The Aerospace Expeditionary Force Intervention Service was a specialized unit of the early United States Air Force tasked with the research and suppression of paranormal threats against America. It was quickly separated into its own unit outside the normal chain of command of the United States Military.
The Black Hand
The Black Hand is a secret order of assassins founded by the "Ascended Master" Tomas Constantinus some time around the First Crusades. Many members of the Black Hand are Fighters able to use Aura.
The Foundation
The Foundation is an organization founded by a number of business magnates in the mid-1800's during the height of the Industrial Revolution. Believed to have been founded by members of the Men of Learning who desired to take a more proactive approach in the management of supernatural matters, the Foundation is believed to have a more sinister purpose of collecting paranormal objects and entities to make a play for world domination.
The Foundation has an adversarial relationship with AEGIS.
The Brotherhood of the Sword
The Brotherhood is a Monster Hunting Order that was originally the military arm of the Men of Learning. Following a schism that occurred in the distant past, the Brotherhood split off and became its own entity. The Brotherhood maintains a headquarters in Paris, France where the Grand Master and his Inner Circle resides, but has satellite Temples in numerous other cities and places, each under control of a Master. Below Masters are Sergeants, who command Knights. Knights will often have squires under their command, who themselves are raised from pages raised in orphanages run by the Order.
While vampires tend to be their most common opponents, the Brotherhood is well versed in all manners of monsters such as werewolves, ghouls, ghosts and so on and how to kill them.