The Circle

**The Circle** is a mysterious organization that has been mentioned in multiple games, and plays a key role in The Room: Old Sins. They are a cult devoted to the study, collection, and worship of the Null, with an emphasis on the so-called dark arts. Their approach to Null research involves the connection to the Null as an entity and incorporates elements of demonology.

## Ideology

The Circle are an organization that favors faith and the occult over science. They seem to be primarily interested in collecting souls with Null samples and using them for ritualistic purposes. They connect the Null to a pantheon of demons that they worship.

The pertinency of The Circle's beliefs to the reality of the Null is questionable. AS used a ritual from The Circle's Scriptus Nocti and his own rudimentary Null Sample to attempt to summon a god, but it did not go as he expected. The god did not appear, and his enthrallment by the Null only worsened, leading him to become lost. Later, in The Room Two, the voice of the typewriter in the Séance easter egg cynically remarks that the demons The Circle believes in would be just as much prey to the Null as anyone else.

## Hierarchy

The Circle is apparently led in part by a man named Crowley, though his title and rank within the organization are unknown. He is mentioned only in an easter egg from The Room Two - The Seance.

The rank of Collector is given to members of The Circle charged with locating and extracting Null samples. This duty may include the collection of purposefully trapped souls, such as Edward Lockwood's. Collectors are given certain equipment in order to complete their tasks, including professional eyepieces and specially-prepared carrying-cases for Null samples. The radio easter egg indicates that The Circle has been set back before by the betrayal of their collectors. Collector Hydrus' predecessor stole Null samples from The Circle and escaped, and another easter egg, found in the game's hints, shows Collector Hydrus has similar plans. The Circle suspects this, and intend to stop him.

## Occurrences

### In *The Room*

AS. mentions The Circle in his notes. He first calls them fools. Later, on examining the Scriptus Nocti, he changes his mind, claiming that they were right all along. This inspires him to attempt to summon Astaroth, or Ishtar, using a Null sample as a power source. He intends to bind the god to his service in order to learn all he desires to know.

### In *The Room Two*

If one enters the correct keyword into the typewriter, it will profess some knowledge about The Circle and their leader, Crowley. The typist refers to The Circle as "Crowley and his blind fools", insists that Crowley will "find not his demons here" and that demons are merely "Prey, along with the rest" to the Null.

### In *The Room Three*

The boxes in the Grey Holm Clock Tower are the same as the boxes found in Waldegrave Manor. Since Edward Lockwood was provided with many of his apparatus by The Circle, it is possible that they also provided the boxes in Grey Holm. It is more likely, however, that The Circle (and Edward by extension) received their equipment from Talisman.

### In *The Room: Old Sins*

The Circle plays a key role in The Room: Old Sins. The protagonist (Collector Hydrus) is employed by The Circle as a Collector. The Circle also employed Edward Lockwood, but this was all a charade to 'feed' Edward's soul to the Null Sample. If the radio easter egg is found, the player can learn more about The Circle's former most gifted collector, yet unnamed, who apparently betrayed them and absconded with their samples. The Circle intends to keep a closer eye on Hydrus, and later confirms that they expect him to similarly betray them.

## Affiliates

### Crowley

Crowley is a high-ranking member of The Circle. He has yet to appear in any of the games outside of a brief mention in The Room Two's typewriter easter egg. Given his role in The Circle, it may be his voice that is heard in The Room: Old Sins's radio easter eggs.

### AS

AS admits to past dealings with The Circle in his journal entries from The Room. It is unclear if he was once a member of The Circle, if he was ever hired by them, or if he simply shared research and resources with them in the past. He expresses disdain for them on a number of occasions, preferring a scientific approach over the dark arts of The Circle. The only exception to this is when he caves to their ideology and futilely attempts to summon a god using one of their rituals.

### The Craftsman

The Craftsman's relationship to The Circle is dubious. However, a number of crates found in Grey Holm appear to match similar ones found at Waldegrave Manor, crates which are known to have been provided to Edward Lockwood by The Circle. In The Room VR: A Dark Matter, The Witch also mentions that The Craftsman has served many masters in the past, possibly hinting at a previous connection to The Circle.

### Collector Hydrus

Collector Hydrus is The Circle's most gifted collector at the time of The Room: Old Sins. He was acquired after the betrayal of their former most valued collector. Hydrus is hired to collect the sample containing the soul of Edward Lockwood. He performs his duties as The Circle requires, but his loyalty is shown to be wavering. He is apparently biding his time until he, too, will steal from The Circle. They apparently suspect his disloyalty and have plans to deal with him.

### Edward Lockwood

Edward Lockwood was hired by The Circle to do alchemical research into The Null. However, their true intention was to enthrall and trap him in the Null sample they provided. Their plans were thwarted by the interference of Abigail Lockwood.

### Abigail Lockwood

Abigail Lockwood, wife of Edward Lockwood, harbored suspicions about The Circle's employment of her husband. She attempted to replicate his research and submit it to The Royal Institute for intervention. However, Circle agents at the Institute discovered her plot and alerted her husband. Abigail later imprisoned the Null sample and Edward's soul in their attic and fled Waldegrave Manor, where The Circle has been unable to locate her. Collector Hydrus notes of her that "One who can evade The Circle is one who must be found".

### The Royal Institute

The Royal Institute, despite being a scientific organization, notably contains a number of spies from The Circle. These spies are the ones who discover Abigail Lockwood's interference with their research and may also be responsible for the trilogy protagonist's inability to petition them for help after the events of The Room and The Room Two.