Demon's Inner Circle

The Demon's Inner Circle, are a group that appears in the Tales of RWBY series created by Monty Oum and Kōsuke Fujishima. It is a faction that apparently involves changing the world through the use of the four Relics and the destruction of the Academies.

"It's important not to lose sight of what drives us: Love, justice, reverence... but the moment you put your desires before my own... they will be lost to you. This isn't a threat, this is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found... through me."
 * —Salem.

Past
The origins of the group are not clear, but it is shown to have existed for millennia. In the past, Salem had sent a female warrior to kill one of Ozma's incarnation known as The Infinite Man as well as his group The Circle. The warrior, using Gravity and Lightning Dust blades, fought the Infinite Man and eventually killed him when Ozma chose to die in order to prevent collateral damage.

Following this, the warrior and her raiders slaughtered The Circle, leaving only Ozma's most loyal advisor at the time, having taken an eye and an arm from her.

Decades before the start of the series, Salem had taken Tock as a subordinate to hunt down Silver-Eyed Warriors. Salem served as a mentor to Tock, advising her on how to properly use her Semblance despite her follower not taking heed, ultimately leading to her demise at the hands of Maria Calavera.

Notes & Trivia

 * Although not an official name, composer Alex Abraham named the theme that plays when Salem walks into the meeting room in "The Next Step", "A Dark Cabal", most likely referring to Salem's Inner Circle. The group has also been referred to as Salem's Court and Team WTCH (Witch).
 * The allusion theme of Salem's followers takes well-known "hero" characters and changes their stories to make them turn into villains.
 * Arthur alludes to John Watson, from the Sherlock Holmes stories, if he had connected with James Moriarty instead of Sherlock Holmes.
 * Cinder alludes to Cinderella, seemingly if she never had met her Fairy Godmother, or a good-influenced Fairy Godmother, or possibly the Prince in the classical fairy tale.
 * Hazel alludes to Hansel from Hansel & Gretel, if he had lost Gretel in the story.
 * Tyrian is based on the Scorpion from the fable The Scorpion and the Frog, if the Frog had died but the Scorpion survived.