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Hellfire Club was a semi-secret organization made up of politicians, businessmen, and other powerful people, with the intent of drinking and debauchery. A number of people have used the organization over the centuries as a cover for attempts to conjure various demons and aliens in the guise of Lucifer.
History
The Club was originally founded in the early 18th century by the Duke of Wharton, though Faction Paradox were known to have had a hand in its creation. (FP: The Book of the War) The club was created as a means of mocking the prevalent religion of the time. Sir Francis Dashwood continued the tradition in the 1750s. The Doctor described their activities thusly:
- "[Francis Dashwood's] so-called Club was simply a group of chums who spent weekends with him at Medmenham from time to time. No doubt they drank more than was good for them, but the nearest thing they had to a manifestation of The Devil was one of their inebriated number sticking horns on his head, and jumping out of a bush yelling 'Boo!' Certainly Sir Francis was interested in reinventing the Greek Eleusinian Mysteries, but that's a far cry from human sacrifices and pacts with anyone called Lucifer." (BFA: Minuet in Hell)
The Club fell into disrepute in the 1760s, after which it was sporadically reformed by various people making serious attempts at summoning arcane beings.
19th century
In 1803 the Doctor and Charley Pollard arrived in Wycombe Caves, chasing after Sebastian Grayle. Grayle had set up the Hellfire Club as a psychic conduit for summoning the Nimon to Earth. The Doctor and Charley interfered with Grayle's plans and stopped the invasion, but not before the Nimon had consumed most of the current membership. (BFA: Seasons of Fear)
Scarlette, the proprietess of a brothel on Henrietta Street in London, claimed she was the last Madam of the Hellfire Club. She used her arcane knowledge and the Doctor's help to defend Earth from an invasion of Babewyns in 1872. (EDA: The Adventuress of Henrietta Street)
21st century
By 2001 a new Hellfire Club had been set up in Malebolgia (the 51st state in the United States of America) to assist in electing Brigham Elisha Dashwood III as their first Governor... and to continue the drinking and debauchery of their predecessors. Dashwood succeeded in summoning the demon Marchosias, and The Doctor's interference prevented yet another invasion, this time by Psionovores. This chapter of the Club was presumably shut down soon after. (BFA: Minuet in Hell)