Ancient One (The Cabin in the Woods)

The Ancient Ones are creatures who were the driving force behind the events in the 2012 horror-fantasy movie The Cabin in the Woods.

Description
What these beings actually looked like is unknown, as only the hand and forearm of one was seen during the film. However, the hand was larger than the surrounding trees, and what appeared to be lava was visible through the cracks in its greyish skin. Whether they all had the same appearance, or were unique individuals is a mystery.

History
Many years ago, the Ancient Ones ruled the world as gods, but for reasons unknown entered a period of slumber beneath the earth. However, they appear to have made some kind of pact with humanity for doing so: in exchange for their inactivity, they now required the annual sacrifice of a number of youths during a ceremony known as The Ritual. At first, this ritual was as simple as throwing a girl into a volcano, but as the years progressed, the Ancient Ones’ tastes grew more sophisticated and sadistic, so that at the time of the film they specified exact methods of execution which, if not followed precisely, would cause them to awaken. These rituals varied by geographical location, but should even one have succeeded, the Ancient Ones would be satisfied, and would spare the world for another year.

To ensure that humanity did not fall victim to these dark entities, a global conglomeration known simply as The Organization sprang up in order to ensure that the ritual would be successful in one form or another.

As luck would have it, the year in which the movie is set (which is not actually specified, but presumed to be the same year of its release, 2012) saw the failure of every single version of the ritual, from North America to Japan, which caused the Ancient Ones to rise and reclaim the Earth as their own.

Trivia

 * The Ancient Ones appear to have been at least partially inspired by the Great Old Ones of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos.