From the moment Asilas sat in the oval office with President Jackson awaiting to be sworn in as America’s first king, there was a sense this political transformation was sanctioned by the ubiquitous “men behind the curtain.” The president alluded to them right before Asilas assumes the role of king. He says, “You will have to deal with them; the monster. When they call, you will answer. And when they tell you to act, you will act.” It was rather subtle, but substantial enough to make Asilas uneasy. It was our first glimpse in this story that there was a shadowy group that pulls the strings of those in positions of great influence. In Asilas’s uneasiness with this arrangement, there is an obvious friction that surfaces and sets the threshold of defiance and boldness which puts the king at odds with the very people who put him in power.

But just exactly who are these monsters? And why did they elevate Asilas to the level of an absolute monarch in the first place? Asilas gives some clues. It becomes apparent early on in the series that treachery took place between Asilas and this mysterious syndicate. Asilas was supposed to be the consolidation of state affairs; the “go to guy.” He was meant to eliminate the need to racket politicians in every district throughout the union. With one man making all the decisions, there would be no need to place their bets on scores of lobbyists and campaigns. However, once Asilas became an absolute ruler, he turned on those who entrusted him with more power than any American before him. The king declares his posture is more than a stance against malfeasance, but is, in fact, a purging of the evil people behind America’s corruption. On more than one occasion, in fact, Asilas asserts members of the elusive group are a mix of humans and non-humans. In a conversation with Queen Rebekah before going to meet with England’s King George, Asilas even refers to George and his royal family as “an army of reptiles.” It seems whoever (or whatever) Asilas is waging war with is quite terrifying and exists on the fringes of our reality.

The monsters are assuredly creepy and, evidently, have haunting abilities to enter the king’s sleep. During Asilas’s “night terrors” and in apparent confrontations with demons, Asilas has conversations with their supposed leader, Beals. It can be surmised “Beals” is a play on Beelzebub, who is the Devil himself. In one of Asilas’s night terrors, Beals outright tells Asilas he needs to do what he is told and bluntly states, “This is the deal we made.” But Asilas defies him, proclaiming he must “free his people,” which is another indication Asilas was put in his position with strings attached. So, at the onset, what we learn in Season 1, the monster group is comprised of politicians, government officials, obviously some very rich people, reptilians, demons and apparently led by the Devil himself. At least, through statements made by the king, this is insinuated. However, judging by Asilas’s own words, the monster group appears to be more than simply a group of Satan worshippers in a secret society. The dynamics of the group become more puzzling with each new detail revealed.

The structure of the group is very ambiguous and often contradictory. This is probably by design to avoid detection and perpetuate confusion among even those within the group. The whole point of the group is to control the world using manipulation of governments through its officials. It is in this manipulation that Asilas gives one vital clue as to how he came to power. He revealed that he was once a member of the monster group and one of the architects of the plan that ultimately led to the dismantling of the United States. Why Asilas would be a part of the undoing of his country, something that could be classified as the antithesis of patriotic, and ascend as its absolute ruler becomes clearer with every episode. He asserts the only way to rid the world of the corruption that enslaves all people is to destroy the monster group itself. Handing him a throne to rule over the most powerful country in the world was perhaps the most monumental mistake the monster group ever made. However, this only furthers the assertion Asilas is more than brilliant; he is evidently the greatest opportunist and actor the group had ever faced. He makes his intentions to destroy the enemy of mankind, and sets out to do this under the guise of toppling countries and assimilating them into the New Kingdom of America to increase his power and set the stage for the ultimate battle for humanity. Asilas is able to “conquer” countries in the western hemisphere using a secret weapon named the “poison filter.” This machine is modified to do a multitude of things, including what Asilas calls “lifting the fog” and allowing humans to use the full capacity of their brains. Evidently, the monster group had benefited from inhibiting humans at the consciousness level, thus keeping them blind to their true powers and exploiting them for an unspecified duration of years.

The monster group becomes apprehensive of Asilas’s poison filter. Perhaps they recognize its true threat a little late in the game. Since Asilas made sure only members of his trusted High Council know the sensitive details about it, the monsters are virtually blind to the potency of this weapon. But they are cautious, and thus use their enigmatic network to slow Asilas’s advancements because he is equally cautious. They never encountered nor anticipated the fight Asilas presents in modern times, and resort to strategies from centuries ago to learn Asilas’s weaknesses. Employing sorcery, witchcraft, hauntings, and dream manipulations, the monster group torments Asilas in an effort to break down his mental stability. However, Asilas’s dexterity never diminishes. On the contrary, their voodoo tactics only appear to encourage the king to advance on foreign lands, push politics to the brink of a world war, and pressure the human flank of the monster group to call on their reptilian masters to assist them in dealing with America. Asilas attempts to lure the true monsters out into the open. With each move, another one of their pawns gets taken, and the ultimate confrontation between Asilas and the monsters draws ever nearer.