AHC: A world with ancient conspiracies and secret societies that actually do stuff

What would need to change for centuries-long (successful, historically important) conspiracies by ancient secret societies to be plausible?

Basically, a world where where crazy Da Vinci Code style skulduggery can actually happen over long time horizons, and have a non-trivial impact on history?

Non-ASB, of course. And they don't need to be OUR world's secret societies or conspiracies, obviously.
 
What would need to change for centuries-long (successful, historically important) conspiracies by ancient secret societies to be plausible?

Basically, a world where where crazy Da Vinci Code style skulduggery can actually happen over long time horizons, and have a non-trivial impact on history?

Non-ASB, of course. And they don't need to be OUR world's secret societies or conspiracies, obviously.

Simple ... the secret itself. There is no point having an ASS to survive if the secret is none important or unrelevent.

I think the best ASS, would the Freeweavers, a group of females who control the world throught their connection with 'powerful' men, each member wears a golden apple symbol. This proves two conspiracies:
  • Behind every good man, there is a powerful woman behind him.
  • Women secretly run the world.
 
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