The Cleavers
The Cleavers are a group, led by Randall Adams, who want to end the separation of the material and metaphysical planes. In this sense, they directly oppose the goals of The Celestial Order and The Mage Guild, and pose a threat to The Clockwork Empire, though at the start of the series, none of those groups are aware that the Cleavers exist.
While their goals don't really align with those of The Infernal Core, the two groups are both strong opponents to the Order, and could potentially form an alliance. Though, the Cleaver's end goal is particularly drastic, even for the Infernals; the Core simply wants to escape the absurd rules and regulations of the Order, while the Cleavers want to destroy the Veil.
They are not very well known -- effectively nonexistent outside of underground circles -- and operate primarily in the shadows. The Mage Guild suspects that there is some form of organized magical crime going on, but hasn't been able to put their finger on it.
The organization is not particularly large, but it is quite selective, comprising only the top spellcasters and artificers. Also, as they sincerely believe they are doing what's in humanity's best interest, they refuse hiring murderers and the like, turning away the likes of Wesley, among others.
Public Agenda
An excerpt of one of Randall's speeches to his followers:
Humanity has long been denied its full potential. There's a whole nother world out there: one rich with magic, inhabited by beings that we previously thought to only exist in the ravings of madmen. But they are real; their power is attainable. But the Mage Guild would take that power for themselves, conspiring with extra-planar beings to keep us in the dark. I say, no longer! If the powers that be wish to hoard the secrets of the multiverse to themselves, then it falls to us -- the knowledgeable, daring few -- to rip it from their hands, so that all humanity may stand as equals to the gods and demons of this other world.
Our society wants to keep us from attaining true power: it is why all of you went rogue, is it not? So join me, not only to achieve the power you were denied, but to keep our children from having to face the same struggles we went through. The Mage Guild works against all their species, flirting with otherworldly powers for their own gain. It is up to us to stand up for humanity, and fight back!
History
Randall Adams was started on this philosophy after he and his girlfriend Linh were saved from a rogue sorcerer by Raymond, who was passing through. The warlock refused to answer many of Randall's questions and took off rather quickly, but as he had shown his true form, Randall put two and two together and realized that he must be a warlock, confirming the existence of the metaphysical plane. Angry that such powers were being kept from humanity, he started developing the Cleaver's philosophy. However, his apparent madness drove his girlfriend and unborn daughter away from him before they had a chance to marry.
His fiance's abandonment only made him angrier, and quit from the mage guild -- but not after raiding the office of one of the highest mage researchers for anything he could find about the metaphysical plane, including some correspondence with representatives from The Celestial Order. He went underground, and began recruiting rogue spellcasters and artificers, hooking them with promises of power beyond comprehension from the plane that had been kept hidden from them. And so, his numbers and influence grew.
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