There was a group of people who were constantly pushed down, beaten down and had their rights stripped from their names. Shunned from society and never allowed to put their lives on the right path. They were atrocious criminals with high competency in magic from years ago. Their existence was never mentioned in books or stories, people barely knew of them.
Spotted with snake tattoos, they were all imprisoned ten years ago and escaped just three years later. Ever since then, they have been in hiding, waiting for the right moment to enact their plans. Manipulating people to their cause and just staying away from the notice of the rest of Ether.