I can't tell you how much it frustrates me that Michaels went and threw his life away by slaughtering the spy. Not only that I so badly misjudged the man's temperament, but that I lost such a brilliant mind to the tedium of permenant incarceration. He may not have been able to replace me in my role as a collector of information, but he and I could have become nigh omniscient with his skill set and my directing him where to look. The power we could have had through what we found out… As I say, I am angry at him, and at myself for being unable to prevent such a foolish misstep. If I thought there were some hope of recovery, I would attempt to get him out, but I know a lost cause when I see one. I don't remember being more disappointed…

– excerpt from “Letters From Ashen - The Man Who Knew Everything”

Many small groups formed during the Seven Covens with the aim of fighting back against the Hammer. Some are quite well known - the best example being the Red Coven - but there were far more of these organisations than most Wytches attending the covens even realised. The Archangels, despite being almost unheard of, have had several significant instances of anti-Hammer violence attributed to them since their discovery, the most notable of which being the murder of Agent David Black by the organisation's leader, Ray Michaels, and suspected member Kaidan Rockwell-Hawthorne. Once Michaels was taken into custody following the unprovoked attack on Johnson and Clark of the Magic Sphere and linked to Black's death, the Archangels went into turmoil as several of the few dozen members attempted to become the new leader. Over the coming weeks and months, each of them committed escalating acts of violence against the Hammer and government in order to prove their worth for taking over, and most were caught in the act. After this explosion of action, the group could not rally behind any one member, and disbanded.

When the knowledge of Michaels' dealings with this organisation came to light after the confession of a captured member, it unveiled the full context of the attack on Black. What was thought to be simple revenge for being tricked by Black was revealed to be a systematic and organised strike by a dissident organisation. It diminished Michaels' chance of ever getting parole from jail, and unsurprisingly, he died in Dartmoor after spending the rest of his life there. His death was not mourned.

– excerpt from “The Seven Covens Chronicled”