Cloven were the precursors of the Avnaut, created by the Human Verity Project (HVP) to serve as workers in areas where safety protocols for Human laborers were deemed too expensive. Now a successful self-populating species, the Cloven are a cross between Human and equine DNA.

Once they had served their use and the Avnaut were created, Cloven were phased out. Rather than cull the sentient species, the lead scientist responsible for their creation released them from captivity. Once freed, the Cloven proliferated in the Civs where they had once been indentured (primarily Kørt and Stalbez).

While their minds are structurally identical, Cloven share few physical traits with Humans. They stand taller than the average Human and have the features of the animal from which their DNA was sourced, Cloven often resemble Earth cattle such as pigs, cows, bulls, and horses.