Circle of Eighteen

From Glen Cook Wiki

The governing group of Rebel wizards who align themselves against the Lady and the Taken in the first serious challenge to the Northern Empire, shortly before the Black Company takes up service with Soulcatcher. The group is ostensibly fighting on behalf of the reincarnated White Rose but is in fact largely impelled by the Dominator, who reaches out from his imprisonment in the Barrowland to set these foes in motion against his wife.

Members of the Circle are generally not in the same class as the Taken, although collectively they are often able to mitigate or even stifle the attacks of the Taken, especially when the Circle has the advantage of numbers. However, they suffer a high mortality rate. The strongest members of the Circle are targeted early on; Whisper, Feather and Journey become the first of the New Taken; Raker and Harden are killed via elaborate operations; others fall in combat. Most are never encountered directly: Whiskers, Roper, Tamarask, Sidle, Moth, Linger, and Trinket are the other names mentioned.

After the Battle of Charm, every member of the Circle is either dead or Taken (with the lone exception of Trinket). The Rebels are broken at this battle, and the Circle is destroyed for good. When Darling takes up the mantle of rebellion years later, there is no effort to rebuild the Circle or connect with Trinket.