The Black Company

The Dominator is an extremely powerful wizard who has the ability to turn his bitterest enemies into his loyal servants, even those nearly his equal in magic (hence the name). The most potent of his victims are called the Ten Who Were Taken, or just Taken for short. With his wife, the Lady (whose magical skill is second only to his), he founded an empire unrivaled for evil. It was overthrown by a rebellion led by the White Rose, but neither she nor the rebel wizards were strong enough to kill the Dominator, the Lady or the Taken. The best they could do was to render them unconscious and imprison them.

After four centuries, the wizard Bomanz awakened the Lady, in an attempt to learn from her. She manipulated him, winning her freedom. She then unleashed the Taken, but betrayed the Dominator, leaving him where he was, and proceeded to resurrect the empire. As with the old, so it was with the new - a rebellion broke out, spearheaded this time by the Circle of Eighteen. The Circle is made up of magicians not individually as strong as the Taken, but usually united in their goals. The Taken, on the other hand, battle each other as much as they do the rebels