Battle of Charm

The Battle of Charm is the final confrontation between the armies of The Lady and the Circle of Eighteen. The rebels lay siege on The Lady's tower with a massive force of over a quarter of a million men, while the defenders are only a few tens of thousands strong, including the mercenaries of the Black Company.

The Tower at Charm had only one approach in a small pie-wedge, while the rest was full of debris from the Tower construction for a full mile outwards from the Tower. The pie wedge has been constructed with three deep trenches, three walls of increasing height, and a large pyramid of dirt, in order towards the tower. Archers, warriors and siege equipment were stationed on the walls and the trenches prevented siege equipment from being brought forward initially. The Ten Who Were Taken were each given spots on the walls, while the pyramid was manned by the Black Company, as well as Whisper and Journey.

The rebel assaulted for several days in a row, slowly filling the trenches and bringing men and siege equipment forward. The Taken assaulted the troops frequently and arrows fell like rain on the Rebel. When the rebel had all but taken the first wall, The Lady caused it explode outwards and concealed compartments revealed elephants and their riders who assaulted the Rebel. The elephants did a large amount of damage and destroyed many of the siege towers.

The Lady took little part in the battle. She had the Howler fly his carpet over the Rebel forces and drop metal balls containing a fast acting disease. When Soulcatcher betrayed her towards the battle's end, causing the Howler to crash his flying carpet and drop hundreds of feet, Croaker and the Lady chased after her and cut off her head.

When Croaker and The Lady returned, the Rebel had been decimated by the disease and the battle continued within the Tower, led by the newly restored Limper.

All of the Rebel generals, the Circle of Eighteen, were killed and their army was obliterated, ending Rebel operations for decades. Few of the Taken survived the attack, due to enemy action and internal betrayal orchestrated by the Dominator, who may have also guided the Rebel generals.

During the battle Darling's identity as the White Rose is discovered and she goes into hiding with Raven.