Circle of the Black Thorn



The Circle of the Black Thorn is a secret society based in Los Angeles with ties to the law firm Wolfram & Hart. The Circle gathers some of the most powerful beings, both economically and politically.

Background
"To be a Black Thorn is to be the Senior Partners' instrument on Earth. It doesn't get bigger than that."

- Lindsey McDonald

The origins of the Circle of the Black Thorn remain unrevealed, though it is likely that it was created after the Senior Partners, then known as the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart were driven away from this dimension. The members of the Circle, the self-fashioned Black Thorns, are considered to be the earthly instruments of the Senior Partners and have been charged with the task of being the driving force behind Wolfram & Hart's apocalyptical plans and dedicated to maintaining "man's inhumanity to man", not from a belief in evil per se, but because being a Black Thorn allows them to amass power for themselves and wield said power with absolute impunity. However, for all their power, the Black Thorns still answer to the Partners for their actions. As an associated organization, Wolfram & Hart works closely with the Circle and performs a number of services for its members.

The Circle's lineup in 2004 is: Archduke Sebassis; Senator Helen Brucker; Cyvus Vail; Ed, Grand Potentate of the Fell Brethren; the leader of the Sahrvin Clan; Izzerial the Devil; and three other men whose names were never mentioned. Their latest recruit was Angel.

Thanks to a vision given to him by Cordelia Chase, Angel learns that the Circle represents the true powers behind Wolfram & Hart's apocalypse. After a lengthy investigation, Angel learns that he could only draw the attention of the Circle by sacrificing his role as Champion and killing one of his lieutenants. Taking advantage of subsequent events, Angel allows the Circle to believe that he is responsible for the death of Fred and her subsequent possession by Illyria.

In the following months, Angel pretends to become corrupted by his position at Wolfram & Hart. He helps the Fell Brethren acquire a baby to be used as a sacrifice on the child's thirteenth birthday in "Time Bomb, he offers the firm's services in discrediting one of Senator Brucker's political rivals by brainwashing him to become a pedophile, and sends a demon assassin after Drogyn the Battlebrand, guardian of the Deeper Well. After suitably impressing the Circle members, Angel is granted a seat in the Circle following an initiation ritual that includes the murder of Drogyn, and Angel drinking his blood.

While pleased that Angel is now one of them, the Circle remains wary that Angel could try to betray them as a way to fulfill the Shanshu Prophecy. They demand that Angel renounce his possible destiny, and Angel signs away his right to fulfill the prophecy, taking advantage of the fact that the Circle cannot comprehend that Angel would do good simply for its own sake rather than for a reward.

After Angel reveals his machinations to the Angel Investigations team, after spending their last days on Earth doing whatever they want to do, they set out with Angel on a mission to destroy the Circle as an indirect attack on the Senior Partners; the Partners may be eternal and forever, but with this attack, Angel intends to show them that they will still never control everything no matter how powerful they become. Angel secretly poisons the Archduke Sebassis via the slave demon the duke drinks from, subsequently killing Marcus Hamilton- the liaison to the Senior Partners, although apparently not an actual member of the Circle himself- with the aid of his son Connor by drinking Hamilton's blood and thus acquiring at least some of his strength. Izzerial and the three unnamed members are slaughtered by Illyria. The leaders of the Sahrvin Clan, including its Representative in the Circle, are slain by Lindsey with the aid of Lorne (Lorne subsequently killing Lindsey). Although he is killed in the process, Wesley manages to kill Cyvus Vail with the aid of Illyria, Illyria briefly transforming into Fred to allow Wesley to say goodbye to her. Spike wipes out the Fell Brethren and their Grand Potentate Ed while rescuing the infant they had desired to sacrifice. Gunn fights past the vampires staffing Senator Brucker's office and kills her with an axe to the head, although he himself is badly wounded in the process.

In the aftermath of the Circle's defeat, Angel, Spike, Gunn and Illyria gather in the alley behind the Hyperion Hotel, where they face an army of demons sent to destroy them as vengeance for their actions against the Circle. As seen in comic book continuation Angel: After the Fall, the Senior Partners sent all of Los Angeles to Hell as a punishment.

Membership

 * Archduke Sebassis
 * Cyvus Vail
 * Izzerial
 * Senator Helen Brucker
 * Angel
 * Ed, Potentate of the Fell Brethren
 * The leader of the Sahrvin Clan
 * Three unidentified Black Thorns