The True Knot

The True Knot are a group of quasi-immortal "vampires" who employ torture to feed on the life force, known to them as "steam," of children who are gifted with the Shining. They are an unknowably old group, and there were at one point so many of them that there were many splinter groups — hence their being the "True" Knot. They are a main antagonist in Doctor Sleep, currently led by Rose the Hat, with Crow Daddy as her second-in-command, and Snakebite Andi as their youngest turn.

They all abandon their rube names for their more unconventional names, possibly to further fit in with "RV people," possibly due to their disgust with rubes. Examples of this are Pea and Pod, who are twins and look alike, and Greedy G, who enjoys gambling and flaunting her victories. It also appears that they change their names slightly to match the standards of the time and place which they travel through. Examples of this are Rose the Hat, formerly known as the Irish Rose, and Tommy the Truck, who was formerly known as Tommy the Wagon. Also Grampa Flick, whose backstory is that he is a war veteran, changes his story of which war he is a veteran of as the years pass.

They own many businesses and campgrounds/rest areas secretly to cover up their meetings, turnings, and feeding. One of these is Bluebell Camp ground outside of Sidewinder, Colorado, where the Overlook Hotel once stood, now the Overlook Lodge is present there. It is mentioned in the book that there were once over two hundred, but by the time the events of the book take place, there are forty-one remaining, driving fourteen campers.  Only certain members of the True Knot are able to detect children with the shining, but they are all, on some level, psychic, as they were able to predict 9/11, to the point of knowing something bad would happen months in advance.

Turning Process

The True Knot only consume the steam of children with The Shine, but if an adult with The Shine has a unique ability they find desireable, they will attempt to recruit and "turn" them. According to a conversation with Rose the Hat to Snakebite Andi, they will not consume adults because it would be like eating bad meat from an old cow. According to Rose, if they refuse their memories could be wiped and their power taken away.

If a recruit agrees to be turned the members gather around them in a circle and begin a call & response type of chant lead by Grampa Flick. A container (filled with a child's steam) is opened and the potential recruit is to inhale it and consume it. At this point, the process is painful and survival is not guaranteed. The recruit feels all the pain of the tortured child when they died and their body begins to change (disappear to varying degrees). A member of the true Knot, then gives them more steam if they survive, possibly to give them a taste of an enjoyable experience. The new recruit is now turned.

Weaknesses

• Disease (being so old, they have not developed immunity to modern diseases and can contract diseases through steam)
• Regular trauma that can kill a normal human

Members

• Grampa Flick (their oldest member by turning and presenting age) (real name Jonas Flick)
• Rose the Hat (real name Rose O'Hara)
• Crow Daddy (real name Henry Rothman)
• Snakebite Andi (real name Andrea Steiner)
• Jimmy Numbers
• Walnut (real name Peter Wallis)
• Barry the Chink (real name Barry Smith)
• Petty the Chink
  • Barry the Chink's wife. Dances with Grampa Flick at one point. She is the first to notice Grampa Flick cycle. She is present when he begins dying. Rose believes she is a lazy gossip, only good for nagging.
• Tommy the Truck
  • The first member of the True Knot to die in the book. He was formerly known as Tommy the Wagon, and was initiated into the True Knot by Heavy Mary ninety years prior. It is possible that they were married or in a relationship, as they slept together.
• Heavy Mary
  • Close to Tommy the Truck. Initiated him into the True Knot, and contemplates suicide after his death. It is possible that they were married or in a relationship, as they slept together. She is also stated to have been with the True Knot almost as long as Grampa Flick.
• Pea and Pod
  • Known as The Little Twins, they are the ones who push Grampa Flick in a wheelchair whenever he has not consumed enough steam to be able to walk. They are also young enough to still look like children. They were turned when they were twelve years old.
• Silent Sarey (real name Sarah Carter)
  • Described as a pretty, pallid woman who never speaks. She is first seen bringing Rose the canister of steam to initiate Andi into the True Knot. She has a relationship with Andi, and is upset when she dies. During the final confrontation at the Overlook Lodge, she is sent to the shed, and as a result, ends up the only remaining member of the True Knot other than Rose not to be killed by the infected steam of Concetta. Instead, she is killed by the ghost of Horace Derwent, who Danny releases to help them.
• Token Charlie
  • Owns one of the vehicles of the True Knot, a Bounder. His name is possibly due to him being the only African-American in the True Knot. After the True Knot starts to break apart, he is one of the last members to stay with the main group. He has a very minor amount of shining, but at the end, this is the most any remaining member has, apart from Rose. He is told to use it to check for when Abra and Danny are coming, and does so, only to die at the end.
• Baba the Russian
  • Shares a joint with Token Charlie at Andi's initiation. Later she or Steamhead Steve's wife help Black-Eyed Sue take care of Grampa Flick when he becomes ill. Present when Grampa Flick begins dying, close to Harpman Sam.
• Apron Annie (real name Anne Lamont)
  • Able to cry on command, later travels with Long Paul and Grampa Flick when tracking Bradley Trevor. She and Big Mo later take care of Grampa Flick, and she is the one to notice he is dying. She is later present when he dies.
• Black-Eyed Sue
  • Able to cry on command. Later helps Baba take care of Grampa Flick when he becomes ill.
• Dirty Phil (real name Phil Caputo)
• Diesel Doug
• Steamhead Steve
  • Baba the Red's husband. Drives a Winnebago.
• Baba the Red (only mentioned twice, possibly just a misprint of Baba the Russian)
  • Steamhead Steve's wife. She or Baba the Russian help Black-Eyed Sue take care of Grampa Flick when he becomes ill.
• Greedy G (real name Greta Moore)
  • Enjoys gambling 
• Long Paul
  • Travels with Apron Annie and Grampa Flick when tracking Bradley Trevor
• Short Eddie (real name Ed Higgins)
  • Big Mo's husband, one of the cooks for the group
• Big Mo (real name Maureen Higgins)
  • Short Eddie's wife, one of the cooks for the group. She and Apron Annie later take care of Grampa Flick. She is present when he dies.
• Harpman Sam
  • Present when Grampa Flick begins dying, close to Baba the Russian.
• Toady Slim
• Bent Dick
• Sweet Terri Pickford
• Fat Fannie
• Hands-Off Hans (died before Doctor Sleep)
  • A member who died before the events of Doctor Sleep. He was a Dutchman who was electrocuted by a falling power line in a windstorm in Arkansas after World War II. He is mentioned when Grampa Flick dies.
• Katie Patches (died before Doctor Sleep)
  • A member who died before the events of Doctor Sleep. She drowned. She is mentioned when Grampa Flick dies.