Kirke

Version 0.26: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Kirke @
HP	73-149
HD	16
XP	2106
Speed	10
AC	0
EV	10
Will	100
Attack1	18 (hit: plain)
Resistances	None
Vulnerabilities	None
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Weapons & armour Starting equipment Open doors
Holiness	Natural
Size	Medium
Type	human, human
Flags	See invisible Speaks Warm-blooded Unique Female

A master of transformation and treachery. Beware, or you may be the next swine to join her herd! “Lo, thy comrades yonder in the house of Kirke are penned like swine in close-barred sties. And art thou come to release them? Nay, I tell thee, thou shalt not thyself return, but shalt remain there with the others.” -Homer, Odysseia

Useful Info

Kirke, Weaver of Myths is an unusual unique sorceress who travels with a band of hogs and would very much like for you to join them! She can cast several dangerous Hexes, including one unique spell which turns you into a pig, and calls various mythical beasts into existence to aid her in combat. Bring high willpower to avoid an embarrassing death (Will+++ is generally enough to resist all her enchantments).

Location

• The Dungeon:12-15
• The Lair:4-6
• The Elven Halls:1
• The Swamp
• The Snake Pit
• The Shoals
• The Spider's Nest

Spells

Spell set I
Slot1	Porkalator	Wizard flag
Slot2	Slow	Wizard flag
Slot3	Monstrous Menagerie	Wizard flag
Slot4	Invisibility	Emergency flag, Wizard flag

Tips & Tricks

• Kirke's most dangerous abilities all check willpower, so stack on as much of it as you can if you're going to fight her, then aim to finish the fight as quickly as possible.
• Make sure you have an escape plan lined up before fighting Kirke. Fortunately, scrolls of teleportation still function in Pig Form, and Pig Form will at least give you increased movement speed.
• Having the ability to see invisible creatures can also help if she turns herself invisible.
• All of her summons are significant trouble for a character stuck in Pig Form. Harpies can deal very heavy damage to low-AC characters, manticore spines devastate anyone trying to flee on foot, and a sphinx's Paralyse spell is even more likely to succeed against you than Kirke's Porkalator.
• Don't waste time killing her hogs. Kirke is by far the bigger threat.
• Should you get turned into a hog yourself, your best bet is usually to flee, as pigs are unable to use weapons, armour, or spells. Unarmed Combat specialists may be tempted to continue fighting, but your damage output will be severely reduced, so don't try it.
  • If you've got one, drinking a potion of cancellation will instantly snap you out of Pig Form.
  • Wands and Invocations still function in Pig Form; if Kirke's almost dead and you've got a good way to do damage, you might still be able to take her out. Strongly consider reading a scroll of teleportation before making the attempt, just in case things go sour faster than you anticipated.
• Silence will shut down Kirke's spellcasting abilities entirely, at which point you can just take her out in melee. She's no threat there, though any allies she's already summoned will still be trouble.

Trivia

Kirke is an alternate spelling of Circe, a beautiful Greek goddess of magic who used potions to turn her enemies into pigs.

History

• Prior to 0.19, Kirke also knew Corona and Deflect Missiles.
• Prior to 0.14, Kirke knew Summon Ugly Thing in place of Monstrous Menagerie.