Kirke

Version 0.32: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Kirke @
HP	73-149
HD	16
XP	1443
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 you to join them! She casts 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.

Location

Spells

Name	Damage	Range	Flags
Porkalator	—	LOS	Wizard flag
Slow	—	LOS	Wizard flag
Monstrous Menagerie	—	—	Wizard flag
Invisibility	—	—	Emergency flag, Wizard flag

Tips & Tricks

Kirke's most dangerous abilities all check willpower. Will+++ brings her Hexes to single-digit success rates.
Even if you got willpower, her summons are quite threatening. Lindwurms have fairly strong fire breaths, manticore barbs make it painful to flee on foot, and a sphinx's paralyse is even more devastating than Porkalator. These monsters become extra dangerous if you're a pig.
Make sure you have an escape plan lined up before fighting Kirke. Pig Form moves quickly, but a slowed player in Pig Form remains slower than normal. Fortunately, scrolls of teleportation work as normal.
- If you've got one, drinking a potion of cancellation will instantly snap you out of Pig Form.
- Entering Tree Form technically gives immunity to Pig Form. However, if she summons too many deadly threats, entering Tree Form may as well be a death sentence.
- 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.
- 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.
Her hogs can deal decent damage, but are a lesser threat than Kirke herself.
Having see invisible helps, as she can turn herself invisible.
Silence or waterlogging 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 0.27, Monstrous Menagerie could spawn harpies.
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.