Circe was a human wizardess turned proxy of the Olympian power known as Hecate.[2][note 1]
She was not known to have interacted with Toril, though in northwest Faerûn an Oghmanyte temple known as Bard Keep contained a copy of Circe's Cookbook, a tome authored by a "black sorceress."[4][note 2]
Abilities[]
Circe was an accomplished spellcaster,[1] allegedly having enough power to take out a small army without breaking a sweat.[3] More specifically she was a transmuter,[2] as the majority of her spells revolved around the polymorph effect. She also had great prophetic powers.[1]
After rising to the status of a proxy, Hecate gifted her the innate ability of having unfailing spells, allowing them to crack through most magic resistances.[2]
Possessions[]
Circe typically dressed in revealing black gowns. She possessed a wide variety of magical items that all involved the polymorph effect, including potions, scrolls, and wands.[1] One such wand of hers worked only on men, was usable only by wizards, and would turn its target into an animal that exemplified their essential nature.[6]
History[]
For much of her life Circe was a devout, mortal servant of the goddess Hecate.[2] At one point during this period of her life, she was living on an alternate prime material world and intercepted the crew of an adventurer by the name of Odysseus,[1] the grandson of the Olympian power Hermes[7] and the proxy of the Olympian power Athena.[8] Circe fell in love with him and turned his crew into pigs,[1] but ultimately Odysseus came to defeat her.[9]
Later in life, after many years of faithful service both she and Hecate agreed that it was time for her recieve a rise in power. Thus, she was promoted to the status of a full proxy.[2]
Activities[]
Circe spent most of her time doing her best to protect Aeaea, Hecate's divine realm in the Pluton layer of Hades, and impressing her goddess's might upon those traveling through the realm.[3]
Trivia[]
In the crystal sphere known as Greatspace, Circe was among the evil members of the Olympian pantheon that were thought by the sphere's inhabitants to not exist and just be mere rumors started centuries ago.[10]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Circe appears in both 2nd and 1st edition, Planescape and core Dungeons & Dragons sources respectively. It seems likely that these sources refer to the same being due to the following reasons:
- In the 1st edition Deities & Demigods she is listed as a mortal, talks about the Odyssey, and describes her as being "almost immortal."
- On Hallowed Ground states Circe is a mortal servant who rose to the status of proxy. This Circe shows up again in Planes of Conflict, providing a quote about turning people into pigs, a deliberate reference to the Odyssey.
- ↑ Due to the lack of information provided on Circe's Cookbook, one could take the approach that the "Circe" who authored it was either an unknown sorceress in the Realms or the Circe of Greek myth. This wiki leans towards the latter, since Circe is detailed in Deities & Demigods as having the title "black sorceress" and because the adventure features a book on the Greek deity Hephaestus. That being said though, it's important to keep in mind that this is still a speculation and that both views are valid.
Backgrounds[]
Circe (or a character based on her) non-canonically appeared in The Throne of Bloodstone as a pre-generated character alongside ones based Artemis, Hermes, and Perseus. These characters were far more powerful than the ones presented in Legends & Lore, with Circe presented as a 100th level illusionist magic-user.[11]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 James Ward, Robert J. Kuntz (August 1980). Deities & Demigods. Edited by Lawrence Schick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 66. ISBN 0-935696-22-9.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 125. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Colin McComb (December 1995). “Liber Malevolentiae”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Conflict (TSR, Inc.), p. 60. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
- ↑ Randy Maxwell (May/June 1991). “Ex Libris”. In Barbara G. Young ed. Dungeon #29 (TSR, Inc.) (29)., p. 42.
- ↑ Colin McComb (December 1995). “Liber Malevolentiae”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Conflict (TSR, Inc.), p. 59. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
- ↑ Nicky Rea (1994). Age of Heroes Campaign Sourcebook. Edited by Matt Forbeck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 74. ISBN 1-56076-814-2.
- ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 126. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 122. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ Nicky Rea (1994). Age of Heroes Campaign Sourcebook. Edited by Matt Forbeck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 78. ISBN 1-56076-814-2.
- ↑ J. Paul LaFountain (1990). Crystal Spheres. (TSR, Inc), p. 32. ISBN 0-88038-878-1.
- ↑ Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson (1988). The Throne of Bloodstone. (TSR, Inc), pp. 91–92. ISBN 0-8803-8560-X.