Prime Circle

The Prime Circle (also referred to as the Prime Council or the Senior Council) are the seniormost Sorceresses in the Koriathain, led by the Prime Enchantress. The Prime may rely on the power of the Circle to augment a particularly potent spell or scrying. The Council is also responsible for organizational activities such as reviewing the orphan wards for Koriani induction.

The senior Sorceress directly below the Prime is the First Enchantress.

When the Prime Circle works magecraft together, they will always work in multiples of three (three, six or nine for smaller jobs, twelve as a "master circle", and twenty-four as a "grand circle"). Each senior added in trance to a spell crystal exponentially increases the power available to harness. This power could trap a discorporate spirit that lacks a physical body as an anchor.

Role in the Story

Spoiler warning: Contains plot elements from multiple books in the series.

Curse of the Mistwraith

Third Age 5638: After Morriel Prime views the character scans of the half-brothers, the Prime Circle formalizes her decree that Arithon is a latent danger to society.

Ships of Merior

Third Age 5645: On the Vernal Equinox, the Prime Circle assists Morriel Prime with a grand scrying on the Fifth Lane to locate Arithon. They are assisted by twelve other enchantresses. On the midsummer solstice, twenty-four Seniors assist in a grand scrying from Athir. Arithon is not exposed by the scrying, but his antics in Jaelot are detected soon after.

Warhost of Vastmark

Third Age 5647: On the Spring Equinox, one hundred and eight Seniors travel with Lirenda to reclaim the Great Waystone from Althain Tower. They cannot subvert the Paravian defenses of the tower.

Grand Conspiracy

Third Age 5669: A Prime Circle travels into the Skyshiel Mountains to support Lirenda's plot with Fionn Areth. The intent of this Circle is to amplify power through the quartz vein of the mountains, causing interference to any Fellowship attempts at assisting Fionn Areth.

Destiny's Conflict

Third Age 5924: Selidie and her Senior Circle arrive in Daon Ramon Barrens in late summer. After the Koriathain capture Arithon again, he is moved unconscious to the remote Koriani camp. Selidie orders the use of the Great Waystone to break down his defenses and reveal how he manipulated the flux at Caithwood. When the attack through the Great Waystone risks killing Arithon before his talents can be unlocked, Selidie orders Lirenda to light tienelle to intensify her probe. Arithon unexpectedly sends his consciousness into the Great Waystone and Selidie stands down, expecting the Great Waystone to destroy Arithon and preserve a record of his talent.

Instead, he uses music to pull Morriel's entrenched spirit out of Selidie's body and into the Great Waystone. When the Prime attempts to regain control of the focus, it destroys her over the broken vow of using Elaira's love to engineer Arithon's downfall. The focus explodes, killing Selidie and the entire Senior Circle.

Third Age 5925: Lirenda Prime and her new Senior Circle monitor events in Daenfal from Whitehold.