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Circus of the Last Days
| Rivington | ||||
| Open Hand Temple | ||||
| ↑ | ||||
| Circus of the Last Days | → | Rivington General | ||
Overview
The Circus of the Last Days itself is an extraplanar circus which moves from plane to plane, "thrilling all" who stop by. The circus is home to an eclectic assortment of members, run by the flamboyant and commanding necromancer ringmaster, Lucretious. Some members of the circus are performing as part of a "time debt," some were rescued, and others simply arrived and never left.
Access
The circus is set up just north of the entrance to Rivington, adjacent to the Open Hand Temple and the graveyard. The main entrance is guarded by Klaus and the circus' principle sniffer, Benji, a ghoul who checks entering customers to prevent murderers from gaining access - new measures put in place due to the recent murders at the nearby temple.[1] Klaus can be Persuaded or Deceived to gain entry.
An Archfey warlock will identify the circus as brimming with a familiar fey magic. Their patron bristles angrily when rejected by Klaus, and will offer "barbed words" to assist in gaining entry.
If succeeded, each of the following dialogue options grants access to the circus:
- [PERSUASION] I'm not a threat to you or anyone else in the circus - I swear it. (DC 15)
- [DECEPTION] I'm a friend of Lord Gortash. I wonder what he'll say if I tell him about this... (DC 18)
- [WIZARD] [WARLOCK] [DECEPTION] I've actually just been hired. I do a magic show. (DC 10)
- [WILD MAGIC SORCERER] [DECEPTION] I've actually just been hired to do a magic show. Fingers crossed no one blows up this time! (DC 10)
- [DRACONIC SORCERER] [DECEPTION] I've just been hired as a firebreather. Let's hope nothing catches light. (DC 10)
- [ROGUE] [DECEPTION] I've actually just been hired. I juggle knives. (DC 10)
- [MONK] [DECEPTION] I've actually just been hired. I do martial arts. (DC 10)
- [BERSERKER] [INTIMIDATION] I'LL MAKE YOU SMELL OF DEAD MEAT. MOVE. (DC 18)
- [BARBARIAN] [INTIMIDATION] You can smell the blood of my enemies, that is all. Want to join my scent? (DC 18)
- [ARCHFEY WARLOCK] [INTIMIDATION] Unless you seek the wrath of the Seelie Court, you will let me pass. (DC 18)
- [DARK URGE] [PERSUASION,DECEPTION] I used to be a killer, but I've reformed my ways. (DC 10)
- [BARD] [DECEPTION] I’ve actually just been hired. Meet your new bard! (DC 10)
- [INTIMIDATION] Let me in, or I snap you in two. (DC 18)
- Surely we can come to an agreement? (200)
There are also several other points of entry:
- A gap in the fence north of the main gate, at X: 22 Y: -34
- An iron gate leading from a courtyard in the Open Hand Temple, at X: -74 Y: -13
- An iron gate leading from the temple's graveyard, at X: -101 Y: -41
Gaining access to the circus by any means earns the Inspirational Event The Right Oil for Any Situation (Noble background). Gaining access by deception earns the Inspirational Event Seams of Lavender and Thyme (Charlatan background).
The Circus
Nestled temporarily in the quaint town of Rivington, the plane-hopping traveling circus offers a myriad of attractions. Using powerful fey magic, the circus travels from one plane to another,[2] and prior to arriving in Rivington, they were oblivious to the looming threat of the Absolute on the city.[3] Locals are familiar with Dribbles and the circus and have likely seen it before.
Behind the scenes, the circus is rife with drama and gossip. Medrash, a bard, warns newcomers to “expect backstabbing, broken instruments and more” if he believes they have been hired. Lucretious describes them as “ragtags and ruffians”, while Klaus describes them as “a motley crew of misfits and morons.”
Karlach and the 
Sentient Amulet will be particularly enthusiastic about going to the circus.
Layout
Klaus and Benji can be found at the main entrance gates, in the southeast corner of the circus.
On the south side near the entrance, Zara the Mummy sells clown face-paints, clothing dyes, and disguise kits.
Past her, Akabi the djinni hosts a game of Spin the Wheel. Winning the jackpot (see his page for more information) will enrage him and he will transport the player to a distant jungle with Chult Alioramus enemies, where the legendary weapon 
Nyrulna and the 
Band of the Mystic Scoundrel can be found.
Across from Akabi, Zethino offers a Test Your Love game, which helps players earn approval with a romantic interest. She is one of Orin's possible disguises and will only appear as herself if Orin has already been discovered twice at other locations.
In the southwest corner is Stoney and Boney's Bespoke Creations, a shop run by a married mud memphit and earth elemental. They are taking commissions for a sculpture of the True Hero of Baldur's Gate.
Southwest, Popper the kobald merchant sells a variety of “rescued” goods.
In the northwest corner is the ringmaster’s tent, where Lucretious is trying to train a troupe of dancing skeletons.
On the north face of the circus, there are beast cages that display two exotic creatures: Shadow-Whiskers the displacer beast and Crimson the dilophosaurus.
In the northeast corner, Dribbles the Clown is performing his new comedy routine with the help of a volunteer.
Members of the circus
- Lucretious, Necromancer Ringmaster
Bards, Game Runners and Perfomers
- Akabi, djinni who runs the Wheel of Fortune game
- Calliope Blingsdorf, gnome hand-drum bard
- Dribbles the Clown, currently an imposter
- Glingo Trapeze-Master, human juggler
- High-Wire Hildeh, elf fire-breather
- Medrash, dragonborn lyre bard
- Stoney, earth elemental sculptor
- Viola Silvertongue, human flute bard
Beasts
- Crimson, dilophosaurus
- Shadow-Whiskers, displacer beast
Guards
Traders
- Boney, mud mephit salesperson
- Popper, eccentric kobald selling "rescued" goods
- Zara the Mummy, mummy who sells facepaints
- Zethino, dryad who runs a Test Your Love game
Workers
- Ryland, imposter beast caretaker
- Keren, imposter beast caretaker
- Edmundis Magarus, halfling worker
- Fred, redcap cleaner
- Paramidious, redcap cleaner
Related locations
Related quests
Inspiration
- Gaining access to the circus by any means earns the Inspirational Event The Right Oil for Any Situation (Noble background).
- Gaining access by Deception earns the Inspirational Event Seams of Lavender and Thyme (Charlatan background).
- Winning Akabi's "game" earns the Inspirational Events Cheating the Cheater (Charlatan background) and A Grand Prize! (Sage background).
- Completing Zethino's test earns the Inspirational Event A Test of Faithfulness (Acolyte background) and Knowledge of the Heart (Sage background).
- Taming Crimson with a gift of meat earns the Inspirational Event Primary Needs (Outlander background).
Notable loot
Notable items obtained in this location, whether looted, purchased, or obtained as a quest reward:
Quest items
Clown's Severed Hand – on a table at Popper's stall.
Quest rewards
Spellmight Gloves – reward for Find Dribbles the Clown.
Other
Clown Hammer – looted from Dribbles.
Dark Displacement Gloves – sold by Popper.
The Pointy Hat – found in a chest behind Lucretious.
Hollow's Staff – equipped by Lucretious.
Related literature
Circus of the Last Days: Employees, a ledger containing all past and current circus employees.
Notes
- If a party member has equipped the Sentient Amulet, upon entering the circus the Monk's manifestation will comment on it: "Ho ho, a circus! How I love the raucous revelry, the goofs and the guffaws."
- ↑ Description of dialogue file for the checkpoint: The dialog on the entrance to the extraplanar circus, where the player sees a ghoul sniffing entering customers - new measures because of the recent murders nearby.
- ↑ Player: It's a big circus - how are you going to get out of the city? Lucretious: It's called 'magic', darling - do keep up.
- ↑ Player: Is now the time for a circus? The army of the Absolute is close. Klaus: Well, when we zapped in, we didn't know there were religious zealots marching on the city. Slight inconvenience, that.