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Circus of the Last Days
| Rivington | ||||
| Open Hand Temple | ||||
| ↑ | ||||
| Circus of the Last Days | → | Rivington General | ||
Overview[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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.[2][3]
An Archfey warlock identifies the circus as brimming with a familiar fey magic. Their patron bristles angrily when rejected by Klaus, offers "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)
- [DARK URGE] [PERSUASION] I used to be a killer, but I've reformed my ways. (DC 10
) - [DARK URGE] [DECEPTION] I used to be a killer, but I've reformed my ways. (DC 10
) (If Slayer Form gained) - [WIZARD] [SORCERER] [ROGUE] [MONK] [BARD] [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] [DECEPTION] I've actually just been hired to do a magic show. Fingers crossed no one blows up this time! (DC 10)
- [DRACONIC BLOODLINE] [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)
- [SORCERER] [PERSUASION] It can probably smell the Weave within me. Just magical potential, that's all (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] [INTIMIDATION] Unless you seek the wrath of the Seelie Court, you will let me pass. (DC 18 )
- [BARD] [DECEPTION] I’ve actually just been hired. Meet your new bard! (DC 10)
- [BARBARIAN] [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
The Circus[edit | edit source]
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,[4] and prior to arriving in Rivington, they were oblivious to the looming threat of the Absolute on the city.[5] 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 are particularly enthusiastic about going to the circus.
Layout[edit | edit source]
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) enrages him; he then transports 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 only appears as herself if Orin has already been twice discovered 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 which 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.
Characters at the circus[edit | edit source]
- Lucretious, Necromancer Ringmaster
Audience / Visitors[edit | edit source]
Bards, Game Runners and Perfomers[edit | edit source]
- 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, elven fire-breather
- Medrash, dragonborn lyre bard
- Stoney, earth elemental sculptor
- Viola Silvertongue, human flute bard
Beasts[edit | edit source]
- Crimson, dilophosaurus
- Shadow-Whiskers, displacer beast
Guards[edit | edit source]
Traders[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- Ryland, imposter beast caretaker
- Keren, imposter beast caretaker
- Edmundis Magarus, halfling worker
- Fred, redcap cleaner
- Paramidious, redcap cleaner
Related locations[edit | edit source]
Related quests[edit | edit source]
Inspiration[edit | edit source]
- Gaining access to the circus by any means
(
backgrounds)- Gaining access by Deception
- (
backgrounds) - Winning Akabi's "game"
- (
backgrounds) - ( backgrounds)
- Completing Zethino's test earns
- (
backgrounds) - ( backgrounds)
- Taming Crimson with a gift of meat
- (
backgrounds) - Freeing all the caged animals
- ( backgrounds)
Notable loot[edit | edit source]
Notable items obtained in this location, whether looted, purchased, or obtained as a quest reward:
Quest items[edit | edit source]
Clown's Severed Hand – on a table at Popper's stall.
Quest rewards[edit | edit source]
Spellmight Gloves – reward for Find Dribbles the Clown.
Other[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Circus of the Last Days: Employees, a ledger containing all past and current circus employees.
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ An
character can simply open the gates to the circus without consequence or breaking invisibility, allowing the party entrance.
- ↑ If a party member has equipped the Sentient Amulet, upon entering the circus the Monk's manifestation remarks, "Ho ho, a circus! How I love the raucous revelry, the goofs and the guffaws."
- ↑ 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.