Circus of the Last Days

Key takeaways

Enter before completing Find Dribbles the Clown Once the quest is completed and the party takes a Long Rest, the circus staff leave, removing access to most traders and optional conversations.
Akabi’s wheel is rigged Pickpocketing or otherwise removing his Djinni Ring allows a character to win properly and reach the separate Jungle area, where Nyrulna and the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel can be obtained.
Popper has Dribbles’ hand The severed hand is on a plate in his tent and can be stolen, bought cheaply through dialogue, or obtained through intimidation, persuasion or deception.
The circus is not only a shop area Zethino offers the romance-related Test Your Love activity, Boney can commission a camp statue, Zara sells dyes and disguise kits, and Lucretious begins the Dribbles quest.
The main entrance is optional The party can enter through a northern fence gap, two routes connected to the Open Hand Temple, by climbing towards the ringmaster’s tent, or while invisible.
The apparent clown show is an ambush Dribbles, Keren and Ryland reveal themselves as doppelgangers, release the caged animals and attack the party and nearby civilians.

Note

Base game guide. This article covers the Circus of the Last Days as it appears in Baldur’s Gate 3, Act Three. It includes the circus grounds and its immediately associated gate-side encounters, but not the Open Hand Temple, its underground area, the Lower City, the Undercity Ruins or Akabi’s Jungle, which are separate locations.

Overview

The Circus of the Last Days is a small but unusually dense location in Rivington, the first major district of Act Three. It is an extraplanar travelling circus currently visiting Baldur’s Gate, filled with performers, traders, unusual creatures and several optional activities. Despite its bright colours and comic tone, the location is closely tied to serious Act Three content, including Orin’s activities, the quest Find Dribbles the Clown, and the eventual transition into the Lower City.

The circus occupies the north-west corner of Rivington, beside the Open Hand Temple. Its playable grounds form a rough U-shaped alley: traders and performers stand along one side, while the main stage, animal cages and the ringmaster’s tent occupy the other. The gate, fence gaps, temple-side entrances and cliff route are all part of the circus’s access network, but the neighbouring temple and its underground areas remain separate locations.

Boundaries and subareas

The named location Circus of the Last Days refers primarily to the fenced circus grounds in north-western Rivington. The area contains the following practical subareas:

Circus entrance and gate

The main entrance is guarded by Klaus, an elven gatekeeper, and Benji, a ghoul whose role is to sniff out murderers among potential customers. The gate-side scene also involves ordinary Rivington visitors, including Emmet, Gable and Montgomery. Benji’s inspection is the main entrance’s defining interaction.

Traders’ alley

The traders’ alley runs inside the grounds from the entrance towards the far end of the circus. Zara, Akabi, Zethino, Boney and Popper are positioned along this stretch. Performers and patrons occupy the surrounding spaces, making this the busiest part of the location.

Stage and animal cages

The stage is used for Dribbles’ stand-up performance. Animal cages stand nearby, and the beast tamers Keren and Ryland become part of the doppelganger ambush. The stage also has a buried chest behind it containing a note that helps with the Dribbles investigation.

Ringmaster’s tent

Lucretious’ tent is at the far end of the grounds. It contains the ringmaster, her records and a chest holding the book Circus of the Last Days: Employees. The tent can also be approached from behind by climbing the rocky cliff near the temple-side graveyard fence.

Associated but separate locations

The following places are connected to circus events but are not subareas of the circus:

The Jungle is accessed through Akabi’s reaction to winning his game, while the other locations are involved in finding Dribbles’ remaining body parts.

Associated but separate locations

Access and routes

Main gate

At the main entrance, speak with Klaus and allow Benji to inspect the party. The exact dialogue may vary depending on character abilities, race, class and previous choices. Karlach and the Sentient Amulet receive particularly enthusiastic circus-related reactions, and Archfey Warlocks have a special way to demand entry.

Entering through the gate can grant the following background inspirations:

If the party has already entered through another route, Klaus behaves as though he has already been convinced, so the related inspiration opportunities can be lost.

Alternative entrances

The circus has several alternatives to the main gate:

The temple routes are useful for stealthy characters and for parties that want to avoid Benji, but they are not substitutes for exploring the Open Hand Temple itself.

Alternative entrances

01
Northern fence gap: A gap in the fence lies north of the main entrance, around X: 22, Y: -34.
02
Open Hand Temple courtyard: An iron gate leads from a temple courtyard and requires a DC 15 Sleight of Hand check to lockpick.
03
Open Hand Temple graveyard: An iron fence can be lockpicked with a DC 10 Sleight of Hand check.
04
Cliff approach: The rocky ground near the graveyard fence can be climbed or jumped across to approach the ringmaster’s tent from behind.
05
Invisibility: An invisible character can open the circus gates without breaking invisibility or suffering the normal consequences of the gate interaction.

Recommended exploration route

For a first visit, the following order avoids most missable content:

This route prioritises content that can disappear after the circus staff depart.

Recommended exploration route: steps

01
Speak to Klaus and Benji, unless you specifically want to preserve the gate inspirations for another character.
02
Talk to Lucretious and start Find Dribbles the Clown.
03
Visit Zara before progressing the circus plot too far.
04
Play or investigate Akabi’s wheel, taking care not to accuse him too early.
05
Complete Zethino’s Test Your Love if the protagonist has an active romance.
06
Visit Boney and Stoney and decide whether to commission the camp statue.
07
Visit Popper and obtain Dribbles’ hand.
08
Search behind the stage for Popper’s note and the buried chest.
09
Watch the Dribbles performance if you want to trigger the circus battle.
10
Finish all shopping and conversations before returning Dribbles’ complete body and taking a Long Rest.

Circus leadership and employees

The circus is led by Lucretious, a flamboyant necromancer who serves as ringmaster. The workforce is deliberately eclectic. The employee ledger describes people who joined voluntarily, were rescued, were bound by obligations or were retained after causing trouble. It records Akabi, Zethino, Zara, Popper, Fred, Paramidious, Boney and Stoney among the circus’s staff and associated traders.

Named circus staff and performers

The category of circus members also identifies the named circus creatures and staff members separately, including Bitey Buddy, Boris, Crimson, Itchy, Jacob, Lucille, Scratchy and Shadow-Whiskers.

Gate-side visitors and ordinary NPCs

The circus is populated by more than its employees. Some named people are visitors, prospective customers or characters involved in surrounding Rivington scenes rather than members of the circus.

Emmet and his son Gable appear near the entrance when the party approaches. Gable wants to visit but is frightened by Benji. Montgomery is inspected by Benji and later appears among the patrons. Mavus and Izzy stand near the fence gap, discussing whether to sneak into the circus. Sarafin, Quinara, Yonks and Zog are adventurers resting and resupplying in Rivington before travelling towards Neverwinter. Edmundis is questioned outside the grounds by Fist Patrick after several Redcap workers flee.

Faction and security

There is no conventional city guard stationed inside the circus. Its internal authority comes from Lucretious and her employees, while the entrance is controlled by Klaus and Benji. The circus workers do not operate as a normal Baldur’s Gate institution, and their extraplanar background helps explain the unusual mix of undead, fey-associated creatures, outsiders, performers and rescued employees.

During the Dribbles ambush, nearby circus staff can sometimes become neutral combatants and attack the doppelgangers if they are close enough. This means the stage battle can involve more than the obvious attackers, although the exact positioning of people and animals affects how the encounter develops.

Zara the Mummy

Zara stands near the entrance at approximately X: -52, Y: -74. She sells:

Zara communicates largely through basic sounds. To trade with her, the character must pass a DC 10 Insight or Intimidation check, or successfully read her mind. She is therefore a genuine functional merchant, not merely a decorative fortune-teller or performer.

Akabi’s Spin the Wheel

Akabi’s game costs 500 gold per attempt. The normal prizes are mostly poor or deliberately misleading, and some are worthless junk. Akabi’s stand also contains dubious merchandise, including items that resemble useful consumables but may not work as expected.

The wheel is rigged by Akabi’s Djinni Ring. A character who removes the ring can win legitimately. Akabi becomes enraged when the party wins and transports the successful character to the separate Jungle location. There, the character can find the legendary trident Nyrulna and the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel. If the party simply accuses Akabi of cheating, he can transform the character into a Cheese Wheel for 20 turns and end their participation.

The Jungle is not part of the circus map and should be treated as a separate linked area.

A practical method is

01
Enter Akabi’s tent or approach his stand carefully.
02
Use a high-Sleight-of-Hand character to pickpocket the Djinni Ring.
03
Play the wheel.
04
Allow the rigged mechanism to produce a win.
05
Let Akabi teleport the winner to the Jungle.
06
Explore the Jungle thoroughly before leaving.

Zethino’s Test Your Love

Zethino stands around X: -60, Y: -56. She charges 100 gold to test the protagonist’s relationship with a romantic partner. The activity moves the participants to a wooded scene where Zethino asks questions about the partner. Correct answers vary by companion, and some responses can cause small amounts of disapproval even when they are the answer Zethino considers correct.

The activity is most useful before the circus disappears, particularly for players who want companion-specific dialogue or approval. It is not a general romance-starting service and should not be confused with initiating a companion relationship.

Stoney and Boney’s Bespoke Creations

Boney and Stoney operate a shop at approximately X: -90, Y: -70. Boney sells crystal-related goods, including:

The pair also accept a commission for a sculpture of the party’s “True Hero of Baldur’s Gate”. The commission costs 5,000 gold. The completed statue is delivered to the party’s camp, where activating it grants a permanent buff to the depicted character. Ordering the sculpture can also provide background inspiration for Guild Artisans or Haunted Ones.

The statue is a purchasable camp benefit, not a decorative shop prop. Boney is the trader; Stoney is associated with the business but should not be assumed to provide an independent inventory.

Popper’s tent

Popper is a kobold merchant at approximately X: -89, Y: -55. He sells “rescued” goods, consumables and “treatoes”. His shelves, Traveller’s Chest and nearby Heavy Chest can contain random alchemical ingredients, so the contents should not be treated as a fixed unique loot table.

Popper’s most important item is Dribbles’ severed hand. It is placed on a plate at approximately X: -89, Y: -52. The party can:

Popper claims the hand is worth 10,000 gold and describes the rat bites as artisanal. The price is part of his dialogue rather than a normal requirement for the quest.

Find Dribbles the Clown

Find Dribbles the Clown begins with Lucretious. The performance at the circus reveals that the apparent Dribbles, his pet and the nearby beast tamers are doppelgangers. The attackers include:

At the beginning of the fight, Keren and Ryland release the caged beasts. The animals then side with the attackers. Nearby patrons may be caught in the battle, and some staff can join against the doppelgangers.

The circus provides one of the seven body parts needed for the quest:

The circus itself therefore contains the starting encounter, the hand and a note that helps identify one of the wider murder sites, but not the whole quest.

Stage note

Behind the stage, around X: -28, Y: -31, a DC 15 Survival check can reveal a buried chest. Inside is Popper’s note, which helps direct the party towards a body part and provides an alternate way to confront Popper.

Quest reward and missable traders

After returning all of Dribbles’ body parts to Lucretious, the party receives Spellmight Gloves, unless they were already obtained by pickpocketing, in which case Lucretious provides a small amount of gold instead. The quest can also grant background inspirations including:

Most importantly, after completing the quest, all circus personnel leave after the next Long Rest. Visit Zara, Boney, Popper, Akabi, Zethino and any other desired characters before turning in the complete body or resting afterwards.

The remaining parts are outside the circus

The remaining parts are outside the circus
Body part	Location
Torso	Cave beneath the Open Hand Temple
Arm	Peartree House basement
Leg	Lavernica’s Home basement
Foot	Rainforest’s Home basement
Pelvis	Empty lodging in the Lower City
Head	Undercity Ruins

Test Your Love

This is a short optional activity with Zethino. It is associated with romance and companion approval, but its actual content depends on the active romantic partner and the answers selected. It does not replace companion dialogue elsewhere in the game.

Spin the Wheel

Akabi’s game is both an activity and a route to a powerful equipment reward. The regular game is a trap for gold, while removing the Djinni Ring turns it into a genuine prize route. The transformation into a Cheese Wheel is a temporary punishment for openly exposing the fraud rather than a permanent character death.

Fixed or notable items

The circus can provide or contain the following notable items:

The exact location and acquisition method vary. Some items are rewards, some are merchant stock, some are pickpocket targets and some are placed loot. Random alchemical ingredients in Popper’s area should not be confused with fixed unique collectibles.

Fixed or notable items

Clown Hammer

Unique circus clothing

The circus is associated with several distinctive camp clothing and headwear pieces:

These are camp clothing or headwear rather than ordinary armour. They can be worn and dyed like other clothing, and several are difficult or impossible to obtain elsewhere.

Akabi’s linked rewards

These rewards are found in the separate Jungle destination, not on the circus grounds. The distinction matters because leaving the circus does not mean the Jungle has been fully explored, and the Jungle should be treated as its own encounter space.

The successful Akabi route can lead to

Do not accuse Akabi immediately

If the party openly accuses Akabi of cheating, he can transform the speaker into a Cheese Wheel for 20 turns and prevent further participation. The safer approach is to remove the Djinni Ring first, then play the game.

Search the backstage area

The circus is designed to reward players who move away from the obvious stalls. Search behind the stage for the Survival check and buried chest. Also inspect tents and chests after completing conversations, but remember that some contents are random rather than fixed.

Leave shopping until after the performance, but before the quest turn-in

The Dribbles battle does not by itself remove every merchant. The dangerous progression point is completing the wider quest and then taking a Long Rest. A sensible sequence is to trigger and win the performance, explore the aftermath, shop with the surviving staff, then leave the circus while the traders are still present.

Watch the cages during the battle

The released beasts are additional hostile combatants. Characters positioned near the cages may be exposed to attacks from both the doppelgangers and the animals. If protecting civilians matters to your playthrough, move the party into defensible positions before the performance turns hostile.

Use the side entrances deliberately

The temple-side routes are convenient, but entering through an alternative route can prevent Klaus from providing the normal gate dialogue and associated inspiration opportunities. Choose the route based on whether you prioritise exploration, stealth, role-play or background inspiration.

Places and businesses

Circus creatures and animals

Some of these names belong to creatures, while others are circus employees who may be grouped near the animal handlers. The directory preserves the names without treating every listed entity as a separate shopkeeper or performer.

Traders and services

The list distinguishes verified services from decorative stalls. Not every tent or performer provides a purchasable service.

Traders and services

Traders and services
Name	Service
Zara the Mummy	Face-paints, dyes and disguise kits
Akabi	Spin the Wheel and dubious goods
Zethino	Test Your Love
Boney	Crystal goods, alchemical ingredients, gemstones, scrolls and statue commission
Stoney	Business partner at Bespoke Creations
Popper	Consumables, rescued goods and Dribbles’ severed hand

Important items

The circus travels between planes and is not native to Rivington. Its employees’ stories suggest a history of opportunism, rescue, coercion and accidental recruitment. The employee ledger, written by Lucretious, describes Akabi being trapped in a demiplane, Zara appearing without explanation, Popper being hired after attempting to sell something he had just stolen, and Boney and Stoney being rescued from an angry mob on the Elemental Plane of Earth.

The circus’s tone deliberately contrasts with the surrounding Act Three story. Rivington is full of refugees, investigations, checkpoints and murders, while the circus offers jokes, games, costumes and romance tests. That contrast is not evidence that the area is disconnected from the main plot: the Dribbles quest, Orin’s impersonation and the party’s movement towards the Lower City all make the circus part of Act Three’s broader transition from rural outskirts to urban crisis.

The location is also separate from the circus-related content in earlier Baldur’s Gate games. The Circus of the Last Days is a Baldur’s Gate 3 location in Rivington, whereas the famous circus tent in Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn is a different place, continuity and quest sequence. The two should not be merged in a location directory.

Important items

Sources

Circus of the Last Days - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Find Dribbles the Clown - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Circus of the Last Days: Employees - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
Category:Members of the Circus of the Last Days - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
List of traders - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki