Upon reaching Rivington, you may end up exploring the Circus of the Last Days where Dribbles The Clown is performing.
Once you approach the stage, a cutscene begins where the clown invites you to the stage to be part of a magic trick but this turns out to be an ambush.
Multiple members of the circus will ambush you and your party in the attack but to make things worse, they also go after the civilians, which leads to you fighting for your life.
Ambush Location
The ambush takes place near the stage where Dribbles the Clown can be found performing next to Bitey Buddy. (Blink Dog)
As you approach the game, an autosave is most likely to happen and once you are near the stage, the cutscene begins.
How To Trigger The Circus Ambush?
Once the cutscene begins, Dribbles the Clown will invite you specifically to join him on stage for a magic trick but this later turns into an ambush after he mentions “praise the Absolute.”
If you refuse to join him on stage, a man named Quinton will volunteer, who the clown then has Bitey Buddy kill in front of everyone. (He says you are to blame for what happens.
Either of these events will trigger a fighter, which is the ambush that includes Ryland and Keren, who unleash the beasts in nearby cages.
How To Survive The Ambush?
Dribbles the Clown will often go for the closest member, and this will usually be one of the characters that gets on the stage with him unless you refuse him.
Ryland and Keren will release the beasts (Shadow-Whiskers and Crimson) unless you have meddled with them beforehand.
The following can be done to prevent them from joining the fight:
- Shadow-Whiskers – Break cage lock or release. (Release requires Speak With Animals)
- Crimson – Feeding this beast to distract it during the fight. (Does not require Speak With Animals)
Dribbles the Clown will jump towards the center when it is his turn or attack whichever character you have on stage while Bitey Buddy does the same in its way.
Focusing on the targets with the least health can be a good way to reduce their numbers but you can also take out Dribbles the Clown as he can be quite a threat if ignored.
What Happens After The Ambush?
After the ambush, Lucretious (The Ringmistress) will approach the area and may be spoken to for new dialogue if you previously spoke with her.
She will mention that she needs to find the real Dribbles the Clown since the enemies you recently fought were all doppelgangers.
This will result in you obtaining the quest called “Find Dribbles the Clown”, who can later be found by tracking down certain clues.
Verdict
The ambush can be quite a surprise for those who think they are simply going to enjoy the circus, but things get a bit sketchy since your main character is specifically chosen.
You may find a note on the body of the fake Dribbles the Clown that comes from the Tribunal, which hints this attack was all planned out.
There will be multiple ways for you to progress with the Find Dribbles the Clown quest, which may involve using Speak To The Dead or exploring the circus further.