Marvella's Menagerie of Might and Magic

Founded by Marvella and Luna DeLorde in the jungle continent of Zandrazil, Marvella's Menagerie of Might and Magic is a traveling carnival of games, food, weird oddities, and its main attraction: spectacular fights between specially-trained magic wielders.

Structure

The carnival is an egalitarian commune with Marvella serving as the general manager and mistress of ceremonies. Decisions are made democratically by all members of the organization during biweekly meetings.
Currently, everyone in the carnival is compensated based on their length of membership in the organization. The treasurer, Orville Brownfeather, is responsible for collecting, counting, and redistributing the coin and valuables after the carnival has finished operations in a town. Marvella always redistributes half of her allotted earnings back into the carnival , paying out of her own pocket for repairs, food, and anything her entertainers and workers need.

Culture

Having spent many months or years traveling with one another, the members of the carnival are a very tight-knit group, though some members are more trusting than others. Marvella is loyal to her employees, but guarded when it comes to revealing anything about herself to them. Most of the carnival members are loyal to Marvella, who offered them the chance to travel the world and make a name for themselves.
Everyone in the carnival is expected to help set up and tear down the many tents and stands at the beginning and end of the carnival's temporary operation. Group meals are held at daybreak and sundown, and all members of the carnival are expected to join their fellow members for these meals.
Several members of the carnival are part the Cult of the Broken Chain, an occult organization whose members have been corrupted by the elder god Tharizdun. These individuals meet in secret outside the carnival to discuss plans, though they are sure to always be present for set up, tear down, and meals, so as not to rouse suspicion. These cultists use their influence in the communal decision-making to suggest the carnival travel to locations near the seals that are keeping Tharizdun trapped in Pandemonium.

Public Agenda

The carnival is dedicated to entertaining people all across Divostra. Their attractions include:

• A petting zoo
• Various games, including "test your strength" hammer-and-bell game
• A bazaar of food and curios. The carnival allows outside sellers to set up shop in the bazaar
• A fortune teller
• The Small Tent featuring more mundane acts like music, jugglers, and acrobats
• The Big Tent where they host live magical combat

The magical combat stage show is the main attraction of the carnival and the capstone event of each evening. Marvella herself introduces the several rounds of combat that take place throughout the show. Currently, there are four performers that make up the combat display: Fion Swiftfist, Chipped Tooth, Taysir Levar, and Gyera Saand.

Assets

The Menagerie currently has 40 members. They have 20 wagons: Marvella's quarters, twelve carts to house the troupe, three for the petting zoo's animals, and four more to transport tents and supplies. The residential carts are steam-powered with a seat in front for a driver, while the other four carts are horse-drawn by two horses each.

History

Upon retiring from her career as a sellsword following the death of her parents, Marvella DeLorde approached her sister, Luna, with the idea to gather together several local entertainers and contacts from her previous career, sell their family home and purchase several wagons in order to start a travelling carnival. Marvella and Luna served as co-owners of the carnival, originally named The Delightful DeLordes' Wandering Menagerie. They left their hometown of Umbark and traveled through Zandrazil, making a name for themselves along the way, until finally chartering a ship to take their carnival off the continent and into lands unknown.
Their journey took them East to the mysterious island of Kugane, an isolated island that was home to the Hokken Empire. Their wondrous carnival was a huge hit with the local population. But while there, Luna fell under the influence of the elder god Tharizdun, a piece of which was sealed beneath the city of Kugane, unbeknownst to its current inhabitants. She would start ranting to Marvella about the Broken Chain, and eventually got into an altercation with her sister that came to blows. Luna abandoned the carnival and her sister, disappearing into the Kugane Valley before Marvella could apologize and try to make things right.
Unbeknownst to Marvella, her sister was not the only member of the carnival that had fallen under the influence of Tharizdun. Other cultists used their positions within her troupe to convince Marvella to continue onward to the Wandering Isles, where another piece of Tharizdun was sealed away. It was there that Fion Swiftfist joined the troupe as one of the main attractions for their magical combat show.
Continuing to follow the advice of those she trusted, not knowing of the influence the elder god now had on her carnival, Marvella set sail for Shandalar, where a third piece of Tharizdun was sealed away in the northern part of the continent.

Type

Entertainment, Troupe

Predecessor Organization

• The Delightful DeLordes' Wandering Menagerie

Leader

Marvella DeLorde

Leader Title

Mistress of Ceremonies

Notable Members

• Chipped Tooth
• Dime Karmukaga
• Fritzy Gembatón
• Ghey'raa Sa'hande
• Idris Feldspar
• Júgan Emberbrew
• Marvella DeLorde
• Orville Brownfeather
• Priscilla Medici
• Quevarde Enheir
• Silk of the Isle
• Taysir Levar
• Tina Karmukaga

Related Plots

• At the Carnival
• Speak with Marvella