The Circus

"For €20,000, I would have killed Sheila myself!"

- Jacques Pierr. The Circus, nicknamed The Maniacs or Svarog's Army by some, is a group of assassins, mercenaries, and bounty hunters led by the infamous Svarog and the main antagonistic force of the 2019 novel Plague by Joshua Anthony Orr. They are known for their involvement in countless kidnappings across the tri-state area and are mostly unknown to the government until after the events of Plague.

Foundation
Years after the original ACE Incident, Svarog (real name Joszua Orzechowski), via a string of lies and empty promises, hired a group of conmen and began a massive counterfeiting operation, creating millions of dollars in fake currency. Using the money, Svarog (with the help of his new right hand man, Jacques Pierr) hired professional hitmen, mercenaries, and bounty hunters in order to capture, torment, and kill everybody who made his life miserable. Although the organization first started off as six members (two assassins, three armed mercenaries from Finland, and a former CIA agent), the organization began to grow as more and more people began following Svarog's false claim of vengeance and wealth.

With multiple members around the world, Svarog's conmen convinced state officials to give them ownership over the land Seafall Heights was built on, giving them control of the park and turning it into a death house as well as renaming it "Plague World". Members of The Circus also began adopting circus outfits such as clown masks and colorful robes, giving The Circus its name.

The Kidnappings
As his plan began to go in motion, Svarog and Circus members kidnapped three juvenile delinquents (who were involved in the ACE Incident), lawyer Theodore Dugland, and mob lord Thomas Weiler. While the five were unconscious, Svarog and The Circus members placed them in various deathtraps and took pictures of them as proof to the NJP department that they had hostages. The Circus members then set up Brown's death trap as Svarog (in disguise) kidnapped Brown and unsuccessfully attempted to kidnap his alcoholic niece as extra bait.

The Circus, under the authority of Pierr, proceeded to taunt the police with the photocopied pictures of the hostages, warning that it was up to Brown and Brown alone to "save them". Circus members also set up the final deathtrap, rigging the Haunted House with explosives and placing a final unnamed SIXTH hostage inside, taking a picture of her as well.

Brown's Escape
Once Brown successfully survived all of Svarog's death traps and escaped his grasp, The Circus members (under Svarog's orders) immediately closed off the park and began hunting for Brown, who managed to kill multiple members wearing clown masks as well as successfully defeating The Thing before being confronted by Svarog himself. Svarog, who warns Brown he could kill the hostages with a press of a button, escapes and leaves a masked Pierr to kill off Brown and end the game early. Brown manages to subdue Pierr and enters a tunnel system dug underneath the park to transport materials quickly. Using a mine cart, Brown is chased by a mob of Circus members, whom he eventually manages to escape from.

Final Battle
With Brown back at Plague world, Svarog (believing he cannot save all the hostages in time) orders his men to let him in and begin burning down structures filled with Svarog's deathtraps in a last ditch effort to hide evidence of his crimes from the police. With the park burning down, The Circus members retreat to northern New Jersey as Svarog and Brown fight, ultimately ending in Svarog's death.

With Svarog dead, many Circus members (such as Pierr) are tracked down and arrested while others disband and go into hiding, ending Svarog's Army once and for all.

Key Members

 * Joszua "Svarog" Orzechowski (leader) - deceased
 * Jacques "Wolf" Pierr (right hand man) - imprisoned
 * "The Thing" (Plague World manager) - deceased
 * Dennis Roy (conman/counterfeiter) - imprisoned
 * Andrew Eliopoulos (conman/counterfeiter) - imprisoned
 * Aapo Lerg (conman/counterfeiter) - imprisoned
 * Trevor Cranston (espionage/saboteur) - deceased
 * Maxwell Nappy (espionage/saboteur) - deceased
 * "The Clown" (hitman) - deceased
 * "The Fool" (hitman) - imprisoned
 * "The Jester" (hitman) - fate unknown
 * "The Character" (hitman) - fate unknown

Trivia

 * The Circus' insignia is based on Svarog's symbol in ancient Slavic mythology, symbolizing Svarog's authority in the group.
 * Despite being one of the most well known criminal groups in history, The Circus was made up of only 40-50 members, each one with different tasks and motivations.
 * The group was never officially called "The Circus" in the novel itself, but term has been widely used in the fan community.


 * It is hinted at by Josh that the remaining Circus members may form a splinter group and serve as the new antagonistic force in Plague: The Lost Chapters.