| “ | Sounds, from what I can tell, like Yuri Utkin and his brother were rather lucky in their encounter with the circus, as both escaped with only significant mental trauma. A decidedly tame result for a run-in with Gregor Orsinov’s troupe, especially as this would have been during the height of their tour. If it was in the 70s, after Denikin had left, then maybe it would come as less of a surprise, but as it stands, I think it somewhat amazing that the whole town appears to have made it through in one piece. | „ |
| ~ Gertrude Robinson on a statement regarding Gregor Orsinov's troop. |
Gregor Orsinov is one of the two overarching antagonists (alongside the Stranger) of season 3 of the Rusty Quill horror podcast The Magnus Archives.
He was a servant of the godlike entity known as the Stranger who lived from the 18th to 20th centuries. During this time, he created a demented circus called the Circus of the Other, spreading chaos around Europe in the name of his master. He would eventually set about starting the Unknowing to twist reality and bring the Stranger into the world, creating Nikola Orsinov to this end, although she would end up killing him and taking over his circus.
Personality[]
Gregor Orsinov's personality was never described in detail, although he described by Nikola as "boring" implying that he was colder and more serious than most servants of the Stranger. Despite this, he still seemed somewhat sadistic and enjoyed spreading fear in chaos, albeit in a seemingly more controlled way. Gregor seemed to enjoy having power over other his chaos, and created entities specifically designed to serve him. He did not value human life in the slightest and was willing to twist any person he met to meet his own interests.
Biography[]
Gregor Orsinov founded the Circus of the Other sometime before the 1800s, recruiting several servants of the Stranger to join it, including Nikolai Denikin, who he made his organist, and Breekon and Hope, who he made his strongmen. Together, they spread chaos across Europe, creating fake animals and either twisting existing humans or creating new ones to serve as his freaks.
Sometime in the early 1800s, Gregor met Joseph Grimaldi, a depressed and bitter clown who found his way to the Circus of the Other. Hoping to use him for the Unknowing, Gregor tried to turn Grimaldi into the lead dancer of the Stranger, an act frowned upon by many of his allies, who believed trying to create and control a creature of the Stranger defeated the purpose. Gregor eventually turned Grimaldi into the chaotic and sadistic creature Nikola, made of plastic and flesh, and force fed the parts he didn't use to Nikolai, seemingly out of sadism, which presumably inspired Nikolai to leave the circus.
Gregor continued to lead the circus for roughly two more centuries, taking them to Algasovo, Russia. There, he terrorized the town, forcing them to watch two clowns violently brutalize each other, and forcing a young boy to walk the tight rope. Sometime after this, Nikola turned on Gregor and killed him, apparently tearing him to pieces but keeping every part of him.
Powers and Abilities[]
Gregor Orsinov seems to have been one of the more powerful servants of the Stranger in his day, and many other creatures seemed to deter to his leadership, at least for a time. He seemed immune to aging, and lived for centuries, although it ultimately did not seem difficult to physically dispose of him. He seemed able to warp-reality in some ways and could create monsters from inanimate objects and people.
