The largest circus in the Known Lands, the Grand Carnival has more than 500 members. Half of them tours around the neighboring regions - the Parginian Rim, Lake of Dreams, League of Armach, Thenares, Alliance of the Pantheon, Malundi and the Snake Kingdoms, and sometimes even further away - on customized river boats, setting land and performing at major settlements. The other half stays at Carysis, resting and working to improve their acts and coming up with new ones. There is a steady rotation every time the Carnival returns to Carysis, which ensures that their performances are always new every time they return to a town. Running away to join the Grand Carnival is the dream of every small boy stuck in a tedious and boring life, and more than a few do so.
Less known to the general public is their function of freelance spies - for hefty sums the leaders of the circus will tell someone everything they have learned about other regions, and they tend to learn a lot. All spy organizations in the regions they visit know that they will also attempt to spy on them, but they are simply too useful to suppress. All parties simply treat it of a game of wits, not brute force.