There was a group who thought they had finally caught Mezmerane, only to find out four things;
- He had some kind of illusory magic that made him appear as if he was a few steps too far to the left or right.
- He wielded a knife that seemed to do far more harm than it should for how shallow the cuts it made were.
- He could create very convincing clay dolls of himself to avoid putting himself in harm's way.
- And he had the ingenuity to stuff those clay dolls with gunpowder
There was only one survivor from the group to relay any of this. It was ruled that all those who see him should ignore and avoid him at all costs.
What truly unnerved town officials is that he doesn't seem at all inclined to bother people for their attention in response. He simply walks among crowds or sits on the sidelines, quietly beckoning people to tail him like always but never forcing the issue. It makes it hard to understand what the right move would be. It's likely he intends for that.