Mysterious Strangers

The Party begins the adventure in Daggerford,in the forgotten realms, Duchess Morwen  of Daggerford is having guests for din­ner and you are invited. No strangers to Daggerford, you have come to the town's defense on more than one occasion, and you count Lady Morwen as a friend and a benefactor. A cool autumn breeze blows through the streets as you make your way to the keep. As you dine on hot, spicy soup and tenderly cooked pheasant, you can tell that the duchess seems more out of sorts than usual. Then a pall comes over the occasion as she voices her concern about a band of wayward travelers camped outside the town's walls. They seemed harmless at first, but Morwen has received reports that they have begun harassing towns­folk and other visitors as they come and go, demanding money and wine, and threatening to put hexes on anyone who doesn't pay up. Yesterday, the duchess ordered several guards to scare away the mysterious visitors, but they couldn't get the job done. When the guards returned, they spoke sympa­thetically about the visitors. It seemed as if the guards had been magically charmed. Morwen doesn't want an armed conflict, but she aims to send a stern message to the visitors and asks you to deliver it on her behalf. "If they don't leave before dawn," she says, "I'll burn their wagons to the ground." The only strangers you have seen just outside town is the group of people who run the circus that has been around for about a week. You have heard them recently in the tavern talking about heading back home. You remember hearing them talk about their boss, Stanimir, and how he meant to stick around to earn some better coin with a special attraction before moving on. You tell Lady Morwen that the issue is as good as resolved. After dinner is over you head straight out to the town gate and towards the encampment of the circusfolk...