We just confirmed seeing this bug for ourselves for the first time BUT this other people’s thread means it has been bugged for at least six months.
We encountered the bug at a fairly large camp in the Isle of Siptah after receiving the Trader’s Quest to bring them live sorcerers or their skulls. So we feel we can’t complete that mission since we can’t do what they prefer, bring live sorcerers like in this large Black Corsair camp. They are all immune to knockout and you don’t know that until you basically get yourselves killed trying it.
It does suck, but don’t be discouraged to complete the event. Go to New Khemi Docks and you’ll come across a fair amount of sorcerers in the surrounding camps.
Agreed, however OP was giving up on completing the event when there’s good loot. The truncheon is the best in the game. It’s not worth giving up, despite Funcom ■■■■■■■■ up part of the game.