The mayor has the three remaining riders brought forward one at a time. n1 is a thirteen-year-old human boy with a narrow build, tousled brown hair, and a patched blue tunic. Without their weapons and swagger, their slight frames; n2 is a fourteen-year-old human girl with a wiry build, cropped dark hair, and a faded green dress., smooth faces, and frightened eyes; n3 is a fifteen-year-old human boy with a lank build, sandy hair, and a worn gray shirt. make their youth impossible to ignore.
Dagg Nabbitt
How old are you?
The First Young Rider
Thirteen, sir. I know taking the grain was wrong. They promised me coin, food, and a place with people who would keep me.
The Second Young Rider
Fourteen. I thought the tally made it lawful. I wanted work, and the men said I could belong if I rode with them.
The Third Young Rider
Fifteen. I knew the driver was afraid, but I believed refusing would leave me hungry and alone.
Dagg Nabbitt
This is exactly why I started a reform program up at Vellstead. Young children are easy targets for evil people to trick into illegal business. Devia needs something like it, Mayor. This town needs help for its children and poorer families.
The Mayor
You have heard him. Will Devia fund apprenticeships, schooling, food support, and protection for poor families, or will this court punish children for the hunger that made them easy to buy?
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish Devia's child-protection and family-support program
“From what I have seen, most criminals start from poor places, stealing food to live, then that grows. If Devia has this problem, where people are starving and stealing, then that problem is yours to solve Mayor. {the courtroom erupts as the people hear Daggs words as the people start cheering for him and booing the Mayor.} Now everyone calm down, i am not attacking the Mayor, he does a great job. I just want you to see that Devia can be better.”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Dagg Nabbitt
From what I have seen, many criminals begin in poor places, stealing food to live, and that grows. If Devia has starving people stealing, that problem is yours to solve, Mayor. I am not attacking you. You do a great job. I want Devia to be better.
The courtroom erupts. Citizens cheer Dagg and boo the mayor, but Dagg’s questions keep the causes and consequences distinct, pressing the public to answer who is responsible without inventing a charge against the mayor.
Citizens of Devia
Devia can do better! Feed the hungry! Give the children work and schooling!
The mayor raises both hands until the benches quiet. The clerks record the crowd’s demands beside the testimony, while guards hold position and the three young riders listen closely.
The Mayor
Dagg is right about Devia’s duty, and he has not accused me of refusing it. I will put a reform measure before the council today: food relief, apprenticeships, schooling, and protection for poor families.
The cheering settles into attentive silence. The mayor orders the clerks to attach Dagg’s proposal to the hearing record and summons council representatives to meet before sunset, giving Devia a public course toward reform.
“No Mayor, I think you can do one better. Appoint me to be Magistrate of Devia and an Alderman. I will help bring justice to this town and build it into the greatest city anyone has seen. It sounds like the cheers from the townsfolk would agree with me.”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Dagg Nabbitt
Mayor, I think you can do one better. Appoint me Magistrate of Devia and an Alderman. I will help bring justice to this town and build it into the greatest city anyone has seen. The townsfolk’s cheers agree with me.
The mayor studies the hearing record, where Dagg’s questions, the children’s testimony, and the citizens’ demands stand in the clerks’ precise script. Dagg checks the appointment clauses himself, finding no hidden restriction.
For one quiet breath, the warmth of home and the labor of office pull against each other. Then Dagg sets that relaxed hesitation aside, leaving the signed record open before the mayor.
The Mayor
You asked plainly, and Devia has answered plainly. I appoint you Magistrate of Devia and Alderman, effective today, with authority to hear lawful cases and help govern the city.
The mayor signs both appointments, presses the town seal into hot wax, and hands the documents to Dagg. The clerks enter his offices into the official register before the watching benches.
Citizens of Devia
Magistrate Dagg! Alderman Dagg! Build Devia better!
The Mayor
Then let the first measure be yours. Bring justice, food, schooling, and honest work to the council table, and I will stand with you.
✓ Quest Accepted
Bring Devia's reform measure before the council
+ New Item Acquired
Magistrate appointment
+ New Item Acquired
Alderman appointment
− Scene Quest Removed
Establish Devia's child-protection and family-support program
“Let us meet in the morning at Elbee's Inn. He will lock the door for me and let us have a private meeting. And as for these young bandits. They still did commit crimes so we can not over look that. I hearby suggest a week in a prison cell. light food and no sunlight. After the week is over, we will let them out and task them with helping people around town. they will each have a guard assigned to them so they cant act up. lets teach them that hard work is how we get gold to buy things, not stealing it.”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Dagg Nabbitt
Mayor, sentence the three young riders to one week in a prison cell with light food and no sunlight. Afterward, release them to supervised service helping Devia, each with a guard. Let them learn that honest work earns what stealing cannot. We will meet privately at Elbee’s Inn in the morning. Lock the door for us.
Dagg’s relaxed preference for leaving civic burdens behind slows his first impulse, but Questions Witnesses keeps the three offenses distinct. Delegates Responsibly turns the sentence into assigned supervision and useful labor rather than an empty punishment.
The Mayor
The sentence is accepted. One week in custody, light food, no sunlight, then supervised service with a guard assigned to each of them. Their crimes will remain recorded.
The Mayor
I will meet you at Elbee’s Inn in the morning. I will have the door locked, the council papers ready, and no one admitted without our agreement.
The mayor orders the clerks to enter the sentence and the future guard assignments into the record. The three young riders listen silently, their frightened faces fixed on the consequence and the chance to earn their way back into town life.
The First Young Rider
I understand, sir. I will serve the week and work honestly afterward.
The mayor seals the amended hearing record. By morning, Elbee’s Inn will be closed to interruption for the private meeting, while the lawful sentence begins under Devia’s custody.
“{Dagg goes home and rests for the night, as soon as the rosters wake him in the morning he heads for Elbee's Inn.}”
SUCCESS (Superb Agility, rolled -1)