“The Caged Magistrate” is one of the many quests you receive from Captain Brant in the early stages Dragon dogma 2. Brant tells you about one Magistrate Waldahr, someone who stood his ground against Disa and refused to change the Code of Vermund in her favor when asked, which led to him now being in a cell in Vernworth Prison – ahem, jail.
So Captain Brant has one very simple request for you: release Magistrate Waldahr. He gives you one prison key so you can let yourself into his cell, but you’ll find that Waldahr will need some convincing first.
In this Dragon dogma 2 guide, we’ll walk through the entire “Caged Magistrate” mission, including where to find Magistrate Waldahr And how to free him.
Where to find the Magistrate in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Image: Capcom via Polygon
Enter the palace grounds and proceed to the objective marked on your map. This is the entrance to the Vernworth Castle Gaol Tower. Otto will greet you and let you through, so head downstairs and apart from a few rooms to explore and loot, the main area here is the long corridor with pillars in the center and cells on each side, for a total of eight.
Magistrate Waldahr is in the first cell on the right as you enter. Wait until the two guards are facing away from you, then use the Gaol Key given to you by Captain Brant to unlock the cell.
Go inside and talk to Waldahr, and if the opportunity arises, urge him to escape. He explains that he is completely happy in the cell, because he can spend his days “reading the Code and deciphering ancient texts.” However, if you can find “a place with a mountain of books,” Waldahr will reconsider escaping. Leave the prison and return to Captain Brant.
Where to find ‘a place with a mountain of books’ in ‘The Caged Magistrate’
Image: Capcom via Polygon
Brant suggests they talk to a guy named Kendrick, found by The Gracious Hand in the slums. He is a balding guy, dressed in a blue robe, who wanders among the tents and dilapidated houses on the outskirts of Vernworth. He will ask you for a charity donation of gold, so pay and he will explain that a local boy named Malcolm has gone missing.
This starts a completely separate quest called ‘The Heel of History’, where you have to find Malcolm by talking to the children of the slums. Look for a girl named Aimee who will be somewhere nearby and she will tell you that Malcolm has entered the vaults beneath the slums. Return to Kendrick and you will enter the vaults to find the runaway child.
Image: Capcom via Polygon
Explore the vaults in their entirety and you will find Malcolm, followed by a huge underground library. Kendrick makes Malcolm promise to keep quiet about the discovery, but you can return to Waldahr in prison and tell him about this beautiful place where he can study in peace. Escort Waldahr from his cell to the slums, then return to Captain Brant for your reward: 7,000 gold and a spring stone.
Make sure you also return to Waldahr in the vaults a few days later, as he has another quest for you: ‘A Magisterial Amenity’, which involves finding his confiscated glasses.
For more Dragon dogma 2 walkthroughs, here’s who to give the Jadeite Orb to, whether to buy the Ornate Box, how to buy a house in Vernworth, where to find Rodge, and the best order for Captain Brant’s quests.