Dragon's Dogma 2 The Caged Magistrate - How to free the Magistrate from Vernworth Jail

Once you get to Vernworth in Dragon's Dogma 2, one of the main story quests you obtain from Captain Brant is to free the Magistrate from jail gaol in a quest titled The Caged Magistrate. So how do you go about this?

There are actually a few different ways to complete this quest, but for the optimal, least violent method, you actually should complete a certain sidequest beforehand. Before doing The Caged Magistrate, you should look to complete the quest The Heel of History, which takes place in the Slums section on the Eastern side of Vernworth.

Dragon's Dogma 2 - The Heel of History Side Quest

In the Slums section of Vernworth, you will find Kendrick in front of the Church-like building (called The Gracious Hand). He’s outside the church, asking for donations and food. Donating some gold and a few pieces of food should be enough to trigger this quest. [Note: If Kendrick is not there, doze on a bench to change the time of day and check again.]

You'll be tasked to finding a missing boy named Malcom. Ask around the immediate area inside and outside the chapel (speak to kids specifically) until you have enough info to take back to Kendrick. Kendrick will mention the ruins of a nearby library that had been sealed off. He'll open the way and you'll proceed through a mini-dungeon called The Gracious Hand's Vaults.

The dungeon itself is straightforward, though you might have to take a few running leaps. You'll find Malcolm soon enough, and he'll lead you to the vaulted library itself. 

Once that is done, you'll gain your quest reward of 900EXP, 3000G, and a Panacea. You'll also get both the Forager’s Tome and Logisitican’s Tome from the two characters the next time you meet them.

Dragon's Dogma 2 - The Caged Magistrate Main Quest

Okay. You'll see why we had to do The Heel of History first in just a second. Now, you need to break the Magistrate out of jail. The jail is found in the Vernworth Castle area, marked on the map as seen in the above image. Importantly, there is a well right next to the jail.

Before you go into the jail to find the Magistrate, you need to look the part. You need the Marcher’s set of armor to blend it with the guards - that is, the Marcher’s Helm, Marcher’s Armor, and Marcher’s Cuisses. While you can buy these from the Vernworth Item Shop, you can actually get a free set just inside that well next to the jail entrance.

Now, make sure you’ve completed the sidequest The Heel of History in the Slums. Head into the jail and you'll soon enough find the Magistrate in the corner cell. Use the key you obtained from Captain Brant, and speak with the Magistrate. You'll need to tell him about the archives you found underneath the slums, so he’ll agree to escape.

As long as you are wearing the Marcher's Set, you can just walk out the back entrance to the jail, which leads directly to the Slums. The magistrate will thank you and take his leave.

Your reward from Brant is 1200XP, 7000G, and a Ferrystone (I gave him back the key). Now, keep the Magistrate in mind for later, since you will need him to solve quests involving five special grimiores. For more details, check out our Dragon's Dogma 2 The Sorcerer's Appraisal and Spellbound Quest Guide. He will also be useful for other future quests.