Magistrate Doctors

The Magistrate Doctors are described by an extramuros artisan as officials who “roam about at the new moon in sealed purple boxes.” They are presented as part of the outside world’s mechanisms for dealing with crime and wrongdoing.

First mention and context

They are first mentioned during a questionnaire-style discussion in the New Library on the eve of Apert, when an artisan explains to avout how criminals are identified and dealt with beyond the walls. In that account, Magistrate Doctors are the first of three systems named.

Role within extramuros justice

In the artisan’s summary, the Magistrate Doctors constitute one of three approaches used to manage crime, alongside the use of temporary spine-clamp devices and a movement called the “Warden of Heaven.” The specific methods and jurisdiction of the Magistrate Doctors are not detailed, but the context places them within the process of identifying or adjudicating criminal behavior.

Notable details and incidents

• Schedule and conveyance: they appear at the new moon and travel in sealed purple boxes.
• Security concerns: visits had become less frequent at one point because “the Powers That Be” were not adequately protecting them, and some were reportedly attacked (e.g., “rolled down hills”). In response, authorities installed more Speelycaptor devices.

Status

They are active extramuros, though their visit frequency has varied according to local security conditions. No affiliation with the mathic authorities is stated.