Weston

Weston
Weston, from Ultima VII
Species:	human
Appearances
Ultima VII Location: Castle Britannia

Weston is an imprisoned native of Paws residing in a small jail in Castle Britannia in Ultima VII.

Description

As the unrepentant Weston would explain it, he had come to Britain in the hopes of buying food for his wife, Alina, and his infant daughter, Cassie – having suffered with his family in the squalor of Paws. When he met with Figg, the caretaker of the Royal Orchards, he was offered apples at an illegal and grossly inflated price which he could not afford. Angry with the corrupt official's mercenary behavior, Weston had later gone to the orchards alone and begun to pick apples for himself, before being caught by the ornery groundskeeper. He was swiftly arrested and sentenced to imprisonment, and had been languishing in the castle's tower for a while by the time of the Avatar's arrival.

Should the hero speak to the prisoner, Weston would cynically explain his crime as one of of necessity, giving voice to the numerous social injustices which had thrust him into his current situation. The unnamed guard assigned to him would often object to his charge's analysis of the situation, blithely making classist jokes at his expense and condemning his lawless behavior. If pressed for details about his case, Weston would explain that he had suspicions that Figg was abusing his authority to give unrecorded donations of apples to the Fellowship, and would further voice an opinion that record of his own crime had never been attended to by Lord British – a man he considered a just monarch who would not have a man condemned to life imprisonment for so petty a misdemeanor. Should the Avatar seem receptive, Weston would ask the hero to try to court the sovereign into granting him a pardon; a request which the adventurer could honor or deny.

Should the hero take Weston's case to the king, Lord British would be quick to exonerate the thief, and would further assist him by offering him temporary employ that he might send money back to his family. The monarch would also imply that he would soon launch an investigation into Figg's misuse of his power and into the circumstances surrounding Weston's arrest.

Lore

“	Paws does not see much in the way of trouble. The miserable economy has hit everyone very hard. Alina's poor husband, Weston, was jailed in Britain for stealing. When a man must resort to theft to feed his family, thou canst surely see there is something very wrong in Lord British's realm. – from Key to the Black Gate (Ultima VII)

Trivia

• The beggar, Snaz, will tell a joke at Weston's expense if given sufficient coinage.
• In the SNES-port of Ultima VII, negotiating Weston's case is simpler, as one can relate his tale to the guard at the Royal Prison, Flick, who will vow to petition Lord British on his behalf.