The Mayor’s Hat

Reputation Among the Townsfolk

Among the people of Grimswell Crossroads, the hat has acquired a number of conflicting reputations. Some believe it to be haunted, while others believe it to be enchanted. Some think it is lucky while others think it is cursed.

But all agree on one point: the hat is strange.

The object appears and disappears unpredictably, and when it is present, those who wear it sometimes behave in ways that are notably more confident, assertive, or organized than usual.

Because of this, the hat is generally treated with caution. Most locals prefer not to wear it unless absolutely necessary.

Observed Effects

Those who place the hat upon their head may experience temporary changes in behavior.

Commonly reported effects include:

• sudden confidence or authority, sometimes to the point of being insufferable
• unexpected organizational impulses, even if the thing they are organizing does not belong to them
• spontaneous speeches or declarations
• the urge to coordinate tasks or meetings

Though never harmful, the hat has developed a reputation for being helpful in extremely inconvenient and overzealous ways.

The Mayor of Grimswell Crossroads

The mayor, who owns the hat, is a well-liked and personable man known for his friendliness and love of good company and good food. He is more of a beloved town uncle than a powerful ruler.

He’s the kind of man who:

• remembers everyone’s name and birthday
• hosts excellent lamb roasts
• laughs loudly
• gets distracted halfway through paperwork
• accidentally leaves the town budget at the tavern

However, observers have occasionally noted an unusual pattern:

When the mayor is wearing the hat:

• his speeches are eloquent
• town policies appear sensible
• administrative decisions proceed smoothly
• the roads are repaired and the farmers are paid

When the hat is absent:

• meetings tend to become disorganized
• paperwork accumulates
• the mayor returns to his more relaxed and easy-going nature

He was a well-liked fellow but a mediocre mayor before acquiring the hat. However, since owning the hat, he has excelled at his job and has been re-elected three times by a landslide. In the last election, no one even challenged him on the ticket.

This curious correlation has never been formally investigated, though many townsfolk have privately remarked that perhaps the hat is the real mayor of Grimswell Crossroads.

The mayor himself has never commented on the matter.

Known Behavior

Unlike some magical artifacts, the Mayor’s Hat does not appear to possess hostile intent. Instead, its behavior suggests an object attempting to perform a helpful function with limited success, depending on who it is trying to help.

The hat has been observed to:

• encourage cooperation and leadership
• promote orderly planning and organization
• occasionally teleport short distances

The latter trait is particularly troublesome, as the hat has a habit of appearing in unexpected places.

Because of this unpredictability, most locals prefer to leave the hat alone when it appears.

Interaction with Magical Cats

One notable exception to the hat’s behavioral influence appears to be magical cats.

The tavern cat Picklewick of the Horse & Wheel has been observed wearing the hat with absolutely no apparent effect. While the hat reliably encourages leadership and responsibility in humans, these influences seem entirely ineffective on felines.

Local consensus holds that this is simply because: cats cannot be told what to do by anyone or anything.

Arcane Origins (Restricted Knowledge)

The true origin of the Mayor’s Hat is not known to the public. In reality, the object was created within the research wing of the Arcane Halls at the Horngate as an experimental construct known as:

Autonomous Cognitive Apparel – Prototype 7

The prototype was developed by an overly enthusiastic research mage who proposed the question: “Wouldn’t it be useful if a hat could think?” The project’s intent was to create a magically assisted thinking aid capable of encouraging orderly decision-making in its wearer.

Unfortunately, before the experiment could be properly evaluated, the prototype was inadvertently removed from the facility.

During a visit to the Horngate, the mayor of Grimswell Crossroads ruined his hat in the rain. While touring the Arcane Halls, he noticed a perfectly serviceable hat sitting unattended and assumed it was available for use. He thought to himself, “Well, this will do,” and left the facility wearing the hat.

The researchers have been searching quietly for Prototype Seven ever since. Unbeknownst to them, the missing construct has been running a municipal government for several years.

Conclusion

The hat is simply attempting to fulfill its mandate: to help. The poor thing tries its best, but it remains only a prototype, so its efforts often misfire. When someone places it upon their head, they might suddenly be confident to the point of being insufferable, or start giving speeches, or suddenly feel the need to organize something that doesn’t belong to them, or organize a meeting nobody wanted. The mischief is benign, but it does try one’s patience.

Fortunately, the hat found its calling as the Mayor’s Hat. It continues to appear periodically throughout Grimswell Crossroads, before returning eventually to the mayor’s possession, where it happily organizes, advises, and occasionally pontificates, quietly making Grimswell Crossroads a better place for all.