The Chancellery Plot
The scribes swear they never wrote it, the seal looks true, and yet the decree is false from its first line. The forgery is skilled: only an eye trained on the archives found its flaw. Before you, one by one, will stand Mother Evghenia, Tintar the Jester, Filip the Steward, Safta the Herbwife and Chancellor Veniamin. On the inquiry's table, like pieces in a game, lie the map of the realm, the bishop's chalice, the purse of gold coins, the abbess's bell and the ceremonial crown. A sharp eye is not enough here — it takes an archivist's patience: fit everything together, then pronounce your verdict.
Suspects
She runs the abbey with an iron hand and a golden pen. The register of donations has pages she shows no one.
1.60 m
right-handed
dark eyes
black hair
The only man in the kingdom who may tell the king the truth - provided he makes it sound like a joke.
1.56 m
right-handed
green eyes
red hair
He counts the crown's silver every evening. On some evenings the count comes out different - and he says nothing.
1.79 m
right-handed
grey eyes
chestnut hair
She gathers herbs at hours when honest folk sleep. The herbs, she says, speak then.
1.58 m
right-handed
green eyes
greying hair
Every charter of the kingdom passes through his hands. A comma he once moved started a war.
1.64 m
left-handed
grey eyes
bald
Locations
the guild forge
Anvils, tongs, and a fire that never goes out. Many small metal things vanish here.
the mill by the river
The wheel turns day and night. Its noise drowns out any conversation - which is why some are held here.
the watchtower
The highest point of the fortress. From here you see everything - and from below, everyone sees who climbs up.
the customs cellar
Sealed crates, thick ledgers, and air that smells of undeclared goods.
the tourney field
Empty stands outside festival days. An excellent place for meetings that never happened.
Objects
the map of the realm
The kingdom's borders, drawn with a fresh correction where there should be none.
the bishop's chalice
Gold set with blue stones. Blessed three times, stolen twice.
the purse of gold coins
New coins, unworn, from a minting not yet in circulation. Interesting.
the abbess's bell
It calls the nuns to prayer. On the night in question, they all say, it rang once too many.
the ceremonial crown
The "wearable" copy of the true crown. At least, that was the idea.
Motives
blackmail
Un secret ținut ca funia la gât, strâns exact cât trebuie.
revenge
O datorie de sânge pe care numai fapta o mai șterge.
jealousy
Otrava care mistuie pe cel ce râvnește ce nu-i al lui.
fear of exposure
Groaza de a fi dat în vileag, care împinge la orice.
the inheritance
O avere așteptată, pe care numai o moarte o desparte de mână.
Open the Grid (below) to solve the case, with the testimonies at hand.
Touch a cell: blank → ✗ (excluded) → ✓ (certain) → blank. Each pair of categories meets exactly once.
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Verdict
The culprit always lies; everyone else tells the truth.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the suspect with greying hair handled the ceremonial crown.
- A maid whispered it at confession: the ceremonial crown and fear of exposure go together.
- Chancellor Veniamin raises their right hand and says: "I was at the guild forge".
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the mill by the river and the map of the realm go together.
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the purse of gold coins and jealousy go together.
- A maid whispered it at confession: Tintar the Jester was at the mill by the river.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the customs cellar and the inheritance go together.
- The customs register is clear: the tourney field and the bishop's chalice do not go together.
- A note in the margin of the ledger: if the left-handed suspect handled the bishop's chalice, then the left-handed suspect was driven by blackmail.
- The chronicler notes drily: the guild forge and jealousy go together, whatever the court may say.
- Mother Evghenia declares under oath: "I handled the abbess's bell".
- The tracks in the dust do not lie: Filip the Steward was driven by jealousy.