The Enigma of the Lady
A disappearance troubles the citadel, and rumor grows faster than truth. Every passing hour erases another trace, and the traces were few to begin with. Suspicion has fallen on Mother Evghenia, Castellan Ursu, Onufrie the Executioner and Grigore the Cupbearer — and until the proof is plain, none of these names leaves the room. Among the things spoken of in whispers are the hunting crossbow, the herald's horn, the ceremonial crown and the broken lantern. Take up the quill, follow the thread of the clues, and set your seal upon the 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
He keeps the fortress dungeon and the tally of those who leave other than they entered.
1.90 m
right-handed
dark eyes
black hair
A quiet man with a loud trade. He keeps a notebook of the last words of every condemned soul.
1.92 m
right-handed
dark eyes
bald
He tastes the king's wine before anyone else. A trade with a short future, he says, but a rich past.
1.70 m
right-handed
brown eyes
chestnut hair
Locations
the castle cellar
Barrels as big as carts and corners the lantern never reaches.
the customs cellar
Sealed crates, thick ledgers, and air that smells of undeclared goods.
the guild forge
Anvils, tongs, and a fire that never goes out. Many small metal things vanish here.
the watchtower
The highest point of the fortress. From here you see everything - and from below, everyone sees who climbs up.
Objects
the hunting crossbow
Light, accurate, with a walnut stock. Exactly one bolt is missing from the quiver.
the herald's horn
It sounds the muster, the alarm, or the retreat. Whoever holds it can start a whole panic with a single breath.
the ceremonial crown
The "wearable" copy of the true crown. At least, that was the idea.
the broken lantern
The glass cracked, the wick burned to the end. Someone needed a lot of light, fast.
Moments
at dawn
When the citadel is barely waking and the guards still doze.
after matins
The hour after the morning service, when the abbey empties.
at noon
Midday, with bustle in the markets and silence in the alcoves.
at dusk
When the shadows lengthen and the lanterns are not yet lit.
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.
- The chronicler notes drily: the castle cellar matches that hour: at noon, whatever the court may say.
- The Chancellery checked twice: Mother Evghenia never touched the broken lantern.
- The night watch saw Castellan Ursu first, and only then the bald suspect.
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the customs cellar and the herald's horn go together.
- The gate guard swears: Grigore the Cupbearer handled the hunting crossbow.
- The tracks in the dust do not lie: the guild forge and the broken lantern go together.
- The bell-ringer remembers well: Grigore the Cupbearer came earlier than Onufrie the Executioner.
- An unsigned note, slipped under the door: "the culprit handled the herald's horn".
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the bald suspect was there at noon.
- The customs register is clear: the hunting crossbow does not match that hour: after matins.