The Feud of the Feast
The whispers began in Realm of the Crown like thin smoke; now the smoke smells of conspiracy. The crown demands not only the name but the proof: suspicion without grounds is itself a tool of the scheme. On the Chancellery's list stand Chancellor Veniamin, Tintar the Jester, Sir Bogdan de Fag, Pantelimon the Gardener and Safta the Herbwife; one of these names covers a lie. As for the impulse behind it, the court whispers of everything: the inheritance, revenge, a debt of honour, blackmail and fear of exposure. Few files have tested so many investigators; untangle the threads, catch the lie, and pronounce your verdict.
Suspects
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
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 pawned his armour to pay his tavern debts. Honour, he says, does not rust.
1.85 m
right-handed
blue eyes
brown hair
He tends the queen's roses and no one's beds of belladonna. The second garden is the more sought-after.
1.73 m
right-handed
green eyes
greying 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
Locations
the wharf
Moored boats, wet ropes, and goods that prefer to arrive in the fog.
the scriptorium
Slanted desks, ink, and working silence. Here a quill creaks louder than a conscience.
the cathedral crypt
The old kings sleep beneath crested slabs. Now and then, someone disturbs their rest.
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 merchant's house
Carpets brought from overseas and a desk with more secret drawers than drawers.
Objects
the silver-clad icon
The silver casing is old craftsmanship; the nails that hold it were driven this week.
the locked chest
Three padlocks, two rows of straps. Fresh scratches around the hinges, not the locks.
the broken lantern
The glass cracked, the wick burned to the end. Someone needed a lot of light, fast.
the royal seal
Whoever holds it can seal any decree. Which is why it should not be wandering the kingdom.
the signet ring
The crest has been filed away almost completely. Almost.
Motives
the inheritance
O avere așteptată, pe care numai o moarte o desparte de mână.
revenge
O datorie de sânge pe care numai fapta o mai șterge.
a debt of honour
O făgăduială care cântărește mai greu decât viața.
blackmail
Un secret ținut ca funia la gât, strâns exact cât trebuie.
fear of exposure
Groaza de a fi dat în vileag, care împinge la orice.
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 Chancellery checked twice: the wharf and the broken lantern do not go together.
- A maid whispered it at confession: the cathedral crypt and a debt of honour go together.
- The chancellor deduced it coldly: if Pantelimon the Gardener was driven by fear of exposure, then the tallest suspect handled the locked chest.
- The tracks in the dust do not lie: Tintar the Jester was at the wharf.
- Safta the Herbwife raises their right hand and says: "I was at the mill by the river".
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the scriptorium and fear of exposure go together.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: Safta the Herbwife handled the royal seal.
- The tracks in the dust do not lie: Pantelimon the Gardener was driven by fear of exposure.
- The chronicler notes drily: the signet ring and the inheritance go together, whatever the court may say.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the mill by the river and the inheritance go together.
- About the culprit, the Chancellery knows one thing for certain: the culprit was driven by blackmail.