Conspiracy ♛♛♛♛ 3 attempts

The Feud of the Night

The whispers began in Realm of the Crown like thin smoke; now the smoke smells of conspiracy. The scheme has many threads but a single knot — and that knot bears a name. Before you, one by one, will stand Luca the Squire, Mihu the Archer, Duchess Amara de Corvin, Castellan Ursu and Onufrie the Executioner. The places named in the testimonies — the abbey library, the old dungeon, the old chapel, the hunting lodge and the scriptorium — each await their turn under scrutiny. Few files have tested so many investigators; untangle the threads, catch the lie, and pronounce your verdict.

Suspects

Luca the Squire

He polishes the knight's armour and dreams of a sword of his own. For a coat of arms he would do almost anything.

1.72 m right-handed green eyes brown hair

Mihu the Archer

He hits a coin tossed on the wind from a hundred paces. At questions, though, he always misses.

1.76 m left-handed brown eyes brown hair

Duchess Amara de Corvin

Widowed three times, heir on each occasion. Her smile has buried more nobles than the plague.

1.68 m right-handed dark eyes black hair

Castellan Ursu

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

Onufrie the Executioner

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

Locations

the abbey library

Thousands of leather-bound tomes. Some of the chains on the shelves were cut recently.

the old dungeon

Cells abandoned since the new dungeon was built. "Abandoned" is one way of putting it.

the old chapel

Candles, incense, and a silence in which every footstep echoes like a confession.

the hunting lodge

The royal cabin in the heart of the forest. Far from the eyes of the court - which is exactly what suits some.

the scriptorium

Slanted desks, ink, and working silence. Here a quill creaks louder than a conscience.

Objects

the rusted sword

An old weapon, forgotten on the rack. The rust on the blade is newer than it looks.

the ledger of accounts

Neat columns of figures, with one page torn out exactly at mid-month.

the purse of gold coins

New coins, unworn, from a minting not yet in circulation. Interesting.

the signet ring

The crest has been filed away almost completely. Almost.

the guild seal

The stamp that turns any goods into goods "of certified quality." Worth a mine of gold.

Motives

ambition

Setea de a urca, chiar peste trupuri, spre o treaptă mai înaltă.

revenge

O datorie de sânge pe care numai fapta o mai șterge.

greed

Dorința nesățioasă de avere, care nu se oprește la nimic.

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.

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.

at vespers

At the evening service, when the bells drown out any footstep.

Open the Grid (below) to solve the case, with the testimonies at hand.

The deduction grid

Touch a cell: blank → ✗ (excluded) → ✓ (certain) → blank. Each pair of categories meets exactly once.

×
×	SUSPECTS	LOCATIONS	OBJECTS	MOTIVES
MOMENTS




MOTIVES




OBJECTS




LOCATIONS

Verdict

The culprit always lies; everyone else tells the truth.

Who is the culprit? Where? With what object? For what reason? When?

Clues & testimonies

In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the rusted sword matches that hour: at noon.
The traces left at the scene show it plainly: the culprit was driven by fear of exposure.
Luca the Squire raises their right hand and says: "I handled the purse of gold coins".
The gate guard swears: the suspect with brown eyes was in the place far from the eyes of the court.
The chronicler notes drily: the signet ring matches that hour: at vespers, whatever the court may say.
The chronicler notes drily: the old chapel matches that hour: at vespers, whatever the court may say.
The scouts confirm it: at suspects, the paths of ambition and the ledger of accounts diverge.
The chronicler notes drily: the abbey library and ambition go together, whatever the court may say.
The gate guard swears: Castellan Ursu was driven by revenge.
The chronicler notes drily: the shortest suspect was driven by ambition, whatever the court may say.
In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: Castellan Ursu was at the scriptorium.
The chronicler notes drily: ambition matches that hour: after matins, whatever the court may say.
The gate guard swears: the hunting lodge and fear of exposure go together.
An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: greed matches that hour: at vespers.
The tracks in the dust do not lie: fear of exposure matches that hour: at dawn.