The Feud of Winter
A seal that never lies has been placed, this once, in the service of a lie. The forgery is skilled: only an eye trained on the archives found its flaw. Suspicion has fallen on Chancellor Veniamin, Captain Vlaicu, Father Nicodim, Teofil the Chronicler and Margica the Innkeeper — and until the proof is plain, none of these names leaves the room. As for the impulse behind it, the court whispers of everything: fear of exposure, ambition, greed, the inheritance and revenge. 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
He has guarded the fortress gates for twenty years. Who enters and who leaves - he decides what the ledger records.
1.84 m
right-handed
brown eyes
brown hair
He hears the confessions of the whole court. Forgetting, he says, is a gift from the Lord - one he sells dearly.
1.72 m
right-handed
blue eyes
greying hair
He writes the kingdom's history as he is ordered. The unwelcome drafts, however, he keeps every one.
1.69 m
left-handed
brown eyes
greying hair
At the Golden Boar inn, wine and secrets are spilled in equal measure. She never forgets a debt - or a word let slip.
1.61 m
right-handed
dark eyes
chestnut hair
Locations
the watchtower
The highest point of the fortress. From here you see everything - and from below, everyone sees who climbs up.
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 customs cellar
Sealed crates, thick ledgers, and air that smells of undeclared goods.
the old chapel
Candles, incense, and a silence in which every footstep echoes like a confession.
the great stable
It smells of hay and hurried departures. Horses give no testimony.
Objects
the ruby dagger
A short blade, its hilt set with a stone red as a frozen drop. It was sharpened recently.
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 stained parchment
A half-burned document with a stain that might be wine. Or not.
the guild seal
The stamp that turns any goods into goods "of certified quality." Worth a mine of gold.
the ermine cloak
White fur with black tails - only the royal family may wear it. It has a tear at the hem.
Motives
fear of exposure
Groaza de a fi dat în vileag, care împinge la orice.
ambition
Setea de a urca, chiar peste trupuri, spre o treaptă mai înaltă.
greed
Dorința nesățioasă de avere, care nu se oprește la nimic.
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.
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.
| SUSPECTS | LOCATIONS | OBJECTS | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
| MOTIVES | |
|||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| OBJECTS | |
|||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| LOCATIONS | |
|||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Verdict
The culprit always lies; everyone else tells the truth.
- The chronicler notes drily: Captain Vlaicu was at the watchtower, whatever the court may say.
- The gate guard swears: the old chapel and ambition go together.
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the guild seal and the inheritance go together.
- A note in the margin of the ledger: if the suspect with blue eyes was driven by fear of exposure, then Captain Vlaicu handled the herald's horn.
- The hounds caught no scent at all: the customs cellar and the inheritance do not go together.
- The chronicler notes drily: the herald's horn and revenge go together, whatever the court may say.
- The traces left at the scene show it plainly: the culprit was at the old chapel.
- The Chancellery checked twice: Teofil the Chronicler never set foot in the mill by the river.
- Chancellor Veniamin raises their right hand and says: "I handled the ermine cloak".
- Margica the Innkeeper raises their right hand and says: "I was driven by revenge".
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the mill by the river and the ruby dagger go together.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the bald suspect was driven by greed.