The Knot of the Crown
Not one deed but a whole scheme has come to light — laid patiently, in secret. 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 Castellan Ursu, Sir Bogdan de Fag and Anica the Miller; one of these names covers a lie. The places named in the testimonies — the customs cellar, the north wall and the old dungeon — each await their turn under scrutiny. Take up the quill, follow the thread of the clues, and set your seal upon the verdict.
Suspects
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
He pawned his armour to pay his tavern debts. Honour, he says, does not rust.
1.85 m
right-handed
blue eyes
brown hair
Her mill grinds grain by day and rumours by night. The flour comes out white; the rumours, always black.
1.63 m
right-handed
brown eyes
blond hair
Locations
the customs cellar
Sealed crates, thick ledgers, and air that smells of undeclared goods.
the north wall
The stretch of wall the patrol skirts when the wind blows. Everyone knows that.
the old dungeon
Cells abandoned since the new dungeon was built. "Abandoned" is one way of putting it.
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 unsigned note, slipped under the door: "the culprit was at the customs cellar".
- Even the jester says it in earnest: Sir Bogdan de Fag never set foot in the place that smells of undeclared goods.
- The chronicler notes drily: the suspect with black hair was in the place where the cells only seem abandoned, whatever the court may say.