The Knot of Winter
A decree bearing a lying seal has left the Chancellery, and its parchment has already done damage. The forgery is skilled: only an eye trained on the archives found its flaw. The testimonies keep returning to the same names: Anica the Miller, Luca the Squire, Manole the Jeweller, Ilinca the Baker and Filip the Steward. The testimonies cling to certain hours: "at dawn", "after matins", "at noon", "at dusk" and "at vespers". The threads were tangled on purpose: investigate, weigh every word, and pronounce your verdict only when the grid leaves no room for doubt.
From the Chancellery archive
A forged decree in winter is a deed with a long reckoning: the parchment surfaces in spring, when nobody can any longer recall who was where in January. Whoever wrote it wagered on forgetting — and it was a sound wager, for forgetting is a forger's most reliable ally.
It did not hold. The five who each had either the skill or the access to do it are Anica the Miller, Luca the Squire, Manole the Jeweller, Ilinca the Baker and Filip the Steward. The proven motives: ambition, greed, revenge, the inheritance and blackmail.
Among the objects sits the map of the realm — the piece which, in a forgery case, usually shows not what was stolen but what was about to be changed. The places: the throne room, the castle cellar, the merchant's house, the watchtower and the north wall.
Tier IV, six categories. Close it on your first attempt with no clue revealed and you take the full score — the highest the archive awards.
Suspects
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
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
He tells gold from gilt at a glance. With people, he admits, it takes him two.
1.69 m
right-handed
brown eyes
brown hair
She weighs flour to the gram and people at a glance. No one stays in her debt twice.
1.62 m
right-handed
brown eyes
chestnut hair
He counts the crown's silver every evening. On some evenings the count comes out different - and he says nothing.
1.79 m
right-handed
grey eyes
chestnut hair
Locations
the throne room
Gold, purple, and the most closely watched place in the kingdom. In theory.
the castle cellar
Barrels as big as carts and corners the lantern never reaches.
the merchant's house
Carpets brought from overseas and a desk with more secret drawers than drawers.
the watchtower
The highest point of the fortress. From here you see everything - and from below, everyone sees who climbs up.
the north wall
The stretch of wall the patrol skirts when the wind blows. Everyone knows that.
Objects
the map of the realm
The kingdom's borders, drawn with a fresh correction where there should be none.
the silver candelabrum
Heavy as a small anvil. It can light a room or end a conversation.
the ceremonial crown
The "wearable" copy of the true crown. At least, that was the idea.
the ruby dagger
A short blade, its hilt set with a stone red as a frozen drop. It was sharpened recently.
the bishop's chalice
Gold set with blue stones. Blessed three times, stolen twice.
Motives
ambition
Setea de a urca, chiar peste trupuri, spre o treaptă mai înaltă.
greed
Dorința nesățioasă de avere, care nu se oprește la nimic.
revenge
O datorie de sânge pe care numai fapta o mai șterge.
the inheritance
O avere așteptată, pe care numai o moarte o desparte de mână.
blackmail
Un secret ținut ca funia la gât, strâns exact cât trebuie.
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.
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 tracks in the dust do not lie: the silver candelabrum matches that hour: after matins.
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: Filip the Steward was at the castle cellar.
- A note in the margin of the ledger: if Luca the Squire handled the silver candelabrum, then Anica the Miller handled the map of the realm.
- The tracks in the dust do not lie: the merchant's house and ambition go together.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the castle cellar matches that hour: at dawn.
- The gate guard swears: Manole the Jeweller was driven by revenge.
- At the Chancellery, Manole the Jeweller maintains: "I handled the ruby dagger".
- The healer says it with a raised finger: if the suspect with blond hair was at the north wall, then the suspect with green eyes was not driven by blackmail.
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the watchtower and blackmail go together.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the castle cellar and greed go together.
- An unsigned note, slipped under the door: "the culprit was at the merchant's house".
- The chronicler notes drily: the ceremonial crown and ambition go together, whatever the court may say.
- The bell-ringer remembers well: Manole the Jeweller came earlier than Ilinca the Baker.
- The gate guard swears: blackmail matches that hour: at noon.
- The Chancellery checked twice: Manole the Jeweller never set foot in the north wall.