The Secret of Winter
A disappearance troubles the citadel, and rumor grows faster than truth. Open searches have brought nothing; the time has come for questions asked aslant. The testimonies keep returning to the same names: Ban Radu the Silent, Brother Anselm and Countess Velica de Arin. The places named in the testimonies — the watchtower, the north wall and the great stable — 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 has never uttered a needless word in his life. Sadly, nor a useful one for investigators.
1.81 m
right-handed
grey eyes
grey hair
He has copied manuscripts for forty years. He knows what every one of them says - including the forbidden ones.
1.75 m
right-handed
brown eyes
greying hair
She collects fans, debts of honour, and bedchamber secrets. She wields all three as weapons.
1.70 m
left-handed
green eyes
red hair
Locations
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.
the great stable
It smells of hay and hurried departures. Horses give no testimony.
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 customs register is clear: Ban Radu the Silent never set foot in the place from which you see everything.
- Every scout reports the same about the culprit: the culprit was at the watchtower.
- The chronicler notes drily: Brother Anselm was in the place the patrol skirts when the wind blows, whatever the court may say.