The Shadow of the Chancellery
The bells had barely finished ringing when word reached the Chancellery: a theft, within the very walls. The loss is not only in gold: it is in the trust that shattered along with the lock. The testimonies keep returning to the same names: Chancellor Veniamin, Anica the Miller, Countess Velica de Arin, Sava the Bell-Ringer and Nichifor the Spy. Rumor walks the deed through every corner: the scriptorium, the abbey library, the north wall, the mill by the river and the hunting lodge. 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
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
She collects fans, debts of honour, and bedchamber secrets. She wields all three as weapons.
1.70 m
left-handed
green eyes
red hair
He has rung the cathedral bells on the hour for thirty years. He sees the whole city from above and forgives nothing he sees.
1.83 m
right-handed
brown eyes
greying hair
Officially, he does not exist. Unofficially, he was seen in three places at once - which is, of course, impossible.
1.74 m
left-handed
dark eyes
brown hair
Locations
the scriptorium
Slanted desks, ink, and working silence. Here a quill creaks louder than a conscience.
the abbey library
Thousands of leather-bound tomes. Some of the chains on the shelves were cut recently.
the north wall
The stretch of wall the patrol skirts when the wind blows. Everyone knows that.
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 hunting lodge
The royal cabin in the heart of the forest. Far from the eyes of the court - which is exactly what suits some.
Objects
the customs scales
Copper pans, sealed weights. One of the weights rings hollow.
the vial of belladonna
A small flask, a wax stopper, a label written with care. Three-quarters empty.
the purse of gold coins
New coins, unworn, from a minting not yet in circulation. Interesting.
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.
Motives
the inheritance
O avere așteptată, pe care numai o moarte o desparte de mână.
greed
Dorința nesățioasă de avere, care nu se oprește la nimic.
a debt of honour
O făgăduială care cântărește mai greu decât viața.
jealousy
Otrava care mistuie pe cel ce râvnește ce nu-i al lui.
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.
| SUSPECTS | LOCATIONS | OBJECTS | MOTIVES | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
| MOMENTS | |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| MOTIVES | |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| OBJECTS | |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| LOCATIONS | |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Verdict
The culprit always lies; everyone else tells the truth.
- The tracks in the dust do not lie: the customs scales and the inheritance go together.
- Whatever the market gossips: the purse of gold coins and jealousy do not go together.
- Every scout reports the same about the culprit: the culprit handled the customs scales.
- The hounds caught no scent at all: the ruby dagger does not match that hour: at vespers.
- The tracks in the dust do not lie: Countess Velica de Arin was in the place where a quill creaks louder than a conscience.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: Chancellor Veniamin was there at noon.
- The hounds caught no scent at all: the scriptorium and the ruby dagger do not go together.
- The hounds caught no scent at all: Sava the Bell-Ringer was not present after matins.
- Two witnesses, upon their crest: the tallest suspect was not driven by the inheritance.
- The chronicler notes drily: blackmail matches that hour: at vespers, whatever the court may say.
- By the order of the hours, first comes Chancellor Veniamin, then the suspect with brown hair.
- Two witnesses, upon their crest: the mill by the river does not match that hour: at vespers.
- A maid whispered it at confession: the hunting lodge and the customs scales go together.
- In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the mill by the river and the purse of gold coins go together.
- Chancellor Veniamin raises their right hand and says: "I handled the herald's horn".
- The Chancellery checked twice: the suspect with brown hair never set foot in the place the patrol skirts when the wind blows.
- The gate guard swears: a debt of honour matches that hour: at noon.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: jealousy matches that hour: at dusk.