Forged decree ♛♛♛♛ 3 attempts

The Spy of the Tourney

A parchment full of orders no one ever gave is circulating through Realm of the Crown, and the harm has only begun. The forgery is skilled: only an eye trained on the archives found its flaw. Before you, one by one, will stand Lady Ruxandra, Captain Vlaicu, Father Nicodim, Filip the Steward and Ban Radu the Silent. As for the impulse behind it, the court whispers of everything: the inheritance, blackmail, revenge, fear of exposure and jealousy. A sharp eye is not enough here — it takes an archivist's patience: fit everything together, then pronounce your verdict.

Suspects

Lady Ruxandra

The queen's shadow at every hour. She hears everything, sees everything, and embroiders all she learns into patterns known only to her.

1.65 m right-handed blue eyes blond hair

Captain Vlaicu

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

Father Nicodim

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

Filip the Steward

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

Ban Radu the Silent

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

Locations

the abbey library

Thousands of leather-bound tomes. Some of the chains on the shelves were cut recently.

the customs cellar

Sealed crates, thick ledgers, and air that smells of undeclared goods.

the tourney field

Empty stands outside festival days. An excellent place for meetings that never happened.

the cathedral crypt

The old kings sleep beneath crested slabs. Now and then, someone disturbs their rest.

the old dungeon

Cells abandoned since the new dungeon was built. "Abandoned" is one way of putting it.

Objects

the small wine cask

Arin wine, the good year. The bung was pulled and put back by an unskilled hand.

the ledger of accounts

Neat columns of figures, with one page torn out exactly at mid-month.

the ruby dagger

A short blade, its hilt set with a stone red as a frozen drop. It was sharpened recently.

the ceremonial crown

The "wearable" copy of the true crown. At least, that was the idea.

the map of the realm

The kingdom's borders, drawn with a fresh correction where there should be none.

Motives

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.

revenge

O datorie de sânge pe care numai fapta o mai șterge.

fear of exposure

Groaza de a fi dat în vileag, care împinge la orice.

jealousy

Otrava care mistuie pe cel ce râvnește ce nu-i al lui.

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.

The deduction grid

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.

Who is the culprit? Where? With what object? For what reason? When?

Clues & testimonies

In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the cathedral crypt matches that hour: at dawn.
In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the ledger of accounts matches that hour: after matins.
An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the abbey library matches that hour: at noon.
The gate guard swears: the suspect with chestnut hair was driven by jealousy.
The hounds caught no scent at all: the tourney field and the map of the realm do not go together.
An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the suspect with chestnut hair was there at vespers.
In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the ruby dagger and the inheritance go together.
The chancellor deduced it coldly: if the suspect with grey hair was in the place with thousands of leather-bound tomes, then Captain Vlaicu was there after matins.
The chronicler notes drily: blackmail matches that hour: after matins, whatever the court may say.
The hounds caught no scent at all: the tallest suspect never set foot in the abbey library.
About the culprit, the Chancellery knows one thing for certain: the culprit handled the ceremonial crown.
Before the investigator, Father Nicodim firmly repeats: "I was in the place that smells of undeclared goods".
Even the jester says it in earnest: the suspect with blond hair was not driven by the inheritance.
Before the investigator, Filip the Steward firmly repeats: "I handled the small wine cask".
The gate guard swears: the tourney field matches that hour: at dusk.
An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the inheritance matches that hour: at noon.
The Chancellery checked twice: the map of the realm and fear of exposure do not go together.
In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the customs cellar matches that hour: after matins.