Theft ♛♛♛♛ 3 attempts

The Testimony of the Dawn

In Realm of the Crown, only one thing is spoken of today: a daring theft, carried out almost before the court's eyes. The loss is not only in gold: it is in the trust that shattered along with the lock. On the Chancellery's list stand Anica the Miller, Nichifor the Spy, Gavril the Farrier, Safta the Herbwife and Tintar the Jester; one of these names covers a lie. As for the impulse behind it, the court whispers of everything: a debt of honour, blackmail, greed, fear of exposure and jealousy. Few files have tested so many investigators; untangle the threads, catch the lie, and pronounce your verdict.

From the Chancellery archive

The title of this dossier tells you all you need to know about it: everything hangs on one testimony given at dawn. Whoever spoke it decided, without meaning to, how the investigation would end — because under the Supreme Law a testimony is not merely a piece of information but also evidence about the person giving it.

The five suspects are Anica the Miller, Nichifor the Spy, Gavril the Farrier, Safta the Herbwife and Tintar the Jester. The Chancellery notes drily that one of them carries his trade in his name: a spy among the suspects of a theft is either the best lead or the most convenient one.

The proven motives: a debt of honour, blackmail, greed, fear of exposure and jealousy. The places: the wharf, the old dungeon, the scriptorium, the throne room and the tourney field.

Tier IV, six categories, with the hours of the day ordered. This is the dossier that closes the archive's editorial set — and if you unravel it unaided, you have proved the method is in your hands.

Suspects

Anica the Miller

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

Nichifor the Spy

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

Gavril the Farrier

Arms like tree trunks and a forge where all noise dies. Some things are better beaten while hot.

1.88 m right-handed dark eyes black hair

Safta the Herbwife

She gathers herbs at hours when honest folk sleep. The herbs, she says, speak then.

1.58 m right-handed green eyes greying hair

Tintar the Jester

The only man in the kingdom who may tell the king the truth - provided he makes it sound like a joke.

1.56 m right-handed green eyes red hair

Locations

the wharf

Moored boats, wet ropes, and goods that prefer to arrive in the fog.

the old dungeon

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

the scriptorium

Slanted desks, ink, and working silence. Here a quill creaks louder than a conscience.

the throne room

Gold, purple, and the most closely watched place in the kingdom. In theory.

the tourney field

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

Objects

the stained parchment

A half-burned document with a stain that might be wine. Or not.

the abbess's bell

It calls the nuns to prayer. On the night in question, they all say, it rang once too many.

the small wine cask

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

the vial of belladonna

A small flask, a wax stopper, a label written with care. Three-quarters empty.

the rusted sword

An old weapon, forgotten on the rack. The rust on the blade is newer than it looks.

Motives

a debt of honour

O făgăduială care cântărește mai greu decât viața.

blackmail

Un secret ținut ca funia la gât, strâns exact cât trebuie.

greed

Dorința nesățioasă de avere, care nu se oprește la nimic.

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

A maid whispered it at confession: the abbess's bell matches that hour: at dawn.
Whatever the market gossips: the vial of belladonna does not match that hour: after matins.
By the order of the hours, first comes Anica the Miller, then the shortest suspect.
The customs register is clear: the suspect with brown eyes never touched the stained parchment.
An unsigned note, slipped under the door: "the culprit was driven by greed".
The chronicler notes drily: the suspect with greying hair was there at dawn, whatever the court may say.
In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: greed matches that hour: after matins.
A maid whispered it at confession: the old dungeon and blackmail go together.
The gate guard swears: the wharf and the small wine cask go together.
The gate guard swears: the tourney field and jealousy go together.
In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: Gavril the Farrier was driven by a debt of honour.
An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the throne room matches that hour: at dusk.
Even the jester says it in earnest: Tintar the Jester was not driven by blackmail.
A maid whispered it at confession: the shortest suspect handled the rusted sword.
In the Chancellery's ledger it stands in black and white: the small wine cask and fear of exposure go together.