The Testimony of the Fair
A parchment full of orders no one ever gave is circulating through Realm of the Crown, and the harm has only begun. Until the hand that pressed the seal is found, every written order stands in doubt. The testimonies keep returning to the same names: Mihu the Archer, Sir Bogdan de Fag, Toma the Cellarer and Luca the Squire. The hours in question: "at dawn", "after matins", "at noon" and "at dusk". Few files have tested so many investigators; untangle the threads, catch the lie, and pronounce your verdict.
Suspects
He hits a coin tossed on the wind from a hundred paces. At questions, though, he always misses.
1.76 m
left-handed
brown eyes
brown hair
He pawned his armour to pay his tavern debts. Honour, he says, does not rust.
1.85 m
right-handed
blue eyes
brown hair
He holds the keys to every cellar in the castle. He claims the wine vanishes on its own, by "angelic evaporation."
1.73 m
left-handed
brown eyes
red 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
Locations
the abbey library
Thousands of leather-bound tomes. Some of the chains on the shelves were cut recently.
the tourney field
Empty stands outside festival days. An excellent place for meetings that never happened.
the queen's garden
Roses trimmed to a line and paths you may walk only by invitation. At night, the hedge has ears.
the guild forge
Anvils, tongs, and a fire that never goes out. Many small metal things vanish here.
Objects
the locked chest
Three padlocks, two rows of straps. Fresh scratches around the hinges, not the locks.
the abbess's bell
It calls the nuns to prayer. On the night in question, they all say, it rang once too many.
the silver-clad icon
The silver casing is old craftsmanship; the nails that hold it were driven this week.
the purse of gold coins
New coins, unworn, from a minting not yet in circulation. Interesting.
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.
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 chronicler notes drily: Luca the Squire handled the silver-clad icon, whatever the court may say.
- Even the jester says it in earnest: the suspect with green eyes never set foot in the queen's garden.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the guild forge matches that hour: after matins.
- The Chancellery checked twice: the queen's garden does not match that hour: at dusk.
- Before the investigator, Sir Bogdan de Fag firmly repeats: "I was there at dusk".
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: Toma the Cellarer was there at noon.
- Even the jester says it in earnest: the locked chest does not match that hour: at dusk.
- The chancellor deduced it coldly: if Sir Bogdan de Fag was at the tourney field, then Mihu the Archer was there after matins.
- Toma the Cellarer raises their right hand and says: "I was there at dawn".
- Whatever the market gossips: Sir Bogdan de Fag never set foot in the abbey library.
- The healer says it with a raised finger: if the suspect with red hair was there at noon, then the suspect with red hair handled the abbess's bell.