Dagon Files

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Welcome, Seeker of Forbidden Knowledge, to Wednesday's puzzle, week 8 of the year 2026. (Simpler puzzle) and (Harder puzzle)

The Case Of The Rickety Spiral Stairs To The Sky.

You have stumbled upon The Dagon Files, a cryptic corner of the web where reality frays and reason falters. Here, beneath shifting sigils and whispering images, ancient puzzles lie in wait—twisting enigmas born from the depths of forgotten tomes and cosmic dread. Each riddle you solve draws you deeper into a truth not meant for mortal minds.

But beware: not all doors should be opened. And some answers… change you.

Begin, if you dare…

Suspects/Weapons/Locations/Motives

Medical Officer

grid [D]

Mina Greeley

height: 5' 9"

gray eyes

left handed

dagon cultist

Occult Linguist

grid [L]

Professor Emeric

height: 5' 8"

brown eyes

left handed

azatoth cultist

Mechanic/Engineer

grid [E]

Nora Flint

height: 5' 7"

brown eyes

left handed

nyarlathotep cultist

Meteorologist

grid [M]

Franklin Griggs

height: 6' 0"

brown eyes

right handed

cthulhu cultist

Icebreaker Pilot

grid [I]

Cpt. Elias Ward

height: 6' 1"

blue eyes

right handed

deep-ones cultist

Fossilized Idol

grid [F]

This is a carven artifact. It cannot possibly be so ancient.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a pre-human contusion.

Ice Coring Tool

grid [I]

Drills into solid ice, makes short work of human tissue.

Sometimes leaves a trace of an augered hole.

Climbing Crampons

grid [C]

For climbing slippery ice faces, or removing people's faces.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a series of claw marks.

Ice Axe

grid [A]

A common polar tool, but strange sigils have been carved into the handle.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a single deep, sharp indentation.

Oscillation Coil

grid [O]

It has been modified to liquefy brain tissue at close range.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a high-pitched whine.

Infirmary and Morgue

grid [I]

The medical officer's notes are devolving into odd pictographs.

It has been described as a room of sterile ceramics and metal gurneys.

Indoors

No warding found here.

Igloo Shrine

grid [S]

Lit with a tallow lamp. Sigils and diagrams carved into the inner walls in red "ink".

It has been described as a secret side project.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Comms. Room

grid [R]

Crackling radios, eerie static, morse code repeating a pattern no one recognizes.

It has been described as a sound of hissing static.

Indoors

No warding found here.

Ice Tunnels

grid [T]

Narrow, freezing, twisting, passages; all alike.

It has been described as a maze of twisty passages.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Aurora Platform

grid [A]

Strange lights dance above - reflected oddly in the snow.

It has been described as a rickety spiral stairs to the sky.

Outdoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Suspects/Weapons/Locations/Motives

Medical Officer

grid [D]

Mina Greeley

height: 5' 9"

gray eyes

left handed

dagon cultist

Occult Linguist

grid [L]

Professor Emeric

height: 5' 8"

brown eyes

left handed

azatoth cultist

Mechanic/Engineer

grid [E]

Nora Flint

height: 5' 7"

brown eyes

left handed

nyarlathotep cultist

Meteorologist

grid [M]

Franklin Griggs

height: 6' 0"

brown eyes

right handed

cthulhu cultist

Icebreaker Pilot

grid [I]

Cpt. Elias Ward

height: 6' 1"

blue eyes

right handed

deep-ones cultist

Fossilized Idol

grid [F]

This is a carven artifact. It cannot possibly be so ancient.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a pre-human contusion.

Ice Coring Tool

grid [I]

Drills into solid ice, makes short work of human tissue.

Sometimes leaves a trace of an augered hole.

Climbing Crampons

grid [C]

For climbing slippery ice faces, or removing people's faces.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a series of claw marks.

Ice Axe

grid [A]

A common polar tool, but strange sigils have been carved into the handle.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a single deep, sharp indentation.

Oscillation Coil

grid [O]

It has been modified to liquefy brain tissue at close range.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a high-pitched whine.

Infirmary and Morgue

grid [I]

The medical officer's notes are devolving into odd pictographs.

It has been described as a room of sterile ceramics and metal gurneys.

Indoors

No warding found here.

Igloo Shrine

grid [S]

Lit with a tallow lamp. Sigils and diagrams carved into the inner walls in red "ink".

It has been described as a secret side project.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Comms. Room

grid [R]

Crackling radios, eerie static, morse code repeating a pattern no one recognizes.

It has been described as a sound of hissing static.

Indoors

No warding found here.

Ice Tunnels

grid [T]

Narrow, freezing, twisting, passages; all alike.

It has been described as a maze of twisty passages.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Aurora Platform

grid [A]

Strange lights dance above - reflected oddly in the snow.

It has been described as a rickety spiral stairs to the sky.

Outdoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Rules

A restriction you will need to rely on is that every weapon, location and motive in the puzzle will be attributed to exactly one suspect.

So you can make a deduction like this, if the dagger was at the campanile, and the professor was at the campanile, then the professor had the dagger. This must be true since only one suspect can be at each location, possess each weapon, have each motive.

Similarly, negative deductions can be made, if the dagger was at the campanile, and the professor did not have the dagger, then the professor was not at the campanile. This is because only one weapon can be at a given location, and the professor's weapon is not the dagger.

These rules will help to fill in blanks which remain after all the clues have been accounted for.

Clues

  1. This (fingerprint) was found at the maze of twisty passages.
  2. The Icebreaker Pilot caused the pre-human contusion.
  3. You receive an anonymous telegram with the cryptic message 'THE ORHTESST USSTPCE EVERN DITISVE TEH TECSRE ISED CPRJOET.'. (decodeThe shortest suspect never visited the secret side project. [anagrammed])
  4. The Occult Linguist was seen at the aurora viewing platform.
  5. The dagon cultist was seen at the sound of hissing static.
  6. A radio oscillation coil was found at the aurora viewing platform.
  7. The Mechanic/Engineer had never bored an augered hole.
  8. An ice axe was found at the maze of twisty passages.
  9. The body was found in a rickety spiral stairs to the sky.

Accusation