Dagon Files

Tutorial
My Eyes!
Grid
More

Welcome, Seeker of Forbidden Knowledge, to Thursday's puzzle, week 13 of the year 2026. (Simpler puzzle) and (Harder puzzle)

The Case Of The Necronomicon Cultist.

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

Nurse

grid [N]

Evelyn Marsh

height: 5' 7"

gray eyes

right handed

deep-ones cultist

Parapsychologist

grid [P]

Celeste Mallory

height: 5' 6"

brown eyes

left handed

dagon cultist

Librarian

grid [G]

Miriam Vale

height: 5' 5"

gray eyes

left handed

necronomicon cultist

Director

grid [D]

Dr. Theodore Blackwood

height: 5' 8"

brown eyes

right handed

azatoth cultist

Patient

grid [W]

Agnes Whitby

height: 5' 4"

brown eyes

right handed

cthulhu cultist

Dream Serum

grid [D]

Administered in a large dose it causes the heart to freeze in fear.

Sometimes leaves a trace of an expression of frozen horror.

Graven Scalpel

grid [G]

Ordinary medical scalpel, but engraved with glyphs which shimmer as if moonlit.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a row of transverse incisions.

Restraint Strap

grid [R]

Frayed leather strap from a patient bed. The right length for strangulation.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a set of constriction bruises.

Lobotomy Pick

grid [L]

Classic asylum tool; missing from the locked surgical suite.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a calm feeling.

Mirror Shard

grid [M]

It never seems to reflect its surroundings, always somewhere else.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a feeling of deja-vu.

Observation Tower

grid [O]

A panopticon for surreptitiously viewing the patient's cells. A distant howling wind can always be heard here.

It has been described as a room of secrets.

Indoors

No warding found here.

Unnatural Cavern

grid [C]

An ancient, natural cavern beneath the asylum said to have influenced the choice of the site. The stones still thirst.

It has been described as an echo of ancient ritual.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Electroshock Theater

grid [E]

Leather-strapped chairs with cables snaking to control panels mounted on yellowed, ceramic walls.

It has been described as a smell of ozone.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Roof Garden

grid [R]

Once a manicured garden, now dead ivy covers oddly-shapen, mist-shrouded stone sculptures.

It has been described as a sound of moving stone statues.

Outdoors

No warding found here.

Hydrotherapy Chamber

grid [H]

A plain white, tiled room with a row of metal baths; each equipped with manacles.

It has been described as a sound of gurgling screams.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Suspects/Weapons/Locations/Motives

Nurse

grid [N]

Evelyn Marsh

height: 5' 7"

gray eyes

right handed

deep-ones cultist

Parapsychologist

grid [P]

Celeste Mallory

height: 5' 6"

brown eyes

left handed

dagon cultist

Librarian

grid [G]

Miriam Vale

height: 5' 5"

gray eyes

left handed

necronomicon cultist

Director

grid [D]

Dr. Theodore Blackwood

height: 5' 8"

brown eyes

right handed

azatoth cultist

Patient

grid [W]

Agnes Whitby

height: 5' 4"

brown eyes

right handed

cthulhu cultist

Dream Serum

grid [D]

Administered in a large dose it causes the heart to freeze in fear.

Sometimes leaves a trace of an expression of frozen horror.

Graven Scalpel

grid [G]

Ordinary medical scalpel, but engraved with glyphs which shimmer as if moonlit.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a row of transverse incisions.

Restraint Strap

grid [R]

Frayed leather strap from a patient bed. The right length for strangulation.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a set of constriction bruises.

Lobotomy Pick

grid [L]

Classic asylum tool; missing from the locked surgical suite.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a calm feeling.

Mirror Shard

grid [M]

It never seems to reflect its surroundings, always somewhere else.

Sometimes leaves a trace of a feeling of deja-vu.

Observation Tower

grid [O]

A panopticon for surreptitiously viewing the patient's cells. A distant howling wind can always be heard here.

It has been described as a room of secrets.

Indoors

No warding found here.

Unnatural Cavern

grid [C]

An ancient, natural cavern beneath the asylum said to have influenced the choice of the site. The stones still thirst.

It has been described as an echo of ancient ritual.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Electroshock Theater

grid [E]

Leather-strapped chairs with cables snaking to control panels mounted on yellowed, ceramic walls.

It has been described as a smell of ozone.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

Roof Garden

grid [R]

Once a manicured garden, now dead ivy covers oddly-shapen, mist-shrouded stone sculptures.

It has been described as a sound of moving stone statues.

Outdoors

No warding found here.

Hydrotherapy Chamber

grid [H]

A plain white, tiled room with a row of metal baths; each equipped with manacles.

It has been described as a sound of gurgling screams.

Indoors

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. A lobotomy pick, asylum issue was found, but not at the unnatural cavern beneath the asylum.
  2. The Patient had never possessed a scalpel, graven with symbols.
  3. You receive an anonymous telegram with the cryptic message 'EHT ROTCERID SAW NEES TA EHT DNUOS FO GNIVOM ENOTS SEUTATS.'. (decodeThe Director was seen at the sound of moving stone statues. [reversed])
  4. The tallest suspect had never possessed a lobotomy pick, asylum issue.
  5. A broken, leather, restraint strap was found at the hydrotherapy chamber.
  6. This (fingerprint) was found at the hydrotherapy chamber.
  7. The Nurse reminded of the feeling of deja-vu.
  8. A scalpel, graven with symbols was found at the electro-shock facility.
  9. The second shortest suspect was the murderer.

Accusation