Dagon Files

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Welcome, Seeker of Forbidden Knowledge, to Sunday's harder puzzle, week 9 of the year 2026.

The Case Of The Set Of Incised Runes.

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

Patient

grid [W]

Agnes Whitby

height: 5' 4"

brown eyes

right handed

cthulhu cultist

Nurse

grid [N]

Evelyn Marsh

height: 5' 7"

gray eyes

right handed

deep-ones cultist

Librarian

grid [G]

Miriam Vale

height: 5' 5"

gray eyes

left handed

necronomicon cultist

Detective

grid [I]

Elias Crane

height: 6' 1"

blue eyes

right handed

yog-sothoth cultist

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.

Bone Stylus

grid [B]

Multi-use, first as a puncture weapon, then for carving runes on the victim's body

Sometimes leaves a trace of a set of incised runes.

Mirror Shard

grid [M]

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

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

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.

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.

Greenhouse

grid [G]

A greenhouse with hanging vines which seem to cling as they touch you. Some rows of unearthly plants grow in the farther corners.

It has been described as a graveyard of misguided, botanical experiments.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

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.

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.

Inherited Madness

grid [M]

The outer shell hides the monster within.

Recognition

grid [R]

The better man won.

Paranoia

grid [P]

I know you were an abomination, hidden from others.

Unethical Therapy

grid [T]

One day my greatness will be recognized, my deeds forgiven.

Suspects/Weapons/Locations/Motives

Patient

grid [W]

Agnes Whitby

height: 5' 4"

brown eyes

right handed

cthulhu cultist

Nurse

grid [N]

Evelyn Marsh

height: 5' 7"

gray eyes

right handed

deep-ones cultist

Librarian

grid [G]

Miriam Vale

height: 5' 5"

gray eyes

left handed

necronomicon cultist

Detective

grid [I]

Elias Crane

height: 6' 1"

blue eyes

right handed

yog-sothoth cultist

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.

Bone Stylus

grid [B]

Multi-use, first as a puncture weapon, then for carving runes on the victim's body

Sometimes leaves a trace of a set of incised runes.

Mirror Shard

grid [M]

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

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

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.

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.

Greenhouse

grid [G]

A greenhouse with hanging vines which seem to cling as they touch you. Some rows of unearthly plants grow in the farther corners.

It has been described as a graveyard of misguided, botanical experiments.

Indoors

Area has been blessed or warded by some cult.

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.

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.

Inherited Madness

grid [M]

The outer shell hides the monster within.

Recognition

grid [R]

The better man won.

Paranoia

grid [P]

I know you were an abomination, hidden from others.

Unethical Therapy

grid [T]

One day my greatness will be recognized, my deeds forgiven.

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. The Nurse was motivated to fulfil my inherited destiny.
  2. The person motivated to assuage paranoia was seen at the room of secrets.
  3. A shard of mirror, reflecting another place was used by the person motivated to continue the important work.
  4. The Patient did not care to remain the sole expert in my field.
  5. You receive an anonymous telegram with the cryptic message 'THE ETEDTVICE ADH VRENE ESSESPSDO A KNIS GWTRINI LUSTSY DCRVAE MOFR NA FUTENDEIILANIB BENO.'. (decodeThe Detective had never possessed a skin-writing stylus carved from an unidentifiable bone. [anagrammed])
  6. The second tallest suspect had never possessed a skin-writing stylus carved from an unidentifiable bone.
  7. A scalpel, graven with symbols was used by the person motivated to remain the sole expert in my field.
  8. This (fingerprint) was found at the greenhouse.
  9. The second tallest suspect was seen at the smell of ozone.
  10. A set of incised runes was found near the body.

Accusation