There are 31 clues to collect in this chapter. They can be divided into four categories: names of people, ranks within the secret society, verbs, and ritual elements. The clues are:
David Gorran Herst Jeffrey Keene Lazarus Sinclair Walter (people) admission conflict cup discord dispute evolution inception poison sceptre squabble sword tankard transition tray (ritual elements) Darkhand Initiate Master Proudbeast Steward Watersnake (secret society ranks) challenged drank signaled (verbs)
First, start with the man tied up in the bushes outside the secret society lair. He can be identified by his tattoos: a Darkhand Initiate. This means that the “Darkhand Initiate” inside the lair must be a different person in disguise. According to the letters next to the man, the person imitating him must be David Gorran, who is now collaborating with Walter Keene.
According to the letters in the main chamber, Jeffrey Sinclair challenged Walter Keene to a duel. Thus, they must be the two men who drank from the cups in the upper chamber. But which is which, and which ritual did they undergo?
The ritual can be figured out by looking at the decorations in the hall. There is a portrait of the Grim Reaper and a key, the Keeper of Treasures. Only two rituals use both of these decorations. However, the ritual of Discord requires the members of the participants’ houses to stand behind them. Since this is not happening, it is the ritual of dispute that Keene was challenged to. According to the rules of that ritual, the person holding the scepter must be the Watersnake Master.
Because Jeffrey Sinclair referred to Keene as a Darkhand in his letter, and the person who died is wearing a Watersnake mask, the dead person must be Jeffrey Sinclair and the one who survived the ritual is Walter Keene. Because only Stewards and above can participate in the ritual of dispute, they must both be Stewards. Thus, the person with purple robes and a Watersnake mask is the Watersnake Initiate and the person in white robes with a red mask is the Proudbeast Master. The last person, in purple robes and a green mask, is the Darkhand Initiate – aka David Gorran in disguise. Gorran and Keene collaborated to ensure Keene survived the ritual and did not drink the poison. Gorran used the tankard in his hand to point at the cup that didn’t have poison, since, as an “Initiate,” he was responsible for setting up the ritual and knew where the poison was.
Since at this point you have figured out the ranks and orders of the secret society, you can now fill them out on the Thinking screen. Proudbeasts wear red masks, Darkhands green, and Watersnakes blue. Masters wear white robes, Stewards yellowish-green, and Initiates purple.
Finally, consider the ritual going on in the lowest chamber, where a person is being tested and branded next to a large statue. From Walter Keene’s letters, you can learn that the name of the person being tested for membership is Lazarus Herst, so he must be the kneeling shirtless man. The person branding Keene is wearing the mask and robe of a Proudbeast Steward. According to the scroll held by the large stone statue, a Proudbeast Steward administers the ritual of inception.
With this information, you can now fill out the scroll and conclude Case 7. The completed scroll reads:
“Walter Keene was challenged to a dispute ritual. He, along with David Gorran, ambushed Darkhand Initiate. David Gorran, posing as Darkhand Initiate, signaled to Walter Keene with a tankard which cup had no poison. Jeffrey Sinclair drank the other cup and died. Meanwhile, Lazarus Hearst passed the inception ritual to become Proudbeast Initiate.”
These are all the puzzle solutions to Case 7 of The Case of the Golden Idol. The next case continues the story of the secret society as Lazarus Herst reveals the power of the idol to the masked brothers. Check out GameLuster’s other The Case of the Golden Idol guides to learn even more about the clues, secrets, and puzzles featured in this tricky mystery game.