Murders at Karlov Manor/Puzzles

Murders at Karlov Manor/Puzzles

 

Commander decks

 

Card comparisons

 

Trivia

 

Art Series

 

Puzzles

 

The Case of the Three Blade Knife

 

Across Murders at Karlov Manor cards and products, players can uncover clues to something bigger — with a final reward for the most assiduous of sleuths out there. Each product in the set contains a puzzle to be solved; some puzzle components are only found within the physical products, but others encourage players to continue the discovery online with web-based puzzles added regularly throughout the season.

A masterpost linking the discoveries of puzzle components on social media, the discourse around them, and the way to solve them have been compiled in this cohost link.

Description

“	Welcome aboard, agent, and thank you for agreeing to help on such short notice. We have received high praise regarding your consulting detective work, and at present we need all the minds we can get. Perhaps you’ve heard, but a string of high-profile murders across the city has the Agency extremely backed up on its unsolved case files, and some of them are . . . intriguing. Could be nothing, could be something, but we cannot know for sure until you take a look. Think you can handle the task? Be sure to report your findings back to Detective Alquist Proft whenever you make a breakthrough.	”
—Ezrim, Ravnican Agency of Magicological Investigations Chief

There is one overarching puzzle — across all products and online — that gives players who crave a true challenge the opportunity to solve a greater mystery; however, there are still 12 individual puzzles that are self-contained and are just as satisfying cases to crack. Once the final puzzle has been solved, it unlocks information about the future of Magic. As soon as any person anywhere in the world submits the correct solution to the final puzzle to the dedicated website, a bonus Magic Story epilogue will be released that points to the future of the game.

The project was overseen by Mark Gottlieb and Mark Rosewater was also on the puzzle building team. The other members were Matt Tabak and Bella Guo.

Pre-ARG puzzle

Prior to the release of the set, Wizards of the Coast started to provide some clues to participants via their social media channels (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok). This puzzle was completed in the lead up to the set's pre-release on February 2^nd and isn't considered part of the main ARG.

Several of the Magic: The Gathering social media channels featured sets of pawprints to draw attention to the upcoming puzzle.

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  Pawprints on the MTG Twitter account.

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  Pawprints on the MTG Facebook account.

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  Pawprints on the MTG TikTok account.

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  Pawprints on the MTG Instagram account.

List of clues

Clue	Message	Date	Notes
	Hey little guy, what'cha got there? #MTGKarlov 🐾	2024-01-08	Illustration for Tunnel Tipster with a map fragment superimposed into the Molefolk's hand.
	Key clues can be found in places often overlooked. #MTGKarlov 🐾➕ 1️⃣	2024-01-10	Illustration for Jaded Analyst with a map fragment superimposed into the human's dossier.
	So many clues to keep track of, and so little time to solve them. #MTGKarlov 🐾🐾	2024-01-12	Illustration for Case File Auditor with a map fragment superimposed onto the human's scroll.
File:MKM Clue map fragment4.mp4	Hint: watch this all the way through, our little friend may have found another clue. #MTGKarlov 🐾	2024-01-15	The end of a video depicts a map fragment hanging as decoration in the background of the illustration for Case of the Filched Falcon.
File:MKM Clue map fragment5.mp4	To a great mind, nothing is little! #MTGKarlov 🐾🐾🐾	2024-01-18	Video depicting a map fragment in amongst Alquist Proft's notes on the main story case.
	Maybe the number of episodes is a clue? 👀 Read the latest #MTGKarlov episode "Roots of Decay" here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/episode-10-roots-of-decay	2024-01-19	Tweet promoting the final chapter of the main story.
	Until you have all the clues, it's difficult to see the whole picture. #MTGKarlov ✅	2024-01-20	Key art depicting a map fragment alongside a portrait of Teysa Karlov.
	Oh look! Our Tunnel Tipster friend has made one last discovery. Can you connect the dots? #MTGKarlov The strings are NOW in place! #MTGKarlov	2024-01-20	Cards containing clues pinned up on a corkboard with string connecting them. In order, starting at the Tunnel Tipster card preview: An eight-sided dice with the 2 and 3 sides visible. The illustration of Pack Leader (Core Set 2021). A chess pawn capturing a king. "PRW2", , the pen symbol that appears next to a card artist's name, "Y-H.H." An illustration of four bees. "ROOTS OF DECAY" "LIKE A (drawing of an areoplane)" surrounded by music notes, "F.A.M" in the bottom right corner. "ZNC 130 SUBTYPE:" An illustration of four waves. "FATE" "FNM 01/01/2016"

Map fragments

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  Map fragment #1.

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  Map fragment #2.

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  Map fragment #3.

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  Map fragment #4.

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  Map fragment #5.

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  Map fragment #6.

• The completed map.

  The completed map.

Solutions

Each clue on the cork-board corresponded to a set of coordinates on the completed map.

Coordinate	Character	Explanation
D8	4	In D&D terminology, an eight-sided dice is truncated as "D8".
K9	7	Pack Leader has the Dog subtype. Dogs are a type of Caninae and a popular homophone of canine is "K9".
M8	5	A game of chess ends when the opponent's king is in check, and there is no legal way to get it out of check (checkmate). The prefix "check" can be removed from the clue as a king can be in check without being in checkmate, leaving just "mate". M8 can be used as a homophone of "mate".
B10	q	The illustration initials refer to artist Yeong-Hao Han. "PRW2" is the expansion code used by Scryfall to catalogue the Ravnica Weekend promotional lands from the Ravnica Allegiance release. The only card in that collection illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han was Island, which has the collector number "B10".
B4	1	The illustration has four bees, which is a homophone for "4B".
E10	- (hyphen)	The tenth episode of main story for Murders at Karlov Manor is titled "Murders at Karlov Manor Episode 10: Roots of Decay". A common way to refer to stories with multiple episodes is to use a truncated episode number — "E10".
G6	w (lower case)	The clue refers to the 2010 song Like a G6 by Far East Movement.
G8	Y	"ZNC 130" is the set and collector code for Gruul Guildgate (Zendikar Rising Commander, #130). The card's subtype — Gate — can be broken into "G" and "ate", with "ate" being a homophone for "8".
C4	L	The illustration has four waves, indicating an ocean or sea. Using "sea", this clue is a homophone for "4C".
F8	C	The illustration shows the "F" in "fate" is underlined separately from "ate". Because "ate" is a homophone "8", the solution becomes "F8".
F16	o (lower case)	"FNM" is shorthand for Friday Night Magic and the date is a reference to the FNM card for January 2016. On Scryfall, this card is catalogued with the set code "F16". It is also possible to use the first letter and last two digits of this clue to arrive at the same result.
Result: When all the characters are combined in the order of the clue cards, they produce the string "475q1-wYLCo". If added to the end of a standard YouTube URL ("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=") they lead to an unlisted video on the Magic: The Gathering channel that previews the card for Anzrag, the Quake-Mole.

Mystery Files

For two weeks, starting with the prerelease on February 2^nd, a new Mystery File will be released each day on the Mystery Files website. Mystery files are alternate reality game (ARG) puzzles that are solved using clues and information found in Murders at Karlov Manor products and on the Mystery Files website. Each Mystery File has a Crime Scene that sets the parameters for that particular puzzle.

When participants have an answer, they can enter it on the Mystery File website to receive confirmation they have solved the puzzle or an indication that they have more sleuthing to do.

The first twelve Mystery Files are designed to be independent of one another. They can be solved in any order and don't have to be solved on the day of their release. The final Mystery File is a meta-puzzle requiring the answers to all of the other puzzles, in addition to some further clues, to solve. Each person that completes the final puzzle will unlock a unique sleeve on Magic: The Gathering Arena. The first person to solve the final puzzle unlocks an epilogue story on DailyMTG that exposes a secret lurking in the heart of Ravnica.

Mystery File Headquarters

To provide players with additional help, the Mystery Files website also includes an "Ask Alquist" button. Each puzzle has three hits that can be obtained via the button. Participants can click any number of questions, in any order, at any time, or skip them entirely. There’s no penalty in the Mystery Files for using the Ask Alquist function, allowing participants to personalize the difficulty of each Mystery File.

Mystery File #1: The Intriguing Interview

The Intriguing Interview puzzle.

The Intriguing Interview is a word puzzle insert found in the Murders at Karlov Manor pre-release kits. It utilizes the bonus products within the kits and the special promo cards. Each element results in a different path through the puzzle.

Start with the phrase:
Detective Story
The following instructions tell you how to modify this sequence of letters. Ignore spaces and punctuation.

— Instructions for The Intriguing Interview.

Kit elements

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  1. - Red deck box

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  2 - Yellow deck box

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  3 - Blue deck box

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  4 - Voja, Jaws of the Conclave

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  5 - Melek, Reforged Researcher

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  6 - Tomik, Wielder of Law

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  7 - Blue divider

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  8 - Red divider

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  9 - Yellow divider

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	Exactly what evidence am I looking for within the Prerelease Packs?	One side of the Prerelease Pack insert has the puzzle text on it. It says in detail what other evidence you’ll need.
2	I found the evidence in one of the Prerelease Packs, but I can’t solve the puzzle. Am I missing something?	You’ll need the evidence from multiple Prerelease Packs. There are three different versions of the Prerelease Pack deck boxes, dividers, and promo cards. Consider teaming up with some other detectives.
3	I followed all the instructions, but my answer doesn’t make any sense.	For each step, one of the instructions will be correct and one of them will be wrong. Make sure to do only one of them, not both. If your final message can’t be read as a sensible phrase, it’s possible that you made an incorrect choice for one of the steps, or you didn’t follow an instruction precisely. Check your process carefully. Details are important in this kind of detective work.

Solutions

Each of the kit elements provide a different set of instructions on how to modify the initial starting phrase.

Step	Kit element	Answer	Result
1	Deck box — Red	Knife	detectiNvestoryN
2	Deck box — Yellow	Magnifying glass	detectiNvestIMAPIoryN
3	Deck box — Blue	Cane	Edet ctiNvestIMAPIoryN
4	Voja, Jaws of the Conclave	Saddle	Edet tiNvestIMAPIo N
5	Melek, Reforged Researcher	Paper	Ede RUMORiNvestIMAPIoN
6	Tomik, Wielder of Law	Gargoyle	Ede RUMORiNvestI GATEIoN
7	Deck divider — Blue	Knife	Ed RUM RiNvestIGATEIoN
8	Deck divider — Red	Magnifying glass	EdRUMRiNvestIGAT IoN
9	Deck divider — Yellow	R.A.M.I. insgnia	MURdERiNvestIGATIoN
Result: The final phrase is Murder Investigation.

Mystery File #2: The Hidden Homunculus

The Hidden Homunculus is a card art puzzle that involves finding Fblthp, who is hidden in the art of five cards in the Murders at Karlov Manor main set. Fblthp's location in the card art corresponds to a grid location on the Mystery Files website, with the remaining grid space filled out to form a continuous loop. Each type of line or angle in that continuous loop is given a numerical value, which totals to a specific card's collector information.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	I can't find all the pieces of evidence. Which cards specifically should I be looking at?	Karlov Watchdog; Offender at Large; Repulsive Mutation; They Went This Way and Crime Novelist.
2	I have all the cards, but I'm not sure I found Fblthp in each one. Can I get some placement details?	Fblthp appears once in the top row, twice in the middle row, once in the fourth row, and once in the bottom row.
3	I'm having trouble starting the grid. Can you show me a piece of the path?	The square at the exact center of the grid is a right-angle turn that enters the square on its left edge and exits the square on its bottom edge.

Solutions

To find the solution, add up the line and angle values for the top two rows of the grid to get an expansion number, and the values for the bottom two rows to get a collector number.

Image	Solution
	Crime Novelist — Fblthp is in and the middle space of the bottom row. Karlov Watchdog — Fblthp is in the top-right corner. Offender at Large — Fblthp is in the second space from the left in the fourth row. Repulsive Mutation — Fblthp is in the second space from the left in the middle row. They Went This Way — Fblthp is in the fifth space from the left in the middle row (third space from the right).
	The key to the puzzle solution.
	After placing the five Fblthp's in their respective grid positions, the continous loop gives the following: The top two rows add up to the number 61, which is the set number for Dragon's Maze in the Mystery File Research Library. The bottom two rows add up to 102.
Result: The 102nd card in Dragon's Maze is Showstopper.

Mystery File #3: The Strange Scenes

The Strange Scenes is a puzzle utilizing hidden information in the card art of Booster Fun cards in the main Murders at Karlov Manor set. In order to solve it, you must think outside the box.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	I can't find all the pieces of evidence. Which cards specifically should I be looking at?	The ten borderless versions of the dual lands: Meticulous Archive, Undercity Sewers, Raucous Theater, Commercial District, Lush Portico, Shadowy Backstreet, Thundering Falls, Underground Mortuary, Elegant Parlor, and Hedge Maze.
2	I have all the evidence, but I'm not sure what to do with it. How should I proceed?	If you put the right cards next to each other, certain objects in the art will match up to form recognizable shapes.
3	I'm certain I'm using all the evidence correctly, but I don't know what to do with what I found. How do I approach the last step?	The three letters are an expansion code. The solution to that numerical equation is a card number within that set.

Solutions

Step	Solution
1	When looking through the Booster Fun treatments, certain art elements on the edges of the borderless Surveil dual lands stand out as odd (e.g. Underground Mortuary).
2	If the dual lands are lined up in the sequence: Portico > Sewers > Parlor > District > Archive > Mortuary > Maze > Falls > Theater > Backstreet, a hidden message appears at the edges of the cards: "RNA 32 x 5 + 4".
3	32 x 5 + 4=164.
Result: The 164th card in Ravnica Allegiance is Cult Guildmage.

Mystery File #4: The Perplexing Prism

This puzzle tasks detectives with finding items that the guilds have hidden around Ravnica, in the art of ten different cards. They start without direction, but on Ravnica, the relationships between colors can prove to be critical evidence.

Prism alternates

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  Break Out

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  Case File Auditor

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  Case of the Gorgon's Kiss

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  Clandestine Meddler

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  Kraul Whipcracker

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  Surveillance Monitor

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  Sudden Setback

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  Torch the Witness

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  Undercover Crocodelf

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  Wojek Investigator

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	I'm sure that the puzzle text contains hints indicating which cards I need, but I can't figure out how to interpret it.	"Double take" and "alternate reality" point you to the ten cards in the set that have two nearly identical versions of their art. "Hue" and "shift" hint at what to look for in those pairs of art.
2	I can't find all the pieces of evidence. Which cards specifically should I be looking at?	Case File Auditor, Wojek Investigator, Sudden Setback, Surveillance Monitor, Case of the Gorgon's Kiss, Clandestine Meddler, Torch the Witness, Break Out, Kraul Whipcracker, and Undercover Crocodelf.
3	I have all the cards that I need, but I don't understand what the guilds have to do with it.	For each card relevant to this puzzle, its two pieces of art are identical except for one object that changes color. Pay attention to that object's two colors, and see if you can find a connection to the Ravnica guilds.

Solutions

Step	Solution
1	Each card relevant to the puzzle has two pieces of art, both identical except for one distinct object that changes color between versions. The two colors are each one of the five colors of Magic, and the pair corresponds to a Ravnican guild. The color of the card itself is not used as part of this puzzle.
2	Break Out has smoke that changes color from blue to white (Azorius Senate). Case File Auditor has a bottle of ink that changes color from black to blue (House Dimir). Case of the Gorgon's Kiss has a pillowcase that changes color from green to red (Gruul Clans). Clandestine Meddler has curtains that change color from white to red (Boros Legion). Kraul Whipcracker has a whip that changes color from red to black (Cult of Rakdos). Sudden Setback has a bottle that changes color from green to black (Golgari Swarm). Surveillance Monitor has a picture frame that changes color from black to white (Orzhov Syndicate). Torch the Witness has a lampshade that changes color from blue to green (Simic Combine). Undercover Crocodelf has a root that changes color from white to green (Selesnya Conclave). Wojek Investigator has a feather that changes color from red to blue (Izzet League).
3	The letters are combined this way:
Result: The result is Dimir Informant.

Mystery File #5: The Confounding Kidnapper

Each of the four Murders at Karlov Manor Commander decks contain two pieces of this mystery file. The first is a unique version Ransom Note, with the second being a decoder on the back of the deck insert. All eight pieces are required to solve the puzzle.

Ransom Notes

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  Ransom Note in Blame Game.

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  Ransom Note in Deep Clue Sea.

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  Ransom Note in Deadly Disguise.

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  Ransom Note in Revenant Recon.

Decoders

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  Decoder from Blame Game.

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  Decoder from Deep Clue Sea.

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  Decoder from Deadly Disguise.

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  Decoder from Revenant Recon.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	Exactly what am I looking for within the Commander Decks?	Each Commander Deck has a card named Ransom Note. Its art has an encoded message, and each Commander Deck insert has a code key.
2	I found the evidence in one of the Commander Decks but it doesn't make sense. Am I missing something?	You'll need the evidence from all four of the Commander Decks. Consider teaming up with some other detectives.
3	I have all the evidence but I'm having trouble using it. Exactly what do I do?	The art from the four Ransom Note cards shows a message made of fifteen glyphs. (Ignore the spaces in the message.) The glyphs have four different styles and color schemes. These match the four different code keys. For each glyph, uses the code key that matches its style and color to find what word it stands for. Decode each Ransom Note art this way to reveal four different clues about a Magic card from the past. There's only one card for which all four clues are true.

Solutions

Each of the glyphs in the art of a Ransom Note correspond to a word on the decoder ring. The color of the glyphs refer to the specific decoder needed to decrypt them. The Ransom Notes, in turn, translate into a riddle that provide hints to a specific card.

Ransom Note	Decryption	Answer
Blame Game	If you subtract three from the toughness of this creature the result is its power	The puzzle's answer must be a creature; it must have a minimum toughness of 2; and it must have a power of "X-3", where "X" is it's toughness.
Deep Clue Sea	The word at the end of this creature's flavor text means the opposite of end	The puzzle's answer must have flavor text and it must end in "start", "begin", "origin", etc.
Deadly Disguise	This card's mana value is equal to the number of eyes that a cyclops possesses	The puzzle's answer has a mana value of 1.
Revenant Recon	Unless something causes this creature to lose its abilities it is not able to attack	The puzzle's answer must have at least one ability and it has to have Defender.
Result: The four clues provide parameters for a card search. Using all the hints results in an answer of Saruli Caretaker (Ravnica Allegiance).

Mystery File #6: The Mysterious Museum

The Mysterious Museum is a word-based sudoku puzzle with clues hidden within the Murders at Karlov Manor art cards.

Clues

Each of the 49 art cards in Murders at Karlov Manor have a unique grey border with jigsaw-style elements on their back face:

• A curved segment with three ridges and two troughs.
• A pointed segment with four ridges and three troughs.
• A squared segment with five ridges and four troughs.

Some of the art cards also have a letter in a circle. The orientation of the ridges can be reversed, meaning the puzzle cards can only fit together in certain combinations.

• 

  The back face of all art cards have puzzle lines in their border, with only some having letters.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	How do I reconstruct the map of the Mysterious Museum?	First, you'll need to collect all 49 Murders at Karlov Manor art card\s. Then you'll need to arrange them in a 7 x 7 grid. The straight-line borders on the backs of the cards form the outside edge of the grid. Each of the other borders on the backs of the cards should be identical to he border it touches, so it looks like they mesh together.
2	I'm having trouble getting started with the grid puzzle on the website. How should I proceed?	The puzzle works like a sudoku, but it uses letters instead of numbers, the grid is smaller than normal, and the internal sections are irregular. To start, identify the most common letter you have in the grid, and look at the top row. There's only one square where it can go because the rest already have that letter in their column or section. Continue to use sudoku strategy to complete the grid. At times you may have to take a guess and see if that assumption plays out.
3	I've completed the grid, and I have all the letters, but I'm having trouble using them to identify a card. What am I looking at?	The first set of letters is an expansion code. The second set of letters indicates a card number. You can find a way to translate those letters into a number on the Mystery File home page.

Solutions

Step	Explanation
1 - Arrange the art cards according to their backside border pattern in a 7x7 grid	The art cards ' curved, pointed and squared segments only fit together in one specific pattern when placed in a 7x7 grid. Correctly combining the 49 art cards will reveal where to place the corresponding 10 letters in the empty sudoku grid.
2 - Insert the letters matching the corresponding art cards into the sudoku grid	The grid after seeding it with letters from the art cards:
3 - Solve the sudoku grid	The solved sudoku:
Result: The final answer is "RTR CCIV". "RTR" is the expansion code for Return to Ravnica while "CCIV" are the Roman numerals for "204". This results results in an answer of Treasured Find.

Mystery File #7: The Arcane Agency

This puzzle tasks detectives with filling out a grid using information of some kind found on certain cards in the main set. The task is daunting, but detectives who have found a way to complete the other puzzles will be able to connect the dots.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	The whole card set is a lot of evidence to sort through. In general, what should I be looking for?	Focus on flavor text. There's a common thread that ties together twelve cards.
2	I can't find all the pieces of evidence. Which cards specifically should I be looking at?	Seasoned Consultant, Out Cold, Furtive Courier, Gearbane Orangutan, Offender at Large, Suspicious Detonation, Torch the Witness, They Went This Way, Undergrowth Recon, Assassin's Trophy, Doppelgang, and Urgent Necropsy.
3	I have all the cards. What do I do with the grid?	Take the names of the detectives from the flavor text and place them into the grid so that one name reads across each row and one name reads down each column. Then read the letters in the highlighted boxes.

Solutions

Step	Explanation
1	The phrase "found their way" in the puzzle description points to the mysterious agency quoted in multiple pieces of flavor text in the main set, the Foundway Associates. Each member's name (and title, in one case) must be added to the grid.
2	When the names are entered correctly, the letters in the highlighted boxes produce the phase "Svania Trul":
3	Svania Trul is the name of someone quoted on the Ravnica: City of Guilds printing of Perilous Forays.
Result: The answer is Perilous Forays (Ravnica: City of Guilds).

Mystery File #8: The Weird Window

The Weird Window puzzle.

The Weird Window mystery file is a visual puzzle insert found in Murders at Karlov Manor Play Booster boxes. The puzzle itself can be found on the back of the draft archetype guide.

Draw a single continuous loop following along the edges of the window panes. The loop can't touch or cross itself at an intersection. The number of cracks within each pane indicates the number of that pane's edges that are part of the loop. The loop may contain any number of edges of panes without cracks, including none.

— Instructions for The Weird Window.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	How do I get started on a puzzle like this?	Look at the area on the left side of the window and find two adjacent panes that each have three cracks. Imagine if the edge between them isn't part of the loop. Because each pane must have three lines around it, all three other edges around them would be part of the loop - and that would be a closed loop. That doesn't work. So the edge between those two panes must be part of the loop. Now look at the area on the upper part of the window and find two planes that each have three cracks and touch each other at a corner. Imagine that for the left pane, both edges that touch that corner are part of the loop. That would mean that for the right pane, neither edge that touches that corner could be part of the loop - but then the right pane would have only two available edges left. So that doesn't work. That means one of the left pane's two edges that touch the corner can't be part of the loop. You don't know which one that is, but you know that three of its edges are part of the loop. Therefore, the two edges that don't touch that corner must be part of the loop.
2	I'm having trouble making the loop in the grid. Can I get the pieces of the path that touch the central window pane?	The two edges of the central pane that are part of the path are its top edge and its bottom edge.
3	I've completed the grid, and I have all the symbols, numbers, and letters, but I'm having trouble using them to identify a card. Can I get some details?	You should have two mana symbols, two numbers, and two letters. The larger number is the card's power, and the smaller one is its toughness. The letter that's earlier in the alphabet is the first letter of the artist's last name, and the one that's later in the alphabet is the first letter of the artist's first name.

Solution

Image	Solution
	There are two key areas of the puzzle that only have one possible solution because it is not possible to move away from a triangular 2-crack pane unless without using one of its edges. The pair of 3-crack panes in the bottom left. The adjacent pair of 3-crack panes below the center-top pane. Eliminating the resulting edges that cannot be used results in a completion of the puzzle.
Result: The answer is Keymaster Rogue (Gatecrash).

Mystery File #9: The Unusual Unlock

The evidence you need to solve this puzzle is on certain items found in Murders at Karlov Manor play boosters, including one card from the set.

I found a strange contraption. It seems to be a combination lock covered in glyphs, with a chamber hidden inside it. It would be counterintuitive to punch through this enigma with brute force alone. I’ll need some clues in order to figure out how many spaces to advance each tumbler.

After I’ve deduced the password, this translation chart should be useful.

Case files

• 

  The translation chart for the Unusual Unlock.

• 

  Ravnican glyphs on Cryptex.

• 

  Clue token - one shoe

• 

  Clue token - two lockets

• 

  Clue token - three daggers

• 

  Clue token - four prints

• 

  Clue token - five puddles

• 

  The panorama created by the back face of the five Clue tokens

• 

  The punch-out counter card

Flavor text

Each of the five Clue tokens has Agency memo flavor text:

• One shoe (0015) “With the Gnat Alley mugging case solved, maybe we can finally figure out who’s been leaving shoes all over the Sixth Precinct.”
• Two lockets (0018) “Confiscated from the twin heirs of the Lusaht family. Will not be easy to unlock.”
• Three daggers (0016) “As we suspected, someone appears to be targeting Tolsimir specifically.”
• Four prints (0014) “Four prints plus one murder weapon equals a case even Juri won’t be able to wriggle out of.”
• Five puddles (0017) “Whatever it is, the smell alone could stun a loxodon. Simic involvement?”

Clue token panorama

The five back faces of the Clue tokens each have a borderless full art image depicting part of a crime scene. The images form a panorama, with various clues in the art:

• Coins — with the numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15 16.
• Bloodstains — forming the numbers 1, 7, 11, 3.
• Cracks in tiles — forming the numbers 14, 9, 8, 5, 3.
• Numbers on objects:
  • The barrier wards have the numbers 6 and 12.
  • The unbroken dagger has the number 7.
  • The purple footprint being magnified has an "11" in the tread.
• Objects as numbers:
  • The locket with the purple head forms an 8.
  • The hilt of the broken dagger is a 3.
  • The magnifying instrument forms a 7.
• Ravi glyphs — a piece of paper has a clue using the symbols in Cryptex.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	Exactly what pieces of evidence do I need for this puzzle?	The card named Cryptex, the punch-out counter card, and each of the five Clue tokens with art on the back.
2	I have the evidence I need, but I'm not sure how to get started.	Look for indications about sequencing (what's the proper order for the Clue token?) and correlation (how do the Clue tokens relate to the punch-out counters?). You'll also need to examine the Cryptex to reconstruct the glyph alphabet. Some notes on the back of one of the Clue cards should help with that.
3	I'm stumped. For any specific tumbler, explain how to determine how many spaces to advance it.	For tumbler 1, find the Clue token with one item in its art. Examine that token's flavor text carefully and compare it to the front side of the punch-out counter card. You'll need to use the punch-out card together with the art of the back of that token to find a number. Use that number to rotate the tumbler. (The glyph sequence on each tumbler is the same; you just can't see all of it at once.) Then repeat the process for tumbler 2 and the Clue token with two items in its art, and so on.

Solution

Step	Explanation
1	Each clue token corresponds to one tumbler of the Cryptex. The order is the ascending number of items depicted on the clue token: One shoe, two lockets, three daggers, four prints and five puddles. Arranging the clue tokens in that order and flipping them to the back, use the punch-out card and the clues' flavor text to determine the numbers.
2	The flavor texts of the five clue tokens use words that are represented on the punch-out counter. Shoe: "case solved", Locket: "unlock", Daggers: "suspected", Prints: "plus one", Puddles: "stun". Use the corresponding holes on the punch-out card to discover the following numbers from the clues: 3, 11, 7, 14, 8. The punch-out card overlaid the clue tokens in order.
3	Decoding the Cryptex with the translation chart, gives the following letter order for the tumblers: P-N-I-D-C-G-R-H-Y-K-S-L-B-A-O-T-M-E (18 letters). Every tumbler has the same order of letters, but the cryptex starts with the letters M-K-I-B-G. Offsetting these by the numbers found on the back (M+3-K+11-I+7-B+14-G+8) following the letter order of the Cryptex gives the letters of N-I-K-Y-A.
4	Thus, the solution is Nikya of the Old Ways.

Mystery File #10: The Radiant Riddle

Crime Scene: The evidence you need to solve this puzzle can be found on certain Murders at Karlov Manor cards.

Upon reflection, I realized the only way to foil evil schemes is to shine the light of justice on them. Putting the pieces together may offer only a symbolic victory, but it’s worth pursuing nonetheless.

Use the pieces to reconstruct the grid on this page. Orientation within the grid doesn’t matter. After you’ve done that, there will be 12 symbols in the grid. Fill each empty square in the grid with one of those symbols to form continuous paths between symbols. Paths travel up, down, left, or right one square at a time. They don’t travel diagonally, double back on themselves, or cross other paths.

Example:

When the grid is filled, count the number of each symbol in the solved grid.

Expansion:

Card:

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	The whole card set is a lot of evidence to sort through. In general, what should I be looking for?	The puzzle text says to "foil" evil schemes, and "shine" the light of justice on them. That should indicate what versions of the cards to look at. Within those cards, you're searching for puzzle pieces with symbols in them.
2	I can't find all the pieces of evidence. Which cards specifically should I be looking at?	Haazda Vigilante, Cold Case Cracker, Gearbane Orangutan, Pick Your Poison, Chalk Outline, Detective's Satchel, Thinking Cap, and Lumbering Laundry.
3	I'm having trouble putting the pieces into the grid. Can I get some help with placement?	The puzzle piece found on Chalk Outline appears completely within the interior of the grid - no part of it touches the outside edge.

Solution

Step	Explanation
1	Each foil version of the listed cards have one or two symbols in a grid pattern. The radiant riddle foils, showing the partial grids with symbols in each. The grid pieces with symbols, which together form the grid.
2	Assemble the grid using the art on the foil cards. The grid, pieced together The grid, seeded with the right symbols
3	Draw lines between the two instances of each symbol so that the grid is filled. The grid with symbol lines inserted.
4	Counting the symbols, the math for the solution expansion is 8 x 5 + 10 - 13 = 37, corresponding to the Guildpact expansion. The math for the card number is 6 x 8 + 5 - 7 = 46, which in Guildpact corresponds to Cry of Contrition.

Mystery File #11: The Ruby Ruse

The Ruby Ruse puzzle.

Hidden code revealed from the red-light die filter.

Crime Scene: The evidence you need to solve this puzzle can be found within the Murders at Karlov Manor Bundle.

Your head is spinning, but trace evidence has pointed you in the right direction.

The Ruby Ruse mystery file is a visual puzzle insert found in Murders at Karlov Manor Bundles. The puzzle itself can be found on an insert in the bundle but requires the special dice that comes with the bundle to be able to view the hidden elements.

At 2:16, you can see through the diabolical scheme. Reach out to your connections.

— Instructions for The Ruby Ruse.

Product	Clue	Notes
	The Bundle spindown life counter is missing the numbers "2" and "16".	The dice can be used as a red-light filter.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	Exactly what evidence am I looking for within the bundle?	You need the red and yellow image marked "Mystery File: The Ruby Ruse", and you need the red Spindown counter.
2	I'm having a hard time interpreting the text on the image. What does it mean?	The time 2:16, as well as the triangular images with the numbers 2 and 16 on them, indicate the faces of the spindown that are missing their numbers. Those numbers are on opposite sides of the spindown. You can "see through" the spindown to clearly view the symbols obscured within the image. The lines emanating from the symbols "reach out" to one another - try making "connections".
3	I'm certain I'm using all the evidence correctly, but I don't know how to apply the symbols pictured above to my results. What's the last step?	If you've drawn the connections correctly, each group of symbols forms the shape of a letter or number - but some can make more than one, depending on how you orient the page. The list of symbols above tells you what order to put these letters and numbers in (noting that one of the symbols appears twice), as well as how to orient each group. Look carefully at the shading within the symbols.

Solution

Step	Explanation
1	Viewing the symbols with a red filter, such as through the two missing numbers of the Spindown die, reveals the symbols that need to be connected. Draw lines between each symbol where there's a line stub indicating a direction. The Ruby Ruse filtered in red, with lines drawn
2	Follow the instruction by tracing the images in the order and orientation presented in the puzzle to arrive at "DGM 109" The letters and numbers that are represented by the lines
3	DGM 109 corresponds to Tithe Drinker (Dragon's Maze), which is the solution to this particular mystery.

Mystery File #12: The Fractured Fingerprint

Crime Scene: The evidence you need to solve this puzzle can be found in a variety of X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram posts made between January 31 and February 5, 2024. I can’t quite put my finger on it . . . because the evidence has been sliced up and scattered. Collect all the pieces that have been posted, reassemble them, and find the way through.

During the first week of the set's release, Wizards of the Coast started to provide some clues to participants via their primary social media channels (Twitter/X and Instagram). Each post included an illustration from the set with a fragment of a maze superimposed into it.

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	I can't find all the pieces of evidence. Where speficically should I be looking?	Look for posts from @wizards_magic that are tagged with #MTGKarlov. The six specific posts you're looking for appeared on X (formerly Twitter) on January 31, February 2, and February 4, and on Instagram on February 1, February 3, and February 5. One post each day contains art with a piece of a maze embedded within it.
2	I've collapsed all the pieces. What do I do with them?	The pieces can be reassembled like a jigsaw puzzle to form a maze that's shaped like a fingerprint. Then you'll need to solve the maze.
3	I'm certain I've "found the way through", but I don't know how to find the final answer. What am I missing?	The path through the maze, when you look at it the right way, will form letters and numbers. Try looking at the maze from a different vantage point.

List of clues

Clue	Message	Date	Notes
	Something about this post seems…puzzling. 🤔 #MTGKarlov	2024-01-31	Illustration for Case of the Pilfered Proof with a maze fragment superimposed.
	Keep an eye out for anything suspicious! 👁️ #MTGKarlov	2024-02-01	Illustration for Private Eye with a maze fragment superimposed.
	Something is off here, but I can't quite put my finger on it… 👇 #MTGKarlov	2024-02-02	Illustration for Hide in Plain Sight with a maze fragment superimposed.
	If we squint at this really hard, it will make it seem like we're on to something. 😑 #MTGKarlov	2024-02-03	Illustration for Sharp-Eyed Rookie with a maze fragment superimposed.
	Maybe we should try looking at the evidence from a different angle? 🙃 #MTGKarlov	2024-02-04	Illustration for Knowledge Is Power with a maze fragment superimposed.
	"You know my methods. Apply them." 😏 #MTGKarlov	2024-02-05	Illustration for Undergrowth Recon with a maze fragment superimposed.

Maze fragments

• 

  Maze fragment #1.

• 

  Maze fragment #2.

• 

  Maze fragment #3.

• 

  Maze fragment #4.

• 

  Maze fragment #5.

• 

  Maze fragment #6.

Solutions

The pathway through the maze is used to create the shape of a set code and number.

Image	Explanation
	The completed maze
	The pathway through the maze
	The pathway forms the rough shape of the set code GPT 027.
Result: The set code results in an answer of Hatching Plans.

Mystery File #13: The Cunning Conclusion

Crime Scene: The evidence you need to solve this puzzle can be found on certain Murders at Karlov Manor cards. You’ll need your solutions from all of the other Mystery Files to complete your investigation.

It all comes down to this. Although the cases may be rooted in the past, today is the day you can finally unravel this enigma. Each Mystery File will lead you to a card name. All you need to do is follow the evidence.

The Mysterious Museum (3)

The Intriguing Interrogation (1)

The Ruby Ruse (2)

The Unusual Unlock (6)

The Radiant Riddle (3)

The Hidden Homunculus (9)

The Perplexing Prism (5)

The Strange Scenes (10)

The Fractured Fingerprint (1)

The Weird Window (4)

The Confounding Kidnapper (6)

The Arcane Agency (1)

Ask Alquist hints

Number	Question	Hint
1	What do the numbers in parantheses mean?	Each Mystery File will lead you to a card name, and you'll take one letter from each of those names to spell a message. (1) means the first letter of the card name, (2) means the second letter, and so on. When counting letters, ignores spaces and punctuation.
2	I'm using the answers from the mystery files, but it's not spelling anything. What am I doing wrong?	The Mystery File answers are very important, but those aren't the card names you'll use to spell the final message. You have to figure out which Murders at Karlov Manor cards you'll need instead.
3	I'm stumped. What does it mean to "follow the evidence"?	The answers to each of the other Mystery Files is the name of a Magic card from one of the previous sets that took place on Ravnica. You'll have to do some research and look at them all. Each one of them has a connection to a specific Murders at Karlov Manor card. Once you discover one connection, you'll understand what "follow the evidence" means, and you'll be able to find the rest.

Solution

Step	Explanation
1	The solution of Mystery File #1, the Intriguing Interrogation, is Murder Investigation. The same corpse seen in the art of this card is shown in Homicide Investigator. The solution of Mystery File #2, the Hidden Homonculus, is Showstopper. The same mask seen in the art of this card is shown in Meddling Youths. The solution of Mystery File #3, the Strange Scenes, is Cult Guildmage. The same Jace puppet seen in the art of this card is shown in the Case of the Stashed Skeleton. The solution of Mystery File #4, the Perplexing Prism, is Dimir Informant. The same letter seen in the art of this card is shown in Furtive Courier. The solution of Mystery File #5, the Confounding Kidnapper is Saruli Caretaker. The same acorn seen in the art of this card is shown in the Reckless Detective. The solution of Mystery File #6, the Mysterious Museum, is Treasured Find. The same skull necklace seen in the art of this card is shown in the Extract a Confession. The solution of Mystery File #7, the Arcane Agency, is Perilous Forays. The same map seen in the art of this card is shown in the Novice Inspector. The solution of Mystery File #8, the Weird Window, is Keymaster Rogue. The same door knocker seen in the art of this card is shown in the The Pride of Hull Clade. The solution of Mystery File #9, the Unusual Unlock, is Nikya of the Old Ways. The same beast skull seen in the art of this card is shown in the Glint Weaver. The solution of Mystery File #10, the Radiant Riddle, is Cry of Contrition. The same gargoyle seen in the art of this card is shown in the Granite Witness. The solution of Mystery File #11, the Ruby Ruse, is Tithe Drinker. The same thrull seen in the art of this card is shown in the Leering Onlooker. The solution of Mystery File #12, the Fractured Fingerprint, is Hatching Plans. The same glowing gem seen in the art of this card is shown in the Out Cold - in the frozen monster's hand.
2	Put the Murder at Karlov Manor cards in the order presented in the clues, and look for the related letter. Mystery File #6, the Mysterious Museum - Extract a Confession (3). Mystery File #1, the Intriguing Interrogation - Homicide Investigator (1). Mystery File #11, the Ruby Ruse - Leering Onlooker (2). Mystery File #9, the Unusual Unlock - Glint Weaver (6). Mystery File #10, the Radiant Riddle - Granite Witness (3). Mystery File #2, the Hidden Homonculus - Meddling Youths (9). Mystery File #4, the Perplexing Prism - Furtive Courier (5). Mystery File #3, the Strange Scenes - Case of the Stashed Skeleton (10). Mystery File #12, the Fractured Fingerprint - Out Cold (1). Mystery File #8, the Weird Window - The Pride of Hull Glade (4). Mystery File #5, the Confounding Kidnapper - Reckless Detective (6). Mystery File #7, the Arcane Agency - Novice Inspector (1).
3	The letters from the clues are as follows: Extract a Confession (3) = T Homicide Investigator (1) = H Leering Onlooker (2) = E Glint Weaver (6) = W Granite Witness (3) = A Meddling Youths (9) = Y Furtive Courier (5) = I Case of the Stashed Skeleton (10) = S Out Cold (1) = O The Pride of Hull Glade (4) = P Reckless Detective (6) = E Novice Inspector (1) = N
4	The solution to the meta puzzle is "The way is open".

External links

• Mystery File Headquarters website.
• Mweepigeon's Murders at Karlov Manor ARG timeline.

References

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