Latin IV

The Court of Shades

Iudicium Umbrarum

Seven locks. One soul on trial before the judges of the dead. Learn how the verdict falls.

🔊 Turn your sound on for the full effect.

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Briefing

A Soul on Trial

A soul stands before the court of the dead. No mortal jury here — only three ancient judges, and a silence older than Rome itself. Somewhere in the shadows a verdict is already taking shape; the only question is which way it falls.

Seven puzzles stand between you and that verdict. Solve one, and the judgment edges closer — until, at the end, one final word reveals how the trial ends.

How To Play

Seven Locks

1

Crossword — the vocabulary of a Roman trial.

2

Anagrams — unscramble seven words for how a trial can end.

3

Cipher — decode a message, then answer the riddle it asks.

4

Matching — one verb, damnō ("to condemn"), active and passive.

5

Picture Count — reassemble a scattered scene, then count what you see.

6

Odd One Out — find the mismatched word in each row to reveal the verdict, then answer questions about it.

7

Final Rebus — one clue from every lock. Their first letters, rearranged, spell the final word.

Every answer box checks itself instantly. Spelling and capitalization are forgiving — macrons are never required.

1

Crossword

Verba Reticulata

Fifteen words from a Roman trial. Every clue gives the English meaning; you supply the Latin. Fill the grid — every crossing letter must agree both ways. Eight cells are marked in red: once the grid is solved, their letters unscramble into one more word.

Across

3. A shadow, or a ghost.
5. A witness.
7. Exile, banishment.
8. Friendship.
12. An ally, a companion.
14. A judge.
15. Reputation, rumour.

Down

1. A court, a senate-house.
2. A crime, a charge.
4. Death.
6. An uproar, a riot.
9. Envy, jealousy.
10. A soul, a spirit.
11. A punishment, a penalty.
13. A law.

The grid is correct. Unscramble the eight red letters:

2

Anagrams

Verba Mixta

Seven words for how a trial can end. Unscramble each one.

ESCSUL
crime, wickedness
GONCOSI
to forgive, to pardon
XMNDAE
lying, untruthful
BARTENEE
darkness, shadows
IPICSULMPU
punishment
SGMEUIT
a groan
ACRMLIA
a tear
3

Cipher

Littera Mota

A message has been shifted 3 letters forward through the alphabet. Shift each letter back 3 to decode it — the message speaks for itself. Answer the question it asks, in Latin.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C
VHQHA HVW VRUGLGXV HVW LQ VFDSKD VHGHW URPDQL GLAHUXQW HXP DQLPDV PRUWXRUXP WUDQV IOXPHQ YHKHUH TXLV HVW

Decode the message — it already asks its own question at the end.

4

Matching

Verbum Ūnum

One verb, damnō, damnāre ("to condemn") — the verdict itself — in every tense you know, active and passive, even the future. Drag each English meaning onto its matching Latin form.

5

Picture Count

Numerī

The picture below has been scattered into 24 pieces — click two to swap them. Each piece locks in place once it's correct. When the whole picture is assembled, five counting questions will appear — in Latin, they ask quot ("how many") of each thing you can find.

A Roman household courtyard at night, lit by lanterns and a full moon, with family, dogs, books, and a temple on the hillside

Click two pieces to swap them. Correct pieces lock in place — keep going until the whole picture is assembled.

6

Odd One Out

Verbum Dīversum

In each row, three tiles belong together and one doesn't. Drag out the odd tile. Find all 15 to learn the court's decision.

_____ _____ _____. _____ _____ _____ _____. _____ _____ _____. _____ _____ _____ _____ _____.

Now that the story is whole, answer these in Latin:

7

Final Rebus

Verbum Ultimum

One clue from every lock you solved. Answer each in Latin — the first letter of each answer will reveal itself, in the order the locks appeared.

You're almost there! Arrange these letters to make a word.

Sententia Lata

The Verdict Is In

The password was:

TRADIT

tradit — "he hands down." The verdict is delivered, and this shade's trial is over.