How to Save Archie in Mask of the Rose

Poor Archie is about to get punished for a crime he didn’t commit, and it’s up to you to safely deliver him from the gallows to safety. The stakes are high, and time is limited. Fortunately for you, we’ve already cracked the case, and this guide here will help you do the same.

Saving Archie

To save Archie in Mask of the Rose, you’ll have to build a case and present it to Harjit, who’ll then take it to court.

Who killed David?

Phoebe killed David by lighting poisoned candles in his room, and the instructions provided below will help you prove it.

The Interrogation Stage

You’ll have to interrogate everyone associated with David, the victim whom Archie supposedly poisoned. That includes Rachel, Phoebe, Milton, Virginia, and Griz.

Conversing with them unlocks actions and motives that you can use to build your case. There is no special trick involved, and you’ll eventually stumble upon the words and sentences required to build the case that saves Archie. Simply interrogate them, ask them questions, be pushy, and at the end of the encounter, you’ll unlock the needed phrases/words.

Figuring out the Method

This was the trickiest part of the whole investigation and took us quite a long time to solve. After you’ve interrogated all the possible suspects, visit Ferret, the shopkeeper, and talk to him about the arsenic candles. He’ll reveal how putting arsenic in candles makes them burn longer.

Doing so unlocks the Poison Candle Circumstance, which you can include in the Method section of the story.

Now visit Phoebe and confront her about using poisonous candles to kill David. Keep coaxing her until she caves in, confesses to the crime, and unlocks the “told of impermanent murder” action. Now arrange the pieces to make your final case.

Arranging all the Pieces

It’s time to put everything together. You’ll need the following to build the final case:

1. Culprits – Phoebe, Milton

2. Method – Poison Candle

3. Motives (Phoebe) – Loved David, made an honest mistake.

4. Motives (David) – Served an Eldritch purpose, and wanted the murder to succeed.

5. Actions (Phoebe) – Asked David to stay below, poisoned David (locked).

6. Actions (David) – Told of impermanent murder, lied about everything.

Once you’ve arranged everything, it’ll look similar to the screenshot below.

Submitting the Case

After arranging everything, head over to Harjit and plead your case.

Once he’s convinced, you’ll head to court the next day, where the trial takes place. During courtroom proceedings, maintain a neutral stance whenever a prompt arises. Don’t intimidate Miton or Sympathize with Phoebe (we are not sure if doing so affects the case, but we chose to be on the safe side). Simply sit and observe, except for one instance.

When the Barrister hesitates, choose “Encourage the barrister with a tiny nod”.