The 2025-2026 murder mystery season is officially underway! While our detectives have already closed the first two cases of the season, there is plenty more murder and mayhem to come. This week I am excited to announce the next mystery of the season, in which we revisit a theme debuted two years ago – Vikings! Please join Chief Detectives Michelle and Ryan as they lead the Ravenwood Detective Agency in the Case of the Vengeful Viking…

It was not long ago that a local archeologist stunned the world with what many had considered a crackpot theory – that the Vikings had made it much further into mainland North America than previously thought. He theorized that not only had the seaborn explorers visited as far inland as central Ohio, but that they’d established a permanent outpost, the ruins of which lay directly beneath modern day Ravenwood Castle. Though the pioneering academic had been mysteriously murdered on the very site of his discovery, his theory was ultimately proven true by his fellow academics and the intrepid agents of the Ravenwood Detective Agency.

Now, just two short years after his death, a group of the deceased archaeologist’s colleagues have gathered at Ravenwood Castle to begin a thorough study of the Viking ruins. There was a sense of excitement in the air as the dig began, which only grew as the team immediately began uncovering relics. The crown jewel of the first day’s discoveries was a nearly pristine Viking round shield, adorned with a beautifully painted raven.

Before the team wound down for the night, the shield was photographed, tagged and set in a temporary storage room with the other relics. There it should have stayed until the completion of the study. Yet the next morning the shield was found on the other side of the castle, at the entrance to the dig site, lying next to the bludgeoned body of the lead archaeologist.

Panic set in amongst the research team as the news of the grisly death spread. What exactly had happened to their team lead? Was the now splintered shield found next to his body the reason for his death, or even the cause of it? Could there be any truth to the whispers that Ivar Ravenson, the Viking who had founded this outpost, had sworn to take vengeance on any who disturbed his final resting place? Or was there a far more mundane villain to blame, one who was likely still amongst them?

The Ravenwood Detective Agency is calling all agents, veterans and novice alike, to answer these questions and more. Join us December 30^th & 31^st for the Case of the Vengeful Viking!

Tickets for the Case of the Vengeful Viking are $100. As with all of our mysteries, the event starts after dinner the first night (Tuesday in this case). Late arrivals will be accommodated as best as possible, but to enjoy the full experience please attempt to arrive early Tuesday evening.

If you haven’t been to one of our mystery weekends and are wondering what they are all about, check out our Anatomy of a Murder Mystery page for all of the details. And stay tuned here at Quoth the Raven to hear about the rest of the great mysteries we have planned for this season!

Jim Reed

Jim Reed is a lifelong gamer who started with the original red box Dungeons & Dragons. After spending 20 years in the corporate world, he decided it was high time that work be fun and struck out on his own. Jim now owns and operates Ravenwood Castle, and spends his days ensuring his guests have as much fun as he does.