The Case of the Vanished Dragon Keeper
At dawn the great horn sounded over Emberhold: the Dragon Keeper was gone, snatched right off the watch tower. Scorch marks, loose scales, and a half-frozen lock were the only signs left behind. The castle's young scribe grabbed a quill and a notebook, because the only way to track this Rogue Dragon was to do the math.
Possible suspects
Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.
| Name | Breath Weapon | Hidden Skill | Head Shape | Scale Color | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stormtail | Frost | Sky Soaring | Horned | Sapphire | Dragon Riddle |
| Frostfang | Fire | Tunnel Digging | Crested | Emerald | Salt Circle |
| Cinderclaw | Frost | Tail Whipping | Crested | Emerald | Silver Bell |
| Nightglide | Shadow | Vanishing | Crested | Emerald | Salt Circle |
| Voltaris | Stone | Sky Soaring | Horned | Sapphire | Silver Bell |
| Boulderback | Shadow | Water Diving | Crested | Sapphire | Salt Circle |
| Gildwing | Fire | Tail Whipping | Crested | Emerald | Dragon Riddle |
| Pyrelle | Fire | Water Diving | Crested | Emerald | Silver Bell |
| Glacieron | Frost | Water Diving | Crested | Emerald | Salt Circle |
| Tindra | Shadow | Tunnel Digging | Crested | Sapphire | Silver Bell |
| Brimstone | Fire | Vanishing | Horned | Crimson | Salt Circle |
| Hollowroar | Lightning | Water Diving | Crested | Emerald | Salt Circle |
| Thornscale | Stone | Tunnel Digging | Crested | Emerald | Salt Circle |
| Ironbrook | Shadow | Tunnel Digging | Horned | Crimson | Dragon Riddle |
| Saltspine | Shadow | Tunnel Digging | Horned | Sapphire | Salt Circle |
| Wyndra | Shadow | Water Diving | Horned | Sapphire | Salt Circle |
| Coralfin | Frost | Sky Soaring | Crested | Crimson | Salt Circle |
| Duskmaw | Lightning | Tunnel Digging | Horned | Emerald | Dragon Riddle |
| Ashwing | Shadow | Tail Whipping | Horned | Sapphire | Dragon Riddle |
| Quillscale | Lightning | Water Diving | Horned | Emerald | Salt Circle |
| Verdamaw | Fire | Sky Soaring | Crested | Crimson | Silver Bell |
Rounding
The castle's scrying mirror tracks dragons, but it only shows their wingspan rounded to the nearest ten feet. Round the reading to learn which trick this dragon could never pull off.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Addition
On the tower the scribe counts scorch marks in two clusters and adds them together to figure out if the witness who saw the head shape was telling the truth.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Subtraction
Some watch lanterns were smashed in the attack. Subtract the broken ones from the full set to discover which weakness drove the dragon back.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Multiplication facts (1-12)
The roost holds neat rows of cracked eggshells, the same number in each row. Multiply the rows by the count in each to match the scale found at the scene.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Division facts (1-12) — the last clue
Three scouts must split the recovered claw prints evenly between them. Divide the prints to name the very last clue and corner the Rogue Dragon.
First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!
Name the culprit
Choose the one suspect left standing.
Answer Key — The Case of the Vanished Dragon Keeper
- Clue 1 (Rounding): "THE VILLAIN CANNOT VANISH"Round 20,392 to the nearest ten thousand = 20000 (T) · Round 135,399 to the nearest ten thousand = 140000 (H) · Round 2,753 to the nearest hundred = 2800 (I) · Round 693 to the nearest hundred = 700 (S) · Round 27,934 to the nearest thousand = 28000 (N) · Round 6,512 to the nearest thousand = 7000 (C) · Round 244,801 to the nearest hundred thousand = 200000 (L) · Round 4,650,827 to the nearest hundred thousand = 4700000 (V) · Round 20 to the nearest ten = 20 (O) · Round 1,401,411 to the nearest hundred thousand = 1400000 (E) · Round 711,351 to the nearest hundred thousand = 700000 (A)
- Clue 2 (Addition): "A WITNESS SAW A TALL FEATHERY CREST"5060 + 4630 = 9690 (A) · 6125 + 3535 = 9660 (I) · 1338 + 1702 = 3040 (W) · 1825 + 2123 = 3948 (C) · 6136 + 3676 = 9812 (N) · 1956 + 1689 = 3645 (Y) · 2384 + 2698 = 5082 (R) · 1981 + 4072 = 6053 (T) · 1845 + 4033 = 5878 (S) · 1968 + 3418 = 5386 (F) · 3437 + 4124 = 7561 (L) · 3226 + 2834 = 6060 (H) · 2408 + 3192 = 5600 (E)
- Clue 3 (Subtraction): "A MAID POURED A SALT CIRCLE TO STOP IT"4456 - 3199 = 1257 (A) · 8259 - 2500 = 5759 (C) · 7028 - 51 = 6977 (L) · 2213 - 1045 = 1168 (S) · 7819 - 1469 = 6350 (E) · 4491 - 2652 = 1839 (T) · 6143 - 2417 = 3726 (O) · 1974 - 196 = 1778 (D) · 6906 - 3536 = 3370 (R) · 6593 - 4840 = 1753 (I) · 9555 - 2564 = 6991 (P) · 8279 - 976 = 7303 (M) · 7793 - 3195 = 4598 (U)
- Clue 4 (Multiplication facts (1-12)): "AN EMERALD SCALE STUCK TO THE WALL"10 × 5 = 50 (A) · 7 × 12 = 84 (H) · 10 × 9 = 90 (U) · 5 × 5 = 25 (D) · 12 × 8 = 96 (T) · 11 × 4 = 44 (K) · 2 × 9 = 18 (E) · 9 × 12 = 108 (R) · 11 × 11 = 121 (M) · 4 × 1 = 4 (L) · 2 × 11 = 22 (C) · 8 × 2 = 16 (W) · 12 × 11 = 132 (N) · 9 × 6 = 54 (S) · 3 × 9 = 27 (O)
- Clue 5 (Division facts (1-12)): surviving statement (box 9) → Hollowroar9 ÷ 9 = 1 · 24 ÷ 3 = 8 · 8 ÷ 4 = 2 · 32 ÷ 8 = 4 · 5 ÷ 1 = 5 · 60 ÷ 10 = 6 · 24 ÷ 8 = 3 · 33 ÷ 3 = 11 · 60 ÷ 6 = 10 · 60 ÷ 5 = 12 · 63 ÷ 9 = 7
About this mystery
- Grade level
- Grade 5 math
- Math topics
- Rounding, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
- Reading level
- grades 5-6
- Theme
- The Case of the Vanished Dragon Keeper — set in the cliffside castle of Emberhold and its volcano roosts
- Format
- Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
- Solution
- One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects