S2-E5 — The Sealed Stair – The Lost Mansions of House Vhalek: Ash, Glass, and Thorn (imported)

S2-E5 · Upper Level · Moderate lock hazard

The Sealed Stair

A stairwell descends through solid stone, but a black iron door bars the way. A keyhole glows with a coal-red outline and the lock clicks like a heartbeat.

The stair is the objective route to the mansion’s final level. It accepts the Ember Key from S2-E7, but clever characters can also open it by restoring the missing sequence of six house marks.

Success: The lock records the party’s progress and can be opened immediately if the Ember Key is later inserted.

Complication: The stair exhales heat and summons a moderate ash hazard. The lock resets, but the clues remain.

Delay clock: After each two rounds, one rune brightens and a distant stair begins descending toward the party. The sound creates urgency without sealing the encounter.