E1 — The Soot Gallery
Unique · Quest Item · Mansion of Ash
Ember Key
A palm-sized iron key with a coal-bright ember trapped in its bow. It stays warm even when submerged and leaves a faint soot trail when carried near the mansion’s sealed stair.
Use: Interact at the sealed stair on the upper level.
Effect: The key opens the stair to the mansion’s final level and suppresses the ash ward for 10 minutes. Once used, it becomes cold and inert until the mansion’s heart is confronted.
Story function: This is the scene’s required quest item; finding it completes Scene 2 and unlocks the next upper level.
PF2e Challenge
The Soot Gallery Challenge
Primary CheckPerception, Crafting, or Thievery DC 16
ProgressAchieve 3 successes before 2 failures. Every 2 rounds of delay adds one escalation, but never removes the route forward.
Critical SuccessThe party exposes one portrait anchor and gains a +1 circumstance bonus to the next check.
SuccessThe party makes progress toward exposing an anchor.
FailureA portrait exhales ash; creatures in the gallery are concealed until the end of the next turn.
Critical FailureThe gallery seals another door and releases an ash hazard; the challenge remains available.
S2-E1 · Moderate Hazard · Level 2
Ashglass Portrait Snare
The portrait’s painted mouth opens just wide enough for a breath of ash.
StealthPerception DC 18 to notice the hair-thin soot thread before it is crossed.
DescriptionA soot thread connects the cracked mosaic to three portrait anchors.
DisableThievery or Crafting DC 16; 2 successes. A character can also expose an anchor with an Interact action.
TriggerA creature crosses the mosaic or pulls a portrait frame without first disabling the snare.
EffectThe gallery doors slam shut. Ash fills the room, creatures are concealed until the end of their next turn, and two Sootbound Custodians emerge from the nearest portraits.
ResetThe trap resets after 10 minutes unless all three portrait anchors are exposed.
Delay: Every 2 rounds after activation, one unbroken portrait releases another ash hazard. The doors remain openable after the trap is defeated.