**Theme:** _Christmas is making space for someone else._ **Where:** Formal dining room. Long table set for a feast that never came. **What they see:** A massive table with **dozens of chairs**, all neatly pushed in. At the head of the table is **one chair pulled out**, clearly meant for someone important. Above it, carved into the wall: **“There is always room. Someone must choose to make it.”** At the far end of the room is the exit door — frozen solid. A spectral scene plays on repeat: - Laughter echoes. - Plates appear full. - Then one figure approaches the table… and hesitates. - No one moves a chair. - The figure fades away. The scene resets. --- ## How it works To unlock the door, **one character must give up their seat**. That means: - They physically **stand away from the table** - Or pull out a chair for the unseen figure - Or choose to sit on the floor, lean against the wall, etc. Mechanically, the character must **voluntarily remove themselves from the “group advantage”**: - They take no benefit from the feast’s warmth - They do not gain the room’s blessing - If combat later occurs, they start without a buff the others receive No check. No trick. Someone just has to say: > “I’ll make space.” The moment they do: - The spectral figure sits. - The feast becomes real. - The ice on the exit door cracks and melts. --- ## Optional Mechanical Weight (use only if you want stakes) After the puzzle: - Everyone seated gains **advantage on their next save** - Or **temporary hit points** - The one who stood aside gets **nothing** No penalty. Just absence. ## Fail State If everyone insists on sitting: - The feast rots. - Chairs begin pulling themselves in. - The room grows cramped and cold. After a few minutes, Grump says: > “Interesting. Plenty of room. No space.” The door remains sealed until someone relents. --- ## Subtle Hint - The pulled-out chair is _never_ used by a player unless they explicitly give it to someone else. - The spectral figure always pauses near whoever looks most uncertain. --- ## Grump’s reaction If someone gives up their seat immediately: > “…You didn’t even hesitate.” If it takes debate: > “Funny how hard it is to stand when sitting feels earned.” If no one wants to: > “That’s the problem, isn’t it.” --- ## Why this works under pressure - No riddles - No rolls - No clever wording - Forces a **visible sacrifice** - Leaves a **memory**, not a solution If you want: - I can make this **tie directly to Grump’s exile**, - or turn it into a **mirror of a past betrayal**, - or combine this with a **final confrontation speech** where Grump breaks. Just say the word.