Just then, a crack of displaced air ripped through the oppressive silence. A swirling vortex of crimson energy materialized beside the party, and from it stepped Vornath, the demon Lucian had made a pact with. His eyes, burning embers like the Elder One's, swept across the scene, taking in the colossal machine, the grotesque creature, and the party's expressions of shock and fear.

A cruel smile twisted Vornath's lips. "Looks like you've found yourselves in a bit of a sticky situation," he rasped, his voice like nails scraping across slate.

Before Lucian could even sputter a response, Vornath reached out a clawed hand. A surge of dark energy enveloped the party, their forms flickering and blurring. Panic surged through them, but before they could scream, the world dissolved into a swirling vortex of crimson and violet.

They reappeared with a sickening lurch on a barren plain of black volcanic rock. The air crackled with an infernal energy. A monstrous, blood-red moon hung low in the inky sky, casting an eerie, crimson glow across the desolate landscape. In the distance, jagged bluffs blocked the horizon, their tops spewing plumes of sulfurous smoke.

Vornath chuckled, a sound like bones grinding together. "Welcome home, little devil…" he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "... and the rest of you mortals, welcome to Hell! It seems that the gem I sent you to retrieve had some complications attached to it. Thankfully I just happened to be looking in on this one.” He pointed at Lucian.

“What do you mean you were ‘Looking in on this one’.” Rance spat.

“You think I’d send my new servant out without my aid?” Vornath stepped towards Rance and the rest of the party. “Seems like a bad investment.”

Now it was Rory’s turn to speak up. “What the hell was that thing? You watched us fight a purple whelpling I assume and did nothing but this thing appears and now you feel the need to rescue us?”

Vornath's amusement was clear in the way his eyes, burning embers like the Elder One's, flickered with dark humor. "Temper, temper, little warrior," he drawled. "Believe me, I did not know that monstrosity even existed. The Elder One... that was just a story whispered amongst lesser demons, a campfire tale to frighten fledgling imps." A hint of surprise flickered across his demonic visage. "Apparently, the legends held some truth. And if the legends are true you do not possess the power to take that gem from him anyways."

He circled the party, his gaze lingering on each member. "You see," he continued, his voice laced with a newfound seriousness, "even for a powerful demon lord such as myself, the Elder One is untouchable. Its slumbering power is enough to shake the very foundations of the Planes. If the legends are true," he emphasized, his voice dropping to a low growl, "it can consume entire realities, bending them to its will."

“The Elder One. I’ve heard that name. I refuse to believe that it is a real entity.” Kainth scowled.

“Well believe it or not it seems to exist and there is even more of a reason for me to get these gems.” Vornath glared at the party.

Rance stepped towards Vornath. “What if we say no? What if we just stop helping you? I didn’t really sign up for giving gems to a demon lord so he could defeat a reality bending mythological creature.”

Vornath smiled. “Well you don’t want Lucian to try and tackle all of this alone now that you know what he’s in for right?” Vornath now shifted his look to menacing. “If that’s not good enough I will threaten you with the same threat I did Lucian. I will turn each and everyone of you into a greasy smear.”

The party recoiled from the demon lord's threat.

“Well I guess now that we don’t really have a choice I want more information.” Kainith said in a forceful tone. “How many gems are there and how are they going to help you stop a god?”

Vornath snapped his fingers and the party was ripped from the reality they were in and their vision faded to a bright white light. The sensation of being yanked abruptly stopped and the party saw a cobble stone floor and a long dark wooden table with a red table runner going down the middle of it. Vornath sat on a throne at the head of the table as the party regained their vision.

“Please sit.” Vornath gestured to some chairs around the table. “I thought my manor would be a better place to discuss these kinds of things. Better than a chipped obsidian plane anyways.” 

The party sat around the table looking up to Vornath for the information he had. 

A smile returned to Vornath’s ghastly visage knowing that he had won. “I’m not going to tell you what I'm going to do with the gems. That would be just too tempting for you to do something dumb like try and betray me. What I will tell you though is I need four more. There is the Opal you already brought me, the amethyst which you now know is slightly out of our reach, there is an onyx one, a blue one and lastly a red one.” Vornath looked more serious now. “I am still tracking leads down on a few of them but I do have some info on the next one.” 

“Get on with it, demon.” Rory spat

“Oh impatient one fine. I’m sending you to Riven. Small town in the far north. My sources tell me there is a gem in the area. That’s all I know.”

This time Rance spoke up. “So you want us to just guess where the gem is?”

Vornath waved a hand dismissively. “I’m sure you will come up with something. These gems are beyond powerful. I’m sure there will be clues.” Vornath straightened up in his chair. “Now we need to get you out of here. As much as I would like to keep you around for a lovely dinner. I’m sure at this point someone knows you're here and if you think I’m bad you don’t want to meet anyone on the elder council.”

“Vornath we need more…” As Lucian spoke up his vision went white and a loud crack was followed by a thud as he was laying on his back. Looking up at the dark bluish and purple sky with the two iconic moons.

“Well I guess we aren’t getting more.” Kainith piped up.

Lucian sat up and in the distance he saw a small town with twinkling torch light in the distance. “That must be Riven.” Lucian said with new found resolve.