## Scene One – The Crossing The ritual does not tear open a portal in the conventional sense. As the final words are spoken, the Black Gem absorbs the surrounding light until its polished surface resembles an endless void. One by one, each member of the party places a hand upon the stone, feeling an unnatural cold spread through their arm before reaching their chest. For a brief moment every heartbeat stops. There is no pain, no sensation of movement, only the overwhelming certainty that something ancient has reached into their soul and acknowledged their existence. The feeling passes as suddenly as it arrived. The room, the ritual circle and everyone who remained behind simply cease to exist. There is no flash of light or violent surge of magic. The party realises they have crossed into another reality only because the world around them has changed. They stand within an immense chamber whose polished black floor stretches beyond the limits of their vision. Towering pillars disappear into darkness overhead, supporting a ceiling so distant that it cannot be seen. Every surface has been carved from flawless obsidian, yet none of it bears the marks of tools or craftsmanship. The chamber appears to have been formed as a single piece, as though it had grown rather than been constructed. The silence is unsettling. Armour no longer rattles, cloaks barely stir, and even the sound of breathing seems strangely muted, as if the prison itself is absorbing every unnecessary noise. As the party begins to move, the polished floor reflects scenes that have nothing to do with them. A farmer embraces his daughter before leaving for war. A young apprentice carefully copies arcane notes beneath the watchful eye of an elderly wizard. A mother laughs as she teaches her son to fish from the banks of a quiet river. Each memory lasts only a few seconds before dissolving into another, creating the impression that the chamber itself is built from the final recollections of those it has claimed. None of the people shown acknowledge the party's presence, and no matter how carefully the characters watch, the same memory never appears twice. --- # Act 1 # Encounter 1: The Black Gem **Expected Duration:** 30–45 minutes **Objective:** Discover how the Black Gem can be opened. The party leaves the Temple of Alexandria with the Black Gem after the failed resurrection. The High Priest can offer no further aid beyond confirming that Steve's soul still exists and was forcibly reclaimed during the resurrection. The clergy recommend seeking Isolde, whose knowledge of cursed artefacts is unmatched. When Isolde examines the Gem, she immediately dismisses attempts to identify or dispel it. After several minutes of silent examination she places the Gem on the table and states, "You cannot force this open. Acererak never relied on strength or magic alone. Every prison he built had a lock, and every lock had a method." She refuses to touch the Gem again, believing repeated interference could trigger unknown defences, but agrees to observe while the party experiments. For the remainder of the encounter, allow the party complete freedom to interact with the Gem. The following actions always produce the same results. |Player Action|Result| |---|---| |Examine the Gem|The surface is flawless black crystal with no visible seams, runes or openings.| |Detect Magic|The Gem radiates overwhelming necromancy. The aura appears to fold inward rather than outward.| |Identify|The spell succeeds but reveals only: **"Soul Prison. Creator: Acererak."** No other information is returned.| |Legend Lore|The caster witnesses Acererak sealing the Gem before speaking the words, _"Only those who know the command may enter."_ The command itself is never heard.| |Contact Other Plane|The entity confirms the Gem is a demiplane and that it possesses an entrance. It refuses or is unable to reveal how that entrance is opened.| |Commune|The deity truthfully answers the following questions: **Is Steve alive?** _Yes._ **Can resurrection free her?** _No._ **Can the Gem be opened?** _Yes._| |Wish|The spell confirms the Gem is protected by a deliberate magical lock rather than an indestructible enchantment. The Wish cannot bypass the lock.| |Damage the Gem|The Gem is immune to all damage.| |Dispel Magic / Remove Curse|No effect.| |Plane Shift|The spell fails. The Gem is not itself a destination.| Once the players have exhausted obvious magical solutions, Isolde asks a single question: **"If this were a vault rather than a gemstone, what would you do next?"** Allow the party to discuss freely. The encounter does not progress until a player reaches the conclusion that the Gem is **locked**, not **sealed**, and that its opening mechanism must be discovered rather than overcome. If the players struggle, Isolde provides one final observation. She places the Gem beside Steve's holy symbol recovered from the temple. For the briefest moment, faint silver runes become visible beneath the Gem's surface before disappearing again. The runes are not activated by spells, but by **specific conditions**. The party has now solved the encounter's objective: magical force cannot open the Black Gem; they must discover and reproduce the conditions that cause its hidden lock to reveal itself. This conclusion leads directly into the next encounter. # Encounter 2: The First Lock **Expected Duration:** 20–30 Minutes After concluding that the Black Gem is a magical prison rather than an indestructible artefact, Isolde continues her examination. Hours pass without progress until, while rotating the Gem beneath a lantern, faint silver lettering briefly appears across its surface before fading once more. The writing cannot be revealed through magic alone. Any creature holding the Gem while standing in bright light can read the inscription as it slowly appears and disappears across the crystal. > **The first truth is never chosen.** > **The final truth is never denied.** > **Declare.** The inscription offers no further guidance. Isolde cannot decipher its meaning and deliberately refuses to speculate, believing that assuming the wrong answer could permanently lock the Gem. From this point onward, the encounter belongs entirely to the players. Allow them to discuss the inscription, question one another, reference Steve's life, examine the Gem, and experiment with spoken declarations. The Gem remains completely inert unless the exact conditions are met. The players may attempt any declaration they wish. The Gem gives no response to incorrect answers. It does not punish failure, nor does it provide hints. The following are common attempts. |Declaration|Result| |---|---| |"Steve is dead."|No effect.| |"Diamond Emberfoot."|No effect.| |"Diamond Emberfoot has died."|No effect.| |"Diamond Emberfoot is deceased."|No effect.| |"Diamond Emberfoot is dead."|**Success.**| |Any nickname, title or alias|No effect.| If the players struggle, allow Intelligence (History) or Wisdom (Insight) checks. **History DC 15.** Steve's true birth name was **Diamond Emberfoot**. **Insight DC 18.** The inscription does not ask for two statements. It asks for **two truths declared together**. When a creature clearly declares, > **"Diamond Emberfoot is dead."** the Gem emits a deep resonating tone audible throughout the room. A single silver rune ignites beneath the crystal's surface and remains illuminated. The inscription disappears forever, replaced by a second, still-hidden mechanism within the Gem. The first lock has been opened.