#exu prime: beyond the heart city

[septembermonologues]

this feels like it might have been the moment that cemented for liam and ashley that dorian was theirs to keep

[ghor-dranas]

The Betrayer God's True Nature

I can understand people questioning the history books and the source books we’ve been given. History is, of course, written by the victors, and the source books are demonstrably filled with incorrect or biased information [intentionally so, I might add, as they are posing as at least partially in-universe texts, relaying in-universe opinions.] We’ve just seen in ExU: Calamity that Orcs, which we were previously lead to believe were created in a fight between Gruumsh and Corellon during the Calamity, predate the war by enough time that half-orcs are common members of society. So it is natural to call everything into question, after all the betrayer gods have a much harder time defending themselves from behind the divine gate.

However, we have seen some of their actions in the present day in canon, not stories told second hand! Namely those of Lolth and Tharizdun, so let’s compare and contrast their actions with those of the Prime Deities.

During Exandria Unlimited’s first run, the party to be known as The Crown Keepers found The Circlet of Barbed Vision, a Vestige of Divergence created by Lolth. It made everyone who touched it that didn’t have a chaotic or evil alignment throw up, or at least extremely nauseous. From the moment they found it, Lolth began giving the party dreams and visions. They started fairly innocuous, simply seeing spiders everywhere, with webs appearing along their skin and their eyes turning black. Scary, but not in anyway harmful. Then, when no one put on the circlet, she escalated. In E1x05: A Test of Worth, Lolth sent Dariax a dream where he was alone and frightened in a barren wasteland. She asked him why he was scared and why he was running from the circlet. He said it seemed bad, and her response was:

AABRIA: "Why do you care that it's bad? What is 'bad'? It's interesting. It's powerful."MATT: Yeah, but, I don't know, I'm traveling with some better people now and I don't want to disappoint them.AABRIA: "Really?"MATT: I guess so.AABRIA: "But you took it. You kept it. I'm so close and you're just going to what, hold me in a bag?"MATT: For now.AABRIA: "Boring. You are boring." [E1x05: A Test of Worth, 0:37:21]

She also directly stated that she knew he was no good on his own, that’s why she picked him. To be clear, he started speaking disparagingly of himself, and she agreed with him. Then, she spoke to Dorian in his dreams and had this conversation:

ROBBIE: What do you want from us? Please!AABRIA: And a voice, low, feminine, just, "(chuckles) What do you mean, what do I want?"ROBBIE: Why are you doing this?AABRIA: "Because I'm bored."ROBBIE: You're tormenting my companions and I because you're bored?AABRIA: "Yeah, duh." [E1x05: A Test of Worth, 1:21:05]

Lolth was tormenting the Crown Keepers, enduing hallucinations and nightmares, because she was bored. That’s the canonical, stated reason from her own mouth. And she didn’t stop there! When still no one put on the crown, she began appealing to each and every single one of the party across the last two episodes. Here are some choice quotes from her:

"Everything you walked away from. And now you're here at the ass end of the world. Doing what? For what? They don't need you. Doing fine without you. They'd probably be better without you. You could be more valuable if you weren't such a coward." to Dorian [disclaimer: Dorian perceives this as just negative self-talk but he also only rolled a 10, this is almost certainly Lolth given he had the thought while wiping spider silk from his eyes] [E1x07: Beyond the Heart City, 0:41:40]

-and-

You feel your skin going cold and you hear that voice in your ear again that says, "(cold laugh) You know it's not going to work."ROBBIE: I'm going to try to cast it anyway.AABRIA: "Okay. I'll wait for you to fail. And then tell you how you don't have to be so ineffectual once again." [E1x07: Beyond the Heart City, 2:40:10 ]

-and-

"It's not looking very good, is it? You're going to die here. You're all going to die here."ROBBIE: I think you underestimate my friends.AABRIA: "I think you overestimate them."ROBBIE: I guess we'll see.AABRIA: "A real leader would do what was required of him to ensure success. And I'm so very close. You could just reach out and grab me." [E1x08: What Comes Next, 1:16:42]

She turned her attention to Opal, offering her health and magical energy so she could get her sister back, praying on her vulnerability, and notably insulting her at the time:

AIMEE: Okay. What do I get for wearing it, what do I get? AABRIA: "Maybe the ability to be less fucking useless right now." [E1x08: What Comes Next, 0:54:25] Opal then put on the circlet, and it instantly transformed her. Those who have watched ExU: Kymal will be aware of the extent of her change in appearance, but I shall provide an image for those who haven’t.

The above transformation wasn't instant, her eye changed colour over time. The most important thing to note, however, is that she found herself unable to remove the Circlet. When she tried, this happened:

AABRIA: Give me-- Give me a charisma saving throw.AIMEE: Okay [...] 13!AABRIA: A number too auspicious. I can't, I can't not play with it. You wrap your hands around and you feel the actual pricks of it in your skin and you feel that it immediately draws blood from your fingertips. [...]AABRIA: And then you hear, "(tutting) Why don't you keep it on for a while, then decide?" And you try to pull it free, and you feel it shifting something below your skin. It seems a little bit ill-advised to try to pull free right now. You can certainly keep going, but you will take damage. [E1x08: What Comes Next, 3:21:12]

Over time, Opal grew accustomed to hearing the voice of The Spider Queen in her head at all times, and came to view her as a friend of sorts, even offering to rework her image. Lolth decided to give Opal a challenge, that if she succeeded would make her her champion. This on the surface isn’t too different from the Prime Deities, who have also been known to challenge mortals aspiring for that title. But let’s compare the challenges themselves.

Vex’ahlia and Pelor: Vex’s challenge was to climb to the top of a tower before the time ran out, and then jump into fire at the end. During her ascent she was attacked by planetars trying to detain her, not to hurt her. [1x104: Elysium]

Scanlan and Ioun: Scanlan’s challenge was to find a specific book in an endless library within an hour. He was not attacked or hindered in anyway. [1x106: The Endless Atheneum]

Yasha and Kord: Yasha was continually challenged by Kord, as he is the god of, well, battle and competitions. Each challenge was a physical fight, her first against a lightning elemental [2x46: A Storm of Memories], the second against 6 elementals [2x130: The Calm Before the Storm + 2x131: Into the Eye]. 

Now, let’s look at Opal and Lolth. In ExU: Kymal, Part 2 Lolth “tests” Opal. 

AABRIA: […] "Okay. Well then, will you be my champion?"AIMEE: Yes! Oh my god, I've been dying for you to ask. Yes.AABRIA: "Every champion requires a test. But I know how strong you are."AIMEE: Okay. Is that a written test? I'm bad at those.AABRIA: "No."AIMEE: Okay.AABRIA: "I apologize, because this is going to hurt." Make a constitution saving throw.AIMEE: Oh no. What did I just agree to? […] 19. […]AABRIA: Opal, you feel your conception of yourself double over in pain. Your veins and arteries feel like they are filled with fire Your veins and arteries feel like they are filled with fire as poison rushes through your body. You see in your mind's eye, you're looking down at yourself, and you see shuttering flashes of what could be, of people that have failed the Spider Queen's test and been warped and twisted and turned into horrible monsters who have no will of their own. They're simply bent into her service. But you know who you are. That presence of mind that lets you stand and speak to a god as an equal, as a partner, courses back through you, strengthens your resolve, hardens your veins to iron and you feel that pain lessen and lessen until it's a warm comfort that runs through your veins. Something else close to you inside of you and a part of you as your circlet awakens. [E2x02, 1:17:42]

Loth’s “test” is literally just straight up poisoning Opal. That is the test. Either she passes or she is turned into a monster. 

And very quickly, while we’re on the subject of divine champions, let’s look at our good friend The Laughing Hand, Champion of Torog! While researching in 2x78 Between the Lines, the Mighty Nein came across these notes:

 "The Laughing Hand was once a warrior named Ganix who sought to strike down Torog with his army. His soldiers were slaughtered and himself captured and tortured. Torog twisted and cursed his body to an endless cycle of servitude, his ever-living heart locked beyond the veil to ensure an eternal pact. [...] rumor has it that his heart was set adrift in extra-planar space to ensure it was never found. Though numerous arcanists were said to have sought it for their own research.” [2x78: Between the Lines, 3:21:20]

Now, I know we shouldn’t take books as gospel, but the Nein did find his heart in a pocket dimension, so I think in this instance there’s a high degree of veracity to the claim.

The Laughing Hand was a servant of Torog brainwashed into working for Obann, who was in turn an unknowing servant of Tharizdun. He believed himself to be working for The Angel of Irons, as no sane person works for Tharizdun knowingly and willingly. It has been confirmed out of game by Matt that Obann not only didn’t know the true nature of who he’d been serving but if the party had informed him, he could have been persuaded to stop. (“He was unaware. Right up until the very end. His moment of realization was right before he was going to die.” Talks Machina: Discussing C2E86 - The Cathedral. 52:13)

Tharizdun gave Obann a suggestion, let him create a cult of worship around this false idol, all while working to free it. Tharizdun was also interested in Cognouza, in its horribly corrupted state. This entire quote from the Campaign 2 Wrap Up is pertinent: 

[The] Chained Oblivion, when it begins to corrupt somebody, this corruption, [...] that is the Chained Oblivion's influence, takes the form of whatever the creature thinks it might be looking for. And that's how it ends up masquerading [...] as different cults, as different figures, as different ways that it just undermines society. And so the Angel of Irons was a creation of Obann looking for something to follow and it allowed him to create this entity that he was looking to, without knowing really what it was. And to the same point, Cognouza became something that he just subtly wanted to happen because they had a similar-- He knew would've come to a goal of his, which is the annihilation of everything, and darkness forever. And so that was actually why [...] Kingsley's, towards the end of the campaign, that one little memory I threw in there of  weird, lingering memory of the birth of the city. You see these black chains shattering in this ancient will. That was the Chained Oblivion losing its subtle investment in Cognouza.

Tharizdun’s stated goal is “the annihilation of everything and darkness forever.” 

Now finally I’d like to bring up the Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen comic. For those of you who haven’t read it [spoilers] the summary is as follows: 

"Leylas Kryn has spent multiple lives in her pursuit to assemble the Luxon. With her eternal lover Quana at her side, she will stop at nothing to use its power to bring a Golden Age to the people under her rule. When what seems to be the final piece of the Luxon appears nearby, Leylas sends Quana to collect it." [Part One]

Quana is unfortunately captured on this quest by servants of Lolth who drag her back to her domain. Leylas goes and rescues her, successfully recovering the beacon in the process. However, since their return, Leylas is plagued by continual nightmares and hallucinations from Lolth [I’m sensing a pattern here from the Spider Queen].

[Both from Part Three]

The happy couple have a child, a young girl named Caelestis. Leylas allows Quana to raise her while she herself campaigns across the country, still suffering from visions. At one point, the hallucinations are so vivid that she lashes out, beheading a politicial leader in his own court.

The final insult to injury is poor Caelestis herself. You see, she isn’t a normal drow. She’s a monster either created or corrupted by Lolth.

We’ve reached the end of the post, so I’ll stop being coy. The Betrayer Gods are not your friends. They are not maligned, misunderstood losers in history. They are lying emotionally manipulative abusers who will say and do whatever they need to in order to get what they want. And what they want is the ultimate destruction of Exandria itself and all people on it. They are happy to manipulate and subjugate everyone in the meantime because they are cruel, petty and malicious. 

Asmodeus sent Zerxus a sad dream painting himself as the victim, and I am asking you not to fall for it. 

[septembermonologues]

i need someone to shake orym's heavy, tense little shoulders and repeat this to him with aabria's same intention and care