ExU: Divergence is a four-episode mini series that follows everyday folks picking up the pieces of their world in the wake of a cataclysmic war between the gods. As the dust settles, the mortals of Exandria discover how their world has been changed forever.

Watch the episode live on Twitch and YouTube at 7pm PST. Restreams on Twitch at midnight and the next day at 9am PST.

Runtime	Break start
5h 01m	2h 32m

ExU: Divergence | Part 1

“Give and Take”

"Hope…
is a dangerous thing. Cruel and painful."
You behold, on obsidian walls, overlooking the fortress prison of Rybad-Kol, your leader Asmog (a vampiric hobgoblin dressed in black armor) who holds a writhing hobgoblin elder by the throat, lifting him up off the ground.
The Sundering Lord, ruler of the Steel Keep, this is the commander of the garrison of the prison which all of you will from this day to your last.
“Hope. That which corrodes the soul and weakens the spirit. That sharpest and most painful barb. It can drive you to madness if you let it. No, for you my pets, I do not wish this.”
Under his hand you see the grip tighten and the writhing elder that is held aloft (silver streaks in his hair he wears the clothes of a prisoner). As Asmog raises him ever higher, the Sundering Lord looks at all of you.
“If pain is what you feel, then it is the comfort of dispair you musk seek. Surrendering hope is the only balm you will ever know. Some will tell you otherwise! They are fools.”
Assembled beneath him (filling the square of the central plaza of Rybad-Kol under a red ash-choked sky) you see a thousand prisoners on their knees, shackled. Surrounding them, armored Fire Giants. Row upon row of human, half-orc, hobgoblin…You see there are numerous demons populating the walls. Chattering in glee and laughter as they look down at this public display of power.
“For those who require assistance ridding themselves of that most painful substance, allow me to inform you, despite the ministrations of the REBELLIOUS in nature. When next the Red Moon touches the western sky, we will march to glory and the final defeat of the PRIME DEITIES! FOR THE STRIFE EMPEROR!”
The armies assembled chant in unison. Massive drums, each forty feet tall with hobgoblin drummers standing besid them, massive batons in their hands. You look out.
“Word has just reached the Steel Keep. The Allhammer is dead! The Platinum Dragon, devoured! And, of course, the Moonweaver has just met her final end. But what of your divinity?”
He turns to face the hobgoblin still choking under his supernaturally strong grip.
“The Changebringer. That mistress of good fortune. Do you see good fortune before you here?”
He drops the hobgoblin to the wall. The hobgoblin elder, a secret worshipper of the Changebringer, raises his head.
“She has not seen to save you here. Speak. Do you repent knowing that your ultimate defeat is soon at hand?”
You see the hobgoblin look and whisper,
“I do not. I do not.”
“No?”
You see Asmog lifts a hand. Out under the open sun (because even as a vampire, the sun has not shown here in a hundred years, perhaps he has no need of threats). He raises his fingers to snap them and below you see there is a small family of hobgoblin prisoners looking up. And you see that behind them a group of soldiers draws their weapon to level them at their face. The elder (a thin leather cord that has had his holy symbol ripped off of it) looks down.
“I repent. I repent. Please don’t hurt them.”
“What was that? Speak louder so that the other prisoners might hear.”
“I repent! Change is not coming. The Changebringer cannot save us. Listen to what they say, I am sorry. I repent. I have wasted my life in worship to her. I do not believe!”
“Persuasive words. I’m glad that you at last have seen the truth before the lie of Hope could destroy you. The Strife Emperor still does demand punishment, though.”
Asmog reaches a clawed hand into the stomach of the hobgoblin elder (up through the chest, through the neck) grabs the mouth and skull of this elder from within and wrenches the head into the chest cavity of the body. Arm covered in viscera as he sloughs him off and he falls a hundred and fifty feet to splatter on the court before you.
Asmog smiles, licks the blood off his fingers, turns to a lieutenant (a massive human enforcer in thick cast-iron armor) who nods. He turns back and goes,
“Well, what are you waiting for?! Back to work you slags!”
The drums beat and prisoners are yanked via chains.
Back to work.
This is Calamity. And the terrible work of the Betrayers.
Matt, I would like you describe your character for us and what he is currently busy doing with the knowledge that your hand is bleeding under the effort that you now expend.

Tonight Matt and Liam will be playing with:

Jasmine Don

Alex Ward

Celia Rose Gooding