Critical Recap: Exandria Unlimited Divergence – Episode 4 “By Heart Alone”

Hello! Welcome to Critical Recap! I’m Dani Carr, the Critical Role Lore Keeper. Let’s dive into our recap of Exandria Unlimited: Divergence Episode 4: By Heart Alone!

DAWN RISING

The group arrives in Vasselheim, a city built to last that withstood the Calamity. They are directed to the Moonweaver’s temple in Shadowbrook at the base of the Heaven’s Stair mountain. On the way, Fiedra notices a familiar face from Rybad-Kol among the refugees – Lord Callister and his son. The Moonweaver’s temple is mobbed with panicked clerics, the High Priestess Eldanwyn attempting to lead despite her own fears.

None of them can access their recently disappeared magic, so Nia gets their attention by successfully casting cure wounds. To cut through the confusion of explaining, Crokas lets Eldanwyn hold the Orb of Avalir so she can see their experiences with the Moonweaver. With this knowledge, Eldanwyn takes them to the Runekeep, the temple of the Knowing Mistress, where they meet with the ill Far-Seer Volsting and Forgekeeper Morgana Thundershield.

The Forgekeeper has not heard from the All-Hammer in centuries, but the magic has stayed with them. Nia explains that the gods are leaving to protect the world, but her faith in her far away god ensures her magic continues. She and Crokas reassure Eldanwyn that this is when the work begins, when her strength must come through. She watches Nia work a miracle, calling on the divine in the mortal heart and the belief that intercedes that allows Nia to heal the Far-Seer. The Orb of Avalir is held and the Far-Seer knows the Knowing Mistress has left.

CROSSROADS

The clerics will study Nia to see how she wields her magic and her divine gifts. The Far-Seer informs her that the Knowing Mistress revealed that the last battles of the Calamity will be fought in Ghor Dranas in Wildemount. These battles will be the last push against the Scaled Tyrant and the Lord of the Hells; but the real problem lies in the gods’ plan. Every god must be found and leave the world in order for the gate to be sealed, but several Primes are missing and the Betrayers can return from banishment. They must find the final Primes.

Nia reunites with her parents, where she explains what happened to Liana and introduces Erro as her protector. Over the next few days, Nia teaches the acolytes how to use their magic and Fiedra and Crokas search for Lord Callister. While searching, Crokas finally asks why he calls her boss. She hatched him, she’s the only person he has – but the other Roaches are her boys. Why is he always her bodyguard?

Fiedra is speechless and apologetic, saying that she loves him and that he is her world. Everything she does is to give him a better life. Crokas doesn’t think any of that ever translated. He never knew anything before now and she never taught him anything, either. Fiedra says she didn’t know how. But Crokas needed a mom, not to fight for a boss. He walks away, leaving her alone at a crossroads in Vasselheim.

KEY PROBLEMS

Fiedra feels stuck, standing still as the world changes around her. It’s just her and her magic key now. Key speaks again, offering to help her find whomever she’s seeking. Only if they’re near a door, though. Fiedra formally requests Key’s aid and she’s able to see through any keyhole in the city. She finds Lord Callister asleep in a bed with his son on the ground and recognizes the building.

Fiedra sneaks inside the lord’s room and Key enters its Awakened state, turning into a dagger. She holds it to Lord Callister’s throat as he wakes up. She wants to talk, but he sees through her lies and immediately charms her to be his friend. He takes Key and his hits knock her unconscious. Meanwhile, Crokas decides to look for Fiedra. He smells blood outside the window and arrives in time to attack Lord Callister, but falls under his charm.

Lord Callister is able to flee with his son Timothy while Crokas tends to Fiedra. He stabilizes her, then they hear Lord Callister telling his lord that he found the key at last. They hear another voice tell Callister to find ‘them’ as only a mortal can and that the gate is almost finished. Crokas gives chase, but is unable to locate Lord Callister. He leaves with Fiedra to find his friends and save his mother’s life.

PRAYERS

Meanwhile, Garen spends time in the dwarven neighborhood of Brightforge. He meets a man, Desmond, who remembers Uthtor. He is planning to take a caravan and travel to Gwessar in 2-3 weeks and relight the fires of Uthtor. They would have room for him, if Garen wants to join. Garen introduces himself as Garen Hearthhart, a name he hasn’t used in a long time. Garen notices a temple of the All-Hammer and its stone tablets. He re-chisels the message cleaner for others to read – a prophecy that speaks of gates, hearts, and betrayal. A child reads it and the Hallow spell is cast.

Erro takes Nia to a temple of the Platinum Dragon that he visited as a child. His mother, Cor, was a warrior and his father, Arrideo, was a priest. The life he was meant to have is so antithetical to the one he lived. Nia tells Erro he is family, but he contemplates leaving for Gwessar with Garen. Crokas finds them and Nia heals Fiedra, who then informs everyone what Callister is up to. Nia grabs her Moon Mirror, which Awakens for her, and casts commune.

SISTERLY CONVERSATION

Her sister appears and tells Nia to make her questions broad, so she can answer. She asks about Lord Callister and the Moonweaver explains that he is a servant of the Lord of the Hells and will remain in Vasselheim. They cannot seal the gate until everyone is found. She shares a secret – the gods went missing over a century ago, becoming mortal. But some of those mortals have stayed missing.

They began the foundations of the Divine Gate at the behest of the Lawbearer and the Platinum Dragon. The All-Hammer’s work had to be laid by mortal hands to serve as a proper foundation, so the Moonweaver concealed the gods from each other’s eyes so her brother had time to work. However, the Lord of the Hells laid a curse – the gods would forget themselves when they became mortals. This is why she never knew she was the Moonweaver.

When the All-Hammer left, the Platinum Dragon went right after in order to find his brother – but now they are missing. The gods cannot seal the gate until the gods are found. They must find the gods in their mortal forms – before Lord Callister and the Lord of the Hells find them.

RETRIBUTION

They spend weeks looking for Lord Callister. Fiedra apologizes to Crokas, calling him her son and swearing that she sees him for who he truly is. Fiedra hears rumors of Key and someone looking for a door in the Moonweaver temple. The group has prepared for this confrontation, outfitting themselves in better armor. They hear fireworks, as the city celebrates the fall of Ghor Dranas. They arrive at the Moonweaver temple and hear Key saying that it doesn’t want to grant a wish.

As they sneak down the passages, they feel like they are back in Rybad-Kol. Crokas can feel the dragon within, but knows now that there is a time for control – and a time to unleash. They find Callister and his son and Crokas activates the Stormgirdle, which Exalts at that moment. Erro’s shield, Fiedra’s crossbow, and Garen’s hammer also enter their Exalted state. Fiedra will not let Callister touch her son and casts hold person, telling him to stop fidgeting.

Fiedra retrieves Key, but Timothy warns her he wouldn’t help himself if he was her. More demons arrive. Crokas kills Callister with lightning, telling him to never touch his mother again. Fiedra goes invisible with Key, which becomes Exalted. Key wants her to send Timothy through the door, but that confuses her. She realizes that Key is a channel for the Lord of the Hells and he has been manipulating her the entire time. A door appears, revealing the banished and wounded Lord in his realm.

HONEST LIES

The Lord of the Hells cannot enter the Material Plane and he implores Fiedra to release him. Timothy doesn’t have a soul – he was born to be a vessel for this god. Fiedra and Timothy go invisible and the Lord of the Hells focuses on Garen. Timothy tells Fiedra that there has always been something wrong with him. She always felt the same way about herself. She sees the ruby in the key – a small boy is sleeping inside. The key is holding Timothy’s soul.

Fiedra knows that the key would make her the richest woman in Exandria. To give it up is assuring a life of poverty and struggle. She asks Timothy if he will do good. He will try. She gives the boy his soul back, awakening him to his true self. The Lord of the Hells strikes out at Garen, but Erro protects him with his shield. The Lord of the Hells strikes down Erro instead, killing Erro. He is grateful that, after a lifetime of running and solitude, he found his way again before it was too late. Garen set him free.

Garen knows it is time to go. Crokas picks up Erro and, in the language Erro taught him, tells the Lord of the Hells that change is coming and he is not that change. Nia’s anger at Erro’s death is palpable. Another family member dead. She casts major image on the statue of her sister so it appears that the Moonweaver has returned. She tells him that he will not win and Liana herself arrives and slaps the Lord of the Hells. This is the goddess of trickery, after all. She lied about leaving yet and her slap sends the Lord of Hells back to his own hell.

THE CHANGE

Overhead, the wings of the Platinum Dragon open across the whole sky and light spreads over Exandria – the Divine Gate is laid. The group takes Erro’s body to the mountains of Snowgrave’s Pass and bury him with his wife Donaea. Fiedra and Crokas return to Torm’s Hill. Fiedra adopts Timothy and Crokas tells her she gets a second chance to be a mother. Crokas leaves to figure himself out, but stays in touch. Years later, Fiedra reconnects with Kephekedriel in K’tawl Swamp and leads him away from cruelty.

Crokas travels on his own, making his way to a monastery in Wildemount. The Orb of Avalir forms the seed of what will become the Cobalt Soul, as Crokas knows that knowledge is better shared, not hoarded. Nia returns to Vasselheim to guide the acolytes in remembrance of her family. Years later, she reconnects with Ondetra and the two move forward together on better footing. Garen misses Desmond’s caravan to Gwessar, focused on carving a statue of Erro and placing his shield within it.

Garen does return to Gwessar and finds Desmond Jaggenstrike again. He joins the group of dwarves rebuilding on the ruins of Uthtar. That city becomes Kraghammer and Desmond a lord. He asks Garen to go to K’tawl Bay, as they are trying to build a town called Bend in the middle of a swamp. Before he leaves, Garen finishes his last job – the arch on the entrance to Kraghammer, where the All-Hammer’s prophecy is carved to forever bless the city.

THE WORLD HE MADE

Garen arrives in the small town of Bend, helping to build this town on the swamp where Fiedra lives with Timothy and Kephekedriel. One day, someone asks him the name of the town for the map and he accidentally names it Stillben due to a misunderstanding. As he builds a gate to keep the sheep from wandering, he spots a familiar figure: Erro, walking down the road. Erro goes to his friend and reveals that it took his entire mortal life to realize who he was – the Platinum Dragon. Now it’s time for Garen to do the same.

Garen realizes at that moment that he is the All-Hammer. Erro tells him it is time to let their children be the stewards of the world that he created. But first, a trip – the Platinum Dragon flies Garen over Exandria. Over the valleys, the peaks, the volcanoes, the islands, the tundras, the ruins… the creations, the world that the All-Hammer created for his children. And at the end, the All-Hammer places the final keystone in the gate that he built, a gate to protect them all, and steps through to join his brother and his family beyond Exandria.

That is it for Exandria Unlimited: Divergence!

FINAL THOUGHTS

• All-Hammer’s Prophecy
  The Gate is built by heart alone,
  Though hearts be held by flesh and bone,
  And flesh and bone by earth and stone
  The door we make when lock we break
  Will bridge the waters, roads to take
  The stones that stand to staunch the flood
  Freedom found by toil and blood
  By stone betrayed the seal is made
  The hand that holds, the heart that prayed,
  The stairs it shaped, the debts it paid,
  The gate is shaped, the keystone laid.
• To Exandria. To all who have walked her roads. To Matthew Mercer.

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