Empress Leylas Kryn, also called the Bright Queen, is Empress of the Kryn Dynasty of Xhorhas. As an NPC, Leylas Kryn is played by Matthew Mercer.
Fan art of the Bright Queen, by BlackSalander.[art 2]
Description[]
Appearance[]
Fan art of the Bright Queen design, by Jacob Grimoire.[art 3]
Leylas Kryn is a drow woman with dark blue-gray skin, waist-length white hair, and turquoise eyes. She wears a warrior dress made of crystal and mithril chain, and a headdress of three white crystal ibex-like horns that curve back past her shoulders.[4] At another point she is described as having violet eyes, this may be a mistake.[5]
Personality[]
Cobalt Soul accounts of the Empress speak of her as a powerful and dangerous warrior on the battlefield and seemingly well over six hundred years old or more.[6] She is a devout follower of The Luxon.[7]
Biography[]
Background[]
Leylas Kryn is the current Empress of the Kryn Dynasty. She has ruled for over six hundred years[8] and has lived over 1,200 years. She was consecuted (bound her soul to a Luxon beacon) and reborn multiple times. She has ascended to the level of Umavi, meaning multiple reincarnations have allowed her to discover her soul's true purpose.[9] Her partner through multiple lifetimes is Quana Kryn, the current High General of the Kryn Dynasty.[10]
"The Favor" (2x56)[]
After the Mighty Nein completed a job for her, Lady Zethris Olios granted them an audience with Leylas Kryn. Jester and Nott told the Queen they were hired to find Yeza Brenatto to question him about experiments he had done and possibly bring him back where he is from to face justice. The Bright Queen saw through their lie then noticed Nott use a Fragment of Possibility. At this point, Lythir VaSuun spoke up and identified the Mighty Nein as the group that attacked and injured him and an Echo Knight on the border. Fjord tried to convince the Queen that attacking Lythir was a misunderstanding but failed. She ordered the Mighty Nein arrested.
As guards surrounded the Mighty Nein, Caleb shouted that they had they have brought something for the Dynasty. He walked to Jester, reached into Jester's haversack, and took out the beacon. Leylas Kryn walked down from the throne, tears on her face, and approached Caleb. The Queen ordered the Mighty Nein released and proclaimed them heroes of the Dynasty.[11]
"In Love and War" (2x57)[]
Fan art of the Bright Queen, by @mellifera38.[art 4]
Leylas Kryn gave the Mighty Nein a chance to ask her questions about the Kryn Dynasty, Xhorhas, or anything else they would like to know. She agreed to let them see Yeza Brenatto, but only agreed to release him on the consent of her Shadowhand, Essek Thelyss. The Queen gave the Mighty Nein medallions that symbolize her favor so that they could move freely through the Dynasty's lands.[12] She asked the Mighty Nein to join the Dynasty in getting revenge on the Dwendalian Empire. The group responded they did not know enough about the land of Xhorhas and needed time to consider the offer.
"Intervention" (2x63)[]
The Mighty Nein went to see Leylas Kryn at the Lucid Bastion to warn her of the Empire's plans. They were allowed an audience, and explained what Jester saw through Scrying. Leylas confirmed with Essek that the Nein's information was trustworthy, and thanked them for their service. While discussing the war, Jester asked why the cycle of violence could not be stopped. Leylas explained that the cycle will be constant as long as people live, and that pain is a part of life. Someone will always incite violence, despite having a "duty to keep those base designs at bay". The Dynasty cannot "bow down when others do not show that same will of understanding, or else [they] will lie slaughtered." Caleb tried to persuade her to use the Nein to target the Cerberus Assembly, but she did not give an opinion and silenced him when he assumed she had rejected his request. She then asked the Mighty Nein to observe the meeting at the apothecary and bring her back the Empire spy alive. When Jester expressed nervousness, Leylas asked if the Nein had any doubts, since there were others capable of the task. They convinced her they would be successful.[13] Later she sent a chest of gold to their house.
"Causatum" (2x70)[]
Leylas Kryn, by CoupleOfKooks and Cris Peter from The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen #1.[art 5]
Jester used Sending to warn the Bright Queen of the Laughing Hand's release. The spell limited the information she could provide, and Leylas asked the Nein to return to Rosohna to explain the situation in more detail. Jester replied that they would return the following day, which Leylas found acceptable. Leylas also told the Nein not to warn anyone in Bazzoxan themselves to prevent spreading hysteria. When the Nein spoke to the local guards later, however, they learned that the Queen warned them herself.
On their return to the Lucid Bastion, Leylas welcomed them back and thanked them for their prior service to the Dynasty. Their warning of the Empire's plans had saved many Kryn lives, helped them maintain control of the Ashguard Garrison, prevented assassination attempts, and allowed them to capture an Empire Scourger. Leylas told the Nein they were worthy of the rewards they'd been given. Caduceus explained the Laughing Hand's release, and Leylas told them she appreciated their warning and had reinforced the guard at Bazzoxan. Researchers were already working on finding a way to destroy the creature. She reassured the Nein that they had done what they could, and the Dynasty would now take over. Caduceus asked permission to travel north to seek a solution. Leylas said they were free to do as they would, but explained that doubts from other members of the court in the Mighty Nein's abilities prevented her from providing them many resources. Caleb asked to learn more about Dunamancy, but Leylas told him that something so integral to their culture could not be given away too freely, and he had already learned some. If he wished to learn more, he must prove himself further to the Dynasty. Caleb retracted his request and instead asked to speak to the captured Scourger, which she allowed.
"Bathhouses and Bastions" (2x90)[]
Fan art of Leylas Kryn, by Olivia Rea.[art 6]
The Mighty Nein were immediately granted an audience with the Bright Queen upon arriving at the Lucid Bastion. She told them about Allura's visit, and that she knew they had spoken with Bertrand Dwendal. She asked for an explanation of their meeting, but Essek cut in to update her on Adeen Tasithar. Jester told her that Adeen may have been mind-controlled, likely by the now-dead Obann, and Yasha came forward about her own experiences under Obann's influence. Leylas asked Yasha if she saw herself as redeemable for her actions, and Yasha replied that she hoped so. A military woman standing near the Queen urged Leylas not to act rashly, and Leylas softened and agreed. The Nein then told Leylas about the Empire's offer. At first she laughed, until she realized they were serious. Caleb tried to convince her of the need for peace now that Tharizdun was attempting to return, saying that the Nein served neither her nor the Empire. When he knelt to beg she replied that that was not necessary. She said she was less troubled by the possible threat of Tharizdun than by the very present violence of the war, but they wanted the beacon returned. She agreed to a negotiation at sea on the condition that the ceasefire was maintained. She told the Nein their presence was unnecessary at the meeting, but when they insisted she allowed it. Leylas dropped her hardened persona at the end of their meeting, appearing softer, more like when the Nein first spoke with her. She told them they were unique before dismissing them.
"High Seas, High Stakes" (2x99)[]
The Nein could see Leylas taking part in the peace talks at sea through a mirror. After the first day of peace talks concluded, Jester Sent to Leylas, asking how the negotiations were going. Leylas replied in a frustrated tone that she was in the middle of a discussion, but the negotiations were not going poorly yet.
Campaign Three: Bells Hells[]
During the apogee solstice of 843 PD the Bright Queen and some of her forces attended a meeting of the Exandrian Accord in Vasselheim following the fall of the base of the Bloody Bridge in the Hellcatch Valley. She voiced her opposition to accepting help from agents of the Betrayer Gods,[14] as well as her concern that the invading Ruidians were bent on the destruction of all Exandrians.[15] When Bells Hells shared information about their last encounter with Ludinus, Leylas asked them to elaborate.[16] The following morning she attended a smaller meeting at the Trial Forge to establish plans to present later at the Platinum Sanctuary. When Chetney Pock O'Pea accidentally mentioned a secret portal to Ruidus, the Bright Queen pursued the point, arguing that trust required them all to be honest with one another.[17] She explained that she had been there at the end of Calamity when the drow rose above the Spider Queen's machinations to walk the path of the Luxon, that Ludinus Da'leth was a sworn enemy of the Dynasty, and that his plans would be a danger to it. Therefore, the Kryn were joined with the Accord in opposing him.[18] Later, she explained the mythology of the Luxon, and Ashton Greymoore raged for a few seconds in order to manifest dunamantic effects causing confusion, curiosity, and concern among the Kryn in the room. Leylas stated she would like to talk with Ashton after their mission, and when the barbarian said they were excited, she told them they shouldn't be.[19]
The next morning, Allura Vysoren suggested the Mighty Nein as their strike team to deal with the Weave Mind. Not many present were familiar with the group, and Leylas hit the floor with her staff, causing its dodecahedron to shine for a few seconds as she seconded the recommendation, explaining that she herself knew, had worked with, and trusted the Mighty Nein.[20] After the meeting ended, Chetney approached the Bright Queen, and asked if she could grant him and his friends any boon connected to the strange magic of their country (such as her staff). Leylas began to make a show of kneeling down to give him something, only to abruptly refuse just as the gnome thanked her. She told him that she respected his youthful audacity and appreciated the opportunity to have a little laugh. She then suggested that if Chetney returned after their mission with information about Ashton's nature and a means of bringing him under her control, many rewards could await him.[21] Almost immediately thereafter Ashton himself came to apologize for putting her off earlier that day, explaining that even if they didn't understand why what was in his head bothered her, they were willing to listen, learn, and share information. The Bright Queen asked Ashton to come back alive, and gave them some advice about how to contact the light inside of them, while also stating that she found it curious that an adventurer ready to go on a dangerous mission was just beginning a journey of self-discovery. When Ashton asked her if she and her people worshiped gods like the Arch Heart, Leylas replied that the Kryn Dynasty worshiped something older and greater, and that perhaps the barbarian would be able to contact them before she showed him.[22]
The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen[]
At some point after 836 PD,[fn 1] the Dynasty sought to collect a sixth beacon found in the Ghostlands. Quana worried that the search for the beacons consumed her and Leylas, causing them to overlook something. To reassure her, Leylas, who had a dream from the Luxon, showed her a new soul within a beacon. She told the joyful Quana that this child was "the light incarnate, dependent on our union" and that their love was essential to the Dynasty's future. Shortly after, while collecting the sixth beacon, Quana was abducted by agents of Lolth. Using dunamancy, Leylas left Rosohna to attempt to save Quana. Leylas arrived in time to grab her but could not hold on. Quana told Leylas that she had "seen it" before being taken away.[23]
Leylas had the Aurora Watch search for Quana's betrayer, Dryca. Though she sought to kill Dryca, he said that he was forced to act by Lolth and that he wished to help Leylas. Led by Dryca to Bazzoxan, Leylas used a magical pendant to travel to the Dreadnest in the Abyss and rescue Quana. They take the beacon and flee from driders. Leylas urged Quana to return home and bring the beacon to its rightful place. As Quana left the Abyss, Leylas was impaled and seemingly killed.[24]
However, Leylas escaped the Abyss as well using a Manifest Echo spell cast by her Umavi before she left for Bazzoxan. After her return, Leylas was haunted by visions of Lolth and, although she never physically visited the Abyss, she felt that part of her never left the Dreadnest. With the six beacons collected, the events of Leylas' prophecy began to unfold, and Quana became pregnant with a child that was believed to be conceived through the Luxon. News of the child spread, and Leylas set out weeks before the birth to consecute thousands across Xhorhas and preach of a bright destiny heralded by the child. She repeatedly prolonged her campaign until she was forced back to Rosohna after she lashed out and killed a disbelieving councilor of Xarzith Kitril. Upon her return, Leylas became withdrawn and refused to see the child, Caelestis, who had grown into a toddler while she was away. Though she and Quana believed that the child would strength their bond, their relationship became strained.[25]
One day, while Caelestis was playing in the courtyard, a black portal opened and Caelestis walked through. Caelestis' caretaker quickly informed Leylas, who ordered that Quana be fetched as well. Leylas found Caelestis in the room where the beacons were held by two freshly killed soldiers and witnessed Caelestis shifting out of a monstrous spider-like form.[25]
After this terrible incident Leylas, incredibly stressed by the tensions that were appearing in the new Kryn territory, and knowing that her daughter had been born from a Luxon beacon that had spent too much time with Lolth, decided to have Caelestis executed out of range of the beacons to prevent her reincarnation. However, Quana conspired to try to save the little girl, thinking she could be healed, only to end up killing her herself after she turned into a monster and killed those around them. Caelestis was carried away by the river, but Quana was found by Leylas, who came to her rescue and brought her back within range of the Luxon beacons.[26]
Years later, Leylas tried to have an audience with a reincarnated Quana, but Abrianna Mirimm, who was assisting her with the anamnesis process, rejected the queen's summons.[25] However, when Quana recalled her own death and Caelestis's, she escaped to the place where it had happened, where Leylas found her shortly after, recounting how he had rescued her and confirming her identity as her multi-lifetime partner. Quana returned to her place as the queen's right hand, and together they set out to solve the main problems of the Kryn Dynasty: restore one of their beacons, restore alliances, and save Caelestis (since their daughter had also been reincarnated, and in his new life he became a monster again).[26]
Relationships[]
Fan art of Leylas and Quana Kryn, by BlackSalander.[art 7]
Quana Kryn[]
Matt revealed in "Talks Machina #137: 'Lingering Wounds' & 'Bathhouses and Bastions'" (TMx137) that Leylas's partner through multiple rebirths is her high general, the woman who spoke to her in "Bathhouses and Bastions" (2x90). She has not yet been named on-stream, but in Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, she is identified as "Dusk Captain Quana Kryn"[3]. Quana was the representative of the Dynasty at the peace negotiations between the Dynasty and the Dwendalian Empire.[27]
They both love each other passionately and had a daughter together through The Luxon's magic, although Leylas's privacy when expressing her concerns and dealing with problems put distance between them,[25] it did not diminish their affection, which extended to the reincarnation of Quana.[26]
Character Information[]
Fan art of Leylas Kryn, by Nikki Dawes.[art 8]
Abilities[]
Unless otherwise noted, the following abilities are assumed from the standard Dungeons & Dragons materials:
Elf Abilities[]
- Darkvision
- Keen Senses
- Fey Ancestry
- Trance
- Subrace: Drow
- Superior Darkvision
- Sunlight Sensitivity
- Drow Magic
- Dancing Lights cantrip
- Faerie Fire spell
- Darkness spell
- Drow Weapon Training
Dunamantic abilities[]
- Leylas can use her dunamancy to create a pathway to a place where time has passed. This is reflected in her two attempts to rescue Quana, in which the Bright Queen quickly apparated to the Dusk Captain's side, reducing the time it would have taken her to cover the distance between her and her partner in each occasion.[23][26]
Notable Items[]
- Luxon beacon (given to her by Caleb[28])
Appearances and mentions[]
- Campaign Two
- "Harvest Close" (2x17), mentioned only (first mentioned)
- "Feral Business" (2x52), mentioned only
- "The Favor" (2x56) (first appearance)
- "In Love and War" (2x57)
- "Intervention" (2x63)
- "Causatum" (2x70)
- "A Tangled Web" (2x77), mentioned only
- "Between the Lines" (2x78), mentioned only
- "The Folding Halls" (2x80), mentioned only
- "The Cathedral" (2x86), mentioned only
- "Punishment and Politics" (2x87), mentioned only
- "Unwanted Reunions" (2x88), mentioned only
- "Bathhouses and Bastions" (2x90)
- "Stone to Clay" (2x91), mentioned only
- "High Seas, High Stakes" (2x99), via Sending
- Specials
- "The Mighty Nein Reunion: Echoes of the Solstice" (Sx79), mentioned only
- Campaign Three
- "Cages" (3x103), unnamed, non-speaking
- "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104)
- "Collecting Legends" (3x105)
- The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen
Quotations[]
- (when Caleb gives her the beacon) "You bring us hope. And you have undone one of many great wounds against us today. I have no words. My emotions burn within my chest."[29]
- "The cycle cannot be broken until there is nothing living. All we can do is our best to keep it slow."[30]
- Leylas: (after seeing Ashton's dunamantic powers) We will have to talk when this is done.
Ashton: I'm so excited.
Leylas: You shouldn't be.[31]
Trivia[]
The Bright Queen in Crit Recap Animated.
- Her name is a variant of the Hebrew and Arabic term for "night".[32]
- Leylas Kryn has been alive since before the Calamity, having been reincarnated multiple times with the Luxon.[33]
- In the chambers that Leylas and Quana share there are a series of portraits of couples, presumably of the two of them in their different lives.[34] Only two of the portraits are seen relatively clearly:
- The first shows two men of drow descent (given their skin color and ears). One of them is standing, appears to have a slight circle beard and is dressed in elegant red clothes; his partner is seated, has silver hair and wears darker, more sober clothing.[34]
- The second shows a man and a woman, also of drow descent. The woman wears a long red dress and has a mane of silver hair, apparently tied up somehow at the nape of her neck. The man wears a dark and sober garment that covers him from the neck to the feet, and has very short hair.[34]
- It seems like Leylas and Quana tend to wear clothes of certain colors in different lifetimes, with the Bright Queen using grey, black and white in different tones and pieces, and the Dusk Captain adding reddish garments both in her military attire and in her casual clothes.[34]
- During the events of "The Mighty Nein Reunion: Echoes of the Solstice" (Sx79) Trent Ikithon threatened to reveal to the Bright Queen that Essek had been working with the Cerberus Assembly during the war, but it is unclear if Leylas was still unaware of this information at the time, as Trent had spent the last seven years locked up and isolated and perhaps didn't know how informed the drow ruler was.
Notes[]
- ↑ The official Critical Role timeline graphic, accompanying the official post "What You Need to Know Before Watching Exandria Unlimited", identifies the events of The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen as happening in 855 PD. However, as there are two concurrent narratives occurring at different times, one centering on Leylas and Quana Kryn and one centering on Abrianna Mirimm, it is unclear which is 855 PD as of the miniseries' third issue.
References[]
- ↑ See "Commerce & Chaos" (2x31) at 1:38:04.
- ↑ See "In Love and War" (2x57) at 0:36:42.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 40.
- ↑ See "The Favor" (2x56) from 2:37:42 through 2:38:15.
- ↑ See "Causatum" (2x70) at 2:35:10.
- ↑ See "Commerce & Chaos" (2x31) at 1:38:14.
- ↑ See "In Love and War" (2x57) at 0:21:20.
- ↑ See "Commerce & Chaos" (2x31) at 1:38:20.
- ↑ See "In Love and War" (2x57) at 0:29:00.
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #137: 'Lingering Wounds' & 'Bathhouses and Bastions'" (TMx137) from 0:54:57 through 0:56:00.
- ↑ See "The Favor" (2x56) from 2:55:02 through 2:56:19.
- ↑ See "In Love and War" (2x57) at 0:31:30.
- ↑ See "Intervention" (2x63) from 25:44 through 42:16.
- ↑ See "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) at 0:14:45.
- ↑ See "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) at 0:24:25.
- ↑ See "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) at 0:31:08.
- ↑ See "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) at 4:09:45.
- ↑ See "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) at 4:11:02.
- ↑ See "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) from 4:23:13 through 4:25:44.
- ↑ See "Collecting Legends" (3x105) at 1:05:35.
- ↑ See "Collecting Legends" (3x105) at 3:11:14.
- ↑ See "Collecting Legends" (3x105) from 3:19:03 through 3:23:29.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 See The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen, Issue #1.
- ↑ See The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen, Issue #2.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 See The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen, Issue #3.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 See The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen, Issue #4.
- ↑ See "High Seas, High Stakes" (2x99) at 2:59:15.
- ↑ See "The Favor" (2x56) at 2:50:53.
- ↑ See "The Favor" (2x56) at 2:55:36.
- ↑ See "Intervention" (2x63) at 37:44.
- ↑ See "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104) at 4:25:30.
- ↑ See the entries for "ليلة" and "לילה" at Wiktionary.
- ↑ See "In Love and War" (2x57) at 0:27:10.
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 See The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen, Issue #3.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of the Bright Queen, by KarrahE (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of the Bright Queen, by BlackSalander (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of the Bright Queen design, by Jacob Grimoire (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of the Bright Queen, by @mellifera38 (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Leylas Kryn, by CoupleOfKooks and Cris Peter from The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen #1. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Fan art of Leylas Kryn, by Olivia Rea (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Leylas and Quana Kryn, by BlackSalander (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Fan art of Leylas Kryn, by Nikki Dawes (source). Used with permission.
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