The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen

The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen is a four-part comic miniseries published by Dark Horse Comics, the first volume of The Tales of Exandria series. This series is written by Darcy Van Poelgeest and illustrated by CoupleOfKooks with creative consultation from Matthew Mercer.

The trade paperback was released in comic shops on October 19, 2022 and is scheduled to release in bookstores and retailers on November 22, 2022. A limited hardbound collector's edition was also released on October 19, 2022 through the Critical Role Productions online shop.

Variant covers featuring art by David Mack were available from Things From Another World by pre-order.

Part One
"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 Two
"Quana, who is Leylas Kryn's right hand and the love of her many lives, is in the clutches of the dreaded Spider Queen. Leylas seeks information from one of the gnomes who sprung the trap, and makes plans to rescue both Quana and the piece of the Luxon in the Spider Queen's possession. But with an adversary as old and clever as this one, there's no telling whether Leylas might be playing right into her subtle hands."

Part Three
"After their desperate escape with the newly discovered piece of the Luxon, Leylas Kryn recovers in safety with her partner Quana. The vision that inspired their quest yields a new hope in the form of a child... but all is not well with the Bright Queen, and the lingering traces of their narrow escape will put Leylas, Quana, and their new child at risk."

Part Four
"Quana and Leylas struggle with the reality of their child's strange transformation. Ultimately, they are left with the question of whether or not her status as a symbol of hope outweighs the danger she could pose to the whole Dynasty. The decisions they make will ultimately reveal the mystery of Umavi Skysibil's ward and their identity."

Returning

 * Leylas Kryn
 * Quana Kryn
 * Abrianna Mirimm
 * Lolth

New

 * Caelestis Kryn
 * The Luxon
 * Dryca
 * Roshan, member of the Aurora Watch
 * Lightbroker, an Umavi
 * Arakki, leader of the Koshtask clan in the Iothia Moorland

Development
Due to the 2021 global supply chain crisis and unidentified circumstances with creative teams, all Critical Role titles were delayed, and various issues were delayed multiple times. The trade paperback's release was initially announced for June 15, 2022, but it was later delayed to October 19, 2022.