Kryn Dynasty

The  is a political entity that dominates the northern reaches of Xhorhas. The lands of the are covered in dark clouds that blot out the sun. In Tal'Dorei, the Kryn Dynasty is simply referred to as the "Xhorhas Empire".

Description
Tales told by Yasha's people describe the civilization of Kryn Dynasty to be situated within a massive forbidden ruin that the drow had settled. With the use of magic, their civilization was kept perpetually shrouded from the sun.

Families within the dynasty are referred to as "Dens," with Den Kryn being the leading and most powerful of the dens.

Background
Most of the Kryn Dynasty are drow, who were brethren alongside all elves until their minds were swayed and corrupted by the The Spider Queen. Under her will they became deceptive, cruel and violent. When the Betrayer Gods were defeated and banished during the Calamity, the drow returned to their subterranean cities to rebuild their power far from the burning light of day.

Studies into current drow society across Exandria point to growing paranoia and madness seeping in from what is believed to be the influence of Tharizdun, the Chained Oblivion by proximity to remnants of his power deep beneath the surface that have grown close to these societies. Whispers and rumors point to these societies going slowly mad due to this influence. This seems to be more affecting drow of the Underdark than those of the surface.

Those able to penetrate the boundaries of the Kryn Dynasty's borders find little iconography of either The Spider Queen or Tharizdun outside of ruins that are ancient, crumbling and largely ignored by their society. The Dynasty instead worships something new known as the Luxon. Rumors told outside the Dynasty say that they seek to bring all under the Luxon's burning banner. Citizens within the Dynasty who do not worship the Luxon are not forced to do so, according to Rosohna's inhabitants.

The drow of Xhorhas rallied to the surface of Ghor Dranas, casting the skies around Rosohna into eternal midnight that spreads with their dominion. They began taking in other inhabitants of the Xhorhasian wastes, such as orcs, goblins, bugbears, and others, and many now also follow the Luxon.

In the Empire, a number of people, mostly children of adolescent age, have been found abducted in the night, though the number has steeply grown this past generation, years after the first open conflicts with the Kryn began. The Empire blames the abductions on the Kryn.

Kryn operatives attacked the Zauber Spire and stole a Beacon that was being kept there. The tower collapsed.

Despite having many open conflicts with the on the Xhorhasian border, all out war between the Kryn Dynasty and the Dwendalian Empire did not begin in earnest until Thuron stole the Beacon from the Hall of Erudition in Zadash as part of a detailed plan from Empress Leylas Kryn. It was taken from him when he was killed by the Crownsguard in the Sewers. The Mighty Nein stole the Beacon from the Crownsguard as they were taking Thuron's body away.

On the third of Fessuran 835 P.D. word reached Starosta Wyatt of Zadash that The Ashguard Garrison at the Brokenveil Bluffs had fallen to the Kryn Dynasty. With accounts numbering the dead at over 1000, war had been formally declared against the invading forces and on the wastes of Xhorhas. These advancing armies brought with them the spread of dark skies which hung over the Kryn lands to the east of the Ashkeeper Peaks.

The Mighty Nein learned that Kryn Dynasty soldiers attacked Felderwin after finding a way to travel underneath the mountains of the Ashkeeper Peaks.

The Mighty Nein traveled to Felderwin to investigate the Kryn attack. The soldiers came up from a tunnel under the ground, set several buildings and fields on fire, then left. Nott's husband Yeza was kidnapped, and the drow burned down the surface level of his apothecary. When they investigated the ruins, the Mighty Nein found that Yeza had been working with the Cerberus Assembly to study Dunamancy. The research notes they found talked about Kryn experiments in Ghor Dranas to use Dunamancy in battle. The experiments involved a Beacon like the one the Mighty Nein took from Thuron.

The Mighty Nein, having completed the task for Lady Zethris Olios involving investigating the source of the rifts to the Abyss spawning in Asarius, sought a favor from Leylas Kryn, the Bright Queen, as payment. They met with the Bright Queen in Rosohna, but things quickly went awry as their origins in the Empire and fight alongside the Muck Men were revealed. Before they were imprisoned, Caleb opted to reveal to the Bright Queen their possession of the Beacon, presenting it to her while saying he was "a child of the Empire, but no friend to the Empire." This revelation stunned all present, and the Bright Queen said this brought the Dynasty hope, calling the Mighty Nein heroes to the Kryn.

Notable Locations

 * Asarius: also known as the "City of Beasts".
 * Bazzoxan: a village at the northernmost point of the Penumbra Range of Xhorhas.
 * Ghor Dranas/Rosohna: capital of the Kryn Dynasty.
 * Urzin: a mobile swamp city in the northwestern corner of the Dynasty, home of the horizonback tortoises.

Politics
The Kryn Dynasty is led by Empress Leylas Kryn. Power in the Dynasty is concentrated in Dens, and the three most powerful Dens (Kryn, Mirimm, and Thelyss) control access to consecution. Certain people will occasionally be adopted into Dens for consecution, indicating a familial structure of some sort.

Ruling Dens

 * Den Kryn: The most powerful of the Dens and one of the three ruling dens, led by Leylas Kryn.
 * Den Mirimm: In charge of law enforcement and one of the three ruling dens, led by Abrianna Mirimm.
 * Den Thelyss: One of the three ruling dens, led by Deirta Thelyss.
 * Includes Essek Thelyss and his brother Verin Thelyss.

Other Dens

 * Den Beltune
 * Den Biylan
 * Includes Lord Biylan, a neighbor of the Mighty Nein.
 * Den Daev'yana
 * Den Duendalos
 * Den Hythenos
 * Den Icozrin
 * Includes Foreman Bodo Icozrin, the manager of the Icozrin Steelworks.
 * Den Tasithar
 * Den Olios
 * Includes Zethris Olios, governor of Asarius, and her two sisters.
 * Den Omrifar
 * Den VaSuun
 * Includes Lythir.
 * Den Zolaed

The Aurora Watch
The regular forces of the Dynasty are called the Aurora Watch, and they perform the functions of both gendarmerie and regular army. Their current established strength is at least 21,600, divided as follows: 13,200 divided among the cities under Kryn protection, 3,300 in the capital itself, 5,500 stationed at various places in the Underdark and the rest stationed on the border with the Empire. The Aurora Watch seems to consist mostly of well-armed, well-equipped, and well-trained drow. Allied and/or subject peoples of the orcish, goblinoid, gnoll and other communities seem to provide many additional supplemental forces.

Characteristic Armor/ Uniforms
Soldiers and assassins from the Kryn Dynasty wear chitinous insect-like leather armor that protrudes in large sweeping hooks at the joints and the shoulders. Additionally they wear form-fitting helmets of similar black leather that has onyx studs wrapped around the head. The brow plate of these helmets have backwards facing horns, looking almost demonic. Kryn Dynasty soldiers additionally wear metal cups as part of their uniform.

Espionage
The Dynasty's spy network is called "The Lens".

Demographics
The Kryn Dynasty is composed mostly of drow. Essek Thelyss estimated that the population was somewhere around 300,000.

Notable People

 * Bright Queen Leylas Kryn: Drow Empress of the Dynasty. She has lived 1200 years and remembers the Calamity.
 * Dusk Captain Quana Kryn: Partner of Leylas and leading general.
 * Zethris Olios: Drow Lady supervising the city of Asarius and Den Mother of Den Olios, along with her two sisters.
 * Thuron: Drow Assassin sent by Leylas Kryn to steal a Beacon from Zadash.
 * Sunbreaker Olomon: Minotaur soldier, near to becoming an umavi
 * Skysybil Abrianna Mirimm: Goblin keeper of Beacon history and Den Elder of Den Mirimm.
 * Shadowhand Essek Thelyss: Drow prodigy in dunamancy, only in the second century of his first life and not consecuted

Culture
According to stories Yasha had heard, the drow of the Kryn Dynasty would use man, beast, and demons for labor and would use them to fight under their war banner. They also keep the skies above their capital city dark to protect their majority drow population from the sunlight. The Kryn use Luxon Beacons to reincarnate certain members of their society who have earned consecution. These reborn individuals slowly begin to remember their previous lives as they reach adulthood. More lifetimes bring one closer to being an umavi, someone so wise through their life experience they are considered a "perfect soul".

"Crick"
As referenced in the semi-historical portions of The Courting of the Crick, this derogatory slur use against those from Xhorhas by those of the Julous Dominion, and later by those in the Dwendalian Empire, originated from the cricket-like noise the armor worn by the soldiers of the Kryn Dynasty made when they charged into battle. Designed with tubes and holes, the armor would make a high-pitched sound like an orchestral swarm of crickets rushing into battle.

Dunamancy

 * &rarr; Main article: Dunamancy.

War mages of the Kryn Dynasty use a school of magic called Dunamancy. Very little is known about this school of magic outside of Xhorhas. The Kryn Dynasty's experiments in Dunamancy focus on manipulation of gravity, entropy, and time.

Religion
The drow of the Kryn Dynasty worship an unfamiliar deity referred to by The Cobalt Soul as the "Luxon". The drow seek to bring all of Xhorhas under its "Burning Banner". Followers of the Luxon use the phrase "Light be with you" as a farewell. Despite the Kryn's overall devotion to the Luxon, they do not force anyone to follow their religion according to Wursh the blacksmith. Though not nearly as well tended as Luxon temples, small shrines to other deities can be found in the Dynasty.

Artifacts

 * Beacon

Trivia

 * Yasha described Xhorhas as a dismal place, and Kryn as frightening people. Ashley later revealed on Talks that this was exaggeration so that the Mighty Nein would not wish to travel to Xhorhas.
 * The name Kryn is similar to Krynn, the world in which the Dragonlance setting takes place, as well as K'ryyn, the name of the first Drow to appear ingame.