Kryn Dynasty

The Kryn Dynasty rules the northern wastes of Xhorhas, and has only revealed itself to the wider world within the past century. Centered around — and under — the ruins of Ghor Dranas in Eastern Wynandir, the dynasty governs many townships and small villages where the Kryn have helped establish a modicum of civilized living among the nomadic wastefolk. They believe that beings not yet beyond redemption can be turned to the light of the Luxon, and often struggle with the unruly denizens of the wastes, hoping to gain converts to their cause and faith. Those that do accept the dynasty often do so because they seek protection from the dregs of the Calamity that wander the wastes, as well as the scouts of the Dwendalian Empire. Dark elves are the most populous race within the Kryn Dynasty. The drow were the first people to uncover the first buried Luxon beacon many ages ago, in a time before they turned from Lolth and escaped enslavement from the Betrayer Gods. The dark elves claimed the dread citadel of Ghor Dranas as their own, as well as the massive network of underground caverns that make up the Underdark of Wildemount. The Kryn are stealthily becoming a force to be reckoned with. The Kryn drow who emerged from the shadowed depths of the caverns beneath Xhorhas now endure periods of sunlight as part of their worship, though their cities are shaded by umbral magic during daylight hours. When hunting, or in times of conflict, the warriors of the Kryn don their signature chitinous armor. A series of small airways woven through this armor can be opened to emit a loud, clicking buzz to intimidate their foes as they charge. This noise has inspired outsiders to call the Kryn “cricks,” referring to this cricket-like din. Artifacts left behind by the Luxon that hold its essence are known as Luxon beacons and are coveted by the Kryn Dynasty as central to their civilization. If a proven soul is ritualistically bound to a Luxon beacon, they can enter a process called the consecution: when a mortal bound to the Luxon dies within a hundred miles of a beacon, the beacon ensnares their soul from its intended afterlife and prepares it to be reborn in a new child within that same vicinity. When that child then matures into adolescence, they begin to recall subtle knowledge from their past life’s experiences, a process called anamnesis. Through meditation with a guide, they can unlock the memories of their past lives and become a more complete being. When a soul has cycled enough to believe they are ready to greet the Luxon, they are called an Umavi, or “perfect soul,” and are revered within the Kryn society. Some beings that naturally reincarnate, such as the phoenix, are considered holy creatures that carry a shard of the Luxon within themselves. If a life continues long enough to achieve a state of clarity called achess, where they believe that they’ve learned all they can learn from their current life, they can choose to partake in a ritualistic termination of their current life, assisted by an Umavi in proximity to a beacon, thereby setting them on the path to a new birth. While considered an honor within the Kryn Dynasty, this practice is misunderstood and seen as barbaric outside their culture. The Kryn Dynasty is a society restructured from the Lolthite history they rejected. The people of the dynasty stand under the first Umavi, known as Bright Queen Leylas Kryn. Beneath the first Umavi, there are twelve noble Dens that mark families of souls who have lived together through generations: Dens Kryn, Mirimm, Thelyss, Hythenos, Icozrin, Biylan, Tasithar, Duendalos, Daev’yana, Omrifar, Beltune, and Zolaed. When someone is believed to be experiencing anamnesis, they submit to a deep meditation with a guide trained in the ways of consecution. This process helps restore memories of the past life, which then mingle with current memories. The awakened soul is then reunited with their Den. Dens do grow as new souls enter the consecution and join their ranks, and new Dens are established with each generation. The oldest Dens, especially those helmed by an Umavi, are held in the highest esteem, and generally answer directly to the Bright Queen. The older the soul, the more prestige it holds in the dynasty. Beneath the Dens of Rosohna, guilds and Den representatives govern the other cities of the dynasty that stretch across Xhorhas, spreading the faith of the Luxon and watching over all Xhorhasians who seek the safety of civilization. This seemingly benevolent societal structure does have a dark side. A closely guarded secret of the highest Umavi is a challenge in the consecution called typhros: some souls that have undergone multiple cycles of the consecution are driven mad when their minds cannot reconcile the memories of many lifetimes. Those who fall to typhros are quietly removed from the dynasty and either left in the wastes or mercifully slain away from the beacons. Signs of madness are beginning to show in the Bright Queen herself, but those closest to her do all they can to shield others from such portents.

Public Agenda

The primary objective of the Kryn Dynasty is to seek out and recover the Luxon beacons presumed to be scattered across Exandria. Not only does each beacon bring them closer to the eventual rebirth of the Luxon, they also help broaden the boundaries of the Kryn society as a new center of the consecution, allowing expansion into new lands and the continued conversion of others. With two of their four beacons now missing, the Bright Queen and her people are desperate to discover more of these sacred artifacts. The Bright Queen and her fellow Umavi see the strength dormant in the roving beastfolk and goblinoids of Xhorhas, and have taken to teaching these nomadic peoples their ways, helping them build villages under the banner of the dynasty, and converting them to their faith. Even so, not all ruling Dens like the idea of introducing what they consider lesser creatures into the consecution, leading to tensions between the people of Rosohna and the scattered villages in the Xhorhasian wilds. With some beacons stolen by operatives of the Dwendalian Empire, the entire Kryn Dynasty has mobilized to retaliate. They are gathering armies to assault Western Wynandir while sending assassins and spies through the subterranean paths of the Underdark, hoping to recover the beacons and simultaneously weaken the evil and blasphemous empire. The Kryn Dynasty has spent a generation training and preparing a select group of volunteers to gather information on their enemies and find routes through both political and physical borders. These agents are collectively known as the Lens, a network of spies and infiltrators who can bypass boundaries and assimilate into foreign nations to gather intelligence, help the Bright Queen protect their people, and seek out beacons across Exandria.

History

It is believed that the Luxon cherishes unity in community, but also values free choice and the power of the individual mind. For each soul to carve a unique path is the best way for a soul to learn about the world. Casting off the teachings of Fate and Destiny taught by some of the current pantheon, the followers of the Luxon are taught that the real power of the universe comes from the power of choice. Many possible futures all await your path, and the universe trembles with anticipatory power as you approach every decision. This power is called dunamis, the energy of potentiality, and the coalescing architecture of the multiple futures leading into each moment is released when an outcome is brought to reality. It is the energy that suffuses every Luxon beacon to prepare the lives to come, and it is the basis of the Kryn’s unique divine crafts and arcane abilities. The Kryn Dynasty has uncovered four beacons and is certain that more remain to be discovered. It is believed that once all the beacons are brought together, the Luxon will be summoned from their slumber to ask their children the great question and impart the truth. It is said that at this time, the Luxon will take those who entered the consecution and abandon this lesser world to start a new world elsewhere. The Aurora Watch legionnaires of the Kryn currently number around 21,600 in total. Around 13,200 Aurora Watch are divided among the cities under the dynasty’s protection, with another 3,300 Aurora Watch stationed in and around the capital of Rosohna — formerly known as Ghor Dranas — to keep the peace and defend the region. Approximately 5,100 soldiers are scattered throughout the Underdark beneath Wildemount at different locations of interest, many employing magically controlled purple worms to allow elite units to navigate the caverns quickly. The remainder of the watch is stationed along the border of Western Wynandir to prevent the empire’s incursions — and to seize land from the empire as they advance.

Foreign Relations

Open war has recently broken out between the Kryn Dynasty and the Dwendalian Empire — a conflict that neither nation can afford to lose. Those bearing the colors of the enemy are subdued and questioned before being punished and sometimes executed. Judgment is swift against the perceived imperial oppressors, and the forces of Rosohna will continue to push until their foes yield the stolen relics. Though the Kryn have remained fairly isolated throughout their history, they are now reaching out to other factions in the hopes of making alliances against the Dwendalian Empire. The Kryn Dynasty has begun hiring mercenaries through the Tribes of Shadycreek Run and purchasing dangerous weapons of war from the Myriad. Rumors of strange magics and powerful relics in northern Eiselcross have reached the dynasty’s ears, and they are willing to seek out any potential advantage over their Dwendalian foes. There are many humanoid tribes that roam the southern reaches of Xhorhas that have declined to ally themselves with the Kryn — or to be assimilated by them. While the Bright Queen has allowed them to continue their neutrality for the time being, she watches them closely, lest they be courted by the empire’s coin and empty promises.