We last left the Drakenblades facing off with several hundred orcs as they fell upon one another in civil war due to their leadership being defeated. The group managed to escape and then moved on to the fortress-monastery that had gone quiet of late. Once there the heroes realized it was overrun with gnolls, and that they had a pet hydra. The group brought down the hydra and liberated the keep from the gnolls and their leader a werehyena.
They returned to Syris where they were tasked by Baron Drakclar to take a very important missive to the Lady Helaena Silverclaw in Woldsend. They arrived and the lady told them that the missive included funds for her to siphon to the bandit group known as the Exiled Brotherhood, who were actually the nobles who were thought missing or dead by the public at large. Turns out the nobles were displaced by their siblings who were secretly part of the Cult of Nexara. The Iron Shadows as it turns out, is actually the inner circle of another mercenary company called the Iron Protectors, a reputable and honorable company. The Iron Shadows was primarily a group of assassins and bounty hunters under the pay of the cult.
Armed with this knowledge they are informed that the queen of Kyrador, Selania Moonfrost, wishes to acknowledge and honor the heroes with a ceremony and feast. They are told that the Exiled Brotherhood wishes to strike during the ceremony, when everyone’s guard is down and that they would have help from within the castle to get them in quietly.
The group agrees and attends the ceremony. Part way through the ceremony, Duke Relar Hunter along with Duchess Karlina Bearov, two of the “missing or dead” nobles burst through the doors. They accuse the Duke’s sister, and the Duchess’ nephew of being a part of the Cult of Nexara. A fight breaks out in the throne room and Duke Grag Rider and the Sun’s Grace (the head of the temple of Merous) gather around the queen along with twenty of her royal guard.
The heroes fight off corrupt house guards, priests, and wizards and notice that Duke Hunter had disarmed his sister and Duchess Bearov had killed her nephew. The queen seems pleased that they survived and asks them what was going on. The prince (thought to be shirking his duties by wenching and drinking every night) come sin wearing the full regalia of a trained Silver Knight (all thought he had dropped out of his training). He explains he had started putting on airs that he was irresponsible and not training because he noticed the queen had begun acting strangely of late. He found out that she too was part of the cult, and in fact was the leader of it!
Exposed, the queen opened a portal to the Feywild to flee, along with Duke Rider and the Sun’s Grace. The heroes followed after, and in the Feywild saw a huge tree with what looked to be several opening that look liked windows with balconies and a large one in front that looked to be a door.
The heroes entered through one of the balcony openings, and found a juvenile green dragon and Helrath Solomar within, arguing about killing the adventurers that had the queen so riled. They attacked Helrath and his dragon Ashenclaw and after a very hard fought battle that saw the death of not only Sythaeren, but also of Larissa Drake they prevailed. Afterwards they found Helrath’s quarters and found plans that involved Aerinvale, including a possible attack from the vampires of Justavia.
They have since gained honors for their victories in Kyrador, attended the funerals of their comrades and a ceremony which saw Cyrus Drakclar elevated from Baron to Earl, gained more adventurers that will fight by their side, and now await passage to Aerinvale so that they can continue to take the fight to the Cult of Nexara.