Deryni: Difference between revisions

 

Most of the stories take place in Gwynedd (pronounced "'''GWI'''-neth"), intended to [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|mirror]] Britain, including clear fantasy counterparts to Scotland and Wales. In some ways, however, Gwynedd feels closer to Germany or Poland, since it is in central Europe, sharing a border with Torenth, a realm which is the counterpart of [[Tsarist Russia|Russia]] with aspects of Hungary (such as the vineyards of Arjenol and Komnénë). Gwynedd and Torenth have a history of conflict that spans centuries.

The Deryni (pronounced "dâr-'''IN'''-ee" The word is both singular and plural, both noun and adjective.) are all empathic, and mildly telepathic. Sufficiently powerful Deryni can perform full mind control, telekinesis, and some [[Ritual Magic]]. They can't teleport freely, but they can construct portals, and teleport from a portal to any other they know well - a fairly unusual restriction in fantasy. [[Power At a Price|Extensive and/or repeated use of the powers in a short timeframe is also physically exhausting.]] While the simpler psychic powers can be developed without special training, the ritual magic has to be formally taught. Since the Deryni have been persecuted for centuries, [[Lost Technology|they've forgotten much about their powers]], particularly the ritual magic and Healing. Though the Deryni are treated by the characters as a separate race, patterns of inheritance suggest they're more like redheads, and there is intermarriage between Deryni and ordinary humans. Deryni have never been as numerous as the ordinary humans with which they live, and the persecution has further reduced their numbers.

 

 

The majority of the protagonists are Deryni, and many of the villains are senior churchmen, but some of the Deryni are bishops, some of them are villains, and some of the bishops are good. The power struggles are largely political, with [[Gray and Gray Morality|no side having a monopoly on virtue.]] The overarching challenge of the books is that of building a just and stable social order for humans and Deryni despite their differences, their historical baggage and their capacity for evil.

The books were mostly published as a sequence of [[Trilogy|trilogies]]. In publication order, they are:

 

** ''Deryni Rising''

** ''Deryni Checkmate''

As this trilogy starts, the Deryni in Gwynedd have been persecuted by the church for two centuries, unfortunately for the new king, whose mother is Deryni [[Internalized Categorism|(and suffers from internalized guilt and self-loathing because of this fact)]]. Matters are further complicated by threats from a rival royal house of highly-trained Deryni from Torenth who use their arcane powers in an attempt to reconquer their neighbours.

 

 

* Camber of Culdi

** ''Camber the Heretic''

 

 

* The Histories of King Kelson

** ''The Quest for Saint Camber.''

 

 

* The Heirs of Saint Camber

** ''The Harrowing of Gwynedd''

** ''King Javan's Year''

 

This prequel trilogy follows on directly from ''Camber the Heretic'', without any break.

** (Forthcoming)

 

 

* ''Codex Derynianus'' has genealogies, maps, and minibiographies of the many major and minor characters; it is purportedly written by a "Brother Theophilus" much as the real-world ''Croyland Chronicle'' was partly if not entirely written at Croyland Abbey over the course of several centuries.

 

----

 

 

* [[Arranged Marriage]] - To be expected among the nobility and royalty. However...

** [[Perfectly Arranged Marriage]] - ...many pairings that are politically advantageous are also partially based in affection. Very noticeable in ''King Kelson's Bride'', where of three matches made, {{spoiler|all of them are or end up being}} a love match.

* [[Awesome Moment of Crowning]] - One for Kelson in ''Deryni Rising'' and one for Liam-Lajos in ''King Kelson's Bride''.

* [[The Bard]] - A couple of these:

** Kinkellyan, chief bard to the court of Transha, plays a part in the diplomatic welcome Kelson receives in ''The Bishop's Heir''. Kelson's response {{spoiler|(joining in a traditional dance)}} to what Kinkellyan and Dhugal begin seals the deal.

* [[Bastard Bastard]] - The House of Festil had several of these, notably King Imre's son Marek [[Brother-Sister Incest|(by his sister Ariella)]]. King Donal Haldane has several, and Prince Conall Haldane has one born {{spoiler|posthumously}}.

* [[Best Served Cold]] - Charissa was eleven when her father lost his arcane duel with Brion Haldane. She blames Alaric Morgan for his death, considering the Haldane arcane power merely assumed and therefore inferior. Fifteen years later, her plans (blackening Morgan's reputation, attacking those close to him, framing him for murder) are intended to make Morgan suffer as much as reclaim the throne of Gwynedd.

* [[Big Bad]] - A series of these, many of them from Torenth:

** Wencit of Torenth takes over from Charissa, manipulating the [[Not-So-Omniscient Council of Bickering|Camberian Council]], torturing a captive Derry {{spoiler|and magically inducing mind control}}, convincing another of Kelson's nobles to turn traitor, capturing and executing an entire army...

** Mahael leads the regency in Torenth after Wencit's defeat. Rumoured to be behind the death of one nephew, as well as an assassination attempt against Nigel (and possibly a second nephew of his!) while Kelson is absent on the Mearan campaign. Attempts a ''coup d'etat'' against that second nephew during his enthronement ceremony. Has a spy network which is taken over by his brother...

* [[Big Entrance]] - Kelson and Dhugal in ''The Quest for Saint Camber'' {{spoiler|were thought to be dead after a mountain trail washed out beneath them. When they return to Gwynedd's capital Rhemuth, they arrive with their entourage via Transfer Portal (which permits instantaneous travel) in the sacristy of the cathedral ''on Easter Sunday morning'' no less}}.

* [[Blase Boast]] - Alaric Morgan, his thumbs hooked in his swordbelt, addressing Mearan prisoners in ''The King's Justice'':

** In some cases, the blinged out weapons are [[Requisite Royal Regalia]]. The Haldane Sword has gold, jewels (rubies, because the family colour is red) and a relic encased in the hilt. At his investiture, Liam-Lajos is girded with a diamond-encrusted belt and takes up a gorgeous scimitar described as [[BFS|"more than half the height of a man"]]. "Its scabbard was inlaid with turquoise and lapis lazuli, and studded here and there with pearls and more precious stones: ruby and emerald and sapphire."

** In keeping with his ready-for-anything wardrobe, Morgan favours plain-but-serviceable weapons in his early years, and he retains some of them, including his stiletto in its wrist-sheath. Later he is shown to have a scabbard set with cairngorms, and he disguises the gold of his sword grip with black leather when going to Dhassa incognito. There's a tension between the demands of his ducal status and more practical considerations.

 

== Deryni Tropes C ==

* [[Cartwright Curse]] - Kelson: his romantic asperations are doomed to disaster for three books. To his credit, he is quite shaken by these events.

* [[The Cavalry]] - Kelson and Morgan leading their forces to confront the main Mearan host {{spoiler|and rescue Duncan whilst he's being burned at the stake}}.

* [[The Clan]] - The Haldanes (complete with black hair and grey eyes) and the House of Furstán (including the cadet branch House of Festil).

* [[Cold-Blooded Torture]] - Derry is tortured by Wencit and Rhydon in ''High Deryni''. After {{spoiler|Duncan}} is captured at Dorna, Loris and Gorony keep him drugged (the side effects are themselves very unpleasant) and torture him for hours, including [[A Taste of the Lash|multiple whippings]] and pulling out all his nails.

O Lord, grant strength and wisdom to wield all these gifts only as Thy will wouldst have me serve... }}

 

* [[Cool Crown]] - A number of these, including:

** The Haldanes have the State Crown of Gwynedd, bejeweled and with intertwined gold leaves and crosses, worn at coronations and state occasions. Even Kelson wears this when duty calls for it, though he prefers a "simpler circlet of gold" like the hammered gold circlet he wears when addressing the bishops at Valoret in ''The Quest for Saint Camber''.

 

== Deryni Tropes D ==

* [[Dashed Plotline]] - While some gaps are only a few months or less, years-long gaps happen between some works in the Deryni cycle:

** In the Legends of Camber trilogy, the third volume (''Camber the Heretic'') takes place a decade after the second (''Saint Camber'').

** In the Heirs of Saint Camber trilogy, there's nearly three years between the first and second volumes and nearly six between the second and the third.

** There's two years between ''In The King's Service'' and ''Childe Morgan''.

* [[Deadly Decadent Court]] - Gwynedd under Imre and the regency after Cinhil, Torenth especially under Wencit and the regency after him. Let's just say you wouldn't want to be a prince named {{spoiler|Alroy}}.

* [[Deadpan Snarker]] - In ''The Bishop's Heir'', Morgan and Kelson are watching a figure that appears to be two people riding a single horse. {{spoiler|It proves to be Dhugal carrying Sidana away from the Mearans in Ratharkin.}} Morgan says, "Aye, and to be riding double at that speed and on a horse that spent, the Devil himself must be chasing them. Care to give the Devil some sport, Sire?"

* [[Distinctive Appearances]] - Whether it's ethnic/cultural clothing, or secular/religous kit, character wardrobes do a great deal of work. Bodily attributes like hair colour, eye colour, and the colours of Deryni auras also factor into the mix.

** [[Color Coded for Your Convenience]] - And how!

*** [[Color-Coded Wizardry]] - Deryni with green or silver auras are able to Heal. The Haldanes have red auras. Since the society is feudal, Deryni nobility tend to have their aura colours included in their coats of arms (Haldane red, Morgan's Corwyn green).

*** [[Gray Eyes]] - The Haldanes and Alaric Morgan have grey eyes, and all are dangerous and effective warriors. Morgan and Nigel Haldane in particular serve as [[Mentors]], and Kelson begins to advise Dhugal later on. Morgan's eyes not only associate him with the royal house he serves, they also point to his innocence [[Dark Is Evil|(wardrobe notwithstanding)]].

*** [[Purple Eyes]] - Denis Arilan has violet-blue eyes, and is mysteriously [[Badass]]. Emphasis on the word "mysteriously".

** [[Dress-Coded for Your Convenience]]

*** The relative security of Deryni in Gwynedd (as well as his status as a [[Badass]]) is [[Clothing Reflects Personality|reflected in Alaric Morgan's clothing]]. During his twenties and early thirties as reactionary forces hold sway in the Church and government, [[Limited Wardrobe|he generally wears "sable" (black) riding leathers, with a chain mail shirt that "gleamed openly at wrists and throat, boldly belligerent and just a little too ready for trouble".]] By the time Kelson had ruled for several years (in ''The Bishop's Heir''), he's described as having transitioned through muted grey with a deep burgundy cloak, followed by deep blues, then greens and golds and particolours--"the rich jewel tones rather than bright shades". For Kelson's accolade in ''The Quest for Saint Camber'', Morgan was "[c]lad in forest green velvet...ducally crowned with gold and with Kelson's sword in his hands, he looked like some elemental godling--sunlight on forest leaves and pine boughs, puissant and vital". Secure at last?

*** [[Dark Is Not Evil]] - Morgan again, though he plays up his fearsome reputation to some extent [[Dark Is Evil|(in part by dressing in black)]] as [[Shrouded in Myth|a means of protecting himself]].

*** [[Expository Hairstyle Change]] - Kelson's adoption of a border braid started as a one-time diplomatic gesture. He retained both the hairstyle and the propensity for diplomacy in his exercise of smart power as a mature king.

*** [[Symbol Motif Clothing]] - Kelson has in his wardrobe a tunic of red covered with tiny golden Haldane lions. His coat of arms features a single golden lion on a red field.

* [[Don't Call Me "Sir"!]] - Partially invoked by Kelson: In private moments with close kin and certain courtiers, Kelson will allow them to address him by his first name name, though [[Old Retainer|Morgan and Duncan]] will often call him "my prince" even after he is crowned king. Since he's king, he sets the rules, and the others follow his lead.

* [[Don't Fear the Reaper]] - When {{spoiler|Cinhil}} dies during a ritual setting his sons' Haldane potential, Archangel Uriel escorts his soul from the circle, reuniting him with his long dead wife and first son.

* [[Downer Ending]] - ''Camber the Heretic'' and the Heirs trilogy, except for [[Bittersweet Ending|The Bastard Prince]].

 

 

* [[The Empath]] - Deryni are naturally empathic, which forces them to learn to cope with emotions (others' as well as their own). While they can use their [[Psychic Block Defense|"shields"]] to screen out others' emotions and/or conceal their own temporarily, Deryni are generally depicted as well-rounded emotionally, men and women alike.

* [[Ensemble Cast]] - The stories involve royal courts, religous hierarchies, families and councils. The epic sweep demands a big cast.

** Also a [[Geodesic Cast]] of Duos (Morgan and Duncan, Cardiel and Arilan, Kelson and Dhugal, Alyce and Vera, Charissa and Ian Howell, Wencit and Rhydon, Loris and Gorony) and groups (Camber and his family, the Camberian Council, the evil human regents of the tenth century, the deCorwyns/Morgans/McLains, the religious hierarchy, the royal courts - Festillic, Haldane, Torenthi, Mearan, Trailian). Justified in that this reflects the many loyalties individuals have: to family, to feudal overlord (and ultimately the king), to Church and its God, to the human race(s). [[Conflicting Loyalties|The loyalties and the conflicts between them]] are a large part of the interest for the reader. [[Keeping Secrets Sucks|As a fellow Camberian Council member tells Denis Arilan, "Pray to every god in heaven that you are never forced to choose among your oaths."]]

* [[Entitled to Have You]] - Conall feels this way about Rothana Nur Hallaj, in part because he knows Kelson loves her.

** Also, the chapter in which Jehana is introduced in ''Deryni Rising'' has an epigraph adapted from William Congreve's ''The Mourning Bride'' (1697): "Heaven has no rage, like love to hatred turned,/ .....Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorned." The idea is far older (not to say proverbial), as seen in Euripides' play ''Medea'' (263): "In all other things a woman is full of fear, incapable of looking on battle or cold steel; but when she is injured in love, no mind is more murderous than hers."

* [[Establishing Character Moment]] - To name only one, there's Duke Alaric Morgan's first appearance in ''[[Deryni]] Rising'', when he and Sean Lord Derry ride into Rhemuth for Kelson's coronation:

** Morgan glances down at his [[Limited Wardrobe|sombre black clothing]] in contrast to the colourful trappings of the coronation guests. Morgan prefers to dress this way for much of his early adult life.

** Morgan comes to using breathing and concentration efforts (part of Deryni training to use their powers) and checks on his injured human aide Derry. Morgan is loyal to his own men and doesn't discriminate against ordinary humans, rather treating them according to their merit.

** At the castle courtyard, Morgan dismounts and looks over the courtiers for faces he knows, thereby introducing them to the reader and establishing his thorough understanding of Gwyneddian politics. After exchanging greetings with a friendly minor lord, he notices people near him reacting to his presence, realizing they know who he is and have heard dreadful rumours about him. He strikes a pose while dusting off his clothes before slowly gazing on the little assembly to play up the menace. Morgan cultivates his [[Shrouded in Myth|dangerous reputation]] and uses it to protect himself.

* [[The Evil Prince]]

** Prince Festil Furstán of Torenth was a younger son who didn't like being landless, so he gathered other landless younger sons, borrowed some troops from his father and conquered neighbouring Gwynedd in 822. Nearly all the Haldanes, down to the six-month-old Princess Ysabeau, are slaughtered.

** Prince Conall Blaine Cluim Uthyr Haldane is the eldest son of Prince Nigel Haldane and terminally jealous of his cousin King Kelson and Kelson's foster brother Dhugal, Earl of Transha. He takes secret instruction in using the Haldane powers, which are only supposed to wielded by the reigning monarch. He puts ''[[Fantastic Drug|merasha]]'' in Dhugal's flask while traveling on a quest for Camber's relics. He seduces the woman Kelson wants to marry. He {{spoiler|attacks his father and leaves him in an arcane coma}}. He ultimately {{spoiler|challenges his cousin to a duel arcane at his treason trial}}. By the way, his second name was also that of a Festillic king; [[What Did You Expect When You Named It?|coincidence? Maybe not]].

* [[Evil Uncle]] - Played straight and averted in the various works:

** As noted above, Liam-Lajos' uncles Mahael and Teymuraz are defintiely this, while his youngest uncle Mátyás is emphatically not.

* [[Fantastic Catholicism]] - ''Sans'' the Vatican and the Papacy, but otherwise...

* [[Fantastic Drug]] - ''Merasha'' is a drug that severely disables Deryni, with nausea, dizziness, blackouts, and severely disorienting psychedelic effects on the brain that prevent the drugged person from concentrating (a requirement for the use of Deryni powers). In ordinary humans, it only produces a mild drowsiness. In earlier times, Deryni were exposed to it as part of their training; after the persecutions began, knowledge of it, like so much else, became fragmented and contradictory. It does appear quite frequently in ''The Deryni Chronicles'' and ''The Histories of King Kelson'', and arrangements are made to expose Kelson and Dhugal to it in a controlled setting so they can learn to recognize it and mitigate its effects.

* [[Fantastic Religious Weirdness]] - The very existence of Deryni complicates religious questions.

** Was Camber really a saint? Perhaps a guardian angel? Did he choose to become a saint or an angel in the afterlife? Did his powers and his arcane knowledge permit him to choose that destiny for himself?

** [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|Culturally]], the regions and their inhabitants as depicted in the text match their real world analogues; R'Kassi horses are famous, as is Fianna wine, while people from the Cassan/Kierney/Transha/Claibourne region wear tartans, speak with broad Scots-like accents, and have a clan system and tanistry (elected leadership within the clan). Thus the map, like the books themselves, reflects an alternative history dynamic (including an alternative geologic history).

* [[Feuding Families]] - Haldanes vs. Furstán-Festil

** Later, Kelson meets Rothana nur Hallaj, a Deryni princess who is also a novice at a convent sacked by Mearans. Rothana is the first Deryni woman of his own age he's ever met, and she [[Exposition Beam|shares a rape victim's memory with him]], which, as Morgan points out afterward, is an intensely intimate experience. Morgan and others suggest to both of them that they would make a suitable couple, and they make plans to wed, but {{spoiler|Kelson and Dhugal are washed away in a mudslide and presumed dead. Kelson's cousin Conall plays upon Rothana's sense of duty and her sympathies, persuading her to marry him instead shortly before Kelson and Dhugal return.}}

* [[First-Name Basis]] - In private, Kelson uses either names ("Alaric"/"Morgan" or "Dhugal") or familiar titles (Monsignor Duncan McLain is "Father", Nigel is "Uncle") when addressing these people.

* [[Functional Magic]] - ritual magic and theurgy

* [[Gender Bender]] - While helping her father {{spoiler|assimilate Alister Cullen's memories}}, Evaine must conceal her presence in Cullen's room, so she swiftly takes the shape of a robed man with black hair and a beard. When questioned, "he" calls himself "Brother John" in a clearly masculine voice. It is remarked that taking the shape of the opposite sex and of someone she completely invented (rather than mimicking a real person) are indications of Evaine's high degree of power and skill.

** It's important to note that the Deryni are true believers, at least in part because of the evidence of experience. They sometimes perform rituals for powerful workings that summon beings taken to be archangels (and specifically named: [[Archangel Raphael|Raphael]], [[Archangel Gabriel|Gabriel]], [[Archangel Michael|Michael]] and [[The Grim Reaper|Uriel]]). They mostly see coloured light and fleeting impressions of wings, and of course they could be mistaken or rationalizing their experiences, but they do believe. It also helps that their powers are triggered by an altered state of consciousness akin to meditation or prayer. They are to some extent justified in taking this God-over-dogma view.

* [[Godly Sidestep]] - In ''The Quest For Saint Camber'', Kelson converses via Mind Speech with a being who appeared {{spoiler|and helped him vanquish his treasonous cousin Conall}}:

 

Kelson blinked. It had to be Saint Camber. Only the irascible Deryni saint would be so evasive and yet speak so primal a truth. }}

 

* [[Handicapped Badass]] - Javan Haldane, later Ahern de Corwyn.

* [[Healing Hands]] - among the knowledge lost and later rediscovered.

* [[Hermetic Magic]] - Arises in the [[Ritual Magic|larger-scale rituals]] more than in the off-the-cuff uses of magic. It includes:

** References to the Four Alchemical Elements (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water), both in formulae (assigning them as attributes of the Archangels) and in practice (candles/incense, holy water, sometimes contact with earth).

** Use of diagrams. Circles and other symbols drawn with light or in the earth appear in many contexts, from Naming Rituals to staring patterns to creating a temporary Transfer Portal.

** References to larger esoteric forces. Rituals commonly call upon divine/angelic powers and invoke a kinship between the practitioners and Supreme Goodness (often called "the Light").

** Rhys Thuryn is drugged by Tavis O'Neill and Prince Javan Haldane in ''Camber the Heretic''. They question Rhys about Javan's fuzzy memories of his first empowerment ritual, then set Rhys free to join Camber/Alister against the Regents. Rhys' merasha hangover contributes to {{spoiler|his accidental death in the cathedral}}.

** Kelson passed out after a portion of his empowerment ritual in ''Deryni Rising''. He briefly came to long enough to deal with a disturbance and protect Morgan from scrutiny, then passed out again.

** Nigel passes out from his partial empowerment ritual in ''The King's Justice''. He comes to for a time, but Richenda has him drink some wine and he's sent to bed to sleep off the aftereffects.

** Duncan after being tortured in ''The King's Justice''. He stays with the combined Haldane-Corwyn-Cassan-Transha armies, riding in a litter for a few days.

* [[Hero's Muse]] - In ''Deryni Checkmate'', (then) Countess Richenda of Marley is this to Alaric Morgan from the first time he sees her. He dreams of her for months afterward, and is finally introduced to her by Kelson during preparations for the Torenthi campaign in ''High Deryni''. She lampshades this trope just after they share a [[Psychic Link|Mind Link]]: "Then I have given you that much more to fight for." After their marriage, she also inspires him to fill the gaps in his arcane education, passing on much of her own Eastern-influenced training to him.

* [[Horse Archer]] - The Haldane Household Archers function this way in battle, as seen in ''The King's Justice''. In that same book, Kelson himself is one {{spoiler|when he executes Sicard by shooting an arrow through his eye}}.

* [[Horseback Heroism]] - Occurs a couple of times in ''The King's Justice'':

* [[I Just Want to Be Free]] - One goal of the Deryni characters in [[Katherine Kurtz]]'s books is this, at least it's certainly high on the list (once the rebellions and invasions and assassins are defeated). Kelson is exhorted to be a king to humans and Deryni by a figure of Camber visible only to Deryni, and he founds a new ''scola'' to preserve and openly teach Deryni magic and its ethical use. Essentially, Kelson, his courtiers and others aspire to [[The Unmasqued World]], which would imply this trope.

* [[Immediate Sequel]] - Camber's body is found at the end of ''Camber the Heretic''; ''The Harrowing of Gwynedd'' opens with his son and daughter discussing the fact that {{spoiler|his body shows no signs of decay}}.

** Prince Javan Haldane spends time in a monastery run by the ''Custodes Fidei''. While Javan bides his time there, studying and trying to avoid the [[Regent for Life|regents']] notice, he is still flogged for disobedience at one point and is pressured towards taking religious vows and resigning his position as his twin brother's heir.

** As part of ''The King's Justice'', Kelson [[Royal Decree|decrees]] that Caitrin Quinnell, the Mearan Pretender, will live out her life in a convent.

* [[I Never Said It Was Poison]] - In ''The Quest for Saint Camber'', a member of the Camberian Council is found dead in a secret passageway of the king's palace. In a conversation with Nigel, his eldest son Conall says the victim's entire name, which the younger man is not supposed to know. Nigel realizes Conall had been {{spoiler|secretly working with the dead man (to obtain arcane powers reserved for the monarch) and killed him in that stairwell; Conall attacks his father with those powers and leaves him in a coma}}.

* [[In the Blood]] - Generally the Deryni abilities, specifically the Haldane abilities. The Haldane males also have black hair and grey eyes, and Araxie Haldane, though having a different hair colour, has the Haldane grey eyes.

* [[Inciting Incident]] - At certain points in the [[Myth Arc]], the action is kickstarted by one of these, typically at the beginning of a trilogy:

* [[Internal Reformist]] - Interesting dynamics (due to ethical questions provoked by their roles) among several of these in the [[Corrupt Church]]:

** (Type 1) Bishop Denis Arilan is the first Deryni to be successfully ordained a priest in Gwynedd in nearly two centuries, and he is very scrupulous about concealing his identity. He rises to Auxilary Bishop of Rhemuth (the secular capital) and later to the See of Dhassa (third-ranked in precedence in the kingdom) as well as serving as an advisor to King Brion and King Kelson. He works secretly to find and ordain more Deryni priests, and he takes a secondary role to Cardiel's in the schism over the Corwyn Interdict in 1121. He's a also a member of the Camberian Council, which entails keeping yet more secrets. Though he has a more confident framing of his penchant for secrecy when confronted by Cardiel, he finds it harder to face another Deryni: "I did what I dared, Duncan. I would that it had been more....I dared not jeopardize what greater good I might achieve by acting prematurely. You can understand that, can't you?"

* [[Irrational Hatred]] - Quite a bit.

** Some members of the Camberian Council feel free to deride Morgan and Duncan for being [[Halfbreed|half-breeds]] (having one human and one Deryni parent) ''as if they could choose their parents''.

** In ''The Bishop's Heir'', Caitrin twits Archbishop Loris over the failure of his assassin to kill Duncan McLain; in response, Loris mutters, "The archfiend Morgan came to his aid. He used his Deryni sorcery to heal him." Never mind that healing was a miraculous sign of Christ's divinity.

** ''Deryni Checkmate'': During the meeting of the Curia on the Corwyn Interdict, Archbishop Corrigan (then Archbishop of Rhemuth and Loris's ally) reacted to the defiance of the younger Cardiel and his allies by "[throwing] up his hands in dismay. 'O Lord, deliver us from men with causes! Are we now to be schooled by our juniors?'"

** ''High Deryni'': In a meeting of the Camberian Council, Tiercel deClaron (the youngest member) mounts an eloquent defence of Morgan and Duncan when two other members deride them for being half-breeds. Tiercel starts with the proposition that they should be sought out "on bended knee, begging them to share their great knowledge with us" (referring to the pair's rumoured rediscovery of Healing, a talent lost for some two centuries). He goes on to suggest, based on what they know of the powers, that being Deryni may be an all-or-nothing proposition like other traits. After a long silence, Barrett deLaney quietly says, "We are well instructed by our juniors."

* [[King Bob the Nth]] - The rulers and younger sons of the Festillic Interregnum have a certain monotonous rhythm to their names: Festil I; his sons Festil II and Prince Imre; Festil III and his sons Festil, Imre, and Blaine, Blaine's sons Prince Festil and King Imre. Contrast the Haldanes, who generally each have a different first name.

* [[Knighting]] - Several of these (and likely more forthcoming due to prequel in progress); perhaps the best to date is the ceremony in which Kelson, his foster brother Dhugal and his cousin Conall receive their accolades. Dhugal's father {{spoiler|Bishop-Duke Duncan Mc Lain}} is himself knighted to remedy an oversight (he had taken holy orders before reaching the usual age, and in the scramble of invasion and civil war the matter was forgotten) before knighting his son and {{spoiler|showing his Deryni aura. Dhugal shows his own Deryni aura in happy response}}.

* [[Language of Magic]] - Frequently Latin, with occasional additions of Greek and Hebrew.

** Wards Major are named and [[Invocation|triggered]] with Latin: ''"Primus, Secondus, Tertius, Quartus, fiat lux!"'' <ref>"First, Second, Third, Fourth, let there be light!".</ref>

** After Richenda marries Alaric Morgan, she provides him with further magical training. She invokes the quarters at Nigel's partial empowering in ''The King's Justice'' by Eastern (possibly Greek) names and adds the Hebrew word ''Selah'' to ritual use.

* [[The Last DJ]] - Morgan and Duncan vis-à-vis the Camberian Council.

* [[Light Is Good]] - Use of the Deryni powers can involve the appearance of light, but "Light" is also frequently used to refer to the forces of goodness. Even the human Bishop Cardiel refers to Morgan as a "servant of Light". On the other hand...

* [[A Lighter Shade of Grey]] - While there are heroes and villains among humans and Deryni, the Deryni are by and large shown in a more sympathetic light, largely because they have lived with persecution, and because the stories focus on mages striving to be treated according to their personal merit. As noted above, morally questionable actions done by the heroes tend to be responses to the demands of [[The Masquerade]]. That said, some of the heroes actions and proposed actions (the discussion of Sidana as Kelson's bride, regardless of her wishes) are more matters of expediency.

* [[Long Running Book Series]] - What began in the 1960s as The Chronicles of The Deryni (the trilogy of ''Deryni Rising'', ''Deryni Checkmate'', and ''High Deryni'') has become a career of 15 novels (with a 16th being written in 2011), short stories, background essays and fan fic that has lasted forty years and counting. And there are still more tales to be told.

** Deryni went from having thriving Healer schools and a regular cadre of Healers as part of society to no Healers in the whole of Gwynedd, with a very slight comeback (a handful of untrained Healers flying by the seat of their pants) two centuries later. Arcane knowledge generally is hidden away and /or lost, with traces gradually coming to light.

** Camber and his family circle also investigate more ancient ancestors Orin and Jodotha, as well as a strange altar with black and white cubes (akin to Wards Major) showing patterns they've never seen, much less used. Testing shows one of the patterns makes the altar drop into the floor to reveal a secret room beneath it.

 

 

* [[Magic Knight]] - Lots of these throughout the [[Deryni]] works, including:

** [[The Order|The Orders]] of the Michaelines and the Anvillers are full of these types, specifically trained to be both warriors and mages.

** To a lesser extent, Duncan McLain, Bishop-Duke of Cassan has both military and magical training. In addition to the limitations of Deryni magic, Duncan is a cleric who spent many years at university and in [[The Church]]. That said, he is shown both practising sword fighting and engaging in actual combat.

** Younger men coming into their own as warrior mages include King Kelson Haldane, Dhugal MacArdry {{spoiler|1=McLain}}, and King Liam-Lajos II Furstán.

* [[The Medic]] - '''Lots''' of playing with this one. The Camber triology and the short stories "Catalyst" and "Healer's Song" cover a period when Healers were relatively numerous and had well-established training schools, complete with characteristic garb ("Healer's green" clothing) and schools with differing approaches to the Healing trance. Fast forward two hundred years, and the talent is so rare only four people are known to have it (as of ''King Kelson's Bride''), so all bets are off. Alaric Morgan rediscovers the talent first, and he's definitely a combatant. His cousin Duncan is a cleric, but he's also known to fight when circumstances demand it (first when atttacked, later to save Morgan's life after an ambush, later still as a combat leader commnaded by his king in time of civil war). {{spoiler|His son}} Dhugal is also a combat leader, but he has more typical training as a battle medic, in part because his clan isn't very wealthy. Warin de Grey is also a combat leader, heading a rebellion against Morgan in particular, Deryni in general, and King Kelson by extension. It could also be argued that the novels are set in a feudal society which lacks modern population numbers and niceties like well-developed laws of war; certainly some things are beyond the pale, but fighters with medical skills is a comparatively minor detail.

* [[May-December Romance]] - Dowager Queen Jehana amd Barrett De Laney are some three decades apart in age.

** Alyce and Vera de Corwyn get instruction from Father Paschal. They begin training Morgan and Duncan by Naming them when they're four years old (some three or four years earlier than usual, we're told). Vera takes over after {{spoiler|Alyce dies from a combination of childbirth complications and psychic fatigue}}.

** Richenda and Rothana were pupils of Rothana's Uncle Azim.

** Morgan, Duncan and Nigel guide and advise Kelson, Dhugal and Liam-Lajos (Nigel's portfolio includes training pages and squires.). Liam-Lajos also gets guidance from his uncle Mátyás.

** Denis Arilan secretly seeks out Deryni seminary students and helps them become ordained priests, as well as supervising their arcane training. Among his prize pupils is Father Nivard.

** Tiercel deClaron speaks of training Deryni children and compares his older pupil {{spoiler|Conall Haldane}} favourably.

* [[Mind Rape]] - Wencit of Torenth uses a combination of mundane and psychic/magical techniques against Sean Lord Derry in ''High Deryni''; in the process also [[Brainwashed and Crazy|casting a powerful spell to control Derry's mind]]. Years later, when Kelson and Morgan decide to see if Derry is up to traveling with them to Torenth for Liam-Lajos' investiture, Morgan [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades this trope]] after he makes a frightened and reluctant Derry relax enough for his metal probe.

* [[Mounted Combat]] - Happens a fair amount, usually with the leading figures/nobles/officers on horseback, as well as contingents of lancers and [[Horse Archer|mounted archers]].

* [[Not Afraid to Die]] - Given that [[Anyone Can Die]], this happens from time to time.

** Evaine MacRorie Thuryn freeing Camber's soul in ''The Harrowing of Gwynedd''.

** Judhael of Meara in ''The King's Justice''. He refuses Kelson's offer of clemency to forestall another Mearan rebellion.

* [[Not-So-Omniscient Council of Bickering]] - The Camberian Council later in the timeline, particularly from ''In the King's Service'' forward.

* [[The Order]] - As medieval fantasies set in a realm of [[Fantastic Catholicism]], the Deryni works feature a number of these, including:

** The Michaelines, named for their patron [[Archangel Michael|Saint Michael the Archangel]], are a military order prominent in the Camber trilogy. They are presented as a cross between common notions of the Templars and the Jesuits: wealthy, powerful, and adept at all forms of combat (including intellectual). Their membership was mixed human and Deryni, with the Deryni leading the others in quasi-arcane meditations. Camber's son Joram was a member, as was his late-life alter ego Alister Cullen (Vicar General of the Order). The Michaelines were suppressed by the the regents circa 918, and many members fled into exile with the [[Order Reborn|Knights of the Anvil]].

 

 

* [[Please Spare Him, My Liege]] - In ''The King's Justice'', Judhael of Meara enters Kelson's presence barefoot and wearing a homespun robe to offer renewed fealty to Kelson as King and Prince of Meara. After Judhael's death sentence is pronounced, his aunt Caitrin asks that he be sent into custody with her, but her request is denied. Later, Kelson privately offers Judhael his life but Judhael declines the offer, citing the possibility of future Mearan separatists rallying around him to provke yet another civil war.

* [[Plot Threads]] - Multiple characters with various relationships and obligations lead to multiple plot lines, sometimes splitting into [[Third Line, Some Waiting|three]] or [[Four Lines, All Waiting|more]] depending on the demands of the story. Some of these plot threads continue from one book to the next, lending a verisimilitude that tidy resolutions lack.

* [[Prayer Pose]] - When Richenda invokes the quarters (calls the archangels by name) for Nigel's empowering ritual in ''[[Deryni|The King's Justice]]'', she finishes by "bowing her head over hands joined palm-to-palm in an attitude of prayer". Light then washes out to finish Warding the ritual circle before Kelson begins his part.

* [[Pregnant Hostage]] - In ''Camber of Culdi'', one of the [[Disproportionate Retribution|fifty human hostages taken after a Deryni lord is murdered]] is a pregnant woman. Cathan MacRorie pleads for their release and is offered the chance to take one of them; he first chooses the pregnant woman, only to be asked if he wants her or her baby. Cathan tries to argue, then chooses to take a teenaged boy instead. {{spoiler|The woman gives birth in captivity and is later hanged like the rest of the hostages.}}

* [[Prequel]] - Thanks to the author's willingness and imagination and spurred by fan demand, a number of novels and short stories have been set at various points in the [[The Verse|Deryni timeline]]. The short story "Catalyst", set about fifteen years prior to the beginning of ''Camber of Culdi'', shows Camber's sons and daughter and their friend Rhys Thuryn as children.

** [[Interquel]] - Several short stories, the Heirs of Camber trilogy (published 1989-1994) and the Childe Morgan trilogy (first published in 2003 and still incomplete as of 2011) are set between the Camber trilogy (published 1976-1981) and The Chronicles of the Deryni trilogy (published 1970-1973).

* [[Privileged Rival]] - ''Deryni Rising'' has Kelson (young, inexperienced, labouring under a religious and social system that persecutes Deryni) facing Charissa, who's about a decade older, highly trained in arcana, wealthy and related to the royal family of the neighbouring kingdom that has no such history of persecution.

* [[Properly Paranoid]] - Morgan wears a stiletto up his sleeve and chain mail under his clothes, even at his own ducal state dinners (in his own castle!). He sometimes travels in disguise. He had "the cloak of his Deryni power surrounding him like an invisible mantle wherever he went." Yet {{spoiler|he is drugged, taken captive, and faced burning at the stake, only to be rescued by his cousin}}.

* [[Psychic Powers]] - a full range of telepathy from [[The Empath|an empathic sensing of emotions]] through [[Living Lie Detector|Truth Reading]] through compelling targets to speak the truth (Truth Saying) and all the way up to total [[Mind Control]]. They can also send and receive words (Mind Speech) and [[Exposition Beam|images at a much faster rate than ordinary speech]]. These skills prove highly useful when questioning people or gathering information from scouts, not to mention facilitating private conversations in the presence of other people. The good guys tend to reserve [[Mind Control]] for maintaining the [[Masquerade]]; the bad guys (and girls) have no such compunctions.

* [[Rags to Royalty]] - Snow White Style, [[Gender Flip|gender flipped]] for Cinhil Haldane (formerly Nicolas Draper/Father Benedict).

* [[Rape Discretion Shot]] - In ''The King's Justice'', Princess Janniver's memory is read by Rothana, who [[Exposition Beam|shows it to Kelson]]. The text reflects Rothana's editing of the vision in its description of Janniver's emotional reaction, emotions an outraged Rothana passes unfiltered to Kelson. Thus, the readers get no explicit details of the act itself, yet there's no doubt what happened, or who did it {{spoiler|Caitrin's elder son Ithel}}.

* [[Regent for Life]] - the regency council, in the ''Legends of Camber'' and the ''Heirs of Camber'' trilogies.

* [[Reluctant Ruler]] - King Cinhil Haldane was happy as a cloistered priest, and he came to resent Camber for his misery after he was persuaded to accept a dispensation from his vows, together with a wife and a crown.

* [[Requisite Royal Regalia]] - Some of these items are also magical, such as the Haldanes' Eye of Rom, Ring of Fire and Lion Brooch. Kelson is also shown selecting a certain style of crown to fit the needs of diplomacy (a Celtic design while visiting the Borders, for which read "Scotland").

** [[Geometric Magic]] most often crops up in the protective circles invoked in Warding, both to protect mages from interference during a ritual and to protect outsiders from the energies unleashed in duels. When creating a Transfer Portal, the shape delineates the area to be enchanted.

* [[Royal Brat]] - Conall, especially in The Histories of King Kelson; ultimately degerates into an [[Antagonistic Offspring]].

* [[Royal We]] - Played with in ''Deryni Rising'': when Kelson is addressing his last Regency Council after they have voted to convict Morgan of treason and heresy, he says, "We have lost" and gestures vaguely to include Morgan and his supporters in the plural promoun. Moments later, he hears the clock strike four {{spoiler|and knows he's come of age, so he asserts his royal authority, appoints Morgan's aide to the vacant council seat, and breaks the newly-resulting tie vote, setting Morgan free}}. After this, Kelson plays it straight, especially in documents and formal court functions.

 

 

== Deryni Tropes S ==

** For Vera, this becomes a [[Changeling Fantasy]] when she begins to receive Deryni training in secret. The girls learn of this after their biological father's death and keep the secret within the family.

* [[Secret Keeper]] - Morgan and Duncan keep their true relationship secret from most people; they're also distantly related through their fathers, so they have an excuse to call each other "cousin".

* [[Secret Secret Keeper]] - In 1121, Duncan believes only he, Morgan, and Kelson know about his heritage when he is greeted on the road to Coroth by a man who looks like Saint Camber:

"And you are also a Corwyn, of your sainted mother's right," the stranger contradicted gently. "There is no shame in being half Deryni, Duncan." }}

We later learn this fellow {{spoiler|Stefan Coram}} has [[Becoming the Mask|secrets of his own.]]

* [[Secular Hero]] - Despite the medieval setting and the presence of many clerical characters, some characters in the [[Deryni]] works are less than devout.

* [[Sexy Priest]] - Bishop Denis Arilan's face is described as "handsome", and then-Monsignor (later Bishop) Duncan McLain prompts this exchange between two ladies at his cousin's ducal court:

"Ummm," the blond woman sighed approvingly. "I certainly have. What a pity he's a priest." }}

* [[Sliding Scale of Plot Versus Characters]] - The Deryni works are equally plot and character driven, largely because many of the protagonists have to deal with the powers and the persecution that come with being Deryni, as well as the strife between the rival kingdoms of Gwynedd and Torenth. In particular, Denis Arilan and Duncan McLain have to resolve a basic personal conflict (between their arcane abilities and their vocations) which is tied to church politics and a later schism; they both choose to be priests, but Denis keeps his secret as far as possible, while Duncan eventually lives openly as a Deryni priest. Alaric Morgan has spent years cultivating an ominous reputation, yet he has to adjust when a new king (Kelson, himself half Deryni) takes the throne and works to end the persecutions and regain lost knowledge. Kelson has to grow into his own as a man and a king, cope with his heritage on a personal level and cope with rebellions, church schism, and the rival kingdom to the east. Even for characters with smaller parts to play, like Nigel and Jehana, plot events have personal consequences, and personal choices influence the plot.

* [[Sdrawkcab Name]] - In ''Deryni Checkmate'', Duke Alaric Morgan's [[The Bard|bard]] Gwydion ap Plenneth informs him about public opinion in his ducal capital Coroth, including songs against Morgan. One of these is about an evil oppressor and entitled "The Ballad of Duke Cirala". In his report, Gwydion lampshades the trope: "...I might also mention that the name Cirala is quite familiar if one only spells it backward: C-I-R-A-L-A-A-L-A-R-I-C."

* [[Star-Crossed Lovers]] - A couple of instances:

** Duncan McLain and Maryse MacArdry. Expecting to be parted over a feud between their clans, they {{spoiler|marry in secret and Maryse conceives a son, Dhugal}}. Duncan later learns Maryse died of a fever the following winter, but he doesn't know the rest of the story until '''much''' later.

* [[Summon to Hand]] - Denis Arilan does this with his [[Deryni]] powers in ''The Quest for Saint Camber'': "A distracted snap of his fingers brought two empty goblets, floating over from the dishes cleared away after supper, one of which he filled from the flask."

* [[Supernatural Elite]] - This appears frequently in the Deryni works, and for King Imre Festil and his supporters this has very [[Unfortunate Implications]]. King Kelson Haldane in particular holds that his arcane powers (which he distinguishes from those of Deryni in general) are a manifestation of divine favour, signifying his right to rule. He says as much during an archiepiscopal tribunal investigating Duncan McLain's marriage:

* [[Supernatural Sensitivity]] - Deryni can generally tell who is Deryni and who isn't, because Deryni have mental/psionic barriers called "shields" that are detectable over short distances. Some highly skilled Deryni can disguise their shields, making them seem transparent. Ordinary humans lack these shields, so their surface thoughts are easily apparent to Deryni. Transfer Portals have a residual signature that Deryni can feel and recognize (described as a tingling sensation coming from the area of the floor/ground where the Portal is located). Other objects and places associated with arcane rituals take on psychic energies over time, and Deryni can feel these power traces as well.

* [[Superpowerful Genetics]] - Both the ability to manifest Deryni powers and the Haldane potential (apparently a variant) are transmitted genetically; the trait is dominant, so only one parent needs to have the trait for an offspring to inherit it. Thus, so-called "half-breeds" are just as powerful as full-blooded Deryni. Deryni generally need to be taught to use their powers; carriers of the Haldane potential need no training, but must have the potential triggered by a outside action. This is usually done in a ritual, the specifics of which vary slightly from one generation to the next; certain heirloom objects are used, and new ones may be added.

 

== Deryni Tropes T Through Z ==

* [[Tension-Cutting Laughter]] - In ''Deryni Rising'', though the protagonists are anticipating trouble from Charissa at Kelson's coronation, there's some larking about whilst dressing for the ceremony. Morgan strikes a pose in his finery and Duncan calls him conceited, wagging a finger in the role of scolding priest, whereupon both men burst out laughing, Morgan holding his sides and Duncan collapsing into a chair. [[Lampshade Hanging|The chapter's epigraph is "For surely laughter masks a nervous soul."]]

* [[Teleporters and Transporters]] - Deryni have Transfer Portals, which are small areas on a floor or earth (usually roughly a square meter at most) that have unique psychic signatures (described as a faint tingling sensation for the Deryni who touch them or stand on them). Deryni can travel instantaneously between two Portals by standing on the departure Portal, mentally concentrating on the destination Portal and "warping the energies just so". There are a number of limitations which keep them from being [[Game Breaker|excessively advantageous]]:

** Deryni must know the signatures of both Portals (to ensure they end up where they intended to go and can safely return). A highly skilled Deryni ''could'' give another Deryni a sufficiently accurate impression of a Portal's signature for the recipient to able to use it, but most Deryni read Portal signatures directly for themselves.

** [[Power At a Price|Repeated jumps are mentally and physically tiring, as are longer distance trips]].

** A Deryni can take two other persons or similar amount of matter through, but not much more than that. Taking other living persons through requires that the "passenger(s)" relinquish mental control to the active partner. This can mean lowering one's shields or being unconscious.

** Portals can be set to limit their use even if their signatures are widely known. [[Teleport Interdiction|A Portal may be set so that it can only be detected and/or used by certain people, and it can be set so that a person could use it yet be unable to leave the Portal square (even to teleport back!) unless released by the Portal's owner or some designated person(s).]]

* [[Think in Text]] - Kurtz makes liberal use of this to distinguish Mind Speech and similar unspoken thoughts from actual spoken dialogue.

** Thought dialogue between Deryni characters is rendered ''in italics''. This is helpful to visually distinguish it from things other, ordinary humans could hear (and such conversations sometimes take place in front of humans who are unaware), and from words the same people verbally utter in the same scene. It also lends some sense of urgency which is often justified by circumstances.

* [[Throwing Down the Gauntlet]] - in ''Deryni Rising'', Charissa literally throws down a mailed gauntlet to interrupt Kelson's coronation and challenge him to a Duel Arcane for the right to rule Gwynedd. Kelson first appoints his Champion to act on his behalf, and later picks up the gauntlet himself when Charissa reissues her challenge.

* [[Trouble From the Past]] - The people of twelfth century Gwynedd have to deal with the evils done in the ninth and tenth centuries (invasion and conquest, a nasty [[Magocracy]], a rebellion that leads to a backlash, and then two more centuries of [[Fantastic Racism]]).

** Kelson's deft questioning of his father Brion in the first chapter of ''Deryni Rising''. The prince is a couple weeks shy of fourteen, and Brion admires his son's shrewd intellect.

** Perhaps the best example is the four-year-old Alaric Morgan in ''Childe Morgan''. Alyce is conducting a Naming ritual (which is usually done when the child is seven or eight), and she questions him as part of the ritual:

Alyce had to concentrate to keep from smiling at the sagacity of that answer. She need not have worried about her son's understanding. }}

* [[The Wise Prince]] - Kelson again, and Liam-Lajos shows signs of this in ''King Kelson's Bride''.

** Cinhil vs. a priest {{spoiler|who poisoned his infant son}} in a spur-of-the-moment affair.

** Cinhil vs. Imre {{spoiler|subverted when Imre kills himself}}.

** Donal vs. Sief MacAthan, also spur-of-the-moment {{spoiler|when Sief realizes he's been cuckolded by his king}}.

** Brion vs. the Marluk

** Kelson/Morgan/Duncan/Arilan vs. Wencit/Lionel/Rhydon/Bran Coris {{spoiler|subverted by "Rhydon" revealing himself to be Stefan Coram after poisoning himself and his side}}.

** Kelson vs. Conall, to clear defeat only. Kelson had no wish to give Conall an honourable death in combat.

** Liam-Lajos/Kelson/Mátyás/Morag vs. Mahael/Teymuraz/Branyg, prompted by Mahael's attempt to Mind Rip Liam during his investiture.

* [[You Killed My Father]] - Kelson vis-à-vis Charissa. Also Charissa vis-à-vis Brion and Morgan.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Long Running Book Series]]

[[Category:Fantasy Literature]]