Camberian Council
Encyclopedia
The Camberian Council is a secretive group of highly-trained Deryni
adepts in the historical fantasy
novel
s of Katherine Kurtz
. Originally formed in the early tenth century to maintain peace between the races by controlling the actions of disaffected Deryni nobles, the Council's goals soon expand to include researching ancient Deryni lore and regulating certain Deryni rituals. The Council first appears in the novel Deryni Rising
, but it is actually created over two hundred years earlier, during a period of time between the novels Saint Camber
and Camber the Heretic
.
The members of the Council elects two Coadjutors to direct and guide their meetings, but all significant decisions are made by a majority vote of the entire Council. The Council meets in a hidden chamber located in the Rhendall Mountains in northeastern Gwynedd
, accessible only by means of a single Transfer Portal. Although the chamber is almost entirely subterranean, a massive dome of purple crystal allows limited natural light into the chamber. Beneath the main Council chambers is the keeill, a large, pillared room in which the Council performs their most powerful and complex arcane rituals. Both chambers were built by an ancient Deryni brotherhood known as the Airsid, from whom the Council draws much of their inspiration.
), many Deryni
nobles in Gwynedd are attainted or deposed for supporting the last Festillic king, King Imre Furstán-Festil. Not only do these families lose their titles and their lands, but numerous human lords petition King Cinhil I Haldane for the restoration of the titles and lands their families lost during the initial Festillic coup eight decades earlier. As a result, the Gwyneddan peerage becomes largely human within a few years, and many Deryni begin to express open resentment over their change of status. Some of these Deryni, especially the younger sons of the former nobles, eventually take up random acts of violence and vandalism to express their outrage.
Realizing that such actions only served to fan the flames of anger and suspicion among the humans, several highly-trained Deryni lords decide to monitor and control their fellow Deryni, hoping to maintain the peace between the two races in Gwynedd. This group is formed on April 15, 909, with five founding members: Bishop Alister Cullen (the public identity of Camber MacRorie), Father Joram MacRorie
, Lord Rhys Thuryn
, Lady Evaine MacRorie Thuryn
, and Earl Jebediah d'Alcara. The following year, Archbishop Jaffray of Carbury, Earl Gregory MacDinan of Ebor, and Dom Turstane were inducted, increasing the group's membership to eight. The Council's attempts to secretly police the growing number of disgruntled Deryni and maintain the balance of power between the races are described in Camber the Heretic
, but they are ultimately unable to prevent an explosion of violent persecutions against Deryni throughout Gwynedd. Within a year and a half of King Cinhil's death in 917, four of the five founding members of the Camberian Council are dead.
For two hundred years, the Council both achieves successes and endures failures, though the true extent of their involvement in many public events remains unknown. Theirs is a constantly uphill battle against forces that far outnumber them, and their achievements are often in the nature of small victories in the larger war. While they are unable to halt the persecutions in Gwynedd, they succeed in hiding many Deryni and protecting them for future generations. They cannot repeal the legislation that outlaws their race and prevents them from joining the Church, but they facilitate the plan that removes the former Regents from power in 928 and eventually discover the means by which the Church is discovering Deryni priests. They are unable to protect all of the arcane knowledge from their past, but they do manage to save more of it than anyone else. For centuries, the Camberian Council patiently bides their time, working toward a future date when their race would once again be accepted and safe.
and ensure the activation of each king's Haldane potential, their direct involvement with subsequent Haldane kings remains unknown. (Both King Brion Haldane and his son, Kelson Haldane, have their power activated without the assistance of the Council.)
As a group, the Camberian Council has become quite conservative over the centuries. Although they still strive to protect and defend Deryni, they make a distinction between those who are full-blooded Deryni and those who are not, often viewing the latter with pity and/or contempt. It is unclear just how much arcane lore they have retained over the centuries, and while they certainly possess more knowledge and power than any other Deryni in Gwynedd, they place limitations and conditions on the use of that knowledge (such as permitting the construction of new Transfer Portals). On the other hand, they have clearly lost some of their previous lore, most notably the knowledge of Healing and the process of identifying and training Healers. Nonetheless, the Council remains as secretive as ever, known only as a whispered rumor by most Deryni throughout the Eleven Kingdoms
. Though they are few in number, most of the members of the Council are highly-placed persons of power in their own lands, and each is an acknowledged master of the magical arts. As a result, the Camberian Council can exert an impressive combination of political, ecclesiastical, and arcane power at any given time to accomplish their goals.
Deryni
The Deryni are a fictional race of humans who possess a variety of psychic and magical abilities in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz...
adepts in the historical fantasy
Historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s of Katherine Kurtz
Katherine Kurtz
Katherine Kurtz is the author of numerous fantasy novels, most notably the Deryni novels. Although born in America, for the past several years, up until just recently, she has lived in a castle in Ireland...
. Originally formed in the early tenth century to maintain peace between the races by controlling the actions of disaffected Deryni nobles, the Council's goals soon expand to include researching ancient Deryni lore and regulating certain Deryni rituals. The Council first appears in the novel Deryni Rising
Deryni Rising
Deryni Rising is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books as the nineteenth volume of the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in August, 1970, and was reprinted at least ten times over the next three decades...
, but it is actually created over two hundred years earlier, during a period of time between the novels Saint Camber
Saint Camber
Saint Camber is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books in 1978. It was the fifth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the second book in her second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi...
and Camber the Heretic
Camber the Heretic
Camber the Heretic is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books in 1981. It was the sixth novel of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the third book in her second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi...
.
Overview
The group first receives its formal name from Archbishop Jaffray of Carbury, who believes it appropriate that they be named after the Patron Saint of Deryni Magic, Saint Camber. In addition, one of the chairs in the Council chamber is known as Saint Camber's Siege, a name first suggested by Earl Jebediah d'Alcara. When the Council does not immediately fill the vacant seat of Dom Turstane following his death in 916, Jebediah (somewhat jokingly) suggests that the empty seat provides Saint Camber with a place to observe and guide their meetings. Not only does the empty chair retain its identity after that point, but the remaining members of the Council decide that they operate better with seven members instead of eight. The membership of the Council only very rarely exceeds seven members over the following two centuries.The members of the Council elects two Coadjutors to direct and guide their meetings, but all significant decisions are made by a majority vote of the entire Council. The Council meets in a hidden chamber located in the Rhendall Mountains in northeastern Gwynedd
Gwynedd (Fictional)
The fictional Kingdom of Gwynedd is the primary setting of the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.There had been a historical Kingdom of Gwynedd, an important part of Wales with a long history of its own...
, accessible only by means of a single Transfer Portal. Although the chamber is almost entirely subterranean, a massive dome of purple crystal allows limited natural light into the chamber. Beneath the main Council chambers is the keeill, a large, pillared room in which the Council performs their most powerful and complex arcane rituals. Both chambers were built by an ancient Deryni brotherhood known as the Airsid, from whom the Council draws much of their inspiration.
Early history
After the Haldane Restoration of 904 (detailed in Camber of CuldiCamber of Culdi (novel)
Camber of Culdi is fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books on June 12, 1976. It was the fourth novel in Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the first book in her second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi...
), many Deryni
Deryni
The Deryni are a fictional race of humans who possess a variety of psychic and magical abilities in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz...
nobles in Gwynedd are attainted or deposed for supporting the last Festillic king, King Imre Furstán-Festil. Not only do these families lose their titles and their lands, but numerous human lords petition King Cinhil I Haldane for the restoration of the titles and lands their families lost during the initial Festillic coup eight decades earlier. As a result, the Gwyneddan peerage becomes largely human within a few years, and many Deryni begin to express open resentment over their change of status. Some of these Deryni, especially the younger sons of the former nobles, eventually take up random acts of violence and vandalism to express their outrage.
Realizing that such actions only served to fan the flames of anger and suspicion among the humans, several highly-trained Deryni lords decide to monitor and control their fellow Deryni, hoping to maintain the peace between the two races in Gwynedd. This group is formed on April 15, 909, with five founding members: Bishop Alister Cullen (the public identity of Camber MacRorie), Father Joram MacRorie
Joram MacRorie
Joram MacRorie is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.-Character introduction:Joram Angus MacRorie is the son of Earl Camber MacRorie, and a priest and knight of the Order of Saint Michael...
, Lord Rhys Thuryn
Rhys Thuryn
Rhys Thuryn is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.-Character introduction:Rhys Malachy Thuryn is a highly-talented Deryni Healer and the son-in-law of Earl Camber MacRorie of Culdi...
, Lady Evaine MacRorie Thuryn
Evaine MacRorie Thuryn
Evaine MacRorie Thuryn is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.-Character introduction:...
, and Earl Jebediah d'Alcara. The following year, Archbishop Jaffray of Carbury, Earl Gregory MacDinan of Ebor, and Dom Turstane were inducted, increasing the group's membership to eight. The Council's attempts to secretly police the growing number of disgruntled Deryni and maintain the balance of power between the races are described in Camber the Heretic
Camber the Heretic
Camber the Heretic is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books in 1981. It was the sixth novel of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the third book in her second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi...
, but they are ultimately unable to prevent an explosion of violent persecutions against Deryni throughout Gwynedd. Within a year and a half of King Cinhil's death in 917, four of the five founding members of the Camberian Council are dead.
Survival in secrecy
Despite its losses, the Camberian Council survives, though the plight of Deryni in Gwynedd results in alterations to their original goals. The Council works in secret from its beginning, but the rampant Deryni persecution force them to conceal their operations and their existence to an even greater degree, for the mere knowledge of a group of highly-trained Deryni would provoke a violent reaction in Gwynedd. Although the Council originally seeks to research and reclaim ancient Deryni lore in the beginning, much of their efforts turn to simply protecting the knowledge they already possess, for the loss of so many Deryni institutions of learning results in an alarming loss of knowledge. Attempts to maintain the peace between humans and Deryni quickly evolve into desperate attempts to save as many of their people as they can, as the survival of their race becomes more important than its social standing.For two hundred years, the Council both achieves successes and endures failures, though the true extent of their involvement in many public events remains unknown. Theirs is a constantly uphill battle against forces that far outnumber them, and their achievements are often in the nature of small victories in the larger war. While they are unable to halt the persecutions in Gwynedd, they succeed in hiding many Deryni and protecting them for future generations. They cannot repeal the legislation that outlaws their race and prevents them from joining the Church, but they facilitate the plan that removes the former Regents from power in 928 and eventually discover the means by which the Church is discovering Deryni priests. They are unable to protect all of the arcane knowledge from their past, but they do manage to save more of it than anyone else. For centuries, the Camberian Council patiently bides their time, working toward a future date when their race would once again be accepted and safe.
The current Council
Although it still retains many of the same ideals and goals as it did in the tenth century, the Camberian Council of the twelfth century has evolved. While the membership of the Council was exclusively Gwyneddan at its beginning, it grows to include Deryni from several surrounding lands as a result of the mass exodus of Deryni from Gwynedd that followed the initial onslaught of the persecutions. Additionally, the Council's interests have expanded to include the affairs of foreign realms, though much of its interest remains focused on Gwynedd. While the early Councils saw it as their duty to watch over the House of HaldaneHouse of Haldane (fictional)
The House of Haldane is a fictional royal family in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. For most of the series, the Haldanes are the ruling family of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, and members of the family most often serve as primary or secondary protagonists in the plots...
and ensure the activation of each king's Haldane potential, their direct involvement with subsequent Haldane kings remains unknown. (Both King Brion Haldane and his son, Kelson Haldane, have their power activated without the assistance of the Council.)
As a group, the Camberian Council has become quite conservative over the centuries. Although they still strive to protect and defend Deryni, they make a distinction between those who are full-blooded Deryni and those who are not, often viewing the latter with pity and/or contempt. It is unclear just how much arcane lore they have retained over the centuries, and while they certainly possess more knowledge and power than any other Deryni in Gwynedd, they place limitations and conditions on the use of that knowledge (such as permitting the construction of new Transfer Portals). On the other hand, they have clearly lost some of their previous lore, most notably the knowledge of Healing and the process of identifying and training Healers. Nonetheless, the Council remains as secretive as ever, known only as a whispered rumor by most Deryni throughout the Eleven Kingdoms
Eleven Kingdoms (Fictional)
The Eleven Kingdoms is a fictional collection of nations that serve as the primary setting of the Deryni novels of Katherine Kurtz. Although the exact number of sovereign kingdoms varies through the literary history of the novels, the term remains in use throughout the series.-Bremagne:The Kingdom...
. Though they are few in number, most of the members of the Council are highly-placed persons of power in their own lands, and each is an acknowledged master of the magical arts. As a result, the Camberian Council can exert an impressive combination of political, ecclesiastical, and arcane power at any given time to accomplish their goals.
Members
The various characters who are known to be members of the Camberian Council are listed below according to the order in which they join the Council. The dates listed to next to each name represent each character's time of service on the Council, not the dates of their births or deaths. However, unless specifically noted otherwise, most members of the Council are presumed to have died while in office.Founding members
- Bishop Alister Cullen (909 – 918): Bishop of Grecotha, Chancellor of Gwynedd, public identity of Camber MacRorie
- Father Joram MacRorieJoram MacRorieJoram MacRorie is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.-Character introduction:Joram Angus MacRorie is the son of Earl Camber MacRorie, and a priest and knight of the Order of Saint Michael...
(909 – 948?): priest and knight of the Order of St. Michael - Lady Evaine MacRorie ThurynEvaine MacRorie ThurynEvaine MacRorie Thuryn is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.-Character introduction:...
(909 – 918): daughter of Camber MacRorie, sister of Joram MacRorie, wife of Rhys Thuryn - Lord Rhys ThurynRhys ThurynRhys Thuryn is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.-Character introduction:Rhys Malachy Thuryn is a highly-talented Deryni Healer and the son-in-law of Earl Camber MacRorie of Culdi...
(909 – 917): Healer to the Royal Family of Gwynedd - Earl Jebediah d'Alcara (909 – 918): Earl of Alcara, Earl Marshal of Gwynedd, Grand Master of the Order of St. Michael
10th century
- Archbishop Jaffray of Carbury (910 – 917): Archbishop of Valoret and Primate of All Gwynedd
- Earl Gregory MacDinan (910 – 932?): Earl of Ebor
- Dom Turstane (910 – 916): priest and Healer of the Order of St. Gabriel
- Lord Ansel MacRorie (918 – 948?): hereditary Earl of Culdi, grandson of Camber MacRorie
- Lord Jesse MacGregor (918 – 981?): hereditary Earl of Ebor, later Count of Trevalga, son of Gregory MacDinan
- Dom Queron Kinevan (918 – ?): priest and Healer of the Order of St. Gabriel, founder of the Servants of Saint Camber
- Lord Tavis O'Neill (918 – 922): personal Healer to Prince Javan Haldane
- Bishop Niallan Trey (918 – 942?): exiled Bishop of Dhassa
11th century
- Lord Michon de Courcy (1067–1097): Titular Baron de Courcy
- Lady Vivienne de Jordanet (1080? – 1128): Lady de Jordanet
- Lord Barrett de Laney (1080? – 1130+): Titular Lord de Laney, later Earl Barstowe
- Lord Sief MacAthan (? - 1082): Royal Councilor to King Donal Blaine Haldane
- Oisín Adair (before 1082 – after 1096)
- Lord Seisyll Arilan (before 1082 – after 1096): Royal Councilor to King Brion Haldane
- Lady Dominy de Laney (before 1082 – after 1096): sister of Barrett de Laney
- Prince Khoren Vastouni (1082 – after 1096): Prince of Andelon
- Lord Rhydon of Eastmarch (1091–1105): Titular Earl of Eastmarch and Baron Coldoire, resigned in 1105
- Stefan Coram (1098? – 1121)
12th century
- Sir Jamyl Arilan (1100–1107): Laird of Tre-Arilan, nephew of Seisyll Arilan
- Baron Laran ap Pardyce (1102–1130+): Baron Pardyce
- Princess Sofiana Vastouni (1105–1112 and 1123–1130+): Sovereign Princess of Andelon, niece of Khoren Vastouni
- Bishop Denis Arilan (1107? – 1130+): Auxiliary Bishop of Rhemuth, brother of Jamyl Arilan, later Bishop of Dhassa
- Lord Thorne Hagen (1113–1121): Lord Saint-Stéphane, resigned in 1121
- Lady Kyri de Róiste (1119–1127): resigned in 1127
- Tiercel de Claron (1120–1125)
- Sir Sion Benet (1127–1130+): Under-Chancellor to the Royal House of Llannedd
- Prince Azim ibn Qais ibn Hassan ar-Rafiq (1128–1130+): Prince of Nur Hallaj, Preceptor of the Knights of the Anvil
Sources
- Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, Codex Derynianus (Second Edition), ISBN 1-887424-96-2
- Katherine Kurtz, In the King's Service, ISBN 0-441-01060-1
- Katherine Kurtz, Childe Morgan, ISBN 0-441-01282-5