Deryni Status in Society
Deryni have been a minority within the larger population throughout the history of Gwynedd. The novels have established very little specific information about the exact status of Deryni or their place in Gwyneddan society prior to the Festillic Coup of 822, but they clearly rise to prominence following the successful invasion of Festil I Furstán, a younger prince of the Deryni ruling house of the Kingdom of Torenth. During the eight decades that follow, most of the positions of power in Gwynedd (both secular and ecclesiastical) are held by Deryni. Although there are numerous humans who still manage to rise to positions of influence, many Deryni clearly enjoy privileged status simply because of their race. Human resentment toward the ruling minority is one of the factors that eventually leads to the Haldane Restoration in 904.
Following the return of the Haldanes to the throne of Gwynedd, a backlash against Deryni soon begins to manifest itself throughout Gwyneddan society. Shortly after the death of King Cinhil I Haldane in 917, a violent explosion of anti-Deryni fervor sweeps through the kingdom, fueled by the human lords and bishops who now control both the Crown and the Church. Over the next two centuries, the number of Deryni in Gwynedd shrinks dramatically, as many Deryni flee the realm to escape the dangerous persecutions. Those who remain are stripped of most of their legal rights, and forbidden to use their powers by a Church that declares them to be evil heretics.
By contrast, Deryni are openly accepted and respected in the neighboring Kingdom of Torenth. The royal family of Torenth is not only Deryni, but they are acknowledged as being among the most powerful and highly-trained Deryni adepts in the Eleven Kingdoms. As a result, Deryni are an integral and established part of all aspects of Torenthi society. The differences between the social standing of Deryni in Gwynedd and Torenth are one of the factors that has contributed to the constant state of antagonism between the two lands. To date, the status of Deryni in the other realms of the Eleven Kingdoms has not been clearly established.
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