Conall Haldane of Gwynedd

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In the fictional universe of the Deryni novels of Katherine Kurtz, Conall Haldane was the eldest son of Prince Nigel Haldane, the Duke of Carthmoor. He was also the grandson of King Donal Blaine Haldane, and the first cousin of King Kelson Haldane.


Conall Blaine Cluim Uthyr Haldane was born on March 3, 1107, the firstborn son and heir of Prince Nigel Haldane and his wife, Duchess Meraude de Traherne. He was born less than four months after his first cousin, Crown Prince Kelson, who ascended to throne following the death of King Brion Haldane in 1120. As a royal prince of Gwynedd, he was raised in a life of privilege and comfort, trained from an early age to one day take a place as one of the most senior nobles in the kingdom. He served as a page in the royal army during the ecclesiastical rebellion and subsequent Torenthi invasion of 1121, and he later accompanied King Kelson on his journey to the Earldom of Transha in 1123. During King Kelson's lightning raid to the Mearan city of Ratharkin in December of 1123, he personally captured Prince Llewell of Meara, the youngest son of the rebellious Mearan Pretender. By 1124, he had begun studying with Tiercel de Claron, a rogue Deryni adept who was attempting to develop Conall's hereditary Haldane potential. He briefly served in the southern Gwyneddan army during the Mearan campaign of 1124, but returned to Rhemuth after less than a month after being appointed commander of an escort detailed to protect a group of war-ravaged nuns.

Conall continued his secret instruction with Tiercel de Claron into the following year, and was successful in developing several rudimentary Deryni abilities. On March 8, 1125, during a heated argument between pupil and mentor, Conall unintentionally killed Tiercel by shoving him down a flight of stairs. After absorbing as much of Tiercel's knowledge and abilities as he could, Conall hid the body and left Rhemuth the next day, joining King Kelson on a religious quest. During the quest, a tragic accident befell the royal party and Kelson was believed killed. Conall and the other survivors returned to Rhemuth, but Prince Nigel, Conall's father and Kelson's heir, refused to take the throne immediately. During a discussion with his father shortly thereafter, Conall accidentally revealed that he had known Tiercel de Claron, whose body had been discovered by Bishop Duncan McLain during Conall's absence. Nigel immediately became suspicious of his son, and Conall instinctively lashed out with his burgeoning powers. Unable to completely control the magic that he unleashed, Conall struck down his father, locking Nigel in an arcane coma. Although horrified by his own actions, Conall realized that his father's incapacitation, combined with Kelson's death, made Conall Prince Regent and heir to the throne of Gwynedd. He moved quickly to consolidate his status, convincing Princess Rothana of Nur Hallaj to marry him, despite her love for the recently-deceased Kelson. On April 4, his Haldane potential was officially activated by Duke Alaric Morgan of Corwyn, Bishop Duncan McLain, and Bishop Denis Arilan, and he married Princess Rothana one week later. However, Conall's ascent to the throne was halted by the miraculous return of King Kelson on April 19. After Nigel was revived, Conall was taken into custody and charged with high treason. During his trial, all of Conall's treacherous acts were revealed, though Conall himself remained defiant and unapologetic. In a last act of desperation, he managed to orchestrate a Duel Arcane against his royal cousin, but he was defeated by King Kelson and condemned to execution for his crimes. Prince Conall Haldane was beheaded on May 3, 1125, dying at the age of 18.


  • Married Princess Rothana of Nur Hallaj on April 11, 1125.
    • Prince Albin Nigel Brion Hakim Haldane (1126 - ?)
  • Illegitimate children by Vanissa 't-Serclaes:
    • Conalline Amelia, later legally adopted by her grandfather, Prince Nigel, and given the name Lady Amelia Haldane, Baroness Whitney (1125 - ?)


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