Festil I of Gwynedd

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In the fictional universe of the Deryni novels of Katherine Kurtz, Festil I Furstán was the seventh King of Gwynedd, reigning from 822 to 839. Known as "Festil the Conqueror", he became the first Deryni Festillic King of Gwynedd after executing a successful coup that deposed the royal House of Haldane.

Festil Ferencz Furstán was born on June 8, 780, the second son of King Kalman II of Torenth and his wife, Grand Princess Démétria of Byzantyun. He spent much of his youth receiving extensive military training with his father's army, and was created Count of Fathane in 795. He served as the Commander of a Thousand in King Kalman's expedition to Arjenol in 801, and was appointed General of the Torenthi Army in 818, the same year that he was created Margraf of Medras.

In 822, Festil convinced his aging father that he could conquer the neighboring kingdom of Gwynedd through a fast, surprise attack on the capital city of Rhemuth. Festil was descended from King Aidan Haldane (through Aidan's eldest daughter Princess Bethany), and he used his distant relation to his great-great-great-grandfather as the basis for his claim to the throne of Gwynedd. Upon receiving his father's blessing, Festil snuck his forces into Gwynedd by dividing them into smaller groups. On June 21, the invaders entered Rhemuth by concealing themselves with various disguises and launched their attack on the unsuspecting palace in the early hours of the morning. The coup was successful, and King Ifor Haldane, the royal family, and most the government leaders were dead before the guards could react. (However, in the ensuing chaos, King Ifor's youngest son, Prince Aidan, was smuggled to safety before Festil's forces could effectively seal the palace.) Though loyal Haldane forces soon surrounded the palace, the lack of a unified command structure prevented them from taking the palace. One week later, King Kalman arrived in Rhemuth with the Torenthi army, and the coup was complete. Many members of Gwynedd's nobility were executed or exiled to secure Festil's conquest, freeing numerous titles that Festil then bestowed upon his Torenthi supporters. He was officially crowned as King Festil I on July 22, 822, simultaneously swearing fealty to his father as Overlord of Gwynedd.

Regardless of the violent methods by which Festil gained the crown of Gwynedd, he proved to be an effective monarch. He moved the capital to the city of Valoret and embarked upon a series of social and legal reforms that completely overhauled the administration of the government at all levels. He revolutionized the tax system of the realm while also updating and codifying the laws of the land, and he established a standing army to protect the kingdom. Perhaps most surprisingly, he publicly supported an attitude of tolerance and acceptance toward the natives of Gwynedd (both human and Deryni), purposely appointing several Gwyneddans to his first High Council. Festil was quite vehement that both humans and Deryni should work together for the betterment of the land. Though initially viewed as a hostile invader, he successfully erased many of the scars of his coup during his 17-year reign, earning the respect and admiration of much of the kingdom before his death.

King Festil I Furstán died on November 5, 839, and the age of 59. He was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, Prince Festil II Furstán-Festil.

[edit] Family

• Married Duchess Maire of Phtheus on April 14, 799.
  • Prince Festil II (later Earl of Lendour and King of Gwynedd)
  • Princess Arielle (later married Graf Kónrad von Lustnau und Weckesser)
  • Prince Imre (later Earl of Rhemuth and Archbishop of Valoret)
  • Prince Rufim (later Count of Fathane and Patriarch Asterios I of Beldour)
  • Prince Lipóld (died age 8)
  • Prince Ottókar István (later Earl of Rhemuth and Sovereign Prince of Nyford)
  • Princess Andruine (later married Count Evrad of Rhorau-Harpenberg)
  • Prince Karoly (later Count of Altorf, Count of Fathane, and Count of Haldane)
  • Princess Yolande (later Sovereign Princess of Nyford, known as "The Festil Virgin")

[edit] Sources

• Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, Codex Derynianus, ISBN 0-89370-011-8

Preceded by: Ifor Haldane

King of Gwynedd 822 - 839

Succeeded by: Festil II Furstán-Festil