Rhemuth
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In the fictional universe of the Deryni novels of Katherine Kurtz, Rhemuth is the capital city of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Additionally, it is the center of the Archbishopric of Rhemuth, the second-most powerful religious see in the Holy Church of Gwynedd.
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[edit] Geography
Rhemuth sits on the eastern bank of the Eirian River on the western edge of the Crown Duchy of Haldane. The open plains of Candor Rhea lie to the north, while the port city of Desse stands a short distance to the south. Known as "Rhemuth the Beautiful," the older sections of the city have been replaced by grand structures of brick and stone over the centuries. The main thoroughfare of the city, known as Kings' Way, leads directly to the main gate of Rhemuth Castle, which has been the keep of the Haldane kings for centuries. The largest bell in the Eleven Kingdoms, known as Great George, sits atop the mighty Cathedral of Saint George, and its reverberating toll can be heard throughout the city.
[edit] History
Note: For a complete history of Gwynedd, see History of Gwynedd.
Rudimentary villages and settlements have stood upon the eastern bank of the Eirian River since before recorded history. Upon conquering the land in the third century, Byzantyun forces occupied the village of present-day Rhemuth in circa 249, naming it Rhombuticum and making it the capital of Carthanus Province. When the Byzantyun forces withdrew from the area in the fifth century, Rhemuth became the capital city of a sovereign county of the same name, the rulers of which were descended from Christian Rûman settlers. The Counts of Rhemuth struggled to withstand the advances of the Counts of Haldane, but their territory was slowly conquered by their northern neighbors. On March 9, 655, Count Daunus of Rhemuth formally relinquished the sovereignty of his lands to King Augarin Haldane of Gwynedd and was made the paramount peer of the realm for the remainder of his life. In 674, Augarin's son, King Aidan Haldane, moved the capital of Gwynedd from Valoret to Rhemuth. Over the next century and a half, several members of the royal family would hold the title of Count of Rhemuth, but it was a subsidiary title usually reserved for the younger sons of the monarch.
Rhemuth remained the capital of Gwynedd until the Festillic Coup of 822. Shortly thereafter, King Festil I Furstán moved the center of government back to Valoret, where it remained throughout the duration of the Festillic Interregnum. The city slowly began to decline, as the political and ecclesiastical importance of the city faded away. Although many of the Festillic kings bestowed the title of Duke of Rhemuth upon their heirs, the title was merely honorary, and the center of political power in the kingdom remained in Valoret. Additionally, the religious power of the city eroded steadily. For five years, between 868 and 873, the Archbishopric of Rhemuth was vacant after the last Archbishop of Rhemuth, Blaine Furstán-Festil, was forced to put aside his religious vows to succeed his father, King Festil III Furstán-Festil. The title was eventually restored, but it only lasted another twelve years. In 885, following the death of Archbishop Rudolf (who was a cousin of King Blaine), a rebellion supporting a Haldane descendant erupted in the lands surrounding Rhemuth. After the revolt was finally put down, King Blaine ordered that the city be abandoned and its cathedral destroyed. Additionally, he intentionally left the Archbishopric of Rhemuth vacant to further reduce the city's importance.
After the Haldane Restoration of 904, the Archbishopric was restored by King Cinhil I Haldane, and shortly after Cinhil's death in 917, his son, King Alroy Haldane, moved the capital of Gwynedd back to Rhemuth. Over the next century, the city was extensively rebuilt, including restoration of the royal palace and St. George's Cathedral. The city has retained its royal status without interruption for two centuries, and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the Eleven Kingdoms.
[edit] Counts of Rhemuth
- House of Ambrosius
- (444 – 479): Ambrosius
- (479 – 488): Fabius
- (488 – 489): Cytorus
- (489 – 532): Ptolemæus
- (532 – 558): Syrus
- (558 – 571): Lycurgus
- (571 – 611): Donatus
- (611 – 659): Daunus
[edit] Archbishops of Rhemuth
- (399 – 415): Saint Paulus I de Bremagne
- (415 – 420): Saint Coelestinus
- (420 – 455): Theodosius
- (455 – 464): Saint Dulcitius
- (464 – 475): Eulogius
- (475): Scipio Romanistus
- (475 – 477): Florentinus
- (477 – 491): Euroldus
- (491 – 501): Antidius
- (501 – 512): Blessed Palladius
- (512 – 518): Gervasius
- (518 – 542): Ternatius
- (544 – 559): Urbicus
- (560 – 562): Gemmus
- (562 – 569): Saint Patricius (Patrick I)
- (569 – 575): Tetradius
- (575 – 576): Abbono
- (577 – 599): Gyrfredus
- (599 – 603): Salvius
- (603 – 619): Germesillus
- (619 – 645): Pancratius
- (645 – 651): Marcus I
- (651 – 667): Eusebius
- (668 – 673): Albinus I Grammont
- (673 – 685): Gaspard I Hébert
- (686 – 692): Ulric von Tolán
- (692 – 699): Gudin du Pont
- (701 – 719): Saint Antonius (Antony of Culdi)
- (719 – 734): Leindrad of Kiltuin
- (734 – 739): Lantelm
- (739 – 744): Bonifacius de Tinseau
- (744 – 759): Robert I MacMain
- (760 – 764): Bernard Saquet
- (764): Symphorian of Rûm
- (765 – 800): Marcus II Ryons
- (801 – 803): William I of Gap
- (803 – 822): Alexander I Stewart
- (822 – 836): Gleb Rostovich
- (836 – 844): Pilgrin von Jutta
- (845 – 867): Adalbert von Beldour
- (867 – 868): Blaine Godomar Radislaus Furstán-Festil
INTERREGNUM
- (873 – 878): Polemon Calboch
- (878 – 885): Rudolf Imre Eadger von Furstán-Festil-Carthmoor
INTERREGNUM
- (905 – 928): Robert II Oriss
- (928 – 948): Alfred of Woodbourne
- (948): Rostaing d'Ancézune
- (948 – 963): Piers Caradawg
- (963 – 976): Halsten del Borgo
- (976 – 979): Rosca MacImchadh
- (979 – 995): Claudius Alboni
- (995 – 998): Gilrae d'Eirial
- (999 – 1000): Hieronymus (Jérôme) Laurens
- (1000 – 1009): Alexius of Medras
- (1010 – 1021): Gabriel de Tourre
- (1021 – 1025): Marcus III des Varreaux
- (1025 – 1028): Faustin MacArt
- (1028 – 1030): Gerald de Morgan
- (1030 – 1034): Briand of Meara
- (1034 – 1044): Jashan Nygel Ifor Eadwig Haldane
- (1044 – 1055): Thomas I Finnegan
- (1055 – 1061): Albin II MacDiarmaid
- (1061 – 1077): Paul II Faucon de La Forez
- (1077 – 1079): Gaspard II of Rengarth
- (1079 – 1092): William II MacCartney
- (1092 – 1099): Desmond MacCartney
- (1099 – 1100): Francis (François) de Châlon
- (1100 – 1108): James de Varagh
- (1108 – 1117): Alexander II Darby
- (1117 – 1121): Patrick II Corrigan
- (1121 – 1130+): Thomas II Cardiel
[edit] Sources
- Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, Codex Derynianus, ISBN 0-89370-011-8
- Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, Codex Derynianus (Second Edition), ISBN 1-877424-96-2
