The two Deryni factors, X' and Y', are independent, however—which means that both may be present in a given individual—by definition, male, because of the Y' factor. Again, the Deryni factors are not cumulative, so an X'Y' male would have no appreciable advantage over an X'Y male or an XY' male; however, an X'Y' Deryni might be able to use his powers with greater efficiency, since the powers assumed through the Y' factor come upon him fully functional, with no practice necessary. (An X'Y Deryni must learn to use his powers and hence may be at a disadvantage if he has not had the benefit of formal training.) Thus Kelson, who carries the double-prime configuration X'Y', was able to function as a fully trained Deryni from the start, as soon as he had fully assumed his father’s powers—even though he had had no formal schooling in the use of those powers and had not suspected his X' inheritance. His father Brion likewise came to power at full potential, without training, from the power ritual of his father. Jehana, on the other hand, whether an X'X or an X'X' Deryni, had never permitted herself to use her inheritance and hence could be easily defeated by the puissant and practiced Charissa, descendant of a long line of proficient Deryni sorcerers.
This examination of the genetic nature of Deryniness points up another important point: that the myth of being only “half-Deryni” (having only one parent who is Deryni) is exactly that—a myth. Since the X' is the only factor governing full Deryni inheritance, Deryni like Morgan and Duncan, with Deryni mothers only, are just as much Deryni as Kelson, Charissa, or any other “full Deryni.” Since Deryniness is inherited in its entirety from either parent, there is no half-way measure. One is either Deryni or not. The prime factors make all the difference.
A GENETIC RETROSPECTIVE, THIRTY YEARS LATER
Over the past three decades, many readers of the Deryni Saga have spent many hours puzzling over the genetic aspects of what makes a person Deryni. Like them, I have become aware that the matter is far more complicated than I posited as a fledgling author, pretty much fresh out of medical school (and with the genetic understanding of the early 1970s), and while the Deryni universe was still taking shape—and it is still evolving. As the back history has gradually unfolded, I have developed further and perhaps more plausible explanations for the Deryni’s extraordinary powers.
But the key concept, around which nearly all of the key conflicts in Deryni history seem to revolve, always seems to come back to some aspect of a single question: Just what is it that makes a Deryni? Today, well into the first decade of the twenty-first century, it has become increasingly obvious that the question is far more complicated than a simple sex-linked gene marker.
We know, for example, that people with Deryni powers—or at least with powers like Deryni—do crop up from time to time, both male and female—and not just from plot necessity! We also know that there are talents within the broad spectrum of Deryni powers that are not accessible to all Deryni. The Healing talent would appear to be the most notable of these, surfacing only rarely—and the bearers of this gift usually are male. (We know that one of Evaine’s daughters was a Healer—and that this was remarked upon, even before her birth. The legendary Jodotha was also a female Healer.) A possible explanation for this apparent imbalance is that the emergence of this particular talent in females renders the carrier more fragile than her male counterparts, less apt to survive to adulthood.
The Healing talent would appear to be further differentiated, in that some Healers can block the powers of other Deryni, even other Healers—but not all Healers can do this. Indeed, we have met only three, thus far: Rhys Thuryn, Tavis O’Neill, and Sylvan O’Sullivan. Were these men anomalies, even among their own kind, or is it simply that no Healer had ever thought to use his powers in this manner before Rhys discovered it quite by accident? We know that Dom Queron tried and failed to emulate what Rhys had accomplished—and he was a highly trained and skilled Healer as well as a powerful Deryni. (For that matter, we must consider whether the blocking ability is even unique to Healers. What if certain non-Healer Deryni can also block powers, but we simply have not encountered any of them?)
From here we progress to the very intriguing matter of human assumption of Deryni powers, apparently first exploited by Camber, Evaine, and Rhys when they discovered this propensity in Cinhil Haldane and made it part of his preparation to reclaim the crown of Gwynedd. Whether the so-called Haldane potential is unique to this particular genetic line or is only a specific instance of a more generally occurring phenomenon, we do not know.
We do know, however, that some individuals of no previously known Deryni lineage are able to assume at least some Deryni-like powers. Whether this simply taps into a preexisting reservoir of unrecognized or forgotten Deryni lineage or else somehow activates a purely human factor, enabling hitherto absent abilities, we do not know. Some such individuals may descend from Deryni originally blocked by Tavis O’Neill or Sylvan O’Sullivan during the brief heyday of Revan’s baptizer cult, 917–922; and some supposed humans will descend from Deryni by-blows, as noted previously.
It is possible, too, that the right circumstances do enable some humans of no Deryni background to assume some powers like those of the Deryni. Close association with functioning Deryni sometimes seems to awaken some of the most rudimentary psychic characteristics commonly present in Deryni, such as mind shields and some slight ability to resist psychic probes and attempts to control. Most recently, in In the King’s Service and Childe Morgan, we have seen aspects of such psychic awakening in Zoë Morgan and her father, Kenneth, through close association with Alyce de Corwyn. Derry’s early propensity for magic could also stem from such association, at least in part, though after his rough treatment at the hands of Wencit of Torenth—and later, by Wencit’s sister Morag—he may be too scarred ever to regain his previous openness to Deryni magic, even after the healing ministrations of Morgan and other benign Deryni.
Bran Coris is another example of a supposed human taking on Deryni-like powers, though it may be that he had unwittingly experienced initial stirrings of psychic potential through close association with his Deryni wife, Richenda—which, in turn, might have facilitated Wencit’s efforts to subvert him with the promise of power. In a possibly related occurrence, Duke Lionel is described in the first trilogy only as a kinsman of Wencit—the husband of Wencit’s sister Morag—and also allegedly has assumed powers. However, in keeping with later expansion of the Torenthi bloodlines, which reveals that Lionel is the scion of another powerful Torenthi family, the dukes of Arjenol—and half-brother to Mahael and Teymuraz, destined to cause so much trouble for Kelson a decade later—we must surmise that Lionel, the king’s brother-in-law and the father of Wencit’s presumed heirs, actually must be a very powerful Deryni in his own right, and that Wencit only claimed that Lionel’s powers were assumed, to strengthen his rough wooing of Bran Coris.
Such is the nature of making things up as one goes along, and trying to remain true to established canon while still keeping the world-building moving forward. After thirty-five years, with fifteen novels in the Deryni cycle (not to mention numerous short stories set in that universe), I still find it somewhat amazing that I have managed to remain as consistent as I have. In the end, however—and for the purposes of telling a good story—I suppose that Deryni are what I say they are. However, I do promise that I will do my best, if at all possible, to avoid summoning too many dei out of the machina!
Katherine Kurtz, High Deryni
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