Gwynedd (Fictional)

Gwynedd
Map of the Eleven Kingdoms, including Gwynedd
Deryni novels location
Other name(s)	Kingdom of Gwynedd
Created by	Katherine Kurtz
Genre	Historical fantasy
Type	Monarchy
Notable locations	Rhemuth (capital)

The fictional Kingdom of Gwynedd is the primary setting of the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.

There had been a historical Kingdom of Gwynedd, an important part of Wales with a long history of its own. The fictional kingdom is in no way identical to it; still, it was clearly the writer's conscious decision to use the name of an actual kingdom, rather than invent a fictional name.

Gwynedd is located near the center of the area known as the Eleven Kingdoms. It is bordered to the north by the Kheldish Riding, by Torenth to the east, by the Southern Sea to the south, and by Meara, The Connait, and the United Kingdoms of Howicce and Llannedd to the southwest and west. The exact borders of the kingdom have fluctuated greatly over its four centuries of history, expanding and contracting as the result of wars, conquest, treaties, and marriages. Nonetheless, Gwynedd has steadily increased in size over the years, eventually becoming one of the largest realms in the Eleven Kingdoms. The capital city of Rhemuth is located on the eastern bank of the River Eirian, which flows through the west-central plains of the kingdom. The geography of Gwynedd contains a wide variety of climates and terrains, including plains, farmlands, forests, hills, and mountains. The summers are usually moderately warm, while snow is common throughout most of the kingdom in the winter.

Rhemuth is the capital city of Gwynedd. Known as "Rhemuth the Beautiful", it is located on the eastern bank of the Eirian River in west-central Gwynedd. The foundation of the city pre-dates the Byzantyun conquest of the third century, but it first comes under Gwyneddan control in 655. In 674, King Aidan Haldane moves the capital of his kingdom from Valoret to Rhemuth, where it remains until the Festillic Coup of 822. Rhemuth suffers from declining prestige and population during the Festillic Interregnum, but it is rebuilt following the Haldane Restoration of 904. The royal court returns to Rhemuth in 917, where it has remained for over two centuries, and Rhemuth has flourished as one of the largest and most prestigious cities in the Eleven Kingdoms. Rhemuth is also the location of Gwynedd's secondary archbishopric.