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DerynifanK

March 17, 2024, 03:48:44 PM
Happy St Patrick's Day. Enjoy the one day of the year when the whole world is Irish.

"Deryni"-izing the classics.

Started by Elkhound, March 30, 2016, 03:57:17 PM

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whitelaughter

Quote from: Elkhound on April 01, 2016, 03:31:55 PM
If you Deryni-ized "Emma", you might have Emma using her powers to 'lean' on her. . .erm. . . patients, which would explain why Knightly was so upset with her setting people up.  (She wouldn't actually use them to force people together--that would make Emma evil, and she isn't that; but a little 'nudge' would only be a little unethical, and she could probably talk herself into thinking that it really wouldn't be so bad. . . .yes it would, Emma!)
A more ethical use (those admittedly still violating privacy) of deryni powers in matchmaking would be to simply read who is holding a flame for whom, and arrange introductions. Truthsaying to detect/remove scoundrels would be better yet.

revanne

This conversation get me back into reading the Lord D'Arcy stories and there is a conversation  in one of the stories about how privary spells are what make investugators necessary..
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46 v1)

Elkhound

Quote from: whitelaughter on October 19, 2016, 06:52:46 AM
Quote from: Elkhound on April 01, 2016, 03:31:55 PM
If you Deryni-ized "Emma", you might have Emma using her powers to 'lean' on her. . .erm. . . patients, which would explain why Knightly was so upset with her setting people up.  (She wouldn't actually use them to force people together--that would make Emma evil, and she isn't that; but a little 'nudge' would only be a little unethical, and she could probably talk herself into thinking that it really wouldn't be so bad. . . .yes it would, Emma!)
A more ethical use (those admittedly still violating privacy) of deryni powers in matchmaking would be to simply read who is holding a flame for whom, and arrange introductions. Truthsaying to detect/remove scoundrels would be better yet.

On another thread I quoted the "Rules for Dating My Daughter" and said that a Gwyneddian version would have something about 'I'm Deryni, and will truth-read you,' or 'I know Deryni, and they will truth-read you.'

Elkhound

Quote from: revanne on October 09, 2016, 03:52:24 PM
Having just reread Gaudy Night, it still reads like a plea for women to be taken seriously as academics and I'm sure reflects some of Dorothy Sayers own struggles in the misogynistic world of academia in the 1930's and 40's. I can see how the theme of the right for women to study seriously might work around the figure, for example, of Richenda and there is always dramatic tension to be got from star-crossed lovers, but I don't quite see how you would set a murder mystery in the Deryniverse.

The poison pen aspect would be possible in any society, especially where you have a more-or-less closed community.

whitelaughter

Quote from: revanne on October 09, 2016, 03:52:24 PM
but I don't quite see how you would set a murder mystery in the Deryniverse.
The 'weapon' is a mind controlled servant. Yes, you find the "murderer" standing over the body with a bloody weapon, but how do you find the person responsible? Especially if the 'murderer' kills them self immediately afterwards?

Elkhound

Quote from: whitelaughter on March 15, 2017, 10:52:36 PM
Quote from: revanne on October 09, 2016, 03:52:24 PM
but I don't quite see how you would set a murder mystery in the Deryniverse.
The 'weapon' is a mind controlled servant. Yes, you find the "murderer" standing over the body with a bloody weapon, but how do you find the person responsible? Especially if the 'murderer' kills them self immediately afterwards?

Unless there is a sufficeintly-skilled Deryni to do a death-reading.  Even absent that, if an investigation discovers that the person had no motive for wanting the victim dead, and you discover that a powerfuld Deryni did. . .

lenni

Quote from: revanne on April 01, 2016, 06:44:31 AM
That would work well for Jane Eyre I think and I can just about see it for Northanger Abbey.

In most of Jane Austen's novels it would be played out in love affairs being doomed because one of the parties is/isn't Deryni. I can see it being fine being Deryni in Jane's world just as long as you didn't speak about it or indulge in public displays of one's powers. Maybe Mr Bennett is Deryni and Mrs Bennett isn't - the lack of meeting of minds is what has caused him to withdraw to his books - and by some quirk of genetics of his daughters only Elizabeth has any real Deryni powers.

One of my favorite authors, C. E. Murphy, wrote a book called _Magic & Manners_:
"With apologies to Jane Austen, I present to you MAGIC & MANNERS, which is what happens when I get it into my head to wonder what PRIDE & PREJUDICE would be like if it was not a lack of wealth that beleaguered the Bennet sisters, but rather an excess of magic..."
http://mizkit.com/cemurphy/historical/austen-chronicles/magic-manners/

I have not read this one yet (shame on me!), but I like the rest of her stuff.

Lenni

whitelaughter

Two sci-fi settings immediately lend themselves to meshing with the Deryni:

Babylon 5
A major premise is that the ancient race of Vorlons have genetically engineered psychic abilities into the younger races, including humans. In addition to the Deryni being created in this fashion, given their authoritarian streak, it would be very believable that the Vorlons would 'tweak' the human rulers to grant them a hereditary 'right to rule'. They also have a habit of turning up in people's minds as angels, which has some disturbing implications.

The Vorlon's enemies, the Shadows, would certainly want the Deryni to overthrow the 'weak' humans. The Shadow only turn up every few centuries, so the summoning spells used in the first two books may only work when they are in town.

A major thread in the series is how to cope with people who can read your mind etc; the compulsory conscription of all psis into Psi Corps being an interesting variant on Deryni persecution.

Finally, time travel is possible but unstable in the setting, allowing a possibility of characters from Babylon 5 heading back to the eras of the books to 'prepare' for the next war with the Shadows.

The Saga of the Exiles/Galactic Milieu Series
Again, hereditary psi abilities; again aliens in hands-off overwatch over humanity. Different blood lines have different sets of powers: most Deryni would be strong in Creativity and Coercion while the Healers have a power known as Redaction. 'D-jumping', plus the use of devices to enhance abilities, mesh nicely with the use of portals.
Worldview though is wildly different; the alien's goal of Unity would likely result in their conquest by the Torenthi and others. (Which might not be a bad thing).