The Worlds of Katherine Kurtz

I'm recalling that in the prologue to 'Camber of Culdi', there's mention that in Camber's day there were Deryni or Deryni-assisted technologies that had been lost by Kelson's day, but while the text seems to suggest that it's building/construction technology that's being discussed, no examples are given. Does anyone else recall technology in the novels that's "ahead" of European technology c. 1350?

I recall from 'High Deryni' that one lord (Bran Coris, I think) has a telescope and is very proud of it. Does anyone else remember that? The telescope (IIRC) appears in Europe just after 1600... And I'd like to have one appear in own stories.

The most significant example I can think of, in terms of building technologies, that exists in Camber's day but has been lost by Kelson's is Camber's rotating Portal; Portals in general can be constructed only by Deryni (although humans can help by offering their energy as a boost for the operant{s}), and that specific Portal appears itself to be an older advancement that Camber rediscovered (possibly in the Protocols of Orin or related writings).

There are a number of clothing fashions that appear in the Deryni-verse far earlier than the equivalent fashions appeared in real-world history.

And IIRC, the Rhafallia (sp?) (Morgan's/Corwyn's flagship) has some sort of sailing tech that doesn't appear in real-world Europe until a good deal later than the 1100s.

Thank you!

Quote from: DesertRose on July 03, 2022, 02:25:44 AMThe most significant example I can think of, in terms of building technologies, that exists in Camber's day but has been lost by Kelson's is Camber's rotating Portal; Portals in general can be constructed only by Deryni (although humans can help by offering their energy as a boost for the operant), and that specific Portal appears itself to be an older advancement that Camber rediscovered (possibly in the Protocols of Orin or related writings).

There are a number of clothing fashions that appear in the Deryni-verse far earlier than the equivalent fashions appeared in real-world history.

And IIRC, the Rhafallia (sp?) (Morgan's/Corwyn's flagship) has some sort of sailing tech that doesn't appear in real-world Europe until a good deal later than the 1100s.

The buildings in general appears to be built to a later standard than existed in our history. Glazed windows and proper fireplaces with chimneys are commonplace, and families aren't sharing a single bedchamber in the solar with the Servants bedding down on pallets in the same room or in the Hall. So where domestic arrangements are concerned, they are more Renaissance or even slightly later, with perhaps late medieval architecture.

Rhemuth castle, in Kelson's reign, has corridors... which weren't a feature of palaces in our history until the 1600s!

Quote from: drakensis on July 04, 2022, 01:55:26 AM...has corridors... which weren't a feature of palaces in our history until the 1600s!

I didn't know that! Good to know for the castles in my own story. :)