 The novel is set in the land of Gwynedd, one of the fictional Eleven Kingdoms.Gwynedd itself is a medieval kingdom similar to the British Isles of the 10th century, with a powerful Holy Church (based on the Roman Catholic Church), and a feudal government ruled by a hereditary monarchy.The population of Gwynedd includes both humans and Deryni, a race of people with inherent physic and magical abilities who are being systematically persecuted by both the Crown and the Church.