Daventry

Daventry can refer to several things: It is the name of the kingdom that is ruled over by King Graham. It is also the name of the continent of which the kingdom is part (an alternate title for the continent of Serenia), and it is sometimes used as a generic name for the universe that contains the kingdom, the World of Daventry (referred to as Earth within the games). The name can also refer to Castle Daventry, the great keep and seat of power for the Kingdom of Daventry, and Daventry town ( which is not far from the castle).

Kingdom of Daventry
The Kingdom of Daventry is main Daventry on the continent of Daventry/Serenia. It is the home of Royal Family of Daventry, King Graham, Queen Valanice and their two children. Daventry is a very old kingdom and had its share of good and bad kings over the thousands of years of its existence. Daventry is (at least in the view of noted Daventry writer Derek Karlavaegen) the greatest kingdom on the continent, and there is a great deal of evidence to support his belief. The Town of Daventry and Connor's Village are located not far from the castle.

Continent of Daventry
Daventry is the name of the continent that which the kingdom is part of. (though the continent is also known as Serenia as well). According to Derek Karlavaegen's "crude maps", Daventry is the name of the entire eastern continent where the major nations of Serenia and Daventry are located, along with many lesser nations. However in his notes he refers to the continent as the "Continent of Serenia". Though Alexander refers to the continent as "Daventry", in his interview with Derek. Derek also refers to the Continent of Daventry in his earliest notes as well.

The land of Serenia lies in the north beyond the Great Mountains. The Endless Desert lies to the northwest. While Daventry is located in the south of the continent.

Some years ago, it is said the great Wizard Harlin used his powerful magic to move the Great Mountains north and east of the woods of Serenia and created a vast ocean in between and dividing the continent in two. Most of continent was missing. He surrounded the small village of Serenia he had created vast deserts (he had shifted the Endless Desert around the village itself). These were created to be obstacles to prevent his enemies from reaching him. He had moved much of the continent of Serenia to a place referred to as the North. At the time what was left of Serenia consisted of unatural desert he created, and some woods to the north. What was left of Serenia must have been a very small location on the northern edge of the continent of Daventry.

Around this time, Gwydion landed at the foot of the mountain range that had been exposed to the seas on the northern coast of the small continent, the northern half of the continent and most of Serenia was still missing (it is said the shape of the world is always changing do to magic,) and Harlin's magic was great. The shore he had landed on lay close to the edge of the kingdom of Daventry, which was located in a valley between two mountain ranges at the time (a river flowing through the valley). Derek's maps sent around the time of early (KQ4 era) show that Serenia was missing. His map shows only the kingdom of Daventry (and the notes correspond as well ), but not the western or southern kingdoms he mentions. He doesn't mention any of the other lesser kingdoms that share the continent which he would mention in later correspondence, although he admits that kingdoms come and go with the seasons. Sometime later in the same year, Serenia and the northern half of the continent reappeared (in time for Graham to visit the kingdom).

At roughly this same time when the much of Serenia was missing (perhaps allowing for one explanation),

The Land of Serenia disappeared again, along with most of the world, during the time of the cataclysm leaving only a small flat disk centered on the Kingdom of Daventry and the surrounding lands. During this period waters from the swamp and lava from the Barren region poured off the edge of the world. As was explained at this time, the Frozen Reaches lay to the northern edge of the world, and nought lay beyond.

Interestingly enough, the fish off the coast of Llewdor distinguish between the Kingdom of Davenry and the continent of Daventry. One of the fish mentions it would be impossible to swim across the ocean to reach Daventry, and once there he'd still have to cross the mountains to get back to the kingdom.

World of Daventry
The World of Daventry is the title for the universe in which the King's Quest Games take place in the King's Quest Companion. It is suggested to take place on earth in the distant past, or within its own parallel universe to earth (both may be true).

According to Derek Karlavaegen "World of Daventry" or simply "Daventry" is a name humans may use for the entire world where King's Quest's lands are located, although this is not the proper name of the planet. The areas of the world that have been explored are known as the Known World. The world appears to actually be earth from a long time ago in the distant past, and like the present earth shares the solar system with celestial bodies such as the Sun and the planet Jupiter. At several points in history magical beings withdrew into Daventry to avoid persecution by the increasingly scientific societies. The world is continued to be called "Earth" by the gnomes from the Underground Realm of the Gnomes, and the occasional human (according to the games and manuals).

Derek Karlavaegen once explained, "We have no name for our world, our universe, but you may call it Daventry if you like. We think of it as home." However, the world is also referred to as Daventry (or ''World of Daventry) by various authors of the Chronicles of Daventry including Derek himself. Derek also calls the world Earth in the Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles. .

See On the Origin of Daventry for further Information.

In the Other World
There are a number of Daventry's in the Other World (Earth), the oldest of which is a town about 75 miles northwest of London, also known as Daintry. Locally, the name of the town is sometimes pronounced "Danetree," and even Shakespeare used this pronunciation in Henry VI, Part III, Act V. It is said that the town was built by the Danes.

Behind the scenes
Daventry or Daventria is an actual name of a real place in Europe. Here is the reason why Roberta Williams chose this name for her fantasy land;
 * A: There is a Daventry in Great Britain. I think it's located somewhere near Nottingham (of Sherwood Forest fame) or thereabouts. How did this come to be? Good question; I'll answer it! Back in 1983 when I was working on the first 'King's Quest,' I needed to name the place that Sir Graham was from. I looked at my world Atlas - and specifically at England. I noticed this small town located somewhere north of London by the name of Daventry. I really liked the name and, at the time, didn't really think that anyone would mind if I used it. I took the name and it has since turned into the Kingdom of Daventry from which King Graham and his family begin most of their adventures.-Roberta Williams

She has also said;
 * Well, ya, King's Quest is on Earth. Daventry is very old city from a long time ago. It's in ruins now and people aren't quite sure exactly where it used to be. There are some archaeologists searching through the ruins, they think they know its Daventry. But its somewhere on Earth."-Roberta Williams, Talkspot Interview, part 1 (1:20:40 to 1:59:58)

Though as implied by Roberta's quote, and the manuals and introduction for KQ6 that King's Quest's stories occur a long time ago in earth's past, its possible that she intended that the Daventry of the games to be the same location as the modern Daventry, just many centuries in the past. Daventry may also be located in the location of present day Yosemite, Half Dome is said to be located near the kingdom in KQ3.

In the King's Quest Companion, Daventry is implied to be on an alternate world, a parallel planet to Earth. The first two editions of King's Quest companion speak of Daventry of England appearing in Shakespeare but treats the location as a separate place and that both exist in separate worlds.

Derek usually refers to earth as the Other World, and his universe as Daventry. There are a few examples in the King's Quest Companion, where he or others refers to the Other World as earth while explaining the history of the other world. There is at least one example that alludes to others calling the world "Earth" (Druids call Alexander, "man of Earth"), Graham thinks he could see to the ends of the earth from the mountains in Kolyma, and Derek refers to the world as Earth in the Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles]], Edward calls the world earth in KQ1VGA, and the gnomes call it earth as well in KQ8. There are several references to the world being called earth in the King's Quest Novels.

In KQ8 the character Connor explores one of the towns of Daventry. The village or villages were alluded to as early as KQ1 manual (a reference to Daventry's church bells), more directly in KQ2 manual ("village goose girl"), The King's Quest Companion (which talks about the main town of Daventry, but also talks about other towns as well) and in the NES KQ5 maual ("drove many people away from the town") and later in the novels. Although mentioned, the town was never shown previously, until KQ8.