Withdrawal

This is the term used for each time Humans, and other beings came to the world of Daventry from the Other World. The first Withdrawal also corresponds to the creation of Daventry(no land existed before the first Withdrawal) through the magic of the creatures leaving the Other World.

The reason why they withdrew over the eons was because magic and science were at odds with each other. People were beginning to put more faith in science, philosophy and technology over magic and nature. People were no longer having need for the people that used magic, or they were mistrustful of them. People were no longer wanting to commune with nature, infact progress was destroying nature. So many magical creatures, people, and demigods made the first trip. It was a one way trip with no known way back, so many beings made the choice to stay behind in the Other World. Over the centuries though even those withrew at different times.

People of Daventry generally distrust technology (which is uncommon in their world) seeing it as leading to the downfall of the natural world and worry about what would happen if it was ever combined with magic. Humans of Daventry view people of Earth as their ancestors, and they share many of our same books and legends.

Humans settled in the land which is now known as Sovereignity of Serenia first and moved out across the lands from there. Many people believe that entered the world somewhere near Crispin's house, and that he may have been a leader of the "Withdrawal". It has been said that his house has existed since the beginning of time when it was created in an instant and that Crispin is older than the beginning of time.

Apparently sometimes things are brought over unintentionally, as might be the case with Whately Manor.

Possible Dates
The concept of withdrawal is mentioned only in the King's Quest Companion but not in any of the manuals or games. Unfortunately the book never gives any exact dates, and keeps the refrences to when they occured extremely vague. Unfortunately the manuals and the games themselves are rather vague when making refrences to dates in the past.

It is possible to assume general dates for each withdrawal by interpreting from earth based subjects seen in daventry. Assumptions can be made off objects, locations or characters that have been said to have originated from the withdrawals.

The oldest date mentioned in Daventry, C. 10,000 BGC, shows that fairies had to have withdrawn at least that that far back in the past, if not longer.

Mythical creatures of Rome and Greece withdrew to Daventry in earlier Greek and Roman periods. As Rosella surmised the ancient tomb must have been carved into the mountain around the time of ancient Aegypt, and Pandora's Box had been guarded their for eons. The mummy buried there was at least 1000 years old.

The names of Merlin, Achilles, and other human heros may also indicate a period when people withdrew from the real world.

Since William Shakespeare is known in Daventry, we can assume that another Withdrawal occured after the Renaissance age of our world.

Other books known about in the Daventry that originated in the other world include, the Al Azif (Necronomicon) by the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred(probably not to be confused with the other Abdul Alhazred), the Key of Solomon, the book of Dyzan, The Principia Discordia and the Book of the Damned. However these are considered incredibly dangerious books showing the most negative forms of magic.

Whateley Manor was brought over in Victorian times, judging by the decor, the style of building. The graveyard of Whateley Mansion however show that people have been buried in them since the 16th century or so. Both the mansion and the graveyard were brought over at the same time.

The Silver Lining Timeline
According to the unofficial Daventry timeline created for The Silver Lining, the date of withdrawal occured about 5.5 millenia ago (4000 BDC, that means 4 millenia before the founding of the Kingdom of Daventry).

Competing Theory
However according to the manuals for the games, the introduction video in KQ6, and the Gnomes referring to the world as earth in KQ8, it is strongly implied that events in the King's quest games occured a long time ago in our past here on earth, and the concept of withrawal is not mentioned. In this interpretation we share the same mythology because we exist in the same world just many generations after the events occured.

It is possible that they actually withdrew into earth's past, creating the world on the face of a primordial earth, and Derek is communicating from the past.

See On the Origin of Daventry for further information.