Derek Karlavaegen

Derek Karlavaegen is a scribe, investigator, historian, writer, chronicler, a journalist, adventurer, traveler, magician, part-time sorcerer, and wanderer from the land of Daventry. He is a friend to the Royal House of Daventry, especially to Alexander. He resides in the former house of the wizard Manannan in the land of Llewdor. He found a device there that he calls "The Eye Between the Worlds," and it is by way of this that he is able to communicate with the Other World.

He was a reporter and contributor to both the Times of Daventry, and Daventry People. He sent histories, press clippings, maps, magazine articles, and the like from the world of Daventry to earth. He is now well known for writing the Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles. He is a central figure in the The King's Quest Companion which ties all the material together.

His full name and title is Derek Karlavaegen of Daventry.

Background
Derek Karlavaegen was originally an inhabitant of the green hills of Daventry. Many years ago, when Derek Karlavaegen was in his youth with little need for a razor, and a determination to see the world and all its myriad wonders and phantasmagoria. He began wandering, astride, afoot, and afloat; he discovered all he wished and more. He discovered a need and liking to record all he met, saw and heard. It was then he also discovered others would pay, to experience through his writings, that which he experienced without the inconvenience of seasickness, biting bugs, hostile witches and enchanters, or bandits. For most, that way is more easy, more safe, than living through those things for themselves. He used what he earned to travel more, to experience more, and to write more.

Shipwrecked in the Green Isles
One year, after Derek had traveled from Tamir, he took passage on a ship, the Round About bound east from from Port Bruce in Llewdor, his destination was Sovereignty of Serenia. On the second week out they encountered a terrible electrical storm. The ship became lost and off course. A month later, as Derek lay in a fitful sleep on his bunk - throat parched and skin stretched from the scant provisions allotted all hands from the near-empty hold below he heard the cry on deck "Land Ho!" Startled from his sleep and exhilarated with hope, he sprang to the deck. The sky had cleared and its blue seemed a hue he had never seen before. He could see a small body of land that was dimly visible. Yet within the hour, the curse upon our ship took its final vengeance. The the sea came alive and swirled around the ship. Currents and whirlpools materialized and sucked at the beaten planks of the ship - turning her first one way and then another! Derek was thrown against the deck and rolled uncontrollably against the cables and the lifeboats. The last thing he heard before his head was struck and blackness descended was the mate screaming "She's going Down!!!" All had perished except Derek Karlavaegen, and he barely. Out of sheer luck, Derek awoke the following morning, not among the bones at the bottom of the sea, but on a beach. Of the crew and passengers of the good ship, there was not a trace. The sea had washed all of Derek's remaining youth out of him. Like an old beaten horse to lame to pull a load, he limped towards a distant village, only to collapse. Derek had found the Land of the Green Isles, a place he had thought didn't exist. The Green Isles welcomed him warmly, fed, clothes, and healed his body. The women helped heal his fevered mind and shipwrecked soul. Once strong and well he was given the freedom to wander through as many islands and cultures as he wanted, and freedom to speak to all he might fancy.

Exploring the Islands
At first he explored the village, where he was staying. Though little of his survived the shipwreck, the few trinkets that he had on his person or managed to salvage from the shore were deemed unusual enough in that distant realm to obtain a few necessities. He also found the villagers eager too share what they had in return for honest work, so he had survived quite comfortably there. Then he explored the docks, where he met the Ferryman, and his young son, Hassan.

Despite his status as a stranger Derek was granted a visit with the reigning king and queen of the Green Isles, Caliphim and Allaria. He met the king and queen in the castle's throne room. As a citizen of the larger, more dangerous world, it made him feel a little nervous and honor bound not to betray such trust in him. He met the king and queen in the castle's throne room. The throne room is a vast hall more ornate then anything his poor eyes had ever seen. Standing before the two thrones in that cavern of gold, he felt as though he stood before fabled Olympus itself. Yet, raising his eyes up slowly to those noble faces, he saw nothing of judgment in their eyes, nothing of disdain, indeed, their faces were full of kindness, welcome and kindness. Having met the royal couple and recovered sufficiently from his ordeal at sea, he began to feel right curious about the other islands in the kingdom, and so he put his itching feet in the care of the jolly ferryman.

Derek traveled around the islands, first exploring the Isle of Wonder. Then he traveled to the Isle of Sacred Mountain. Two of the greeters met him at the base of the Cliffs of Logic. Gently, they took his arms and flew him upwards. He was flown to the Winged Ones city. He was completely dependent on the greeters to travel about the city as there are no connections between the edifice towers of the city. His reception with the Winged Ones was on the surface extremely polite, but the formal words of welcome did not ring true. They held a disdain for common humanity, a haughtiness that made them irksome to Derek. He learned of the Oracle, but was not allowed to meet her. While on the Island he found himself fascinated by the Ancient Ones. He researched the race from what he could get from the closed-mouthed Winged Ones, and later from writings of scholars on the Isle of the Crown. He spent some time studying the language and culture of the Ancient Ones. He examined the ancient culture's artifacts including the Cliffs of Logic which had not been solved by any alive at the time, and the the gates to the catacombs which were inaccessible to visitors at the time as a minotaur had taken up residence inside some years before. Soon he continued his exploration to the Isle of the Beast, but he did not see much of the place since obstacles made it impossible to travel far inland. He learned what he could of its history from others.

Through long nights spent before the fire with his companions on the Isle of the Crown, he learned of the Green Islanders myths and legends. He learned of the Isle of Mists, the Edge of the World, the Realm of the Dead, and even of genies. He had been well treated on the islands and had become rich in friends, knowledge and in countless other blessings. Often, and freely, he was granted audience with the land's king and queen, Caliphim and Allaria. They spoke much of the Green Isles, and he of the rest of the Daventry.

Return to Serenia
In the evenings, he began composing a guidebook to their lands, refining it during the months of his stay. Though he found his spirit forlorn at times with his inability to travel on, though his feet had itched less there than anywhere else in the wide world (for it had stolen his heart). Still on occasion, he found his mind roving back to the green hills of Daventry. He hoped, if his spirit at least was allowed to roam free, he would see them again. He continued to feel melancholy for the places and people, he knew well, but resigned to spend his life hidden away from them, never to return home again. Although some of his mood, he put down onto paper, to admit the truth of his bitter feelings; his intention was to present a copy of his finished work to the king and queen in appreciation for all they and their people had done for him. He could not hide his longings from them.

When at last one evening after an especially fine meal and a goblet of rich, red wine, he finally proffered his gift to them, their eyes saddened and they looked away from him. After a moment King Caliphim warmly thanked him for the slim volume and walked with him into a garden. There, under a bronze moon, they asked him a great favor. His realm, he said, remained a legend to the rest of the world, and he, his queen, and his people, wished it to remain so. Too honorable to compel him, either by force or harangue, to release his sole other copy to him, he simply stated that if others saw his book and knew the location of the isles, their peace and harmony would be disrupted forever. The Green Isles had chosen to live apart from the greater world; to learn to know each other, and to learn from each other also. Perhaps the future would bring their course to join with that of others, but for then they only wished only their peace and privacy. Both he and Allaria prayed much for a child, and they wanted her to know the Green Isles as they had. Only if it became her wish, someday the children of Daventry, and their parents, would walk the islands. But until then their resolve was firm And so it went, Derek assured the king and queen that he would retain his own slim copy as a keepsake of his time in their realm and guard it closely. He promised further that, when needed, he would do as he could to point attention away from the legendary Land of the Green Isles.

The two hugged him warmly, as if he were royalty the same as they, and then summoned their ancient court sorcerer to attend them. It was their final gift to them. Derek bid Caliphim and Allaria a long and happy life, and wished the same for all their subjects and the daughter they hoped for. A spell was cast, and he awoke in a bower not far from the town of Serenia. Nearly a year after he begun his journey, he finally arrived at his destination.

Some time later, Derek returned to the green hills of Daventry, his homeland, that he loved.

Friendship with the Royal Family of Daventry
Almost two decades passed... Although its not clear when they first met, for some years it had been Derek Karlavaegen's fortune to be associated with the Royal House of Daventry; King Graham, Queen Valanice, and their children the princess Rosella and Prince Alexander. he had in fact known Prince Alexander almost from the moment of his return to the people of the Daventry from years of captivity in the house of the evil sorcerer Manannan. Derek was among the family and friends who held the Prince dear. Among them, Derek was proud to have Alexander hold him as his friend.

Shortly after Alexander's return from Llewdor, and Rosella rescuing her father, Derek caught up with Prince Alexander as he relaxed in Castle Daventry the home he had never known to conduct an interview. Their interview was conducted over several days and was interrupted frequently by the queen's reports on the king's improving physical condition, and by their spontaneous hugs and tears. At these times of family emotion, Derek would withdraw discreetly; as some emotions demanded their privacy. As Alexander spoke to him, the story held him with its intensity. He edited the princes words somewhat for brevity and style.

Not long after the interview, a few months after Alexander's escape,  while the rebuilding of Daventry was going on, Derek Karlavaegen traveled to Llewdor in order to get a better understanding of what the brave youth had been through. It was for that reason that he arrived at Manannan's abandoned house. The place was totally deserted, He found no evidence of the cat wizard. He found the house in good repair, but no person or animal was anyplace near, and he found no remains of dead animals (apparently even the chickens had escaped). Derek resolved to spend some days there, to use it as a base for his explorations around Llewdor. During the night he took advantage of Manannan's large library, looking closely through his books on magic and magical lore. The days stretched into weeks, and still no one came to claim the large house with its well-stocked underground laboratory.

Inside the house, Derek discovered the Eye Between the Worlds, on one of the shelves in Manannan's library. Derek Karlavaegen began to send messages and documents from the universe of Daventry to the Other World to the author Peter Spear. The court documents included many of his own written works as well as a few articles written by Daventry's stuffy old court chronicler, minister Gerwain, Alexander (A Magical Primer), Valanice, as well as other bits of information he pulled from articles, and his own research, interviews, and his own hand-drawn maps of the period. Derek decided to give to his, unknown friend (Derek didn't know who he was in contact with) in the Other World, a quick tour of the world of Daventry with his own words. He sent some of his own crude maps along with his communication to further illustrate his world--what there was of it. He also included a copy of Ten Days in Tamir---Vacation in Paradise and Fragments from The Sorcery of Old by unknown authors.

Derek had to be wary of the thugs and desperadoes that infect the forest of Llewdor. They still hid in their tree-house, from which they preyed on travelers. He began to start calling them the Brat Catpack. During this time Alexander had given Derek some gold to give to the Bear family as payments for the prince's deeds (robbing them). Upon hearing the story of the prince's trials and adventures, they forgave him, and gladly took the offered gold.

A little over a year later, Derek Karlavaegen was invited by King Graham and his family to spend some time at the refurbished Castle Daventry with them, a few moons after their ordeals with the evil Wizard Mordack. They asked him to write and record, for all who might read, the quest of the King of Daventry to save his family and his castle. It was around this time that Cedric also visited the Wizard Crispin to get his side of the story as well. He also obtained some information from Alexander, that the prince had received from secret communications with Cassima, which concerned her time living with Mordack in his castle. He also pulled together as much information he could find on Serenia, and surrounding islands. Returning to his home in Llewdor, he uploaded the information to the Eye, along with new updated maps.

Return to the Green Isles
Keeping his longtime promise to the king and queen of the Green Isles, Derek was forced to lie a few times in order to protect the truth of things. He at times claimed he never knew of Land of the Green Isles, said they never existed, and that he had thought it was a myth. He kept up this charade even after learning about Cassima. When he drew up maps of the world and sent them to people in Daventry and in the Other World, he would either leave it off the map entirely or put in it the wrong location so as to protect it from people who might try to visit it.

It wasn't until Alexander came to him in earnest about going after Cassima that he finally admitted it was real and gave Alexander its location. Alexander came to Derek Karlavaegen's home (the house of the magician Manannan) to seek his help. While his ship was being prepared he had come to see if Derek had known anything about the land which was going. It was his great joy to be able to be of greater aid than perhaps Alexander had anticipated. For he gave Alexander his personal copy of the Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles, of which only a small edition had been printed, but out of respect to the wishes of the Crown, the book had never been offered for sale or perusal. He felt a small glow of pride that at last his words would at last be read (and would ultimately save Alexander's life).

Several months passed, Derek and others heard no word of Alexander. The waiting preyed on Derek and the Royal Family. But through all that long wait, no matter the dire warnings of the doom-sayers who were certain the prince was lost forever, Derek and those who knew Alexander never despaired. At last their faith was rewarded. On momentous day, Derek had gathered with the Royal Family in Daventry for an unknown cause, when news came that Alexander was alive and well. With the genie Shamir's help Alexander's family was brought to Daventry, and at his prince's request, Derek too had been asked to become part of the celebration. He was given a room in the Castle of the Crown to stay, and given access to the castles libraries and archives. A few days before the wedding, Alexander came privately to him in the room he occupied in the Palace of the Crown, tasking him write the chronicle of the events of Alexander's adventure before the celebration commenced to be put into the records of both kingdoms. Alexander left for him on his table vellum sheets with his scribbled notes. They discussed the story, lifting the first sheet of vellum and quickly scanned the crossed-out and written-over lines. Derek read over the notes, and admitted candidly that they needed a little work. Derek's hands itched to take hold of the threads of the Alexander's strange story and weave it into a strong and colorful shape. He promised Alexander that the chronicle would be ready to enter the royal archives on his wedding day. He began writing on the eve of the wedding, burning much lamp oil through the night. Derek made sure to include all of what Alexander felt, only omitting what was was not known to him at the time (information was contained in other scrolls). He reconstructed events the best he could, drawing on the extensive library in the castle, and his own knowledge of the Land of the Green Isles. The next morning finishing the chronicle, keeping his word, Derek Karlavaegen was summoned to Alexander and Cassima's wedding. He handed the pages into the Royal Archivist of the Isle of the Crown, so that copies could be made, and then headed to the wedding.

As all the folk of Daventry, and the people and creatures of the Land of the Green Isles, still rejoiced and celebrated the joining of Prince Alexander and Princess Cassima, Derek bowed his head and apologized to those he had lied to about the existence to the islands in the past. The shame he held for having to lie, and also having had to breaking the trust to the former king and queen of the land. He wrote a letter, his "A Confession and Apologia" to the readers of both the Times of Daventry and Daventry People, in which he begged forgiveness to anyone he may have wronged. This he sent along with a copy of the chronicle for all to read, as well as his final updated maps.

Final communication
Not long after, Derek came across a lengthy narration, more a romance than anything else, which was wildly popular among the readers of popular gossiping and literary trifles. It was an anonymous telling of a secret story concerning the queen and princess of Daventry and the dangers they faced during a kidnapping of Rosella by the false king of the trolls and her subsequent rescue. The story also relates that the princess was considering marriage to a prince who had spent his entire life, with the exception but a few days, ensorcelled into something other than himself, never knowing his true nature or identity.

Derek was cautiously skeptical about the veracity of the tale, thinking it more fancy than fact. More fiction than history as he knew it. Although Derek had been privileged to be close to King Alexander, his parents, and sister Rosella, he heard nothing of a possible marriage. Nothing for the princess. Nothing from her family. Nothing from their words, looks or the language of their bodies. He believed rumor or fabrication was all that was possible. The mass hope for another royal wedding, manifesting itself as true romance, was another conceivable explanation for the widespread and uncritical acceptance of the tale.

Derek knew Rosella to be impetuous, but she was no fool. He believed she would marry no man before her time, and that she knew near nothing of Edgar. He believed although Valanice was warm-hearted and full of kindness toward all, she would do anything to defend the life of her daughter. She would not be so easily swayed from her course of rescue in Etheria, as the tale may tale.

Yet, he believed it possible that the tale could be true; all is possible and the truth may have been hidden from him for reasons only the royal family knew. It was their right and their privilege, and Derek was but a loyal subject. But that somehow rang false to him.

Derek came up with another explanation, one which suited his own misgivings, and at the same time he believed brought the universes together (both Daventry and the Other World). He remembered that his world was always recreating itself. He also knew that a great dreamer in the other world created tales and fables from that which was Daventry's own reality, Daventry's own history. He believed that there may be another great dreamer now living within his world, who could dream of the fictions of the other universe, and was creating new realities and histories for his world. He believed the worlds were drawing together, they had already been fairly close to begin with. That both worlds dream each other. The other world was creating its own visions of his world, a different Daventry than his people inhabit. And now his people were dreaming of the version told in the Other World, and with that his world changed.

Later he put his thoughts down within a letter in which he discussed his shock and surprise at the story, and his disbelief. He included the various possibilities he had come up with. The possibility that it was mere gossip. The possibility that he could have been wrong, and finally his belief that his world was now changing because of great dreamer dreaming of the Other World's interpretation of his world. This letter along with the court chronicle that it related to, he sent to the Other World through the Eye Between the Worlds.

However, Derek Karlavaegen is known to have sent a few documents following this letter, which covered later times, particularly covering events in Serenia set several years after Graham's journey to that kingdom, Alexander's kingship in the Green Isles, and Rosella and Valanice's journey to the Etheria. This included covering the life and later success of Sonny Cincinatus, Tailor Fey, and others in the Sovereignty of Serenia.

For some unknown reason he is not known to have sent an account of the events of Connor's adventure, and it is unknown what he was up to at that time, if he was affected by the curse, or even if he was still alive by that time. He has not been heard from again, he too would have been overcome by the stone magic that affected everyone else in Daventry. Perhaps he does not remember many details of the events or perhaps they just were never published in the Other World.

Personality and traits
Derek is a writer in the world of Daventry, he scribes stories about current events of the day for anyone who cares to listen, which are then published for the information and amusement of whoever cares to read them. He practices the magical arts daily, and while not so practiced to pass himself off as a professional sorcerer, he had achieved enough proficiency to contact the Other World. He is a writer of contemporary events, who hobbies in magic, and travels much. He is a humble observer. He is one who journeys and observes, questions and scribes. Many folks look upon what he writes as so near truth they accept it as such. He has been offered, and accepted both gold and coin for these efforts. What was once the amusement of a youth with itching feet and an inquiring mind had provided him with both a gentle living and an undesired notoriety.

Derek is not a hero, he is a wanderer - neither as strong nor as brave as others.

Derek believed he had chosen for some destiny when he ended up in the Green Isles.

It has always been Derek's experience, that while many can handle adversity well, sudden good fortune can be the unkindness gift of all.

While Derek's exact features are unclear; He is Caucasian like most people born in Daventry, looks to have had dark hair. When he had begun his travels around the world in his youth, he had little need for a razor. But by the time he landed in the Green Isles, he had apparently become a 'sour old dog', well traveled and weathered. The last vestiges of his youth had been washed from him, thus he was middle aged at the time. He is shown to walk with a cane which may indicate further his more aged self. Based on known details he was probably between 30 - 40 years old at the time at least. His choice of apparel appears to include a rakish white hat with what appears to be a red feather of large plumage. The rest of his clothing is equally foppish including a fancy reddish overcoat with puffy sleeves and thick cuffs, dark baggy pantaloons, and knee high leather boots. Some twenty years later (when he was about 50 - 60 years old), it can also be gleaned he may even had a beard, or at least kept himself shaven.

When writing, Derek enjoys a glass of smooth, sweet red wine at his side. Derek is also quite fond of local celebrations including weddings and festivities.

Some including Graham, think Derek has a tendency to think too much. As he has been prone to theories and musings about life in Daventry, its history, and philosophy. Many of the things Derek sends are strange and ultimately puzzling and fantastical scribblings, musings, and narratives to those of the Other World.

Derek is known for being a curious soul. He has read records concerning the Other World, and knows as much about it as any who live in Daventry. Because of this he was able to determine that much that appeared on the Eye, came from the Other World. That the metal head in the study was connected certain of earth's machines (of similar design). Because of the curiosity of his, he discovered mention of Daventry and King Graham's adventures in the Other World, which he discovered existed as a sort of fantasy adventure intended as an entertainment for people. After experimenting with the eye for a time, he became convinced he could send messages directly through it to others. He didn't know if what he sent would arrive in the Other World, but he figured out how to send the words on their way. He had nothing to lose, and for whoever discovered it, he hoped to provide wonder, knowledge, and enjoyment. To that end he continued his solitary experiments and copied some of the histories and narratives of his time. Because he knew there were people who were somewhat familiar with King Graham, he sent on one night and others, some of the chronicles of his court--stories of the king and his family. This was so his readers could compare them to the stories that had been written in the Other World. He wrote of other things as his mood struck him or when he felt like copying some interesting words of others. He did this over some time, and more than once, so that the Other World could learn something of the wonder, magic, mystery, of the multiverse. So that they could learn anything is possible and that everything could be true. So that those in the other world could again learn to believe in their dreams.

He treasures truth and holds it precious. He believes to to deliberately twist and deform it, to mislead all who trust his thoughts and observations are without deliberate distortion is against his nature and ethic. He believes if what people say cannot be trusted, and history is recorded not as it were, but rather what it was not, that society would not be able to function. He believes there only be equality and justice if there is openness and truth. Without them, he feels that humanity would be just like those left behind in the Other World. He was very much aligned with truth, even when it was bitter. While Derek has tried to remain truthful all of his life, there is only one situation that he has been known to lie about. That is his knowledge of the existence of the Green Isles, and his knowledge of the kingdom. He chose to lie about it to protect the kingdom and its inhabitants. This was to keep a promise he had made with Caliphim years before. He only broke his pledge to the king and queen of the Green Isles, when Alexander came to him for his help. He chose to break the pledge to help their daughter. In an attempt to be honorable in his acts and words, he gave his personal copy of his Guidebook to Alexander, not as a promise broken, but as a trust upheld.

There is not a whiff of fakery in Derek's steady flow of words detailing the reality of his universe, just one of endless realities that make up what he calls the multiverse. Derek's certainty is in contrast with the confusion of some of those in the Other World, who read his information. While he is aware of the wonder of the one-way correspondence to our world by way of the device he calls The Eye Between the Worlds, it is to him but wonder in a universe filled with such. And as such, it is a perfectly reasonable situation to him. He has only once wondered and that concerned events of Rosella's and Edgar's romance.

Derek is not one to ensure his needs and wishes over others, especially those who have been good and kind and generous to him. He believes there is room in the multiverse for all.

He also moved into Manannan's house in Llewdor, not long after Alexander left, and it is from there he is able to send messages to the other world through the Eye Between the Worlds. He is content to stick with this endeavor until he had exhausted Manannan's extensive magical library, or his wine cellar.

Derek is a frequent, distinguished, and popular contributor to both The Times of Daventry and Daventry People.

Derek asks for people to excuse his artistic shortcomings, he is a writer and a magician (of sorts), not an artist. Although not a great artist, he is only an amateur, and a bit a cartographer having both illustrated his Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles. He also created artwork and maps which he sent over from the World of Daventry.

Behind the scenes
Derek Karlavaegen is character from King's Quest 6 and The King's Quest Companion.

Karlavaegen is a Swedish name, and is a district in Stockholm where the chancery is located. Also known as Karlavägen.

The character Derek Karlavaegen was created by Peter Spear for his King's Quest Companion. Later on Jane Jensen wrote the Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles and she used the character as the writer of the book. Derek was originally going to be known as John the Wanderer, before Jane decided on using Derek.

A Writer appears in KQ8, although it is unclear if this is Derek or someone else.

Derek Karlavaegen (unofficial)
Derek Karlavaegen appears in the fan fiction, see Derek Karlavaegen (unofficial).