Dragon's Lair comparisons

This article compares the differences between the Dragon's Lair in Daventry as it appears or referenced in various sources and games, and the upcoming KQ9. As such will ignore anything having to do with the Dragon's Lairs which appear in KQ7 and KQ8.

Background
When the original King's Quest was first released there wasn't much of a backstory for the three treasures, or the locations they were hidden, including the Dragon's Lair. Originally the treasures were not owned by the kings of Daventry and then lost, but instead were just legendary treasures that the current king was hoping Graham could find to save the Kingdom. Initially there were no connections between the various overworld enemies and the treasures.

Secondly, the official SIerra Hintbook for KQ1 actually promoted the violent choice for defeating the dragon (stabing the knife through the Dragon's heart), rather than focusing on the non-violent approach (but hinted that there was a non-violent approach for more points). The non-violent approach was treated as the secondary choice, and was described later in the "Did you try?" section at the end of the book. But in later sources the non-violent approach became the canonical and primary version of the events.

What little backstory was described in the The King's Appeal (the original introduction for King's Quest released in the IBM version) is stated as such:


 * ... "You need to find a... an enchanted mirror exists revealing the future to the beholder...
 * ...I only know they are in the kingdom of Daventry and are guarded by dangerous characters.

The second prologue to King's Quest 1 (King's Quest by Roberta Williams) released in later versions gives a longer backstory to the loss of the of the magic mirror (tieing it to the The Sorcerer wandering through the kingdom. This is what it had to say about the lair:


 * King Edward and his wife gazed into the Mirror's depths and saw a young princely figure with a gold crown upon his head. Imagining the youth to be the son they yearned for, the royal couple gladly bestowed the Mirror upon the sorcerer. He took it to his dwelling, where he set one of his beasts to guard over it.

The novel for King's Quest 1 in the King's Quest Companion paraphrases the prologue by stating:
 * The only leads to the missing treasures the young knight had to go on were slim. One: the dwarf who had taken the magic Shield of Achille had been seen disappearing into a hole in the ground. Two: the shape-changing witch who had stolen the Chest of Gold escaped on her broomstick into the clouds that clunk to the peaks above Daventry, solid-seeming masses like now cornices, impossible outcroppings poised out from the mountains with no support. Three : the nameless sorcerer who absconded with Merlin's Mirror had said it would be kept in a safe place, guarded by a fearsome beast. There were no easy answers in this list, but that was all anyone knew about the mystery.

There is a small reference in The Floating Castle as well (post KQ3):


 * To the right of the dais, set into a shallow niche, hung the mirror that was one of the irreplaceable treasures of Daventry, for it was a magic mirror, with the power to foresee the future and show events occurring in faraway places.


 * The mirror had served the kings and queens of Daventry for more than two centuries, Alexander knew--until that day, now many years past, when a wicked sorcerer had used his cunning to cheat old King Edward of it, with dire consequences for the realm. It had been Alexander's father who had finally recovered the mirror from the sorcerer's dark lair and returned it to Castle Daventry, where it had remained ever since, there on the wall beside the throne.

The Dragon's Lair in the King's Quest Companion
Note: For full details see Quest for the Crown: From the Chronicles of Daventry, Part I

The novelization of KQ1 in The King's Quest companion is written by the unnamed Royal Scribe (as told to him by Graham). In it the three treasures are collected in the order of the Magic Mirror (from the Dragon's lair), then the Shield, and then the Magic Chest.

The entire story is based on events of the original King's Quest AGI, this includes the more active and constantly moving dragon in a larger sized cave. In the novelization it is described as constantly charging at Graham breathing fire and singing his hair (with Graham thinking of killing it with his dagger through its heart), but first distracting the dragon with the bucket.

Some artistic license is taken with the artwork in the third edition of the companion that shows a larger dragon in a smaller cave (somewhat like that of the remake), with the pool from the well bottom being very close to the Dragon (rather than at least one room away) that he is able to see the dragon in the image before he even gets out of the pool (in the story he doesn't see it, until he crawls through a tunnel into the dry cave). But the image, the dragon is drawn as a wingless wyrm with several horns on its head.

The King's Quest VII: Authorized Players Guide a companion to the Companion made the brief reference to the Dragon's Lair sequence in The Stories So Far (following the order the treasures were collected in the Companion):
 * Suitably motivated, Graham tromped off, defeated a fire-breathing dragon to retrieve the Magic Mirror...

Below are the relevant passages from the KQ1 novel in the Companion:


 * On the road south, the piece of gingerbread house he was munching tasted even better than the one the day before. The morning had to be as sunny as Graham's mood, and he passed without encounter or incident through the territory formerly hunted by the wicked witch. About an hour later he came across an ancient well and stopped, thinking to cut his thirst with some water. Graham lowered the old bucket there into the depths of the well, but it reached the end of its rope without touching water. Drought had taken its toll here. Looking down, though, he could see a reflective glint indicating water down there.


 * Thirst gave the knight an idea. Raising the oak bucket back up, he cut the rope and took the bucket. Lowering the rope again, Graham intended to climb down the well, fill the bucket, and climb back up. He was confident in his agility, having scampered up and down ropes for years as part of his martial training. He was always considered the best climber in the army. Carefully, he climbed onto the rope and shimmied down. As he reached the bottom, the best climber in the army's hand slipped.


 * It was a short drop to the water, and when Graham recovered himself, he found he could reach up and touch the end of the rope with his hand. Knowing he could get back the way he came, Graham dove back under the water, as much for sport as for curiosity. One bit of father's advice had been search over, under, around, and through everything. Diving to the bottom he saw the usual assortment of old bottles and trash, but in one wall there appeared to be an entrance to a cave or grotto. Swimming into the opening he immediately popped out of the water, and was able to crawl into a dry cave.


 * King Edward the Benevolent had spent a score of years trying to recover the mirror that foretold the future. Countless people had searched, both in Daventry and elsewhere. And there it was, not more than a score of steps in front of Graham. One of the objects of his quest, one of the salvations of the kingdom, was in plain sight. All Graham had to do was get rid of a little problem.


 * The problem took the shape of a 12-foot long, iridescent, green-scaled, fire-breathing dragon. The flames that blazed from its jaws had scorched deep the virgin rock. From across the cave, the heat of the sulphurous flames singed Graham's hair. The dragon made half-rushes back and forth at him, taking its dragon time before making a killer charge.


 * Graham tested the balance of his dagger, knowing he had only one chance to strike the dragon in its heart. He knew he could retreat safely back into the well, but his duty was clear; he must rescue the mirror from the beast.


 * First, though, he had to distract the dragon to give himself more time to aim and a clearer target. The oak bucket was still with him, now mostly filled with well water. Graham reasoned that, instead of extinguishing his own thirst, that water was going to extinguish the dragon's flame. It was the distraction he needed.


 * Hefting the bucket, Graham advanced as close to the dragon as he dared, a mistake would turn the knight into a crispy critter. Just as the dragon exhaled, he flung the water splat into its snout.


 * As a distraction it may have worked, but Graham would never know for sure. The liquid hit the dragon's flame full-on and put it out. The green-scaled monstrosity just stopped and sputtered, steam and ubbles gurgling from his nostrils.


 * It was the expression on the dragon's face that held the dagger in Graham's hand. He speaks to wonder when he says that he never knew a dragon could blush and show embarrassment. It could only have been that; dropping its head and tucking its tail, the beast pushed a boulder aside and pussyfooted out of the cave. Sir Graham was left behind, alone.


 * Graham spent many minutes just touching and looking at Merlin's Mirror,. It's surface still shone, and the luster of the carved mahogany frame still glowed. Picking it up, Graham looked deep into the glass that told the future. His own face looked back, and on his head was a crown! "I hope this mirror doesn't make mistakes'", he prayed. He put the mirror into his pack and followed the dragon's route to see if it would lead to open sky. It did.


 * It was a jubilant and confident Sir Graham of Daventry who walked out of the underworld as if reborn. He didn't recognize the cave he emerged from, and he paused to get his bearings. Above him, condors were soaring, sweeping steeply up and down, seemingly weightless. One unusually large condor made a few low passes at Graham in what seemed a friendly manner, as if inviting him to climb aboard and fly too.


 * A short distance to the west was another of the many lakes that dot Daventry. Tall cattails grew on its banks and trembled in the slight breeze. The lake was inviting to Graham, and after the singes and sulphur fumes of the dragon's cave, it was an invitation he could not refuse...

The An Encyclopedia of Daventry in the first and second edition states:


 * Merlin's Mirror: One of the three great treasures of Daventry, along with the Shield of Achille and the Chest of Gold. The mirror has the power to foretell the future. Edward and the rulers before him used it mostly for weather and crop forecasting, but Edward and Maylie did use it at least once to look upon the image of Daventry's next king. The mirror was stolen from Edward and Maylie by a sorcerer, and the thief hid it in a cave guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. Graham was able to reach the dragon by climbing down a well and dousing the dragon's flame...

In the King's Quest Companion, the novelization consists of an interview between Derek Karlavaegen and Alexander-Gwydion (see To Heir is Human: From the Chronicles of Daventry, Part III (aka ''Prince Alexander's Own Story! Exclusive Interview'')). The book as a whole leaves the possible shifting of landmarks either to magical flux or the shifting caused by the earthquakes.

Here are the relevant section describing the ancient well (and nearby geography at the time of KQ3):


 * Obviously I was shocked and depressed. I had expected a beautiful country, a land of cool woods and blue lakes. Instead I was overwhelmed by the devastation and destruction all around me.


 * Cracks had been torn in the earth, boulders were strewn all around as if quakes had pulled them down from the mountain. A large, black cave was at the mountain's base with what appeared to be the remnants of door hinges still hanging from the raw rock. I could see stone stairs leading up into the cave's interior, and I wondered where they led.


 * To the west the country looked as if it had once been beautiful. Now the landscape was dotted with blasted trees and charred vegetation. A well stood amid this sad scene, filled with rocks. I followed a stone wall north, passing through more scenes of what I now assumed to be signs of a dragon's wrath. Topping a short rise, my heart soared when I saw the spires of a grand castle in the distance. I knew this must be the home of my true parents, and I moved toward it as fast as I could.

In the An Encyclopedia of Daventry section it describes the well further:


 * Not far from Castle Daventry stands an old, covered well. Derek says it is in use again, restored by King Graham after having been nearly destroyed by the dragon. It is said that the sweetest water in the land can be drawn from the well, and that folks have been doing so since the first time any being withdrew from the Other World--our world. Graham climbed down the rope into it then swam into a cave concealed beneath the water. There he recovered the mirror of Merlin that was guarded by a fire-breathing dragon, although it was not the same one that later ravaged the land.

KQ1-3 AGI The Dragon's Lair and its Dragon in the Original Trilogy
The Ancient Well, the Dragon's Lair, and the Dragon is a series of events and encounters that were first introduced in the original King's Quest Classic. The location and inclusion of the Sorcerer in its backstory, would later be added in the second prologue released with later versions of the game (see King's Quest by Roberta Williams).

Elements of the subject, and related backstory including the Dragon, the Sorcerer/Enchanter, and Ancient Well appear in the two following games (King's Quest II: Romancing the Stones and King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human).

An interesting side detail is that The Official Book of King's Quest suggests that these rocks and boulders may have been from remains of the Town of Daventry, and that nearby Door into the Mountain (yes this other landmark is a completely different location than it did in KQ1 for whatever odd reason) is also littered with the remains of the village.

KQ1 SCI remake defeating the Dragon in its lair
There are quite a few differences in the remake most concerning puzzle changes, and some narrative changes, and changes to the order the treasures are collected: The mirror or the chest can be picked up first, and the shield is the last treasure. However, the overall order of events within the Dragon's Lair remains the same (and the game came the same manual with the second version of the introduction).

Graham can cut the bucket from the rope as he did in the original at the top of the well, or he can do it at the bottom (in the original the narrator said it was too dangerous to cut while Graham was sitting in the bucket). The The Official Book of King's Quest VI went with the idea that Graham lowered himself in the bucket, and then cut the bucket while he was in the well (as implied by the related artwork, see below).

In the original Graham fills the bucket while still in the bottom of the moat, in the remake he fills it in a little pool in a small cave room that exits from the well bottom.

The dragon is less active in the remake, instead starting asleep, and waking up, and raising its head as Graham gets closer. It's ready to kill him if he gets too close, but makes very little movements, and only blasts Graham if he walks too close to the dragon. If graham chooses to kill the dragon he goes for its throat rather than its heart this version. There are some additional descriptions for the dead body including discussion of Dragon Tongue. As well as some changes to how the dragon escapes (and its embarrasement), and the descriptions of the steam which it now uses to hide its escape.

KQ1 SMS finding the Dragon's Lair
King's Quest for the SMS is based largely on the events from the Original KQ1 AGI, although most of the script has been modified (or rather simplified) and there is even less descriptions due to the fact that there are limited actions that can be taken with the games particular user interface ('verb action' menus). The Sega hint walkthrough has the order of collecting treasures as Shield, Chest, and then Mirror. The game included the same prologue story as the second published version of the King's Quest manual (and the boxart showed images of the three thieves stealing the treasures).

Graham must get the bucket at the top of the well, and then lower the rope. There is no way to jump into the bucket and ride it down to the bottom.

The well itself is shortened to just one screen, rather than two. With both the rope hanging and the well bottom on the same screen. The rope itself seems to be too high to climb back out of the well ('climb' option appears to not function, and there is no option for choosing 'rope', so no way to 'climb rope' as in the original game).

The cave is specifically described as the dragon's lair (for trivia sake the term Dragon's Lair is usually something that only appears on the grid maps in the hintbooks and strategy guides), and the exit cave is described as the giant cavern.

The dragon more or less acts in a similar way to its AGI counterpart, although it tends to stay in one place in the cave, and makes one step forward and one step back over and over (always facing Graham), rather than charging back and forth. Its animation shows it breathing fire from time to time.

To kill the dragon you have to walk up and literally touch the dragon (the fire doesn't seem to hurt Graham), and then throw the dagger, and piercing the dragon in the heart. Otherwise Graham misses whenever he tries to throw the dagger. If Graham attempts to walk past the dragon he will be killed, no matter where he is on the screen. But simply walking up to the dragon appears to be safe. But as mentioned its not easy to exit from the well (is this a dead end?).

After Graham scares the dragon away, it just shows the dragon and the boulder vanishing with no animation.

KQ9 raid on the Dragon's Lair
Despite the teams desire to avoid retelling familiar parts of Graham's adventures, the opening sequence is an exception. It reinterprets Graham's acquisition of the magic mirror from the dragon in the well from the first King's Quest.

The new King's Quest isn’t a reboot, and it’s not necessarily a sequel. It’s a reimagining. Everything that exists in the past games is still canon. The new stories exist between those stories.

Note: Current information comes from the trailer, the Game Informer February 2015 article, and other internet information.

The game begins with Graham walking down a forest path and toward a well in the woods. He walks up to a well. Old Graham narrates; "I had not been back there in years, but it was the last place to look."