An Encyclopedia of Daventry

An Encyclopedia of Daventry (Abridged) is a encyclopedic work included in the first two editions of The King's Quest Companion with material from Derek Karlavaegen and additional material from Peter Spear. It contains articles about many subjects of the King's Quest Universe relating to the first five games of the series. It gives backgrounds to many of the characters, places, and items seen in the games. It also discusses the subjects connections to legends from the Other World (Earth).

Background

The Encyclopedia includes material that shows and compares the many striking similarities between what is related in the King's Quest games, and earth's folk tales, myth, fiction, and fairy stories. It compiles material from many different sources, and was not intended to be the last word on the subject.

It also includes information culled from the many communications sent by Derek Karlavaegen, from that it includes information mostly provides bits of biography to provide a little background on many of the people, both good and evil, who have crossed paths with King Graham and his family. Altogether, what is included in the chapter provides many unique insights into the universe of Daventry and its citizens.

However, it does not print everything that had been sent from Daventry by Derek. Some of what he related had no bore no direct relation to the Daventry players know in the King's Quest games. Some does though, and Peter Spear says he was curious as anyone to see if those tales would turn up in other adventures. If they did, he admitted it would be final proof to him that what he had received on his computer screen were true; That Daventry and Derek are real. He hoped to see that happen.

Also while much of the material is written as if they are from clippings and notes from newspapers, letters etc sent from Daventry, there is also quite a bit of non-fictional material and interpretation from Peter Spear's point of view ('our world') which offer explanations and stories which inspired the King's Quest series, and many of its characters, events or puzzles.

Articles

As per the second edition version;

Abominable Snowman, Alexander, Amber, Amulet, Antony, Antique store, Bakehouse, Backwards alphabet, Bandits, Beanstalk, Bears, Bees, Boatman, Bowl, Brass Bottle, Brass Lamp, Bridles, Bruce, Cassima, Castle Daventry, Castle Dracula, Cedric, Chest of Gold, Chicken Soup, Cobra Dragon Gates, Coignice and Cedric, Conch Shell, Condor, Country Inn, Crispin, Crystals, Crystal Tower, Cupid, Dahlia, Dark Forest, Daventry, Derek Karlavaegen, Deserts, Dink, Djinn, Dolphin, Dracula, Dragons, Dungeon Cell, Dwarfs, Eagle, Edgar, Elves, Eye Between the Worlds, Fairies, Fish, Fisherman and his wife, Fishhook, Fly, Four-leaf clover, Frog Prince, Genesta, Gerwain, Ghosts, Giants, Gingerbread house, Gnome, Goats, Golden Eggs, Golden Fish, Graham, Grandma, Green Isles, Greensleeves, Gypsies, Gwydion, Hagatha, Harp, Harpies, Haunted house, Herbert, Hermit, Iconomancy, King Edward the Benevolent, Lake Maylie, Land of the Clouds,  Leprechauns, Lion, Locket, Lolotte, Madame Mushka, Magic Beans, Magic Carpet, Magic Doors, Magic Fruit, Magic map, Magic Staff, Magic wands, Magicians' Guild, Manannan, Manannan's Clock, Marionette, Maylie, Maze, Medusa, Merlin's Mirror, Mermaids, Minstrel, Monastery, Monkey soldiers, Mordack, Mordack's Henchman, Mordack's Island, Mummy, Mushroom, Needle in the Haystack, Neptune, Nightingale, Ogre, Oracle, Organ, Pan, Pandora's Box, Pegasus, Pirates, Power-Transfer Machine, Queen Icebella, Rat, Riding Hood, Ring of invisibility, Roc, Roman Pool, Rose, Rosella, Royal University, Rumplestiltskin, Sapphire Jewels, Serenia, Scarab, Seven dwarfs, Shakespeare, Shield of Achille, Shoeshop, Silver cross, Silver whistle, Slingshot, Snakes, Snow leopard, Society of Wizards, Spinning Wheel, Sugar cube, Sword,  Tailorshop, Talisman, Tambourine, Telescope, Teleportation, Temple in Desert, The Objurgation of Souls, The Sorcery of Old, Three Bears, Three sisters (three witches), Toyshop, Trees, Trolls, Unicorns, Universe Interpreter, Valanice, Weeping Willow, Well, Whale, Witch of the Dark Forest, Woodcutter and his wife, Zombies

Behind the scenes

While the encyclopedia was cut from the third and fourth editions there are elements in the third and fourth editions in the KQ6 and KQ7 chapters that reference elements from the Encyclopedia. Including reference to Hereward dieing in the border wars, and Valanice standing infront of Rosella's room tryihng to prevent Graham from taking her to the dragon, among a few other details.

This was the main source material around explaining the Family of Evil began with Hagatha and Manannan in the 1st Edition and added Mordack in the 2nd. This the KQ5 novel chapter, and King's Questions are the main sources discussing the family, but its also discussed in the InterAction article The Quest for King's Quest VI as well.

These might actually be seen as fitting into the backstory that elements of material from 'future stories' that Peter Spear had been sent being mentioned.