An Encyclopedia of Daventry (2nd Edition)

An Encyclopedia Of Daventry (Abridged)

There are, of course, many close and startling similarities between- what is related in the King's Quest computer games and what has been passed down in our uni verse as folk tales, myth, fiction, and fairy stories. What follows has been compiled from many different sources, and is not by any means the last word on the subject. I leave that task to the scientists and scholars who, I hope, will explore the truth of the universe of Daventry and its inhabitants further.

Included here also is more information culled from the many communications sent to me by Derek Karlavaegen. From them I have taken mostly 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. All together, what follows in this chapter provides many unique insights into the universe of Daventry and its denizens.

I have not, however, reprinted everything that has been sent from Daventry by Derek. Some of what he relates bears no direct relationship to the Daventry we know of in the King's Quest games. Some does though, and I am as curious as anyone to see if any of those tales tum up in other adventures. If it does, then it would be final proof to me that what I have been receiving on my computer screen really is true-it would be my final proof that Derek and Daventry are real.

I'd sure like to see that happen.

Abominable Snowman (KQ3, KQ5) Also known as Yeti, this is a tall, hair-covered, human like creature that is said to inhabit remote parts of the high Himalaya mountains. Long thought to be legend, some scientists feel that it might possibly exist. Many footprints allegedly made by the creature have been found and photographed, and some fuzzy photos of the beast itself are said to exist. A creature similar to Yeti is also said to exist in parts of Siberia, and Bigfoot is yet another similar creature. Many say Bigfoot roams the forests of North America, but it lives at a lower altitude, and in a much more temperate climate. Derek writes that Yetis are not at all uncommon in the higher elevations of the great mountains of Daventry. The fact that there are records of Graham and Alexander encountering these creatures in their journeys would tend to support this assertion. Yetis are said to live solitary lives until they mate, at which time the the male and female of the species stay together until death. They make their Daventry homes in deep caves that they ferociously guard from all intruders. Alexander (KQ3, KQ4, KQ5) Prince of Daventry. Alexander is the son of King Graham and Queen V alanice, and the twin brother of Princess Rosella. As an infant he was kidnapped out of his cradle by the wizard Manannan. His parents had taken the babies and some friends on a summer outing on Lake Maylie. Manannan evidently put some kind of a brief spell on the assemblage; one moment Alexander was there, the next he was gone, though the cradle still rocked. Manannan kept Alexander as a slave, intending to kill him on his eighteenth birthday. He did teach the prince to read and write, but he never revealed Alexander's true identity. The prince only knew himself as Gwydion, until he escaped and returned home to Daventry. To this day he still thinks of himself as Gwydion, although he does acknowledge and use Alexander. Sometimes he signs himself "Alexander-Gwydion." 438 King's Quest Prince Alexander was able to escape by learning magic and turning his captor into a cat. He has since studied the theory and practice of that craft, and is considered one of Daventry's leading scholars and practitioners of magic. However, in an effort to protect Daventry from the ravages of two evil sorcerers, Alexander "played dumb" (as we might say) when Mordack demanded he magically return Manannan to his human form. Mordack knew better than to believe Alexander whose continuing magical accomplishments had made him quite wellknown by that time. · Amber (KQ3) While thought of by many people as a stone, amber is really fossilized resin-tree sap---of stone-like appearance and texture. Its color is yellow to yellowish-brown, and pieces of amber can date back as much as 60 million years. Sometimes drops of water or perfectly preserved insects or bits of plants are found encased in the bits of amber. Amber is used to make jewelry and other ornamental objects. It is considered by some to have various magical properties-perhaps because, if rubbed, amber creates and holds an electrical charge. Because of this, some think that the word "electricity" originally stems from the Greek word describing the effect of rubbing amber. Amulet (KQ2, KQ5) Amulets are charms that are usually hung on one's neck. They can contain special stones, herbs, or inscriptions and are most often used to protect the wearer against things such as sickness, bad luck, or witchcraft. This was obviously the purpose of the amulet given to King Graham by the gypsy. It protected him from "bad magic", as Madame Mushka called it. This is why he came to no harm when he encountered the nasty witch who lived in the Dark Forest of Serenia. On the other hand, I'm 439 An Encyclopedia of Daventry sure it was of no use in protecting him from Mordack' s much more powerful magic. The amulet that Graham found on the enchanted isle evidently protected its wearer against being irrevocably lost. Its properties appear quite similar to the Ruby Slippers, with which you click your heels together and say, "There's no place like home! There's no place like home!" Antony (KQ5) King of the ants in Daventry. We think little of the lowly ant, other than to curse its presence at picnics and bemoan its ability to stream into our kitchens during rainy weather. Ants are highly organized and social insects who live in various types of nests and hills that they construct themselves. In our world we sometimes compare the high degree of organization in ant colonies to that of rigid totalitarian governments. In Daventry, however, benevolent monarchy seems more the rule. Antique store (KQ2) An article in Daventry People describes Milvia's Olde Antique Shoppe as "The only establishment of its kind in the known world. In it, the proprietress has collected and collated curiosities and conversation pieces from all the crannies and comers of creation." Mil via was married very young to a very old and very rich merchant. When he died, she was left with warehouses full of what she called "junk and other old stuff." She took the gold her husband had left her and spent her life traveling the world in search of rare birds, rare stories, cheap thrills, and unique objects of the more magical persuasion. When she decided to stop traveling, she opened her store, stocking it from her late husband's long-abandoned storerooms and the effluvia of her journeys. It was from here that Manannan obtained the moose head that he later hung on his dining room wall. 440 King's Quest Bakehouse (KQ5) The bakery in the town of Serenia is quite renowned for the quality of its baked goods and the background of its owners. Daventry People featured a long story about the establishment. It seems that the shop was opened by a pair of brothers, Jym and Tam, whose last name actually was Baker. They had been born into a family of travelling minstrels and spent their early years perfecting the musical and comedic arts, wandering from place to place. Eventually their parents retired and the boys continued on their own, singing and playing in inns and taverns, a night here and a night there. Their big break came when their wagon-wheel broke near Serenia. The weather was foul and their mood was no sunnier. Tired of endless years on the road, they took their act to the Country Inn in Serenia and persuaded the owner to let them perform there nightly. They soon found fame-and a steady, but modest, income-singing old favorites like "Greensleeves," and also telling funny and off-color stories. Performing in the same place nightly was revolutionary in Daventry, and it might be said that the Fantabulous Baker Boys invented the idea of show business there. They packed 'em in for years, but never were able to please the critics. This lack of critical appreciation finally became too much, and they quit show biz. Taking all the gold they had saved, they bought the bakery down the road, and turned a hobby into a new livelihood. Using the experience of years on stage, they began by baking what they knew best-custard pies. Often they had thrown them at each other on stage. They had learned early that pies-in-the-face were easier to take if they tasted good. They had also learned that craft well, and soon became known as expert bakers. Once again they were a commercial success, but this time with a differ· ence. Within weeks the food mavens were praising their culinary work as the entertainment critics never had their act. Commenting on this irony, Jym and Tam were quoted as saying, "The gods work in mysterious ways. That's show business!" 441 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Every once in a while, though, one of the two brothers will be seen in town trying to repair their still-broken wagon. Maybe they miss the applause. Backwards alphabet (KQl) Also known as a "retrograde alphabet," it is a relatively simple cipher that is used for encoding messages. The letter "A" becomes "Z", "Y" turns into "B," "X" is "C," and so on. The number "O" becomes "9," "1" turns into "8," etc. Because of its very simplicity, the backwards alphabet can occasionally be quite effective in situations where a complex code is expected. Bandits (KQ3, KQ5) In one of his messages, Derek notes that he has to be wary of the thugs and desperados that infect the forest of Llewdor. They still, he supposes, hide in the treehouse, from which they prey on travelers. Because the members of the band are so young, he refers to them as the "Brat Catpack" with "no morals and even less intelligence!" The bandits of Senenia's fabled Endless Desert are another matter altogether. They are quite reminiscent of the Forty Thieves encountered by Ali Baba. Those desperados also concealed their treasure behind a portal that could only be opened by the sound of a magical phrase. An article in "Daventry Today" describes the Serenian bandits' main strengths as utter ruthlessness and extreme intelligence. The leaders of these brigands had once been students of natural order, magic, and philosophy. They soon differed with their teachers, however, over just what constitutes good and evil. Their studies led them down the dark path that equates might with right and gold with good. Eventually, surrounded by others of the same unsavoury leanings, they left their university for the gold and blood-filled life of preying on desert caravans and travellers. When they left, they took the contents of the school's treasury with them. 442 King's Quest Unlike the bandits of Llewdor, they have have a strict moral code-although one, in my opinion, of a truly black and perverse type. From their perspective, their actions are quite moral. They are apparently still at large. Beanstalk (KQl) In our world, we have the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk." It tells of Jack and his mother, whose only possession is a cow that has stopped giving milk. On the way to market to sell the cow, Jack trades it to a man who offers him five magic beans-beans that will grow to the sky overnight. The man even offered Jack a cow-back guarantee if they didn't work. Jack's mom was skeptical and upset, to say the least. She threw the beans away and sent Jack to his room without his supper. The beans did grow, however, and Jack climbed to the top the next morning. There he met an ogre's wife who fed Jack breakfast and hid him in her oven so that her ogre husband wouldn't catch and eat him. When he arrived home, the ogre sniffed around and recited: Fee, fi, fo, furn, I smell the blood of an Englishman! Be he live, or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread! Actually, the ogre wanted Jack roasted or broiled, but he couldn't come up with the proper rhyme. Finding no one about, the ogre ate a few calves, counted a few bags of his gold, and then fell asleep. Jack stole the gold and escaped home. When the gold was all spent, Jack went up a second time and stole the hen that laid the golden eggs from the sleeping ogre. Again he escaped. This wasn't enough for his greedy mother, who sent Jack back a third time. On his last trip, Jack stole a golden harp that kept screaming "Master! Master!" as it was carried away. This time the ogre followed Jack down the beanstalk, but Jack was able to cut the stalk through with an ax in 443 An Encyclopedia of Daventry time to plunge the ogre to his death. He and his mother lived happily ever after. "Jack the Giant-Killer" is another story altogether. In this tale, Jack is a farmer's son who dashes around the country killing various giants in order to get their treasures. In the course of his adventures, he rescues fair maidens, saves the life of King Arthur's son, and gets the "Fee, fi, fo, furn" treatment from one of his eventual victims. In the end, Jack is made a knight of the Round Table, given a great castle to call his own, and marries the beautiful daughter of one of King Arthur's dukes. They live happily ever after. Bears (KQS) Bears are massive, furry, short-limbed mammals that have existed for millions of years. Some species can get to be over 10 feet tall and weigh many hundreds of pounds. They also have sharp teeth and sharp claws. Because of their size and power, bears have been feared, and sometimes worshipped, since before humans began to draw on cave walls. Indeed, many of those ancient caves must have once been home to the creatures, and many lives must have been lost wresting them away from the bears. Bear clans still exist in more primitive parts of our world, and it is telling that not one, but two, of the major constellations in the northern sky are named after themUrsa Major and Ursa Minor-the big bear and the little bear. This can be said of no other creature. Despite this primal fear and awe, people have trained bears to dance and perform in circuses. Others have captured them in order to chain and torture the beasts. Bear-baiting was a very popular amusement, especially in England, for hundreds of years. As Pooh Bear might say, it is a well-known fact that bears love honey. Some bears make almost their entire diet of the sweet stuff, a fact not lost upon the bees. Bears however are also carnivorous and, with their large, sharp claws, insulating fur, and quick reflexes, easily catch their other favorite food-fish. 444 King's Quest Bees (KQ5) It is often assumed that all bees live in hives and make honey. This is not true. The majority of bees are solitary insects who make nests for their broods in holes, wood, shells, brambles, or masonry. The honey bee is the kind we usually think of when we do consider them. They are social creatures comprised of workers and drones and fertile females known as queens. Bees make large hives out of wax they create. This beeswax is a yellowish solid that does not dissolve in water, and it has many uses from polish, to candle-making to sealing holes and cracks. Bees eat honey, which they make from the nectar of flowers. It's stored in honeycombs, which are also made out of beeswax. People and bears are also fond of honey as a food, and beekeeping is one of humanity's earliest industries. Besides being a food, honey is an excellent antiseptic and has been used to treat wounds for centuries. Honey is very sticky, and because of that property it is sometimes used to catch insects and small vermin. "It's easier to catch flies with honey, than with vinegar," is an old saying. In Daventry, the bees seem to be somewhat more organized than they are in our world. Their Queen's name is Bee trice. Boatman (KQ2) In Greek mythology, there is a personage named Charon whose job it is to ferry the souls of the dead across the river Styx to Hades. He was thought of as a silent, shrouded old man. In time, the image became synonymous with death itself. Bowl (KQl) Found by Graham on his journey through Daventry, it had the word "Fill" inscribed in it. There is an American folktale about a fellow name Jack who went out to find a wife. An old man told him he could marry one of his daughters if he could catch a rabbit, put it in a ring, and make it stay there for 30 minutes. If he failed in this task, though, he would be killed. When Jack brought the rabbit to the appointed spot, he stuck a magic drill in 445 An Encyclopedia of Daventry the center of the wide ring, and all the rabbit could do was run around it and around it. When the old man saw what was happening, he made Jack another proposition: if he could keep the rabbit running around and around for the 30 minutes, Jack would be free to kill the old man. The old man went back into his house and, one by one, sent his wife and daughters out to Jack to try and get him to sell the drill before the time was up. Each one offered Jack more and more, but he refused them all. When the 30 minutes were up, the old man picked up a bowl and went outside to meet his death. First, he asked Jack to sing the bowl full of lies before he did the deed. This Jack did by reciting the false promises the man's wife and <laughter had whispered to him, and following it with a hearty, "Fill, bowl! Fill!" Brass Bottle (KQ5) The use of bottles and lamps to imprison imps, demons, spirits, and genies goes back as far as those creatures have existed. Brass, however, seems to be used more often than most. The bottle that Graham found in the desert temple must have had a high percentage of copper in the alloy since it looked almost like gold. Graham has no need of gold since Daventry possesses a magic chest always filled with the stuff. I suspect that brass is popular for containing trapped beings because it tarnishes. Often the binding spell gives the imprisoned an out-if the container is rubbed, they might be freed, or partially freed, in some manner. People naturally try to shine brass by rubbing the tarnish, so eternal containment is seldom the fate of the unfortunate inhabitants of brass containers. It is, I suspect, one of the cosmic balances we find throughout the universe. On the other hand, the bottle Graham found evidently did not have such an escape clause in its binding spell. Rather, it had a top that could be opened, and a spell that would imprison whoever freed its genie for 500 years. It proved once again that opening magical containers is a risky proposition. See also Pandora's Box. 446 King's Quest Brass Lamp (KQ2) In the Daventry People magazine story, Milvia, the owner of the Kolyma antique store, says she discovered the lamp under a pile of silk rugs in one of her husband's warehouses. She never tried to clean it because she felt it would fetch her a better price if it looked ancient and tarnished. It is said in our world that Aladdin, the son of a poor tailor, once possessed a magic oil lamp such as the one Graham used. Aladdin was sent into an underground garden by an evil magician in order to recover the lamp, but he refused to hand it over immediately. In a rage, the magician locked Aladdin away in the underworld, intending to leave him there until he died. Aladdin escaped, however, and was able to return home to his mother. Needing money for food, and not knowing the lamp was magic, they decided to sell it. It was Aladdin's mother who rubbed the lamp with a cloth in order to clean it, hoping it would then bring a higher price. At once a djinn-a genie-appeared, hideous in appearance. Aladdin's mother fainted, but he grabbed the lamp and demanded the genie bring them food. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. There seems to have been no limit placed on the number of times Aladdin could call upon the genie, and in time he and his mother became rich enough to ask the sultan to give Aladdin his daughter's hand in marriage. Eventually the evil mage came back and stole the lamp and bride from Aladdin, and Aladdin was forced to overcome him. Later still, the magician's brother appeared to make mischief and attempt revenge. In the end, Aladdin and his princess triumphed. He became sultan himself eventually, and they lived happily ever after. Bridles (KQ2, KQ4) There is a belief, not so common any more, that a wicked witch can throw a magic bridle over someone's head and turn the person into a horse. The witch then rides the unhappy person a long distance 447 An Encyclopedia of Daventry to some witches' gathering, and rides back in the morning. The victim soon becomes ill and weary from lack of sleep and dies. A number of folktales exist that tell how some victims were able to escape this fate. The Greeks and Romans said that the great winged horse Pegasus could only be tamed if it were wearing a certain magic bridle. Bruce (KQ3) A town in Llewdor, although Alexander-Gwydion refers to it as a hamlet. There are a few references to it in the communications I have received from Daventry-Graham's friend, Sir David, is from there; the god Thor fought a great battle with a monster outside its walls; and it has what we would call a newspaper, The Bruce Banner, named after the famous flag. Derek Karlavaegen mentions the names of just two towns in all of the messages he has sent, Daventry and Bruce, so I suspect it is of some importance. It is situated in southeastern Llewdor, so it might be the same place as the seaport from where Alexander- Gwydion set sail with the pirates. That, however, is pure speculation on my part. Cassima (KQ5) Princess of the Kingdom of Green Isles, she was kidnapped by Mordack and enslaved in his castle as a scullery maid. This experience is quite similar to what befell Alexander- Gwydion, and probably explains the instant bond that formed between the two when they met. Was it love at first sight? It is possible. No one seems to know, or if they do, they're not talking. Not even Derek Karlavaegen, who has become a friend to the Prince of Daventry, can shed any light on the mystery. Derek is unusually empty of facts about Cassima and the Green Isles. Normally one has to hack through much extraneous verbiage when he sends information about something to our world. He does place the Green Isles on a map he has devised of his world, but says nothing about it or its peoples. 448 King's Quest He also mentions that Alexander and Cassima have communicated since their meeting, but doesn't say how, or where, or when. Nothing is as it appears, and we know too little. In the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Ali Baba' s brother is named Cassim. Castle Daventry (KQl, KQ2, KQ3, KQ4, KQ5) The home of King Graham and his family, and the administrative center of the Kingdom of Daventry. Overlooking the town of Daventry, it was built by King Edward the Benevolent as a gift to his bride, Queen Maylie. It is protected from potential conquerors by thick stone walls and is surrounded by a moat infested by alligators with a taste for human flesh. It is said that secret tunnels worm their ways beneath the castle in a labyrinth of passages not totally mapped. Some even say that there are magical windows at the ends of some of those passageways that allow one to be teleported immediately to other parts of the world. Castle Dracula (KQ2) This spooky place sits on a small, rocky island in the middle of a poison lake in the central part of western Kolyma. Its only approach is by a boat poled across the polluted waters by a grim boatman that some claim is death itself. Poisonous thorns and brambles make walking there a quick stroll to death, and its gates are guarded by ghosts. It is not known whether Dracula brought the castle with him when he withdrew to Daventry. Cedric (KQ5) An educated owl; guide, counsel, and friend to King Graham as he attempted to rescue his family from Mordack. Although Cedric described himself as being in the employ of Crispinophur, it is more likely 449 An Encyclopedia of Daventry that he was a friend and aide-de-camp to the great wizard, much like Dr. Watson was to Sherlock Holmes. In the Merlin legends it is said that the great wizard had an owl as a familiar. Merlin's owl was named Archimedes. It is possible that Crispin and Cedric are Merlin and Archimedes living in Serenia under assumed identities. But we have no evidence at all to suport this supposition. In the Greek myths, the owl is a symbol of the goddess Athena who was the goddess of wise counsel. She was also a protecttess. Because Athena was considered wise, and the owl her symbol, the owl became looked upon as a wise bird. Cedric is this, if nothing else. In one version of the Perseus myth, Athena is told to give her owl to Perseus to help him in his quest for Medusa. Instead, Athena has a wise clockwork owl crafted, and it aids the hero, almost perishing in the process. This is quite similar to the relationship that developed between Graham and Cedric. Chest of Gold (KQl) One of the three great treasures of Daventry; no matter how much gold was taken from it, it never emptied. The chest was stolen from Edward by the witch who called herself Dahlia and was given to a giant for safekeeping in the Land of the Clouds. King Graham won it back as part of his quest for the Crown of Daventry. Chicken Soup (KQ2) The universal cure for many minor to moderate maladies, its near-magical properties are known and revered by almost all of the folk of both our universes. Brewed from chickens-whole or in partsonions, carrots, celery, garlic, herbs, some salt, pepper, and perhaps a potato, turnip, or rutabaga, it gains much of its magic from long, slow simmering. My mother says the secret ingredient in her magic soup is a couple of whole cloves. 450 King's Quest Cobra Dragon Gates (KQ5) Mordack's first line of defense at his castle on Wizard's Island. The only way way Graham could get near the castle was by passing between the two huge stone guardians without their gaze touching him. In our world, there is the story of Atreyu. In the land of Fantastica he had to pass through a similar gate made of two stone sphinx. If they had gazed upon him, he would have been frozen forever. We also have the story of Sam and Frodo at the tower of Cirith Ungol in Mordor. Guarded by the black Watchers, Sam andFrodowereable to pass when Sam held up the elven-glass of Galadriel to them. The glass counteracted the deadly force of their glittering eyes, and the great gate, and the Watchers, were destroyed. Coignice and Cedric The parents of Valanice, Queen of Daventry. They appear to be from eastern Kolyma, an area about which we know nothing. Coignice is said to be the daughter of a miller, much the same as the girl in the tale about Rurnplestiltskin, and Cedric is supposedly a prince of his land. That's all we know about them. It is apparent, though, that they allowed V alanice to be educated, but at this time there is no way of knowing if that is unusual or not. Conch Shell (KQ5) The conch is a sea mollusk with a long shell shaped like a spiral cone. It is considered good eating in many places. In the Greek myths, the conch shell was used as a horn by Triton, the son of the sea god Poseidon. Aphrodite, the Greek love goddess, is sometime depicted holding the conch shell as a reminder that she was born from the sea. The conch shell has long been associated with hearing. As a horn, it amplifies both the sound breathed into it and the sound entering from the outside. If we hold the conch shell to our ears, we imagine we hear the sea 451 An Encyclopedia of Daventry contained within it. Finally, the largest hollow in our external ear is known as a concha because of its resemblance to the conch shell. Condor (KQl) In order to reach the entrance to the land of the leprechauns, Graham had to get onto an island in the River Fools. A condor swooped around him, beckoning, and when Graham jumped into the air, the bird grabbed him in its claws and flew him to the place. In our world, the condor is a large, vulturelike bird distinct from the eagle. Nonetheless, many people confuse the creatures. King Graham has said in Daventry that he is quite clear on the difference between the two birds. It was an eagle that saved his life in Serenia by rescuing him from the nest of a giant Roe. Other than that, he's a little hazy on detail. Country Inn (KQ5) A low-life dive in Serenia; a hangout for thieves, cutthroats, and their less savory kin. Once upon a time, the Country Inn was renown throughout all Serenia for its food, hospitality, and entertainment. That was when the Fantabulous Baker Boys were appearing nightly. After the Bakers quit performing, and started baking custard pies for eating, and not throwing, business in the place fell off markedly. The owners sold it, and the new proprietor began catering to a less respectable crowd, not caring where nor how they obtained their coins-as long as they spent them freely on the dubious beer and questionable women. It was renamed "The Swarthy Hog," but most folks still refer to it by its original name. The quality of the food has remained adequate, and the portions large. Leg of lamb is the speciality of the house, and it's quite fit to be consumed by man or beast. The only problem is that you must enter the place in order to purchase it. 452 King's Quest Crispin (KQ5) A great and ancient wizard. His full name is Crispinophur, but prefers to be called Crispin because it's easier for him to remember that way, and his memory isn't what it used to be. His only companion is Cedric, an owl who helps him keep his house and thoughts in order. The house is always magically locked so as to discourage " ... travelling peddlers and meddlers, as well as sellers of washing utensils and encyclopedic parchments." Crispinophur is a mysterious personage. Some say that he was already an old man when time began. There is also a tale told in Daventry that Crispin was the main instigator of the first withdrawal of folk from our world to there, and that the place of their arrival was in front of Crispin' s house. It is said that the house was already there when the first folk arrived, and is the nucleus around which the universe was created. In the front yard, there is a strange device of pulleys and levers and whirleygigs, which Crispin calls his "Universe Interpreter". Often he says that he forgets what it's there for, but it might have something to do with keeping the multiverse intact. Derek Karlavaegen, who has met Crispin, writes that he suspects Crispin is not as old as he looks, as feeble as he appears, nor as forgetful as he claims. Derek says that Crispin is the most powerful magician he has even encountered- his mind keen and deep, and his body an illusion to put all off their guards. He also feels that Crispin is much, much older than his appearance. Crystals (KQ5) Crystals are valued both in our world and Daventry for their beauty, usefulness, magical, and other properties. Both table salt and sugar are crystalline substances, for example. Lasers make use of crystals in order to help focus and concentrate their beams of coherent light, and jewelry makes use of its crystals in order to focus and attract romantic energy. And, we all know what a "girl's best friend" is. Many in our world attribute healthful, curative, and protective properties to crystals, although conventional scientific thought is quite skeptical about 453 An Encyclopedia of Daventry such claims. Nonetheless, people in Daventry are quite skeptical about the laws of science, and what they refer to as " ... dread technology." They make daily use of crystal's magical properties in all of its forms-amulets, stones of power, skrying stones, magic crystals, and powders of various powers. Crystals are also used to protect against magic, and physical danger or attack. Held or manipulated properly, certain crystals reflect attacks back at their casters causing them to suffer the effects of their own aggression. These powerful crystals, however, are not common, and are most often found clustered in caves, both in the high mountains and underground. In Daventry, this means there is a dragon or yeti or other monster around, and this helps account for their scarcity. Crystal Tower (KQ2) The place where V alanice was kept prisoner after she was kidnapped by Hagatha. Rose quartz in color, it reminds us of the tower where Rapunzel was held captive after she was kidnapped by the witch named Dame Gothel. Rapunzel was stolen from her parents as payment for some vegetables in the witch's garden that her mother craved. There were no stairs in Rapunzel's tower nor any door, and the only way that even the witch could enter was by climbing the girl's long, braided, golden hair. One night, a prince, attracted by the sound of the girl's singing, overheard the witch chanting, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, That I may climb your golden stair! On a night when the witch was not around, the prince called out the words, and the beautiful Rapunzel met a man for the first time in her life. It was love at first sight for both of them. He visited her often, and they plotted her escape. However, it was not to be. The witch found out about the plot, cut off the maiden's golden tresses and stranded her in the middle of the desert. When 454 King's Quest the prince arrived at the tower, the evil hag was waiting. She attacked him and he fell into some brambles, which scratched his eyes and blinded him. The prince wandered the world blind for many years, always searching for the voice of his beloved. Finally he groped his way through the desert in the hope that she was there. She was--of course-living with her twin children in the barren wasteland. They were reunited, and so strong was their love that her tears of joy restored the prince's sight. They returned in happiness to his kingdom and lived happily ever after. Cupid (KQ4) To the Greeks and Romans, he was the god of love. Cupid took various names and forms, but the one we most recognize is that of a chubby, winged infant. Nonetheless, he was more than that. His mother was the goddess Venus who became jealous once of a mortal girl by the name of Psyche. It was said that Psyche's beauty was so great it rivaled that of Venus. For that reason, the goddess demanded that her son shoot Psyche with his arrow of love. Cupid's love-arrows bring great joy or great sorrow to whomever they touch, and the goddess planned that the girl would fall in love with some ugly, stupid oaf and be miserable for the rest of her life. This was not to be; Cupid accidently scratched himself with an arrow when he saw Psyche and fell in love with her himself, but left her alone. Eventually Psyche was exiled to a mountaintop, a place where, it was predicted, she would marry a monster. There, the West Wind befriended her and took her to a lovely valley where she found a palace with a wide, tiled pool. She finally met her husband there but was never allowed to see him. They only met at night, and he said that it was for the best that she did not know what he looked like. Unable to bear not seeing her lover, Psyche crept to his bed one night with an oil lamp. As she discovered that her husband really was the god Cupid, a drop of oil dripped on his shoulder. He awoke startled and angry and flew away, abandoning Psyche. Venus, however, kept harassing the girl out of 455 An Encyclopedia of Daventry blind jealousy, and gave her a number of impossible tasks to perform. Cupid finally interceded for his wife with Zeus, who decided that Psyche should become immortal. She was given a cup of ambrosia to drink and thus it was. This made Venus feel much better, since no longer would a mere mortal be said to be as beautiful as the goddess. Dahlia (KQl) The name of the witch who stole the Chest of Gold from King Edward. Dahlia had disguised herself as a beautiful maiden. Edward found her hidden in a tree, surrounded by wolves. He rescued her, fell in love, and asked her to be his bride. On the night before their wedding, she stole the keys to the treasure vault and then stole the magic chest. The theft drove the kingdom into poverty, and the king into a despair from which he never recovered. Graham killed Dahlia by shoving her into her own oven. Dark Forest (KQ5) A twisty and mysterious wood situated in the northern part of Serenia. It is said that no one who enters there can ever leave without making friends of the elves, shy and elusive little people who live both among the misshapen trees and grotesque fungi, and below the forest floor. It is reported that few who enter there ever return, alive or otherwise. An evil and jealous witch once kept her house there until she attempted to get the better of King Graham. Like a lyric from a country song, her home now is in a bottle and she's waiting for someone to set her free. The twisted house presumably still remains, but no one in the region seems to have volunteered to enter the woods to find out for certain. Daventry (KQl, KQ2, KQ3, KQ4, KQ5) 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, and it is sometimes used as a generic name for the universe that contains that kingdom. Daventry came into existence after 456 King's Quest many of the more magical and mythical elements of our own world got together and withdrew, creating a world less bound to logic and science and more attuned to the irrational and fabulous. There are a number of Daventrys in our world, the oldest of which is a town about 75 miles northwest of London. Locally, the name of the town is sometimes pronounced "Danetree," and even Shakespeare used this pronunciation in Henry VI, Part ill, Act V. It is said that the town was built by Danes. Derek Karlavaegen The name of the person who is sending messages and documents from the universe of Daventry. Very little is known about Derek-he is a traveler, a writer, a journalist, and a part-time sorcerer. Derek now 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," andit is by way of this that he is able to communicate with us. From the tone of several of Derek's messages, it seems that he is content to stick with this endeavor until he has exhausted Manannan's extensive magical library, or his wine cellar. Deserts (KQ3, KQ5) Deserts are dry, barren regions, usually sparsely inhabited. It is a misconception that all deserts are hot. The Arctic, for instance, is considered a desert by some scientists-the air is dry with little or no precipitation. Few live there, the conditions are so harsh. On the other hand, in our world we often build cities in deserts, piping in water and conditioning the air in order to make the places inhabitable. Many call this progress. Others call it Phoenix, Tuscon, Las Vegas, Barstow, or LA. In Daventry there are many deserts, usually hot and dry, and usually endless. I suspect this is a property of the universe itself: always inventing itself, the edges of the world must blur and seem to go on forever. Alexander survived the desert in Llewdor by skirting its edges and avoiding the medusas 457 An Encyclopedia of Daventry that hunt there. Derek says that that desert is bounded by swamp and the Impossible Mountains on its west, and that a timeless city exists in its center. The endless desert of Serenia begins on the western border of the Sovereignty of Serenia. The only life in it is the bandits who live in an encampment far from its edge. Only they know the whereabouts of the few meager oases, and they guard the secret with blooded blades. Parts of this desert were once inhabited by a people who worshipped an unknown god, and who attempted the practice of technology. Something went wrong and the land was burnt barren. All was destroyed except the stone temple to the god, and the scorpions. All the other people, cities, plants, birds and animals vanished in a flash of fire. It is said in Serenia that they are not missed. Dink (KQ5) It is unknown just what kind of a creature the Dink really is. Dink looks to be a cross between an ogre, a lion, a witch and a wardrobe, and it gets its name from the sound it always likes to make, "Dink! Dink! Dink!". Princess Cassima called it Dink to King Graham, but she might as well have called it Sam. She claims that Dink has a brother by that name, and we can only assume that the creature goes around making the sound "Sam! Sam! Sam!" Dink is a simple-minded creature with keen hearing. Cassima told Alexander that it enjoys the sounds and rhythms of music. She also claimed that it spends many hours taking care if its hair, always forming and re-forming it into different kinds of braids, pony tails and top-knots. Dink, she said, could always be found by following a trail of hairpins and clasps. Djinn (KQ2, KQ5) Sometimes also spelled jinn or jinni, this is another, more accurate name for genies. They are spirits found in Arabian mythology who sometimes take the form of men. The djinn are said to be the children of fire and make their homes on the mountain Kaf. Some, however, say the 458 King's Quest djinn are demons. There are both good and evil djinn, and they can change their form or become invisible at will. One of the kings of the djinn is even claimed to have built the pyramids of Egypt. It was a djinn imprisoned in a brass lamp that aided Aladdin, and it was, perhaps, the same one who helped King Graham. Nothing at all is known about the one imprisoned in the brass bottle Graham found in the desert temple. Good or evil, one can assume that it was happy to escape. Curiously enough, the singular form of the word is djinni and the plural is djinn. Dolphin (KQ4) These are large, aquatic mammals who live in the seas and large rivers. Highly intelligent and with their own language, they are not fish. Dolphins have always appeared playful in the presence of humans, and there are records going back thousands of years of them playing alongside sailing ships. Many of these stories speak about the dolphins sometimes aiding and rescuing people who have found themselves lost at sea, and there are also many stories of people riding them. In ancient Greece, the dolphin was sacred to the Oracle at Delphi and even gave the sacred place its name. Dracula (KQ4) A vampire-a supernatural being of great strength, and immortal as long as it is able to drink the blood of humans at regular intervals. Dracula first appeared in an 1897 novel of the same name by Bram Stoker, and the count has been reborn often in plays and films. Some say that Dracula was based on a madman by the name of Vlad the Impaler who murdered thousands in terrible ways and drank the blood of some of his victims. Derek Karlavaegen has written that he thinks Dracula is not supernatural at all, but that he was one of the last survivors -if not the final survivor-of the lizard folk who ruled the earth for millions of years before humanity. According to Derek, both the chameleon and the bat are degenerate descen459 An Encyclopedia of Daventry dents of that particular line of beings, and this accounts for Dracula's apparent ability to change shape and to fly. Like bats, vampires avoid sunlight and sleep during the day. The vampire preys on us much as we prey on cows and carrots, drinking blood mostly, but sometimes devouring flesh when in the form of a wolf. The vampire's constitution is such that silver is a most deadly poison to it, as is garlic, but it is also so robust and regenerative that a vampire's lifespan is measured in the hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Of course, they can be killed by a stake driven through the heart, but, then, so would any of us in the same situation. According to Derek, Dracula fled from the sight of Graham's silver cross for the very reason that it was silver and its touch could kill him. Dragons (KQl, KQ3) One of the most widespread creatures of human myth, dragons are usually-but not always-thought of as huge, fire-breathing lizards or snakes. Dragons have been feared and worshipped since the beginning of recorded history, and the belief was ancient even then. While many cultures think of the dragon as evil, the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese sometimes thought of them as wise and powerful dwellers of the inner earth and used the image of the dragon on some of their standards. In more recent times, fantasists have more and more attributed benign qualities to the creatures. It is not known what the origin of the dragon myths is. It cannot be a memory of the dinosaurs because humanity and dinosaurs never existed at the same time. Dungeon Cell (KQ5) The place in Mordack's castle where prisoners were taken before they were killed or experimented on. The cell was situated next to Mordack's dungeon maze, and the only ways out of it were into the maze, or into a mousehole. Few humans, however, are built to make that 460 King's Quest particular squeeze. The cell was entered through a magic door that had to be conjured out of the air by either Mordack or his henchman. The cell is small, infested with mice, lice, and rats. The sanitary facilities non-existent. On the other hand, few of Mordack's guests ever lived long enough to complain about the conditions. Dwarfs (KQl, KQ2, KQ4) One of the races of little people. Dwarfs are closely related to the dark elves and gnomes, and the three races are often confused. Some theories even say that they are all the same race, but they do seem to be distinct in Daventry. They stand around four feet or so in height, but weigh well over one hundred pounds-most of it muscle. The majority of dwarfs live underground, but many live in the rockier hills and mountains. There are even some dwarfs that live in the deeper parts of some forests, but they are rare. Dwarfs are renowned for their surly dispositions, short tempers, and mistrust of humans. Eagle (KQ5) A large meat-eating bird of prey with sharp eyes and powerful wings. Graham saved an eagle's life in the icy mountains above Serenia, and the grateful bird returned the favor. The eagle was the military standard for the Roman armies, and the bald eagle is the emblem of the United States. Benjamin Franklin thought that this was not a good idea and proposed, instead, that the turkey was a better choice. Franklin considered the eagle a carrion-eater and opportunist. He thought the turkey, which is native to North America, to be cleaner, smarter, more useful, and possessing better habits-all in all, a better choice to represent a nation. See also Condor. 461 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Edgar (KQ4) The son of the wicked witch, Lolotte. He aided Rosella in her escape from her prison room. Rosella then apparently killed Lolotte, an act for which Edgar showed little remorse. Nobody knows who Edgar's father was-he could have been anybody from a drugged slave to a malevolent sorcerer. He was born deformed-short, stooped, and ugly. The fairy Genes ta gave him a more pleasing appearance as a reward for aiding Rosella and thus saving Genesta's life. Edgar lives alone now in his mother's castle on a crag in the Impossible Mountains. His love for Rosella is said to burn as strong as ever. Elves (KQ 1, KQ5) One of the races of the little folk, elves can be divided into two broad groups, black elves and white elves. The white elves are considered good and are thought to live in the open air of the forest. Generali y they appear as fair and lovely children. The black elves are extremely ugly and evil, live underground, and are descended from maggots. They love to inflict injury and sickness on people. While these divisions are generally true, there has been much inter-marriage among the elves of Daventry. As a result, many elves live both above and below the ground, and cannot be fitted into easy categories. In fact, in the Dark Forest of Serenia there is a large settlement of "Gray Elves". Descendents of both the black and the white groups, they are very mischievous. Neither truly bad nor truly good, elves per se, like the Leader of the Pack, are, "good-bad, but...not evil". Elves are generally of human form, pale in color, of slim build with pointed ears. While considered "little people," some elves can be as tall as humans, and they have even been known to marry with us. Most, though, are short, ranging in height from two and a half feet to four feet tall. Elves have their own kings, laws, and customs, but do not live together in towns and cities. Some of the rare 462 King's Quest

and tall sylvan elves are known to have built large houses where they live and practice magic. In general, elves are friendly but do prefer to stay out of the sight of humans. Because of their low visibility, they are considered to be more mischievous than they really are-the thought being something like "if they don't have something to hide, why don't they show themselves more?" Eye Between the Worlds When Derek Karlavaegen moved into the wizard Manannan's house, he discovered a device, and it is with this "Eye Between the Worlds," as he calls it, that he is able to communicate with our world. From his description of it, we can only conclude that the wizard was in possession of some sort of computer. How can this be? Daventry may be a land of wonders, but it is not a land of technology. In our world, a man by the name of Gerbert reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 999 to 1003. He is known as Pope Sylvester the Second and is still considered one of the great scholars of his age. His contemporaries, though, thought of him as one of the great magicians of the age. Sylvester attempted to collect manuscripts on all that was known during his timemagic, mathematics, natural history, geography, philosophy, whatever he could obtain. He is known to have constructed many devices for accurately tracking the movements of the planets, stars, and celestial spheres. He is also known to have built calculating machines to solve mathematical and geometrical problems, and he built wonderous clocks and other machines. He traded many of his devices and inventions for rare manuscripts of obscure knowledge. What gave Pope Sylvester his reputation as a magician-pope, however, was his building of what is described as either a talking statue or a talking head constructed of brass. This head was capable of solving problems that were put to it, and some say it could predict the future. So great was the impact of this machine that stories began to circulate that the Pope had made 463 An Encyclopedia of Daventry a pact with Satan. Because of this, many scholars think that Sylvester is the basis for the story of the magician named Faust-a man who made his own pact with the devil. When Sylvester died, his magical head disappeared into the depths of the Vatican. Had Pope Sylvester constructed some eleventh century equivalent to our computer? Has Manannan? Arthur C. Clarke writes that "any technology, sufficiently advanced, is indistinguishable from magic." If technology can emulate magic, why can't magic emulate technology? Fairies (KQl, KQ2, KQ4) A race of graceful and delicate beings with magical powers, fairies are said to live hundreds of years, but must spend one day of each week in the form of some animal-a bird or dolphin, for instance. Most cultures have a tradition of fairies. The English version-the one we are most familiar with-holds that they come from, and dwell in, the Land of Faerie, where they are ruled by a queen. Fairies are said to be interested in human affairs and often aid and protect people. In fact, so many tales have been told about good fairies, that they have given us the term "fairy tale." Fairies can be tall or tiny in form, but they are almost always winged and good. In the story of Cinderella, Cinderella's godmother was a fairy who carried a magic wand that had the power to transform things--the girl's ugly clothes into a beautiful gown, is a case in point. Some fairies, like Tinkerbell, possess a magic powder-fairy dust-that helps them cast their enchantments. Graham is slightly allergic to fairy dust-it makes him sneeze. Valanice writes that Genesta is the Queen of the Fairies in Daventry. Fish (KQ4, KQ5) Creatures that live in water and breathe by extracting oxygen from it by way of their gills. Bears, and sea birds and humans find 464 King's Quest their flesh to be quite tasty, despite whatever objections the fish themselves might have, W.C. Fields purportedly said that he never drank water, because "Fish ... (perform their bodily functions) ... in it!" Or something to that effect. Fisherman and his wife (KQ4) There is the story of a poor fisherman and his wife who lived in a shanty by the sea. One day the man caught a fish that talked. The fish said it was an enchanted prince and begged the fisherman to set him free, which the man did. The fisherman's wife was furious, and commanded him to go back and demand the fish grant him a wish. The man went back to the end of his pier and shouted: Flounder, flounder, in the sea, Harken thee now unto me! The fish now owed the man, so it granted his wife's wish for a lovely cottage to replace their shack. This did not satisfy the wife for long, and she sent her husband back to demand a castle from the fish. She got it. Thus it went; next she wanted to be King, then Emperor, and then Pope. All of these the flounder granted her. At last she demanded to be Lord of the Universe, with the power to command the rising and setting of the sun. The enchanted fish heard this request and, for her greed, returned the fishennan and his wife to the hovel where they had first lived. I suspect these are the same people to whom Rosella gave the bag of diamonds. Fishhook (KQ4, KQ5) It is not true that the purpose of fishhooks is to jab people in various parts of their anatomy. Sometime they are used to catch fish. Bait is attached to the hook, a weight to the hook. the hook to the line, the line to the fishing pole, and the fishing pole to a person's hands. Often, 465 An Encyclopedia of Daventry a fishing guide is needed to tell where the fish are. Seen in that light, fishing is much more simple if you are a bear or bird. When people think of bait, they often think of worms. In this world, worms are only one form of bait or lure. Thousands upon thousands of different tied-flies, mechanical lures, and alchemical concoctions are used the catch the mythical "Big One". In Daventry, however, people stick to the basic four baits- worms, fish eggs, bread dough, and cheese. Those seem to work fine there. Fly (KQ3) Alexander-Gwydion wonders why someone would want to change into a fly. He had done just this in order to overhear the bandits of Llewdor reveal their secret hideout to him, but it seems apparent that he is not eager to repeat the experience. After seeing the several films made in our world on the same subject, I tend to join the prince in his puzzlement. Four-leaf clover (KQl) This type of clover is supposed to bring good luck to its wearer. It is not, however, the same as a shamrock. The shamrock- the symbol of Ireland and the favorite ofleprechauns-is a three-leaf clover, and not the same plant at all. This confusion between the two different plants is so widespread that, evidently, even the leprechauns of Daventry themselves get confused.

Frog Prince (KQ4) There are some interesting differences between Rosella's encounter with her Frog Prince and the tale that is told in this world. It seems that the beautiful daughter of a king was sitting under a cool tree, passing time and playing a game of catch with herself using a little golden ball. As these things happen, the ball this day traveled too far; it dropped past her hands and down into a deep well, too far down for her to retrieve it. As she wept for her lost ball, a frog's head came out of the water and the creature 466 King's Quest offered to dive and bring the ball back to her. There were conditions, however; in return for the ball, the princess must accept the ugly frog as her companion and playmate, and it must be allowed to eat from her plate with her at the dinner table, drink from her cup, and sleep with her in her bed. The pretty princess accepted the frog's bargain, but as soon as she held the golden ball again in her hands, she ran away and deserted the frog. The next day, as the princess ate with her family and their entire court, a small voice came to the door and demanded the princess let him in. It was the frog, of course. Her father, the king, asked her what the frog wanted, and she was forced to tell him of her promise to the little green one. The king informed the girl that she must fulfill all that she had promised the frog, and he bade it join them for supper. The princess was reluctant and unwilling, but the king pushed her plate and cup closer to the frog so that it could enjoy the meal. When the meal was finished, the frog announced that he was tired, and asked the princess to join him in going to sleep. The princess didn't want any dirty old frog in her clean bed, but her father demanded that she honor her promise. The princess carried the frog to her room, but when it was time to get into bed, she picked it up and threw it against one of the walls of her chamber as hard as she could. All at once, instead of dying, the ugly frog transformed into a handsome young prince who informed her that he had been captive of a wicked witch's spell. Instead of being upset at the girl for what she had done, he asked her to marry him, which she did. They lived happily ever after. Most people, I suspect, recall a version of the tale where the princess kisses the frog to transform him. The first version of the tale, however, is the authentic one. 467 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Genesta (KQ4) The Queen of the Fairies in Daventry. Rosella had to recover Genesta's stolen Talisman within 24 hours in order to save the fairy from death. In our world, there is a story about how the fairy Genesta took a young boy from his parents, a foolish king and queen. Genesta promised to return the boy someday, but said they would not see him again until he was all covered with fur. The boy grew up handsome and intelligent, and because of his small size was called "Mannikin." Mannikin roamed the world and had all sorts of adventures, many times being aided by the good fairy Genesta. Finally he heard of a princess by the name of Sabella whose heart had been stolen by an evil fairy and hidden away in the center of an ice mountain. With no heart, the girl knew nothing of love. Mannikin fell in love with the princess. He vowed to overcome her other suitors and recover the girl's heart, thereby winning her hand. This he was finally able to do, and when he returned from the North Pole with the girl's heart encased in a diamond, she handed it back to him saying that her heart truly belonged to him. Just then, Genesta arrived in a chariot drawn by eagles, bearing with her Mannikin's parents, the foolish king and queen. When they saw him he still wore the fur coat that had protected him during his icy adventure. Thus Genesta's promise was fulfilled. The coat had been given to him by Sabella, and in gratitude and love for her, he named the animal whose fur he wore after his bride-to-be. That is why today we have animals that are called sables. Genesta, by the way, lives on a small island in Daventry off the west coast ofTamir. She is the only being I know of who actually does live in an ivory tower. Gerwain (KQ2) Prime minister to King Graham, and the author of the court chronicle detailing Graham's quest to win his queen. Gerwain also was 468 King's Quest prime minister to Good King Edward and served him for over 20 years until Edward's sudden death. An article I received from Derek Karlavaegen details Gerwain' s retirement from King Graham's service. In the article Gerwain speaks of the King needing and desiring younger advisors, ones lest apt to recommend the sacrifice of maidens to dragons. He says that their parting was amicable, and that he planned on moving to a small cottage in the forest and raising snails. Ghosts (KQ2, KQ4) Ghosts are the restless spirits of the dead. It is said that they can only be exorcised or expunged by returning to them that which they desire in their afterlife.Usually this is some favorite possession that was connected somehow with their death. Some spirits become ghosts, however, because of being dominated by a stronger spirit soon after their passing to the other side, and yet others have it thrust upon them as penance for misdeeds committed. In most cases ghosts cannot harm mortals directly, but they can frighten us into doing things that are both stupid and fatal. The restless ghosts that Rosella had to pacify all needed something from their past life; the baby wanted its rattle, the weeping widow her locket, the miser his bag of gold, the lord his medal of honor, and the boy his toy horse. When they received these, they were able to rest quietly forever-we hope. (For more details, see Chapter 7, Grave Matters.) Giants (KQl) Giants are very large and very strong humans, although there are reports of giants that are merely humanoid, resembling humans. Jack the Giant-Killer, for instance, fought giants with two and three headshardly what one would think normal for humans. In London, effigies have been constructed to the giants Gog and Magog. The Bible speaks of giants walking the earth in the distant past. In fact, the most famous giant in western culture is Goliath, who fought for the Philistines against King Saul of Israel. 469 An Encyclopedia of Daventry No warrior dared fight the giant in single combat except for the boy David. David killed Goliath by striking him on the head with a stone shot from his sling. David kept Goliath's sword and used it later when he fought Saul. Giants are massive beings, the smallest of whom are over ten feet tall, and the largest big enough to have their heads touch the clouds. Gingerbread house (KQ 1) The home of the witch Dahlia. This house has been made famous by the story of Hansel and Gretel, the children of a poor woodcutter. The man's wife had died, and he married a woman who did not like children. She told him that they could not afford to feed the children, and convinced him to abandon them in the forest. Hansel and Gretel overheard their plans, however. As they were led deep into the woods, they dropped pebbles to mark their way home. Their stepmother was not at all amused when they returned the next day. Some time later the wicked woman convinced the man again to abandon the children so that there would be enough food for the two adults to eat. Again the children overheard, so they dropped crumbs behind as they were led even deeper into the dark depths of the forest. This time though, a bird ate the crumbs, and the Hansel and Gretel discovered they were lost. On the third day, the hungry children followed another bird and came to a small house made all of gingerbread, with windows of sugar and windowsills of cake. The house was the home of a wicked witch. She imprisoned Hansel and began to fatten the boy in order to eat him. She enslaved Gretel and made the poor girl do her bidding, intending also to eat the girl. One day the witch asked Gretel to climb into her large oven to check how the bread was baking. Gretel was clever enough to know that the witch intended to push her in and bake her, so Gretel acted stupid and asked the witch to show her exactly how to climb in. The moment the witch did so, Gretel pushed her in and slammed the door behind. She freed her brother. 470 King's Quest They took all the gold and jewels they could find from the house, and eventually found their way home. Their happy father greeted them wannly when he saw them-his nasty wife had died while they were gone and he asked them to forgive him. They lived happily ever after. Gnome (KQl, KQ5) Another of the races of little people. Gnomes are close cousins of both the dwarfs and the dark elves and are associated with the spirits of both the earth and the mountains. Most, but not all, live underground and are said to guard veins of precious metals and stones, as well as vast, ancient treasures that have been buried there. Gnomes were given their name and differentiated from dwarfs by the physician Paracelsus in the early fifteenth century. See also Rumplestiltskin. Goats (KQl) Goats are well known for their total dislike of trolls. There is a tale of three billy goats on their way to pasture. They had to cross a bridge to get there, and a nasty troll lived under it. Now some trolls like to eat the flesh of humans, but all of them delight in devouring goats. As the first goat went across, the troll went for it; but the clever beast convinced the troll to wait for his bigger brother, as he would make a larger meal. The troll waited and rushed the second goat, who too convinced the troll that there was a yet larger goat still to come. When the largest of the billy goats arrived, he rushed the troll, butted it off the bridge, and killed it. It is said that goats will eat almost anything; show one a carrot and it follows you anywhere. It has even been said in this world that if you show a goat an old shoe or a tin can it follows you anywhere. Golden Eggs (KQl, KQ4) Graham climbed a large tree in Daventry and found a nest containing a golden egg, but we do not know what bird laid this 471 An Encyclopedia of Daventry treasure. There is a story of a goose that laid golden eggs until the person who discovered the goose got greedy and cut it open looking for more. Rosella was forced by Lolotte to find the hen that laid golden eggs. This bird was guarded by an ogre and his wife. See also Beanstalk. Golden Fish (KQ4) After King Graham opened the third magic door, he was transported to a strange land. There he found a net, which he cast into the sea and caught a large golden fish. Graham returned the fish to the ocean, and, in gratitude, it transported him to the enchanted isle where he found V alanice imprisoned. There are many tales in our world of fish who do favors in return for being put back. In one, a poor fisherman catches a golden fish who grants him and his wife a castle on the condition that he not tell the woman how it came to be. In time, though, he broke his silence and his new riches disappeared. He became a fisherman again, and again caught the fish. Same deal. Same result. Same story. The third time he caught the fish, it told him to take it home and cut it into six pieces-two to eat, two to plant, and two to feed to his horse. Eventually there grew two golden lilies, the horse had two golden foals, and the fisherman and his wife had two golden sons. Graham (KQl, KQ2, KQ3, KQ4, KQ5) King of Daventry. We know much about Graham's adventures, but very little about his background. What we do know about his life before his quest for the three treasures is contained in Part 1 of the Chronicles. It does seem strange, though, that the man we come to admire so much during his early adventures could be the same person who sent innocent girls off to be sacrificed to the fire-breathing dragon. Perhaps his good judgment 472 King's Quest and wisdom hadn't recovered from the shock of Alexander's kidnapping, or perhaps it was just poor advice on the part of his prime minister. Graham greatly admired his father. Derek Karlavaegen mentions once, in passing, that Graham's father was a nobleman and a close friend of Good King Edward. He wanted his son to be a scholar as well as a fighter. Derek also mentions that Graham's father died defending Daventry in one of the border wars, but never once does he mention the man's name. Grandma (KQ2) Grandma lives in a neat little cottage in the woods of Kolyma. When King Graham first met her, she was sick in bed and unable to talk. Later Graham brought her a pot of chicken soup that, of course, cured her of her ills. Grandma told Graham to reach under her bed and take the black cloak and ruby ring he would find there; he did, and then he put them on. Thus Graham was mistaken for Count Dracula and was able to obtain easy passage to his castle, and past the ghosts guarding it. How the woman came by Dracula's cape and ring is a mystery, but it is often said that the Vampire Prince takes living women as lovers. Perhaps they had had a romantic liaison in the past, but if grandma kissed, she sure ain't telling. See also Riding Hood. Green Isles (KQ5) The home of Princess Cassima. It is said that they are a warm and sunny place, with women so beautiful as to make jewels weep. Little else is known of the place, but Derek Karlavaegen does include them in his map of Daventry. Greensleeves The court anthem of the Kingdom of Daventry. The tune is well known in our world. 473 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Gypsies (KQ5) No one knows where the gypsies come from, or where their first home was. The gypsies first appeared in Europe around the 14th century (if not sooner) and spread a tale that they came from a place named Little Egypt To this day, no one knows for sure where Little Egypt was, but the people soon were called Gypsies, the name is a corruption of the word Egyptian. They call themselves the Rom. Many scholars link them and their language to northern India. Gypsies are a wandering folk, always moving from place to place, staying a while, and them moving on. We tend to think of them as moving in wagons drawn by horses, but today automobiles and campers are closer to the truth. Another romantic image is that of the gypsy woman dancing around a fire to wild, exotic music, slapping the time on her tambourine, while dark, handsome gypsy men watch with burning eyes and rising passions-I guess that's why it's called a romantic image. Gypsies also have a reputation as fortune tellers, either gazing through a crystal ball or by the reading of Tarot cards. It is often said that one must cross a gypsy's palm with silver-or, preferably, gold-in order for them to perform that service for you. It makes sense; no one likes to work for free. This is what Graham did, and Madame Mushka then showed him the true nature of the trouble which had befallen Daventry. Later, when he returned to their camp, he found that the gypsies, as is their lifestyle, had moved on to someplace else. Gwydion (KQ3, KQ4, KQ5) The name Manannan gave to Prince Alexander- Graham and Valanice's son-while he was captive in Llewdor. In the Welsh legends, there are many tales told of Gwydion, a great magician and maker of illusions. He is said to have had a way with words, and the name Gwydion even means "to speak poetry". Many of the tales of 474 King's Quest Gwydion are of his youth as a magician and warrior. Unlike the Gwydion of Daventry, the Welsh youth Gwydion was head-strong. He became embroiled in a number of dubious, if not evil, incidents. In one, he and his brother stole a pair of animals from King Arawn of the underworld. In the ensuing battle of Cad Goddeu, Gwydion transformed a forest into an army of sentient trees. At another time, Gwydion casts his illusions to start a war in order that his brother might obtain a woman he desired. That act led to massacre, murder, madness and worse. The punishment Gwydion and his brother suffered for their acts was to be turned each year into beasts that must mate with each other. Their offspring were to be their reminders of how they had offended nature. In later life, Gwydion redeemed himself and became known as a giver and restorer of life, working with the natural world for good purposes. See also Alexander. Hagatha (KQ2) The witch who kidnapped Valanice and imprisoned her in the Crystal Tower. Graham's rescue of Valanice set off a series of events that have shaped the destiny of Daventry. A Daventry People excerpt that Derek sent to us (written soon after Alexander's escape) speaks ofHagatha as sister to Manannan, and claims that Manannan kidnapped Graham and V alanice' s son in revenge for Graham deed against Hagatha. It also says that Dame Hagatha disappeared from Kolyma soon after the incident. Of course, Mordack's kidnap of Castle Daventry and everyone in it was a direct, if unforseen, consequence of Alexander's triumph over Manannan. In his later recounting of Graham's rescue of his family and the castle, Derek postulates that Hagatha's evil family is the cosmic balance to Graham's. He says that nothing has been heard of either Hagatha or 475 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Manannan since Graham destroyed their brother Mordack. He thinks that is a bad sign. Harp (KQ5) An ancient stringed instrument which is still used in the late 20th century. Somewhat triangular in shape, it is often confused with its smaller, and equally ancient, cousin known as the lyre. Harps (and harp-like instruments) have been traced as far back as ancient Egypt and Assyria, and many different cultures developed their own versions of it. The smaller harps were easily carried by travelling poets and musicians, and among Gaelic peoples especially, harps and harpists were particularly venerated. It is said that the children of Israel hung their harps on the branches of willow trees as they wept by the rivers of Babylon during their captivity. The harp that Graham found was also in the possession of a willow, this one a weeping willow. Harpies (KQ5) The harpies were originally wind-spirits in Greek mythology, and even Homer treats them as winds in the Odessy. Later, in the Jason and the Argonaut stories, they became horribly ugly, shrieking birds with the faces of women. These harpies were considered particularly foul, loathsome, disgusting and merciless. In the Aeneid, Virgil gives the name of the Harpy chieftess as Celaeno. The name Harpies does not come from the word harp, and there are no stories of harpies actually liking harp music, or even having any musical talent. On the other hand, music doth hath charms to sooth the savage breast. There is a large colony of these beasts residing on a small island off the east coast of the continent of Serenia. This island is well-known to mariners and certain merchants. In the winters, when the harpies have migrated to somewhat warmer regions, the island is mined for its abundant deposits of 476 King's Quest guano. It is said to be extremely strong stuff, but makes the best fertilizer in world. Haunted house (KQ4) A large house in central Tamir surrounded by a graveyard on two sides. It's known to some as Whateley Manor, and it is said to have been transported to Daventry when its inhabitants and othersstrange others-withdrew from our world. Rosella had to pacify five ghosts who haunted the mansion, including the spirit of a former lord of the manor from before the days of old, dark Wilbur Whateley. The house also contains a hidden tower, the door to which can only be discovered by looking at a portrait above the fireplace in the parlor. See also Ghosts. Herbert (KQ5) Herbert is the name of the prince that King Graham met at the beginning of his journeys in Serenia. Sitting on a branch that had fallen from an ash tree, weary and alone, he seemed somewhat despondent at the time. Herbert told Graham that he was sad because a witch had caused his beloved to disappear. He was searching for her, although fruitlessly. It would have been quite easy for Prince Herbert to continue wallowing in his hurt, becoming more and more paralyzed with inaction and self-pity. Instead, he picked up his motivation and determination, got off of his ash, and got on with his search. Hermit (KQ5) An ancient mariner that Graham met on the coast of Serenia. Although quite old, feeble and almost deaf, age had not taken away his skill with medicinal herbs and natural medicines. He was able to effect a quick cure to the wounds Cedric had suffered at the talons of the harpies. Derek speculates thatthe hermit might be the same man who once was cursed to wear an albatross around his neck as penance for killing one such harmless 477 An Encyclopedia of Daventry bird. That poor soul is said to walk the worlds forever telling his tale, and its moral: He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast. He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all. (This is a moral that King Graham seems to embody in his encounters with all that he meets. It is why, I feel, he gets so much aid and comfort from others.) Perhaps the hermit finally found peace to join his forgiveness in a small hut by the ocean. If so, perhaps that is why he heals wounded birds so easily. Iconomancy (KQ5) A form of magic that uses no words in its casting. It was used by Graham and Mordack in their final magical battle. See also Chapter 9. King Edward the Benevolent (KQ 1) The monarch preceding Graham, Edward evidently consolidated the present kingdom of Daventry, increasing its size severalfold. He built the great Castle Daventry-both as a gift for his bride, Maylie, and as the defensive and administrative center of the realm. Edward is well known for losing the three great treasures of Daventry, Merlin's Mirror, the Shield of Achille, and the Chest of Gold. It is said that his love for May lie is what drove him to perform the great and heroic deeds 478 King's Quest that created the kingdom. It is also said that it was her death that drove him to the mistakes that almost destroyed it. Lake Maylie (KQl, KQ3) A lake northeast of the town of Daventry. It was given its name by the people of the kingdom in honor of King Ed ward's wife. It was Edward and Maylie's favorite spot, and they could be seen on or by its waters almost every balmy night. After Maylie's death and the misfortunes that befell the kingdom, people began to shun the lake. King Graham and Queen V alanice, however, took to spending much of their time there, and it soon returned to favor among the general population. Ironically, it was on the shore of Lake May lie that Prince Alexander was stolen from his cradle by the wizard Manannan. After the incident, many people refused to go anywhere near it, saying it was a haunted and unlucky place. Land of the Clouds (KQ 1, KQ3) A land high above Daventry; the home of giants and dragons. It is accessible by climbing a beanstalk or through a stairway that travels up through the mountains. This place is dangerous not just because of the denizens who inhabit it, but due to the fact that there is very little solid ground. Much of the footing is made up of clouds, meaning there is no footing at all in these spots-not for a long way down! Leprechauns (KQl) Another of the races of little people; in our world leprechauns are found only in Ireland. They are shoemakers by trade and are very shy. Although some prefer to dwell underground, leprechauns like to inhabit green, secluded places; unless they want you to see them, they can only be discovered by following the sound of their hammering. Legends say that if you come upon a leprechaun unawares, it must lead you to treasure. If you take your eye off of the leprechaun, however, it vanishes. 479 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Some leprechauns are known to have stolen human babies, but in general they're more playful and mischievous than evil. They are very fond of music and dancing, especially to a jig played on a fiddle. They are said to dance in great numbers within fairy circles under the full moon. Leprechauns young and old tend to resemble older men, and there are few reports or stories of females of the race. It has been speculated that leprechauns are nothing more than male fairies, since there are equally few mentions of male fairies. The favorite color of the leprechaun is green, and its symbol and charm is the shamrock. In Daventry, however, the little green folk also revere the four-leaf clover. Lion (KQ3) The king of beasts and the ultimate guard over Valanice as she was kept prisoner by Hagatha in the Crystal Tower. King Graham has written that the beast itself was a prisoner of the witch, held in bondage by a powerful spell. Before returning to Daventry, he and Valanice traveled through the magic doors to the enchanted isle and freed the great golden lion from its chains. He claims to have taken it to its jungle home and released it, but he doesn't say just where that jungle is. Graham writes that just before the lion disappeared into the foliage, it was joined by a tall man wearing nothing but a loincloth. Both the lion and man roared to the heavens, the man beating his chest, and then they were gone. Locket (KQ5) In his brief captivity in a Roe's nest high in the mountains of Serenia, Graham found a small gold locket amongst the twigs and grass. Inside were the portraits of two people. These were the parents of Princess Cassima, and when Graham gave the locket to her, she gave him her trust. Given all the horrors and hardships and threats Cassima must have suffered at the hands of Mordack, this was not an inconsiderable giving. 480 King's Quest Cassima says that she lost the locket when Mordack kidnapped her in the Green Isles. She and the wizard flew to his castle in the wings of a giant bird. It must have been a Roe, and the same one who captured Graham-perhaps still under the influence and control of the evil sorcerer. Lolotte (KQ4) The evil witch who was the great enemy of the good Fairy Queen Genesta. Lolotte stole Genesta's magic Talisman, which Rosella had to recover in order to save the lives of both her father and Genesta. She lived in a twin-towered castle on a crag high in the Impossible Mountains with her son Edgar, guarded by an army of winged monkeys. Lolotte was skeletally thin and greenish in complexion; her voice was more akin to a serpent's than a human's. Rosella mentioned in a short interview in the Bruce Banner that she still wonders if she really did kill the witch and says she has unsettling dreams at times where the crone recovered from her apparently fatal wound. In the dreams, Lolotte points a blood-covered finger at Rosella and cackles, "I'll get you, my pretty! I'll get you!" repeating it over and over. Madame Mushka (KQ5) The gypsy fortune teller who showed Graham what had become of his family after they had been captured by Mordack. Mushka, her husband Vladic, and her three daughters appear often at carnivals and public celebrations throughout Daventry. Since the story of her meeting with Graham became widespread, her crystal ball and Tarot card readings have become much in demand. Success for Mushka has also led to successes for the rest of her family. Vladic's impassioned violin-playing elicits sighs from women everywhere; their daughters' dancing has the same effect on men. The family now travels in three wagons; one for Mushka and Vladic, one for their teenage girls, and the third for all the silver and gold that has crossed their palms. 481 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Magic Beans (KQl) Used to grow the beanstalk that took Graham up to the Land of the Clouds. To obtain them, Graham had to guess the gnome's name within three tries. See also Beanstalk. Magic Carpet (KQ2) The first time King Graham rubbed the brass lamp, the imprisoned djinn gave him a persian carpet with the power of flight. He used this to scale the cliffs of Kolyma in order to gain the second key to the magic doors. In our world, magic carpets appear in many stories that come out of the Middle East. There is a story in the Arabian Nights of three princes-brothers- who wished to marry the same princess. They were each to travel the world for a year, and the one who returned with the greatest rarity would win the maiden's hand. One of the three treasures was a piece of tapestry that if you sat on it would instantly transport you anywhere you wished. There is also a magic carpet mentioned in the Koran. It belonged to King Solomon and was made of green silk. It was large enough to carry Solomon, his throne, his army, his spirits, and his attendants wherever he wished to go. Magic Doors (KQ2) In order to rescue V alanice, King Graham was required to find three keys that opened three magic doors-the last of which brought him to a strange, enchanted realm. The doors were surrounded by steep cliffs and a deep chasm and could only be reached by crossing a frayed rope bridge. After he won V alanice' s heart, Graham married her in the monastery in Kolyma not far from the destroyed bridge. As a wedding gift, the monks repaired the crossing in order that Graham and V alanice could return to the Crystal Tower and free the golden lion. 482 King's Quest Magic Fruit (KQ4) In the middle of the joyous celebration welcoming the return of Prince Alexander and the rescue of Rosella, King Graham collapsed onto the throne room floor. To save her father from death, Rosella was offered the chance to go to Tamir where there grows a magic tree that bears but one fruit every one hundred years. The tree is hidden in a swamp within the Impossible Mountains. To reach the swamp, Rosella had to enter a waterfall, pass through a troll-infested cave, and cross a hidden abyss. Then she had to cross the deadly swamp and get by the king cobra that protected the fruit tree. One bite of the fruit cured her father and restored his vigor. In the Arabian Nights story of the three brothers attempting to win the hand of the same princess (see Magic Carpet), one of them discovers a magic fruit that cured sick people of most mortal diseases. One sniff was enough to do the job. The prince was able to save the princess 's life with it, having been transported to the fruit on his brother's magic carpet. Magic map (KQ3) Alexander-Gwydion found a blank parchment in Manannan's wardrobe. As he traveled, the parchment slowly became a map, revealing where he had been. More remarkably, if the prince wanted to return to any place shown on the map, all he had to do was point to the area on the map and be teleported there in an instant. The teleportation was never so exact that it would move him to something as specific as, say, the flower garden in front of the Three Bears' house, but it would get him close enough. Also, it would never take him back to Manannan' s house, just to the foot of the mountain path that he had to walk up. At sea, the map showed how close Alexander was to Daventry, and after he got there it showed where he had been in his travels through that land. The map is now on display in the Royal Library of Daventry. 483 An Encyclopedia of Daventry

Magic Staff (KQ5) When Graham spied the desert bandits opening the door to the temple, they waved a staff and shouted a magical phrase. Graham liberated the staff from a snoring cutthroat's tent so he might enter the temple himself. Interestingly, the 40 thieves that Ali Baba had to deal with used the same magic incantation, "Open, Sesame!" In order to enter that particular lair, though, they weren't required to use a magic staff. Magic wands (KQ3, KQ5) One of the three pieces of paraphernalia that no sorcerer is without, the other two being robes and a pointed hat. The wands are made of some powerful wood, harvested at a special time, and are usually carved with magical runes and decorations. The wand is thought to be the conduit through which the magical forces are transmitted from the spell caster to its target. Alexander was able to discover where Manannan had hidden his wandthe cabinet in his study-and used it to prepare the spells that allowed him to escape, return to Daventry, and destroy the three-headed dragon. He had to be careful with the wand; if he ever forgot to put it back in its place before the wizard returned, he surely would have been killed for his transgression. The wand of Manannan now belongs to the prince, and he uses it in the preparation of all major spells. To be useful, magic wands need to be charged. There are many ways to do this; Manannan's cabinet was a chamber that tapped the magical energy fields and transmitted power through the aether to his wand. This had to be done on a regular basis or the wand would run out of power. Like a dead battery in our world, if this happened to the wand, it would be unable to be charged again. The wand that Crispin gave to King Graham was in such a state, whether through Crispin's forgetfulness, or his upgrading to better, or more modem, equipment. 484 King's Quest However, with the right paraphernalia, new magical power can be transferred from a potent wand to an impotent one, depleting the charged wand in the process. This was how Graham was able to finally get Crispin's magic wand to work. See also Power-transfer machine. Magicians' Guild Guilds are organizations of people who practice the same craft, and they have the purpose of protecting and advancing that particular craft. In Daventry, wandering magicians have formed a loose organization called the Magicians' Guild, and its members are easily recognized by their distinctive black and purple pointed hats decorated with the image of a crescent moon-the same shape we see carved in the doors of out-buildings in this world. The guild passes on information about different spells to its members, along with magical gossip. As magicians become powerful enough to be considered sorcerers, necromancers, or thamaturgists, they tend to leave the guild, thereby amplifying the notion that the guild is just a collection of amateurs. See also Society of Wizards Manannan (KQ3, KQ5) The evil wizard who kidnapped Prince Alexander and kept him as a slave for 17 years. Manannan is the brother of both Mordack, and the evil witch Hagatha (sometimes known as Dame Hagatha). Manannan is said to have kidnapped the infant Alexander in revenge for King Graham's rescue of Valanice from his sister. Manannan taught Alexander-Gwydion to read and write, and by doing so led to his own downfall. The prince was able to find the wizard's book of magic and cast a spell that turned Manannan into a cat. Nobody knows what became of Manannan after that point. Derek Karlavaegen, who lives now in the wizard's house, says that the place was totally deserted when he arrived there a few months at Alexander's escape. There was no cat and no remains 485 An Encyclopedia of Daventry of a dead cat. It is probable that Manannan fled the house in his feline form, wandering the world until finally making the connection with his brother Mordack. Graham encountered Manannan the cat in Mordack's castle and tied him inside a cloth sack. He was left behind in the castle when Graham, his family, and Castle Daventry were joyously returned home. It is quite possible that the sack is still there containing the remains of a cat. It is also possible that the cat, Manannan, was able to escape by clawing his way out. It is even possible that he has been able to effect a cure for his feline condition. And, if this is true, then Manannan may well be hiding someplace plotting new revenge. In our world, there are many stories about a most powerful weather wizard by the name of Manannan Mac Lir, after whom the Island of Man in the Irish Sea is named. It is said that Manannan had a magic horse that could travel easily across both the land and the waves, had a magic ship that could take him anywhere without the use of sail or oar, raised storms at will, wore armor, which shone as bright as the sun and which could not be pierced, and possessed a cloak of invisibility-and these are just some of the wonders that surrounded him. It is also said that Manannan had a special fondness for the Irish. There are even stories that link Manannan with a Welsh hero by the name of Gwydion. Curiously, he is said to be a most happy and generous wizard who brought happiness to all around him. This is quite unlike Daventry's Manannan. Manannan's Clock (KQ3) The wizard kept a magical device in his house that recorded the passing of time. Alexander says that the time it kept was different from the time normally recognized in Daventry. From this evidence, it is safe to assume that time runs differently in that uni verse, slower than it flows here. If Manannan's clock were some sort of clock from our world, then we must wonder how he obtained it. Of course, we have not solved the mystery of the Eye Between the Worlds, either; it apparently is 486 King's Quest Manannan' s computer. There seems to be much truth in the Daventry saying that "Any magic, sufficiently advanced, is indistinguishable from technology." Marionette (KQ5) A puppet that is manipulated by strings. Graham, who has an eye and an appreciation of first-rate workmanship, was given a hand-made marionette by a gnome in Serenia in exchange for a magic spinning-wheel. Later he used the marionette to buy a sled for his trip through the mountains. Maylie (KQl) Wife of King Edward the Benevolent and the beloved person after whom Lake May lie was named. See also King Edward. Maze (KQ5) Mordack had a number of defenses in order to prevent intruders from getting into, or out of, his castle. One of these was the way in which he constructed his dungeon. This maze served to frustrate any escape by the prisoners that were kept in the dungeon cells. It also did the same thing to anyone who entered the castle there. Mazes are built to befuddle and confuse all who enter them without either a map or knowledge of the way through. Mordack's maze also had a creature-Dink, for want of a better name-patrolling and protecting it. Dink was trained by the wizard to let no one leave the maze alive. Dink, however, is more stupid than deadly; although, to attract him is fatal enough. Princess Cassima was able to befriend Dink and his brother Sam. This warm human contact probably had much to do with Graham's opportunity to survive his encounter with the deadly beast. Medusa (KQ3) As he roamed the great desert of Llewdor, AlexanderGwydion was attacked by this grotesque monster. One glance at her face 487 An Encyclopedia of Daventry would have turned him to stone. He averted his face, though, and let the creature see her own awful reflection in Manannan's hand mirror, turning herself into a statue instead. Although the desert of Llewdor is apparently home to many creatures known as medusas, in our world there was only one Medusa. Medusa was one of three gorgons, creatures with snakes for hair, boarlik:e tusks, claws of bronze, and golden wings. The other gorgons were named Stheno and Euryale. It was Medusa's flashing eyes that could turn both mortals and immortals to stone. Medusa was destroyed by Perseus, who cut off her head while she slept, using a polished shield to guide his blow so he would not have to look directly at the monster's face. Medusa was remarkable even after death; from her neck was born the winged horse Pegasus, the blood from her left side was a poison, and the blood from her right could restore the dead to life. Another story says that Medusa was originally a beautiful girl who thought she was as lovely as the goddess Athena, especially her hair. As punishment, the goddess turned the girl's hair into snakes. Merlin's Mirror (KQl, KQ2, KQ3) 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. The legend in Daventry is that the mirror was first found in a cave beneath the earth, next to the crystal coffin of a great necromancer who was thought to be Merlin himself. The Merlin we know was a great magician and the advisor to King Arthur and a number of other kings. It is said that it was 488 King's Quest Merlin who created the Round Table for his monarch, and perhaps even Stonehenge. Merlin possessed a wondrous mirror with which he was able look into the future or gaze upon anyone or any place he wished. He used it often to help Arthur become victorious in battle. Graham used the mirror while he was searching for a wife. It was within its mahogany frame that he first saw the image of Valanice, imprisoned in the Crystal Tower. This is similar to a story in our world where a fair prince was eager to find a bride. He looked into a magic mirror and saw the loveliest of women, but he did not know who or where she was. Often he looked upon her and once saw that she was looking into her own magic glass, and in it was his own image. He was looking at her looking at him. This sent him into the world where he finally found her and they lived happily ever after. Mermaids (KQ2, KQ5) Graham met a mermaid who was sitting on a rock along the west coast of Kolyma. He gave her a bouquet of flowers in acknowledgment of her beauty, and she called forth a sea horse to carry Graham to King Neptune. Neptune gave Graham the key to the first of the magic doors. When Graham made his final crossing of the Northern Sea to Mordack's castle, he was escorted and led by another mermaid. Her name was Pearl. There are legends about mermaids everywhere in our world. They are semihuman beings that are human from the head to the waist and fish below, but at times the mermaid is allowed to take the entire form of a human being. There are many stories of mermaids-all of whom are said to be beautifulmarrying human men. Sometimes the mermaid remains on land with her husband, thus losing her magical powers. At other times the mermaid is able to bring the man to live with her under the sea, preserving his life with her magic. 489 An Encyclopedia of Daventry There are also similar stories about mermen. Minstrel (KQ4) In her adventures in Tamir, Rosella met a wandering minstrel by the name of Frankie of Avalon. He played the lute and sang, both with little skill. Rosella gave a book of Shakespeare's plays to the man and in return was given his lute. When last seen, Frankie was emoting loudly to the world and declaring that he had found his true profession-that of actor. I'm not sure how long he kept that vow; in one of the Bruce Banner transcripts that Derek Karlavaegen has sent, there is an advertisement for "a musically comedic adaptation of the Bard's masterpiece, Hamlet-a world premier by the one and only Frankie of Avalon!" Monastery (KQ2) The Monastery of the Blessed Wilbury is a resting place and haven for weary travelers in western Kolyma. Its great bell is chimed a half hour before sundown each night to warn all that hear it of the time-after sundown, the Prince of Vampires hunts for food. There King Graham stopped to pray for a bit while he was searching for Valanice, and was given a silver cross by one of the monks, Brother Fragola. With this cross worn about his neck, Graham was able to enter Dracula's castle safely. Graham and V alanice were married in the chapel of the monastery by Brother Fragola. He is now the royal chaplain to the court of Daventry. Monkey soldiers (KQ4) Lolotte's soldiers and bodyguards, these winged monkeys served the wicked witch only because of a spell of blind obedience she had cast over them. They were freed of the enchantment after Rosella shot Lolotte with Cupid's arrow. There is a great resemblance between Lolotte's former goons and the monkey soldiers Dorothy encountered in Oz. Those creatures, however, were only bound to serve the witch 490 beings that are human from the head to the waist and fish below, but at times the mermaid is allowed to take the entire form of a human being. There are many stories of mermaids-all of whom are said to be beautifulmarrying human men. Sometimes the mermaid remains on land with her husband, thus losing her magical powers. At other times the mermaid is able to bring the man to live with her under the sea, preserving his life with her magic. 489 An Encyclopedia of Daventry There are also similar stories about mermen. Minstrel (KQ4) In her adventures in Tamir, Rosella met a wandering minstrel by the name of Frankie of Avalon. He played the lute and sang, both with little skill. Rosella gave a book of Shakespeare's plays to the man and in return was given his lute. When last seen, Frankie was emoting loudly to the world and declaring that he had found his true profession-that of actor. I'm not sure how long he kept that vow; in one of the Bruce Banner transcripts that Derek Karlavaegen has sent, there is an advertisement for "a musically comedic adaptation of the Bard's masterpiece, Hamlet-a world premier by the one and only Frankie of Avalon!" Monastery (KQ2) The Monastery of the Blessed Wilbury is a resting place and haven for weary travelers in western Kolyma. Its great bell is chimed a half hour before sundown each night to warn all that hear it of the time-after sundown, the Prince of Vampires hunts for food. There King Graham stopped to pray for a bit while he was searching for Valanice, and was given a silver cross by one of the monks, Brother Fragola. With this cross worn about his neck, Graham was able to enter Dracula's castle safely. Graham and V alanice were married in the chapel of the monastery by Brother Fragola. He is now the royal chaplain to the court of Daventry. Monkey soldiers (KQ4) Lolotte's soldiers and bodyguards, these winged monkeys served the wicked witch only because of a spell of blind obedience she had cast over them. They were freed of the enchantment after Rosella shot Lolotte with Cupid's arrow. There is a great resemblance between Lolotte's former goons and the monkey soldiers Dorothy encountered in Oz. Those creatures, however, were only bound to serve the witch 490 there three times, a much different situation than their counterparts in Daventry. Although they had their freedom to leave after Rosella's victory, Derek mentions that many stayed on to serve Edgar, whom they thought wasn't such a bad soul at all. Mordack (KQ5) The brother of Manannan and the witch Hagatha. Mordack was an extremely powerful sorcerer, but his mastery of the magical arts wasn't enough to return Manannan to his human form. For this reason, and to revenge his brother, Mordack was able to capture King Graham's family-and Castle Daventry!- then shrink and transport them to his laboratory on an island far away from Daventry. This was not an insignificant feat. He was finally beaten and extinguished by Graham in a monumental magical battle. Derek Karlavaegen speculates that a powerful evil family must exist in their uni verse in order to balance the presence of the powerful and good royal family of Daventry. He feels that such conflict is part of the order of any universe, not just to balance forces, but to give purpose to existence. If he is correct then this means that good and evil (or whatever one wants to call the two) must exist-just to keep things interesting! Now, that's an interesting theory. Mordack's Henchman (KQ5) Mordack seems to have had but one guard in the living and working areas of his castle. This nameless henchman was incredibly strong, tireless, and loyal. It was also incredibly clumsy. Cassima says that the henchman was related somehow to Dink, although whether he was made from parts of Dink or his tissue is not clear. Whatever its true origin, the henchman roamed the halls and rooms of the castle without the need of sleep or food, relying on its strength and speed to capture all intruders. 491 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Mordack's Island (KQ5) Mordack's island is a powerful and mysterious place situated somewhere in the Northern Sea, east of Serenia. It consists of a few sheer vertical peaks, with almost no level areas. At its summit is Mordack castle, the only path to which passes between the lethal gaze of a pair of stone cobra dragons. Occasional stories told by mariners say that the island seems suspended in the air, floating its mass above the waves as if hanging from an invisible string. One or two of these mariners say they have sailed under the island, and have seen the dungeons of hell hanging above their masts. As has been noted before, stories like this are often told when sailors and strong drink share a table. Mummy (KQ4) The last task Lolotte set upon Rosella was that of finding Pandora's Box. Rosella located it in a crypt built into the side of the Impossible Mountains. The magic box was inside the place, guarded by an undead Egyptian mummy. The princess was carrying a black scarab charm at the time and was thus protected from the creature. Almost all cultures, at one time or another have attempted to preserve their dead. Technically, a mummy is simply the preserved remains of a corpse, regardless of whether the preservation was assured by artificial means or natural ones. The mummy Rosella encountered is similar to the ones many people are familiar with in films-shuffling around slowly, constrained by its wrappings. The most popular story is of an Egyptian priest who was in love with the pharaoh' s daughter. He was wrapped like a mummy and buried alive for his insolence. He returned to life thousands of years later when his tomb was finally opened, and he searched for Tana leaves in order to bring his beloved back to life alongside him. Kharis-that was the poor priest's name-was not evil at all, but all thought of him as a monster, and he ended up acting accordingly. Such is forever the misfortune of the undead. 492 King's Quest Mushroom (KQl) When the condor dropped Graham by the hole leading to the land of the leprechauns, he found a mushroom growing nearby. As it turned out, Graham needed to eat the fungus in order to return to the world above ground. This solution to his predicament is much like the one Alice used in her famous adventures. At one point in Wonderland she met a hookah-smoking caterpillar sitting on a mushroom. Between puffs, the creature told Alice the mushroom was what she needed to change her size--one side to make her taller, the other side to make her shorter. Since the girl had already been stretched and shrunk by a variety of cakes and potions, she had no trouble at all believing what the caterpillar said. In another adventure underground, the caterpillar showed Alice a mushroom and said that if she ate the top of the mushroom, it would make her taller, and the stalk would make her shrink. Needle in the Haystack (KQ5) Following his father's advice-" Check carefully into, under, above, below, and behind things"- Graham went searching through a haystack outside of Serenia' s Country Inn. With the help of King Antony, he found a golden needle which had been lost by or, more likely, stolen from the town's tailor. When Graham returned the needle, he was given a cloak to warm him on his journey through the mountains. The phrase "Needle in a haystack" connotes something which is very hard to find or locate. While we might assume that the saying has been around forever, written records of it only go back about 500 years. In Don Quixote, Cervantes writes about looking " ... for a needle in a bottle (bundle) of hay". Thomas More refers to " ... a nedle in a medow", and Melville to a " ... needle in a hay-mow." James Fenimore Cooper in the "Pathfinder," finally, has a character complain, "I might make up to pick out a single needle on this deck. .. but I much doubt if I could pick one out of a haystack." Come to think of it, just finding any specific reference to " ... finding a needle in a haystack" is somewhat like finding a needle in a haystack. 493 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Neptune (KQ2) Lord of the sea. Graham received the first key to the magic doors from him after he returned Neptune's trident to him in his throne room under the sea. In our world, Neptune is the Roman name for Poseidon, the Greek god of sea and water. One of the three sons of Cronus, he and his brothers, Zeus and Pluto, killed their father and divided the world between them-Poseidon getting the fluid part. He lived in a golden palace beneath the waves, where he caused both storms and favoring winds. Sailors, naturally, worshipped him, and he was thought of as the god of navigation. His trident was used to lash the sea to fury, cause springs to gush from the ground, and cause earthquakes. For this last reason, one of his descriptive names was enosichthon, which translates to something like "a real earth shaker!" Nightingale (KQ2) When King Graham entered Hagatha's cave, he found a nightingale in an ornate cage. While the nightingale is a somewhat plain bird in appearance, its song is thought by many to be beyond compare. Graham rescued the creature from the witch after first covering the cage with a cloth to muffle any sound it might make as they were leaving. When the king eventually arrived at Milvia's Olde Antique Shoppe, he discovered that the bird had been stolen from the woman by the witch. For returning the bird to her, Milvia gave Graham the brass lamp he needed to obtain the second key to the magic doors. There is a story of an emperor who so admired the song of the nightingale that he had one captured and caged for his enjoyment. So much did he like the song, and so much did he dislike the bird's plain appearance, that the ruler had a jeweled, mechanical nightingale constructed-one with a song as lovely as the real thing. In time, the emperor grew ill and was told that only the song of a nightingale might save him. Alas! The song of the jeweled bird didn't, so he sent for the plain bird he had rejected. The nightingale agreed to sing for the emperor in return for a promise never to be caged again. 494 King's Quest The emperor agreed, and the bird's marvelous song, the most beautiful in the world, saved his life, and the bird was set forever free. Ogre (KQ 1, KQ4) Ogres are large, human-eating creatures of humanlike appearance. Often mistaken for giants, ogres range in size from 9 to 12 feet tall, with strength to match. They have prominent tusks growing out of their jaws and large talons on their feet-both quite suitable for tearing their prey open. Some ogres are reported to also have small horns growing out of their hard, thick skulls; their skins are various dirty, dark yellowy shades and covered with warts. Their tempers range from bad to worse. Ogres live in dark places, mostly underground, but often deep in some dark hollow or forest. They tend to live in pairs, male with female, and both are equally fearsome. Graham stumbled across one in his exploration of Daventry; he was invisible at the time, so the ogre didn't see him. It probably smelled Graham, as that sense is well developed in their kind. Rosella had to enter the house of an ogre couple in order to steal the hen that laid golden eggs. She waited in a closet until the male finished counting his treasure and fell asleep, then dashed out and took the bird. The ogre woke before she could get out of the house, and she was barely able to outrun it to safety (ogres have long legs; they're not fast but can cover a lot of ground quickly). Rosella, like her father before her, was lucky to get away. See also Beanstalk. Oracle (KQ3) An oracle is someone who divines the future by special means in a special place. In a manner of speaking it is both the person and the place, each inseparable from the other. To confuse things further, the prophecy itself is also known as an oracle. The most famous oracle was in Delphi in ancient Greece, and people came from all over the Mediterranean 495 An Encyclopedia of Daventry world to seek its advice. It even became common practice for cities to seek counsel with the oracle there before undertaking an action of any magnitude. An elected ruler often sought advice before taking office. By tradition, the oracles were female, either virgins or married women over the age of fifty. There were many methods by which oracles read the future-the entrails of certain animals, the rustling of tree limbs, smoke, water-the list is long. No matter how it was done, the pronouncements of the oracles were, at best, obscure, confusing, and open to various interpretations. Getting a prophecy was the easy part; knowing just what it meant was another matter altogether. Alexander-Gwydion was lucky-the oracle he encountered spoke to him plain and clear, more like a gypsy fortune-teller than a seer. Organ (KQ4, KQ5) At the top of the secret tower in the haunted housesometimes known as Whateley Manor-there is a fine pipe organ. Rosella discovered this when she first visited the house, but found nothing unusual about it other than the fact that it was hidden. However, when she played the sheet music she found in the trunk in the house's attic, a secret compartment opened in the organ to reveal a key to the crypt in the mountain. The secret drawer would only open if that certain tune were played. While there is no apparent relationship at all, one cannot help imagining a masked phantom playing eerie melodies in a chamber hidden in the sewers of Paris. There is another organ in Mordack's castle. Graham admires it for its fine, if somewhat macabre, workmanship. Its tone is another matter. Graham dared not try it out while he was there. He was sure that if he did, he would alert Mordack of his presence on the island. I'm sure Graham was correct in his decision to keep his hands off of the instrument. Pan (KQ4) After receiving the lute from the minstrel, Rosella encountered the demi-god Pan, who was dancing and playing a flute. Rosella joined 496 King's Quest the half-man half-beast by playing a tune on her lute. After she gave the lute to Pan, he gave the girl his flute and fled. Rosella used the flute to charm the snake guarding the magic fruit. Pan is sometimes confused with a satyr, who is a Panlike creature with the head and torso of a human and the legs, horns, and ears of a goat. Pan was more beast than man and was thought by some to be the god of fertility and the protector of herds and flocks. He played the pipes and could make beasts stampede; it is from this that we get our word "panic." The satyrs, on the other hand, were playful rogues, lovers of wine, women, song, and dance. Their instrument was the flute, and they delighted in playing it while dancing with nymphs in the forest. Pandora's Box (KQ4) The object of Rosella's final quest from Lolotte, she found it hidden in the crypt in the mountain, guarded by a walking mummy. After defeating the wicked witch, Rosella returned the box and relocked the crypt. Pandora was supposed to be the first woman, bestowed with all the choicest gifts of the gods. She was created by Zeus as part of his revenge against Prometheus, who stole fire from heaven and gave it to us mortals. Pandora's Box was actually ajar given to her by Zeus; it contained all of the evil and misery the god could conceive. Pandora was given to the brother of Prometheus who fell in love with her and made her his wife. To satisfy her husband's curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, just as Zeus had planned. Out flew all the evil, pain, and misery that had been bottled up inside. Perhaps some evil was still caught within after the distraught Pandora hastily closed the jar; that would explain why Lolotte wanted it so badly. 497 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Pegasus (KQ2) The great, white, winged horse that was born from Medusa when her head was cut off by Perseus. Pegasus could only be captured and tamed by use of a golden bridle. Athena gave this bridle to Bellerophon to help him in his task of killing the Chimaera-a fire-breathing beast with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a great serpent. Later, Bellerophon tried to ride Pegasus up Mount Olympus, but the winged horse threw him off down the mountain and escaped. Bellerophon did not live happily ever after. He was doomed to spend the rest of his life wandering the world as an outcast, lame and shunned by all. Graham encountered Pegasus after he accidently threw the djinn's bridle on the great snake in the cliffs above Kolyma. See also Bridles. Pirates (KQ3) The pirates of the western sea are the ones who took Alexander-Gwydion' s gold for passage to Daventry and then imprisoned him in the hold of their ship. What they planned to finally do to him is unknown, as the prince escaped by casting a sleep spell on them as they approached landfall. Alexander was able to recover their buried treasure, and he took it home with him to Daventry. As far as Derek Karlavaegen knows, all of the pirates but one are now dead, the victims of a great storm spell cast upon them by Prince Alexander some weeks after his return home. The lone survivor washed up on the coast of Llewdor babbling of shipmates being consumed by sharks and others swallowed by a great squid after being crushed in its tentacles. The unfortunate man also kept whimpering a word that sounded something like "Cthulhu," but his mind had been shattered by the experience and he only continued to chatter incoherently. 498 King's Quest Power-Transfer Machine (KQ5) From the point of view of the Daventry universe, Mordack's power-transfer machine is a key indicator as to just how evil that sorcerer had become. Technology is looked on as evil by many in Daventry, and Mordack's cheesy-looking contraption of steam and wheels and levers would make many there shudder. It is organically powered, which is a small consolation to its critics. The power-transfer machine was kept on the balcony above the main part of Mordack's laboratory. Its purpose, as far as anyone has been able to determine, is to siphon magical power from a fully charged magic wand to another, one from which most or all of the power had been drained. While Graham is no advocate or apologist for technology, he holds little prejudice for the few in Daventry that do. Because of this open-mindedness, he was able to bring himself to use the machine to charge Crispin' s magic wand. In a way it's ironic that the Kingdom of Daventry, founded upon and embedded in the magics of its universe, was saved by such a device. See also Magic Wands. Queen Icebella (KQ5) The Ice Queen that Graham met in the high mountains of Serenia. Icebella, attended only by her army of wolves, rules the frigid peaks and icy wastes of that world. Her consort is the changeling and werewolf, Sir Greywolf. Icebella values her isolation and privacy and enforces a policy of capital punishment for all who enter her realms without invitation. She never issues invitations. One small kiss from her will chill a man's soul; the second is cold death. It is said that lcebella once had a warmer heart, but it was pierced by a shard from a magic mirror. That mirror had the malevolent power of reflecting all good and beautiful things as ugly and deformed. One day the mirror was dropped and pieces of it, most as tiny as the smallest grains of fine sand, were scattered by the winds throughout the world. If a grain entered 499 An Encyclopedia of Daventry someone's eye, they would see the world as an ugly place. If one entered a person's body, their heart would turn as cold and as solid as the hardest ice. And this is just what happened to Icebella. It is also said that music has the power to thaw such a cold heart for a short time, and this quirk alone is what save the lives of Graham and Cedric. Love alone can melt the hardness, and until Icebella finds love her heart is doomed to be as frigid as her kiss. Rat (KQ5) King Graham and his family are not much enamored of cats. How one's heart could not go out to such intelligent, furry, and somewhat vain creatures is a universal mystery; one whose only answer can be, "There's no accounting for taste". The royal family of Daventry is far from perfect, and their lack of fondness for felines is just one of their shortcomings. How, you may ask, does this have to do with rats? While adventuring in Serenia, Graham spied a rat being chased by a large and mangy cat. Although the king's heart usually goes out to all beings in distress, it went out especially so that day to a rodent that most folk react to with revulsion. The old shoe that Graham hurled at the cat helped save the lives of the king's family. Without that nameless rat's gratitude and aid, Graham's quest would have either ended in a dank basement in Serenia or beneath an unclimbable cliff in the mountains. It is through small kindnesses that great monarchs are made. Riding Hood (KQ2) Graham met the little girl as he walked through the woods of Kolyma. She told Graham that a wolf had stolen her basket of goodies and begged him to help her find it. The goodies were hidden in the mailbox outside Grandma's house, and when he gave them to the girl, she handed him her bouquet of wildflowers. Graham gave the flowers to the mermaid he met. 500 King's Quest In the story about Little Red, the girl was warned by her parents that she must never stray from the path through the woods for any reason. As she took a basket of goodies (cake and wine) through the woods to Grandma's house, Red met a wolf, although she didn't know what one was. The wolf asked where she was going, and Red told him. They strolled together for a time until furry-face decided it was time to dine. He suggested that Red leave the path and pick some wildflowers for her grandmother. Disobeying her parents, Red left the path to do some picking. While she was doing this, the wolf ran ahead to the house, pretended to be the girl, and when he got inside, gobbled Granny whole. A little later Little Red arrived and noticed what big eyes, ears, hands, and teeth "Grandma" had. Of course it was the wolf in disguise, and he gobbled up the girl whole also. After such a meal, the big, bad wolf fell asleep and began to snore loudly. The sound was heard by a hunter, who rushed inside the house thinking Grandma was ill. The hunter recognized the wolf for what it was and shot the creature dead through the head. He then heard noises from inside the wolf, and cutting the body open, found Grandma and Red alive. The girl still had the flowers clutched in her hand. Why the wolf in Kolyma hid the basket of goodies in the mailbox we may never know. But we do know why Riding Hood was carrying flowers when she met Graham. Ring of invisibility (KQl) As Graham walked through Daventry on his quest for the crown, he came across an elf with whom he stopped to chat. This so surprised the small elf that he gave Graham a gold ring embedded with a tiger's eye stone. The ring was magic and, if rubbed, had the ability to tum the wearer invisible for a while. Graham used the ring accidently, but the accident saved his life. The ring is quite similar to the enchanted ring given Rosimond by a fairy. This ring was gold with a diamond in its center; if the diamond were turned, 501 An Encyclopedia of Daventry it would render the ring's wearer invisible. The ring also had the power to give its wearer the shape of the king's son. At first the ring seemed a great gift, but grief and sorrow followed it everywhere. In the end, Rosimond returned the ring to the fairy, saying that it is dangerous to have more power than the rest of the world Roe (KQ5) A giant, carnivorous bird that captured Graham in the high mountains between Serenia and Daventry. On one of his voyages, the sailor Sinbad found himself carried off by a giant bird, called a roe, to a deep valley with walls too tall and steep to climb. The floor of the valley was covered with diamonds, a point not lost on Sinbad. He despaired, however, because without a way out, he would die amongst the riches. On the next day, large chunks of meat began falling out of the sky, thrown by people who collected the precious stones. It seems that eagles nested in the area and had to feed their young. When the meat landed at the bottom of the valley, the sharp points of the diamonds would stick to them. The eagles would carry the flesh-and diamonds-to their nests. The hunters would follow them and collect the gems. Sin bad had heard of this before, but thought it was just a tall tale. Not so! Sin bad concealed himself under the largest piece of meat and held on tight. He was carried-along with plenty of diamonds-to safety, much to the amazement of the diamond hunters above. Roman pool (KQ4) A structure in northern Tarnir where Rosella discovered Cupid bathing. As she approached him, Cupid flew away startled, leaving his magic bow and arrows of love behind. Rosella used the bow and arrows to capture the unicorn, and also to defeat Lolotte. See also Cupid. 502 King's Quest Rose (KQ4) After Rosella completed the last task Lolotte had demanded, she was imprisoned in Edgar's tower bedroom to wait for dawn-at which time she was to marry the witch's ugly son against her will. Worse, if she did not escape before then and recover Genesta's Talisman, then the Queen of the Fairies would die, and so too her father. Rosella was imprisoned but a few minutes when she heard a sound by the door and saw a red rose slipped under to her. When she examined it, she discovered a small gold key that allowed her to escape the room. The key also unlocked the door to Lolotte 's chamber, and that is how Rosella was able to conquer the wicked witch. Because of his act on behalf of Rosella, Genesta transformed Edgar into a handsome prince, but Rosella still declined his offer of marriage. The name Rosella, by the way, means "little rose." See also Rosella. Rosella (KQ2, KQ3, KQ5) Daughter of King Graham and Queen V alanice of Daventry and twin sister of Prince Alexander. In the space of two days, just before her eighteenth birthday, Rosella was tied to a stake and left as sacrifice to a dragon, was rescued by the brother she had never met and had thought dead, watched her father collapse into a near-death coma, was taken to Tarnir to find the magic fruit that would save him, kidnapped by a witch, swallowed by a whale, chased by an ogre, escaped a troll, and a few other things. There is a curious story about a princess by the name of Rosanella, the daughter of a queen named Balanice. Balanice was extremely bright and charming, and this intelligence was passed on to her daughter, who was given the name Rosanella because of the tiny, perfect, pink rose birthmark on her neck. Rosanella, however, was kidnapped from her bed one night, and no matter how much the king and queen searched, she could not be found. One day, twelve peasant-girls approached Balanice, each with a wicker basket, each basket containing a little girl of about the same age as Rosanella. 503 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Each of the little girls had a pink rose in the same place as the lost princess. Balanice and her husband raised the girls as their own, and they all grew up to be beautiful, but each had a totally different disposition-gay, sweet, grave, joyful, loving, etc. They became known to all as the Rose Maidens. One day, when they were all together at a garden party, enormous bees buzzed out of the skies and flew off with the all of the Rose Maidens. Several days later, a crystal chariot drawn by fairies flew out of the sky and came to rest outside of the palace. In the chariot, accompanied by another fairy, was the most beautiful princess anyone had ever seen. The fairy introduced the girl to the joyous king and queen as their long-lost daughter Rosanella, whom she had stolen years before. The fairy had divided the girl's character into 12 parts so that each would develop to perfection-these were the Rose Maidens, all single aspects of Rosanella. Royal University (KQl) After he had put his kingdom in order and before the great troubles connected with losing the magic treasures of the realm, King Edward the Benevolent founded the Royal University of Daventry. One of Edward's beliefs was that a kingdom is only as strong as its weakest minds, and he intended that Daventry would train the keenest, sharpest minds in the world. Graham was one of the university's prize pupils, and it might be said that it was only the sharpness of his mind that saved the kingdom from ruin. This more than anything else bore out the wisdom of Edward's philosophy. Prince Alexander teaches magic now at the university, and his mother Queen Valanice is considered its best historian. Rumplestiltskin (KQl, KQ5) The true name of the gnome who posed the riddle to Graham, although why he insisted on it being spelled IFNKOVHGROGHPRM is anybody's guess. Gnomes are not normally known to 504 King's Quest be pranksters, and his subsequent behavior suggests that there were motives behind the incident that we may never know. We know Mr. R. from the story about a miller who had a beautiful daughter-a daughter so beautiful that he pridefully thought she should be the bride of the king. One day the miller was delivering flour to the castle and, noticing the king nearby, began to boast about his daughter. The king listened politely, but everyone tells kings that their daughters are the fairest in the universe. "Ah," invented the miller, "but my daughter can spin straw into gold!" Now this got the monarch 's attention, and he commanded that the girl be brought to him. The next day the king put the poor girl in a large room full of straw and commanded her to turn it to gold. The miller's daughter didn't know what he was talking about, for her father had not told her of his lie. Angry, the king threatened her, telling her that she had till dawn to change the straw or she would be killed. Try as she could, the task was impossible. The girl could not do what her father had promised, and began to weep loudly. As she cried, a little man appeared and told her he could do the chore-if she would give him a gift. He took her necklace, turned all of the straw into gold, and then disappeared. The king was astonished, but demanded more proof of her skill. He took her to a larger room and filled it with straw, promising the same punishment if she failed. Again the little man came; this time he accepted her ring for -the service and again left. When the king saw all the gold the next day, his heart did not soften towards her; instead, he filled his largest hall with straw and demanded one last magical transformation. If she succeeded, she would become his queen. This time, she had nothing to give the little man, so he demanded she give him her firstborn child in return for saving her life. She agreed, but planned never to have a child. The queen did have a child, however, and one night the little man came to claim it as his own. In tears the queen offered the man anything if he would 505 An Encyclopedia of Daventry not take her child. He replied that he would not, but only if she could guess his name within three days. For two days she guessed, but she was always wrong. In desperation, she sent her servants throughout the land to discover the little man's true identity. One was successful; he said he had discovered the man dancing and laughing by a fire. He called himself Rumplestiltskin. When he came back that night to claim the child, the queen pretended still not to know the proper name. Reaching for the baby, the little man gave her one final guess. He was so mad when she told him "Rumplestiltskin" that he stomped his foot hard enough to send him right through the floor, and he was never seen agam. At least when Graham got the answer right, the gnome was a more gracious loser. While there is no doubt that the gnome who helped Graham in his quest for the throne of Daventry was Rumplestiltskin, there is much confusion as to the identity of the gnome he met in Serenia. He was an old gnome to be sure, and while he looked familiar to Graham, he acted as if he had never seen the monarch before in his life. However, the spinning wheel which Graham returned to him could turn straw to gold and this could only belong to one gnome. Perhaps the years had clouded both Graham and Rumplestiltskin 's memories and they merely didn't recognize each other. This is possible, but the king is fabled for his memory. Was it then that the gnome did not want to be recognized and had cast a mild befuddlement spell over Graham? Finally, mayhaps the gnome was the son (or even the grandson) of Rumplestitlskin himself; the spinning wheel having been handed down to him. Gnomes are known to live ancient lives and it does not stretch possibility too far for this to be the case. Family resemblance alone might account for Graham's sense of familiarity with the gnome. Whatever the case, it is a mystery still in wait of a solution. 506 King's Quest Sapphire Jewels (KQ2) As King Graham adventured through the land of Kolyma in quest of V alanice, he discovered a number of pieces of fabulous jewelry-a diamond and sapphire bracelet, brooch, necklace, earrings, and tiara. He called them the Sapphire Jewels and presented them as a gift of love to his bride on the day of their wedding. Queen V alanice treasures the jewels as her dearest possessions, and as a symbol of her love for Graham and Daventry. No one in Daventry seems to know how they came to be scattered about Kolyma, but since one of the pieces-the tiara-was found in Dracula's castle, some speculate that they were dropped by one of the vampire's victims as the poor woman was flown to join the count's Legion of the Undead. Valanice smiles and dismisses this theory. She says that she has dreamed they are actually the jewels of Scheherazade, given to her by her caliph as a gift of love at the end of a thousand and one nights of storytelling. V alanice might be right. Serenia (KQ5) The name Serenia actually refers to three distinct places. The largest is the continent of Serenia, a vast land of towering mountains, deep forests, and endless deserts. While the world of Daventry is far from fully explored, it seems likely that Serenia is the largest landmass there. It was in Serenia where folk arrived when they withdrew from our world to Daventry. This continent is broken up into many kingdoms and principalities, with two of the most significant ones being the Kingdom of Daventry, and the Sovereignty of Serenia. Thus, Serenia is also the name of a nation or political state. There is also a town that goes by the name Serenia, and while it is not a city in the sense we think of them, it is an important center. There folks can buy, sell and trade essential goods, and deal with fine craftspeople for that which they cannot make for themselves. In Serenia, one can also find 507 An Encyclopedia of Daventry industry, entertainment, libraries, theaters, and many of the other trappings of urban life, Daventry style. According to Derek Karlavaegen, it is somewhat peaceful in Serenia now. This has not always been so. Not so many years ago, the Soverignty's present Queen was abducted by a wizard named Harlin and imprisoned in Harlin's castle. Serenia's King at the time, George IV, was able to convince a wandering barbarian to attempt rescuing her. The man accomplished that quest but, since he had much more brawn than brain, walked away from the offered marriage and kingdom. He walked off into the endless desert with a bloody broadsword in one hand, and a few gold coins in the other. He neglected to carry any water. Caravan drivers who travel that deadly desert say that the warrior is there still, his bones bleached white, with only one lone boot and a few scorpions for company. Priscilla and her husband, Kenneth the Huge, rule now. They have legislated peace and love and harmony between all. The penalties for breaching those laws is severe. In our world, the first computer adventure game with graphics as part of it was titled "The Wizard and the Princess". It was written by Roberta Williams, and was set in Serenia. Scarab (KQ4) The scarab is a type of beetle that was venerated by the ancient Egyptians and was associated with the sun. It is noted for pushing balls of dung before it on the ground, and it was said that likewise was the sun pushed across the sky by a giant scarab beetle. Pieces of stone were carved into the likeness of the beetle and used as charms. Since the scarab represented the sun, the charms were thought to ward off the undead. The obsidian scarab that Rosella was given by the three sister witches, therefore, was able to protect her from the mummy and zombies she encountered during her night of grave-robbing in Tamir. 508 King's Quest Seven dwarfs (KQ4) Miners in the land of Tamir whom Rosella helped by cleaning their house. In return they gave her a bag of diamonds, which they insisted she keep. When she tried to give the diamonds back to them in their mine, they gave her a lantern to add to her loot. Rosella used the lantern to light her way through the troll's cave behind the waterfall, and she gave the diamonds to the fisherman and his wife. In the story of Little Snow White, the girl was the child of a queen who had wished for a daughter with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. The queen died shortly after Snow White was born, and the king remarried. His new wife, Snow's stepmother, was a wicked woman who played around with the blacker forms of magic. She had a magic mirror; its power was to tell who was the fairest woman in the land. For years, the new queen asked the same question: Looking glass, mirror, on the wall, Who's the fairest one of all? Always the answer was the queen; always, that is, until Snow White started becoming a woman. From then on the answer was always her stepdaughter, Snow White. This enraged the queen more and more until, one day, she called in the king's huntsman and commanded him to take the girl into the forest and kill her. Then he was to bring back her lungs and liver as proof of the deed. Snow White was able to talk the reluctant man out of the foul deed; she promised she would hide deep in the forest forever if he would spare her. He did, she ran, and the huntsman brought the heart and lungs of a boar to the queen, saying they were Snow White's. The woman accepted the man's story and ate the innards, thinking she was done with Snow White forever. Snow, however, went deeper and deeper into the woods until she could go no farther. She found a small house, and when there was no answer at the 509 An Encyclopedia of Daventry door, entered to find a messy home with only cold food in the kitchen. There were seven chairs, seven bowls, seven mugs, seven pipes, and seven beds in the house. Snow White tested them all and then fell asleep. When she a woke, she was surrounded by the seven dwarfs. They took pity on her when she told them her story and said that she could live with them and they would protect her, if she would clean house and cook for them. Thus they lived happily until the evil queen asked the mirror yet again who was the fairest in the land. The mirror told her it was Snow White in the dwarfs' house. The evil stepmother was not at all pleased. Three times did the queen try to kill Snow White. She would dress as an old woman and go to the house in the woods and give the sweet girl something fatal. The first time it was ribbons to choke her, the second, a poisoned comb. Both times though the dwarfs returned in time to save the girl. On the third occasion Snow White was given a poisoned apple, which she bit into and died. The grieving dwarfs placed her body in a glass coffin and put the coffin in the prettiest part of the woods. The coffin was found by a young prince, who was smitten by the dead girl's beauty. He told his servants to carry the coffin back to his palace, but as they picked it up, one of them stumbled and jarred the coffin. The shock dislodged the piece of poisoned apple from Snow White's throat, and she came back to life. Then they journeyed to his palace and were married. There are two versions of what happened to the wicked stepmother. Some time after giving the girl the poisoned apple, she asks the mirror her customary question and is informed Snow White is still alive. In a rage, she throws the mirror against a wall, and one of its shards flies through the air and pierces her heart. That is one way she dies. In the other version, she is invited to attend a wedding. When she gets there the queen is shocked to discover the bride is Snow White. The wicked stepmother is captured, has her feet placed in white-hot iron slippers, and dances herself to death in them. 510 King's Quest By the way, the dwarfs are never named in the story. Names have been given to them in the Walt Disney animated version, however, and they are Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc, and Bashful. Shakespeare (KQ4) English poet and playwright: 1564-1616. He is sometimes called the Bard of Avon, or simply the Bard. Rosella found a copy of his plays in the haunted house and gave the book to the minstrel, hoping he would stop playing and singing. Daventry is mentioned in one of his plays-Henry IV, Part ID-by its ancient name "Daintry"; however, the Daventry he refers to is in our world. Shield of Achille (KQl) One of the three great treasures of Daventry, the shield is titanium set with emeralds, and it's believed that whoever carries the shield into battle will always be victorious. King Edward lost the shield when he gave it to a dwarf in return for a root to cure Queen Maylie's final illness. It was all a sham, and the lovely queen died, plunging Edward into his final despair. Graham was able to recover the shield from where it was hidden in the throne room of the King of the Leprechauns. The shield was named after Achilles, a Greek hero of the Trojan War. He was said to be invulnerable because he had been dipped into the waters of the river Styx as a baby. The only way to wound Achilles was by striking his heel-the only part of his body that did not go in the water. It was an arrow wound to the heel that finally led to his death. Some believed that his shield would bestow Achilles' invulnerability on its bearer, but it was supposed lost after being placed upon the hero's chest as his body burned on its funeral pyre. Shoeshop (KQ5) The Corner Cobbler is a prominent shop in Serenia specializing in fine hand-crafted footwear. Its proprietor, Sonny Cincinatus, 511 An Encyclopedia of Daventry uses only the finest leathers, and spends weeks making sure that each pair of shoes or boots he crafts fits perfectly and meets his high standard of quality. As a result, he and his wife were among the less prosperous merchants in town, most potential customers preferring less of a wait for their merchandise. Graham was given a fine pair of shoes with golden buckles by the elves of the Dark Forest. Since they were too small for Graham's feet, he gave them to the poor couple at the shoeshop. He received Sonny's cobbler's hammer in return. At the time, the shoemaker and his wife declared they would retire on the money they'd get for selling the elven shoes, but later changed their minds. There business is still meager, but it does provide them with a substantial tax write-off. Silver cross (KQ2) This small cross on a chain was given to Graham at the monastery in Kolyma. By wearing it, he was protected against the undead, especially Count Dracula. Derek Karlavaegen writes that the king still wears the cross as a reminder of his love for Valanice, and in case he ever runs into another vampire, or "similarly unpleasant creature." Silver whistle (KQ4) While stranded on a desert island, Rosella discovered she had a dead fish still in her pocket, which she threw at a pelican in frustration. The bird dove and caught the fish, but dropped a silver whistle from its beak as it did so. By tooting on the whistle, Rosella was able to summon a dolphin, which rescued her and returned her to the mainland of Tarnir. Where the bird obtained the whistle is unknown. However, when the wicked witch was sending her minions to attack Dorothy and her friends traveling to the Emerald City, she summoned them by blowing on a silver whistle. Silver whistles are not that uncommon, though, so it is doubtful that 512 King's Quest this was the same whistle that Rosella found. On the other hand, you never know. Slingshot (KQ 1) While in the Land of the Clouds, Graham discovered a slingshot hidden inside a tree. He had the option of using it-along with the pebbles he collected on the bank of the River Fools-to kill the giant that was protecting the Chest of Gold. He didn't, but he could have. See also Giants. Snakes (KQ4, KQ5) It is said that in some parts of our world, fakirs can charm the king cobra and make it do the fakir's bidding, merely by playing a mystical tune for it on a flute. This may be true; however, it is said by more skeptical scientists who claim to have studied the phenomenon that the snake is just following the swaying motion of the person playing the music and not the music itself. The cobras in the world of Daventry don't seem to have heard of this pronouncement. On the other hand, the snake Graham encountered in the mountains of Serenia did know something about getting spooked. Snakes, like most creatures in Daventry will startle, then flee, at sudden and unexpected noises. This particular snake took that particular pronouncement seriously. Snow leopard (KQ4) When Rosella visited Genesta in her bedchamber, she saw a snow leopard sitting by the side of the bed, apparently guarding the fairy queen. In her short interview in Daventry People, Rosella speculates that the leopard might be more than just a bodyguard. It seems that fairies must spend a day each week in the form of some animal. Rosella thinks Genesta becomes a female snow leopard and the regal beast she saw in Genesta's Ivory Tower is her animal husband. 513 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Society of Wizards (KQ5) A professional and academic organization of the best magical minds in Daventry. It was founded in the earliest days of Daventry, immediately after the first great withdrawal there, by the Grand Wizard Crispinophur. The identity of the Society's leader is kept secret, but rumor has it to be Crispinophur himself, and always has been. Made up of the leading adepts, sorcerers, magicians, wizards and necromancers in the world of Daventry, it is dedicated to advancing the state of the magical Arts, historical and thaumaturgical research, and maintaining a strict set of ethical standards. One does not apply to join the Society-one is invited, and then only after the application is proposed by a current member in good standing. That application must be approved unanimously. The Society of Wizards is not to be confused with the Magicians Guild, a collection of amateurs. See also Magicians Guild. Spinning Wheel (KQ5) In the house of the witch of the Dark Forest, Graham found a small spinning wheel. He took it, of course, and later gave it to a gnome he met. The gnome said that the spinning wheel had been stolen from him by the witch, and that it was magic. It had the ability to spin gold from straw. Obviously this was the spinning wheel of Rumplestiltskin, something that is quite well-known in our world. This fact, though, has raised some serious questions as to the identity of the gnome Graham met in Serenia, since he or Alexander had encountered Rumplestiltskin on at least two prior occasionsyears earlier in Daventry. I suppose some form of time warp must be considered in this matter because anything seems possible in that magical land. In that case, Graham's second meeting with the gnome could very well have been the gnome's first meeting with Graham. This is a paradox of a high order. See also Rumplestiltskin. 514 King's Quest Sugar cube (KQ2) After King Graham threw the bridle on the snake in the cliffs above Kolyma, it was transformed into the winged horse Pegasus. Pegasus gave Graham a sugar cube to protect him from the poison brambles that entirely cover the island on which Dracula's castle stands. It is well known that sugar cubes are a favorite treat for all horses, which is probably why Pegasus bestowed his magic gift in this form. Sword (KQ2) One of the gifts given Graham by the djinn in the brass lamp. It had a snake carved on its handle, giving Graham the impression that it had special powers against serpents. Graham was reaching for the sword to kill the snake, when he mistakenly grabbed the bridle and tossed it on the snake. If he had killed the snake, he would never have received the sugar cube, and he would have killed Pegasus. That would have been a tragedy. Tailorshop (KQ5) The trendiest clothing emporium in Serenia, the prices are quite high but the colors are guaranteed to be the year's most popular. Graham visited the shop while he was in Serenia, returning the golden needle he had found, and getting a much-needed warm cloak in return. Without that protection from the cold of the high mountains, Graham surely would not have survived long there. The shop's owners, the Fey brothers, put the needle on display each year in conjunction with their annual clearance sale. It is mounted on a plaque telling the saga of how the needle was stolen and then returned by a king. Beneath the plaque is another prominent sign stating: KING GRAHAM OF DA VENTRY STEPPED HERE! This is apparently considered effective marketing in Serenia. 515 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Talisman (KQ4) The magic medallion stolen from Genesta by her archenemy Lolotte. The Talisman is Genesta's emblem as queen of the fairies. It contains great powers and is able to focus those forces to do the magical bidding of its wearer. The relationship between the Talisman and the fairy queen, though, is more intimate than just a person wearing a powerful ornament. The Talisman is attuned to the fairy queen's life energies; in a sense, the Talisman and the queen become one. If the Talisman is lost or stolen, it is as if part of the queen is lost. Death follows shortly, and only restoration of the Talisman can prevent it. If the Talisman were destroyed, it would bring destruction to the entire fairy race. Tambourine (KQ5) A shallow, one-headed drum with rattles attached to the outside. It is played by shaking, hitting, or tapping. Along with the guitar and violin, the tambourine is a favorite instrument of gypsies. Derek says that Graham prefers string and wind instruments over percussion, but the king has a fine sense of rhythm and can shake the skins with the best of them. Whether this is true or not, Graham used the tambourine left behind by Madame Mushka and her family to entertain his way through a pair of dangerous encounters as he searched for his family. The tambourine in question is now the property of a strange beast who resides on Mordack's island. I doubt if anyone will contest the creature for ownership of the instrument. Telescope (KQ3) In the tower of Manannan's house, there is a small observatory containing a telescope. Alexander-Gwydion says that Manannan could look through it and spy on anyone or any place he wished. Derek Karlavaegen, who lives in that house now, confirms this report. In the Arabian Nights story about the three brothers wanting to marry the same princess, one of the princes came upon just such a telescope, and it was 516 King's Quest through its power that they were able to discover their princess near death. They then flew the magic carpet to her side and cured her with the magic fruit. Teleportation (KQ3) The ability to be instantly transported from one place to another. Alexander-Gwydion was able to teleport around in his adventures both by the power of the magic map and the specially prepared amber stone. Teleportation is not a quiet activity; when a person's body instantly leaves its location, it creates a momentary vacuum. Air immediately rushes to fill the spot, creating an implosion, the opposite of an explosion. The sound is a loud "POOF!" and resembles a muffled explosion. When the person instantly appears in the new location, the air is forced out in a loud "WHOOSH!" accompanied by a sudden gust of wind. This is the way it should work-in theory anyway. It is possible that teleportation by a magical spell adds a secondary sound-reduction element, but short of visiting Daventry, we have no way of testing the theory. Temple in Desert (KQ5) Hidden amongst the cliffs on the northern edge of Serenia's endless desert there is a deserted temple to an nameless god. It was used by the bandits that prowl the sands as a treasure house, the door of which could only be opened by the waving of a magic staff and the voicing the words, "Open, Sesame!" Graham was able to steal the staff and enter the temple. Once inside, he discovered that the door would quickly close behind him, and he wasn't sure that the words for opening it from inside were the same as opening from outside. He got out quick, taking only a brass bottle and one gold coin. Once the forgotten god had a name, and the endless desert was a fertile plain teeming with people. In the name of their deity, they practiced technology. Neither the plain, the people, nor their god survived the experience. 517 An Encyclopedia of Daventry The Objurgation of Souls (KQ5) The book of magic that Graham found in the library ofMordack's castle. It detailed the magical Art oflconomancy, a magic that can be cast without words. Using it, and the fact that Mordack' s Wand of Magic had been nearly drained dry of power, King Graham was able to defeat the evil wizard who had kidnapped his family. See also Chapter 9, Prince Alexander's treatise on Iconomancy. The Sorcery of Old (KQ3) The ancient book of magic that AlexanderGwydion discovered and used in Manannan's secret laboratory. It is most important that all instructions be followed perfectly, and to the exact letter. See also Chapter 5, Prince Alexander's treatise on Magic. Three Bears (KQ4) Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear lived in a tidy cottage in southern Llewdor. Alexander-Gwydion stole porridge from their table in order to feed the cat cookie to Manannan. He also stole a silver thimble from their bedroom to collect dew from the flowers in their garden. Derek Karlavaegen, who lives not far from them now, says that the prince gave him gold to give to the Bear family as payment for Alexander's deeds. Upon hearing the story of the prince's trials and adventures, they forgave him and gladly took the offered gold. In the tale we know of the Three Bears, Goldilocks was a spoiled, ill-mannered little girl who let herself into the house, and basically ransacked around. She saw three bowls of porridge on the table and tried them all until she found the one that was just right. She bounced around all three chairs until she found the one that was just right, and then broke it. Finally, in a snit for falling when the chair broke, she mussed up all the beds before she fell asleep in Baby Bear's. Imagine how you would feel if you came home and found your home the way Goldilocks left it. After checking out the damage, and calming Baby Bear down, the bears stomped upstairs and confronted the 518 King's Quest intruder. The sound of their approach awakened Goldilocks, and as they entered the bedroom, she tried to escape by jumping out out the window. She broke her neck and died from the fall. Three sisters (three witches) (KQ4) Rosella discovered a cave in the form of a skull, and inside met three witches, blind except for one glass eye that they passed among them. They would have eaten Rosella except that she was able to steal their lone eye from them. The witches gave Rosella a black scarab charm and begged her to return the eye. She did, but she made sure she had plenty of room and time to escape before the sisters picked it up. The charm protected Rosella from the undead that she encountered later that night. The ancient Greeks knew of three women who they called the "Graeae," or sometimes "Phorcides." These weird sisters had only one eye and one tooth to share among them, and Perseus stole both of them from the old women. They are the sisters of the gorgons and were born as old women. Their names are Enyo, Phephredo, and Dino, and they live in the far, far west, in a place where the sun never shines. Toyshop (KQ5) The toy shop in Serenia, owned by an aged craftsman by the name of Gepeppo and his son Gepeppito, is reputed to make the finest anatomically correct dolls in all of Daventry. While dolls are their specialty, they also make fine doll furniture, wooden swords, snow sleds, and yo-yos. It was at this shop that Graham was able to trade the gnome's hand-made marionette for one of Ge pep po' s small sleds. At the time, the proprietor told Graham that he thought he, not the king, was getting the better part of the deal by far. As fate would have it, Graham would have been unable to cross the mountains without the sled. In effect, Graham exchanged a fine puppet for 519 An Encyclopedia of Daventry a child's sled and his family. I suspect Graham feels that Gepeppo didn't get the best part of the deal at all. Trees (KQ4) Trees are the proof of Graham's father's adage that "Nothing is as it appears!" In Daventry, trees double as homes, hideouts, treasure repositories, places to hide weapons, and monsters. Rosella met the latter after her escape from the ogre in Tamir. While she was in the ogre's house, she took a sharp ax and was carrying it as she fled into the scary forest. The trees there are endowed with a rudimentary kind of life, and they like to snatch up anyone who comes within the grasp of their limbs. Death comes crushingly to the trees' victims. Rosella was able to escape their clutches by swinging the ax at them. She gained their dim respect, and they left her alone afterwards. Derek Karlavaegen writes that that is the way with those trees; if you stand up to them, they get scared and back down. Indeed, one might say that their bark is worse than their bite, but I won't. The trees in the scary forest are not at all like the trees in the Land of Oz. There, in Gilliken country, is a grove of willows that bother people by laughing at them as they pass by. They are cousins, of course, to the weeping willows. There are also stories of trees that throw their apples at you if you try to pick them, but I suspect you've seen the movie. Trolls (KQl, KQ2) Trolls are cousins to ogres, slightly shorter and more slender, but uglier, dirtier, nastier, and more primitive. They never live in houses, for instance; they seek out the darkest parts of caves or the darkest parts of a forest. Trolls are greenish in color, have large talons on hands and feet, and large pointed teeth. People are their favorite food. Rosella had to journey through a troll's cave on her way to the island of the magic fruit in Tamir. A large pile of bones decorated the inside of the 520 King's Quest cave, but it was only much later that the girl realized that it was a human bone that she took from there. No wonder the ogre's dog liked it so much! The troll Graham encountered guarding the bridges in Daventry was a forest troll. The brightest of these creatures are sometimes known to live beneath bridges, hopping up to demand treasure from all who try to cross over their self-appointed domain. In these creatures, the appetite for treasure overpowers their appetite for human flesh; the places where they keep guard are known as troll bridges.

Unicorns (KQ4) These are thought by many to be the rarest and most magical of beasts. The unicorn has the head and body of a horse, but with a long, sharp, twisted horn in the middle of its forehead. They are very shy beasts, intelligent, and inhabiting open woodlands. It is said that only a pure, virgin maiden may touch or ride the fabulous beast, and that none can ever tame it. For these reasons it is a symbol of freedom and purity. The unicorn's horn is held to have magic properties, and people have hunted them for millennia to obtain the horns. This is perhaps the main reason they are so rare today. Rosella was given the task by Lolotte of bringing a unicorn to her-something she obviously could not do for herself. Rosella did this by shooting the magic beast with one of Cupid's arrows of love, and then placing a golden bridle (which she had found on the desert island) about its neck. After she had defeated the wicked witch, Rosella freed the unicorn from Lolotte's stable. Universe Interpreter (KQ5) An unusual device that stands in front of Crispin' s house in Serenia. Crispin says that he has forgotten for what purpose he originally built it, but that it does do an adequate job as a wind chime. It seems that Crispin has many explanations as to what the Universe 521 An Encyclopedia of Daventry Interpreter does or does not do. They have the odor of being invented on the spot. Cedric told Graham that it keeps the stars aligned. Local legend has it that it is used somehow in the act of withdrawing from our world to Daventry. It is quite possible that all of the above-and more-are true. Valanice (KQ2, KQ3, KQ4, KQ5) Queen of Daventry, wife of King Graham, and mother of Alexander and Rosella. Graham rescued Valanice from the Crystal Tower, where she had been held prisoner by Hagatha after her kidnapping. V alanice is a scholar and a teacher in Daventry, and is the author of the court chronicle detailing Rosella's adventures in Tamir. The kidnapping of her son Alexander from his cradle was a massive blow to her, not just because of the loss, but because it reopened memories of her own kidnapping. V alanice attempted to submerge her grief through hard workfirst by studying the histories of the world, and then by opening a school to teach the brightest children of the kingdom. When the three-headed dragon demanded the sacrifice of a young maiden, she fiercely fought against the decision to comply, and when it became time to offer her daughter to the beast, she refused, standing guard by Rosella's room with a drawn sword. Weeping Willow (KQ5) Near the Dark Forest of Serenia, Graham discovered a graceful weeping willow tree. A harp was cradled in its branches, and at its base was a small pond formed by the tree's tears. The tree was really a princess named Alicia who had been transformed into a willow by a jealous witch who had also stolen her heart. In this light, it is somewhat understandable why Alicia was weeping. Graham was able to find Alicia's heart and return it to her. At once she returned to her womanly form and was soon reunited with Prince Herbert. 522 King's Quest The lovers went off together, never to be seen by Graham again. Presumably they are living happily ever after. For his efforts, Graham got Alicia's harp, which later helped him out of a couple of tight situations, but not even a "Thank you!" from the happy couple. Isn't young love wonderful? The willow tree, with its drooping branches, has traditionally symbolized grief, melancholy, and suffering. It was once customary for a woman who had been jilted by a lover, or who had lost one, to wear a garland of willow leaves or flowers. The Jews in captivity in Babylon hung harps on the branches of willow trees in sorrow over their exile. The willow can also represent death. Orpheus carried a willow branch with him into the underworld, the land of the dead, and Circe hung corpses in a willow grove. However, the willow trees of European tradition are not the same as the weeping willow. The weeping willow tree actually come from China. Those trees though have the same sort of sorrowful significance there, and in Japan, as do the willows of western culture. Well (KQl, KQ3) 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 and 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. Whale (KQ4) Rosella was swallowed whole by a whale-the species of which was not noticed in the panic of the moment-while she was swimming 523 An Encyclopedia of Daventry back to Trunir from Genesta's isle. She escaped by tickling the inside of its throat with a peacock feather she had found on the beach at Genesta's. In her interview in Daventry People, which evidently took place some time after she recovered from her harrowing adventures, Rosella recalled unimaginable stench and stomach fluids that burned the bare parts of her legs-much like a sunburn, but without the fresh air and cool breeze. She said that she was able to see because of a fluorescence that clung to much of the debris that was dissolving in the stomach acid, perhaps as a by-product of digestion. Witch of the Dark Forest (KQS) King Graham seems to have developed the bad habit of having run-ins with particularly nasty witches. Dahlia would have imprisoned him for life or baked him into a Graham cracker; Hagatha would have stewed him (perhaps serving the dish with a hearty green maggot wine); and the nameless hag of the Dark Forest, I'm sure, would have added him to her collection of slime toads. That she followed the dark path, we have little doubt. She lusted after Prince Herbert, turned Alicia into a tree, stole her heart, and tried to steal her man. She apparently even stole Rumplestiltskin's magic spinning wheel. I would even bet that she didn't brush her pointed teeth or gargle after every meal, and I don't want to know what comprised her diet. Since she's bottled up for the next half millennium, most of us will not be around to find out that answer. When Graham searched the inside of the witch's house he found a bag of gems, Rumplestiltskin's spinning wheel, and the key to Alicia's heart. He passed on the witch's recipe book. Woodcutter and his wife (KQl) Graham met these people during his first quest; they were hungry and had nothing to eat. Graham gave them the bowl that filled with food magically, and they insisted he take their fiddle as 524 King's Quest a gift. Graham played a merry tune on the instrument for the leprechauns and their king, and was able to recover the Shield of Achille. The couple that Graham met strongly resemble the people who abandoned Hansel and Gretel in the forest. They, too, were a woodcutter and wife who dido' t have enough to eat. N ah, they couldn't be the same people, could they? Zombies (KQ4) In the legion of the undead, zombies are the opposite of ghosts. Ghosts have distinct personalities, but no bodies; zombies have bodies, decaying though they may be, and no personalities at all. Zombies are animated corpses-walking appetites for human flesh, especially brains. The only way to stop a zombie is to destroy its own brain, or whatever is left of it. The rule is "Kill the brain, kill the ghoul," and it's a good one to keep in mind-so to speak. If you ignore this rule, you could hack a zombie to pieces, but the pieces would still move on their own. Rosella had to dig up five graves that night in the cemetery; all the time she was doing this she was surrounded by the walking, eating dead. If she had not been protected by the black scarab charm ... well, it's just too ghastly to think about!