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King's Quest Omnipedia
King's Quest Omnipedia
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Family of Evil

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The Evil Family is the family consisting of Hagatha, Manannan, and Mordack.

The courageous Royal Family plays a pivotal role in the struggle between Good and Evil in Daventry.[1] Graham's rescue of Valanice set off a series of events that have shaped the destiny of Daventry. Later, Hagatha's brother, Manannan, kidnapped Graham and Valanice's son in revenge for Graham's deed against Hagatha. Dame Hagatha disappeared from Kolyma soon after the incident. Mordack's kidnap of Castle Daventry and everyone in it was a direct, if unforeseen, consequence of Alexander's triumph over Manannan.[2][3].

Background[]

Derek Karlavaegen speculates that a powerful evil family must exist in the universe 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 the universe not just to balance forces, but to give purpose to existence. If this is correct then this means that good and evil (or whatever one wants to call the two) must exist--just to keep things interesting![4]

The Royal Family's first encounter with the evil family began in Kolyma when Graham tricked Hagatha stealing the Nightingale under her nose, and returning it to Milvia. Later he freed Princess Valanice from Hagatha's tower. Though Hagatha did attend their wedding she was still mad at the family.

A year or two later, after the royal twins were born, Manannan kidnapped the infant Alexander in revenge for King Graham's rescue of Valanice from his sister.[5] But some seventeen years Alexander, now Gwydion, concocted an escape in which he turned the evil wizard into a foul feline through the use of dark magic cat cookies.

He left the cat behind, but Manannan was later rescued by his other brother Mordack, and taken to Mordack's castle in an attempt to find a cure for his brother's condition.

About a year later, Mordack failing to find a way to cure his brother, and wanting to take revenge teleported into Daventry using his dark sorceries shrunk Castle Daventry and abducted the Royal Family. He planned to torture Alexander in order to force him to cure his brother.

Graham had been out on a walk and had escaped the abduction, discovering his family missing, he traveled to Serenia, and made his way to Mordack's castle to confront him. In the castle Graham bagged Manannan in an old sack, to avoid alerting the other wizard. After Graham stole the power from Mordack's wand to rejuvenate Crispin's wand, the two engaged in a magical battle using Iconomancy. After Graham successfully countered his shapeshifting several times, Mordack transformed into a Ring of Fire to surround Graham. In response, Graham cast Rainmaker, dousing the Ring of Fire and killing Mordack. Shortly afterwards, Crispin arrived and was able to reverse the miniaturization of the royal family and their castle, ending Mordack's plot forever.

The royal family had finally seemed to have vanquished their nemesis, the family of the dark wizard Manannan, the champions of Evil.[6]

But new evil arose in the Green Isles, that Alexander had to stop from another organization known as the Society of the Black Cloak. Alexander had to stop a plot from one of Mordack's own minions: Abdul Alhazred.

Manannan had been left behind in the castle after his brother's defeat, when Graham, his family, and Castle Daventry were joyously returned home.[7] He was never seen or heard from again and his fate remains unknown. It is quite possible that the sack is still there containing the remains of the cat. However, Alexander returned to the island later and never found the bag. It is also possible that Manannan was able to escape by clawing his way out. It may even be possible that he was able to affect a cure for his feline condition; and, if this is true, then Manannan may well be hiding someplace plotting his revenge.[8] The fact that nothing had been heard of either Hagatha or Manannan since Graham destroyed their brother Mordack is likely a bad sign.[9]

The Wizard Manannan may have contrived the Eye Between the Worlds to talk to the Other World, or perhaps to recruit allies whom he could help withdraw to Daventry so that he and his evil family might rule cruelly over the entire universe. Or perhaps Manannan was just curious about the Other World.

Good vs. Evil[]

The universe is not fair. It never has been and never will be. Indeed, the entire multiverse is not fair. It wasn't made that way. It wasn't made to accommodate the folk and the creatures and mountains and seas that blemish the worlds and celestial orbs. It is much too large to be conscious of such less than trivial things. The silent universe concerns itself with greater things, and with the cosmic balances; the symmetry of forces that keep the stars and planets in their paths, the tides and the oceans in their places, and the magical pumps and reservoirs primed. And it concerns itself with the fine balance between the Light and the Dark, the eternal war between Good and Evil. The universe could care less about what happens to the players in the those battles.

This it is, it seems, that King Graham of Daventry and his family are forever charged (although some might say cursed) to play a grave and crucial and essential role in the very existence of the universe. For these forces, Good and Evil, are unlike the impersonal ones, which functions to keep the sky from falling, and creatures from floating off into the heavens. Good and Evil are only seen through the actions and compulsions of the human and other folk---Good the urge for life and harmony and renewal for all creatures. Evil the urge to chaos, destruction, dissolution, and self above all else. At some times Good predominates; at others, Evil.

These twin forces are not only part of the very fabric of the universe, they cannot exist unless the other does. Without Evil, there is no Good, and if there is Good, it must be balanced with the Dark force. This is, it is suspected, the universe's way of preventing stagnation. Conflict causes change, and change keeps time and existence from coming to a dead stop. And change keeps existence interesting. Could the maker or makers of the universes bore easily, and do its peoples life and death struggles amuse them? One would hope for better from them.

In any case, all the natural philosophers and scholars and metaphysicians consulted are unanimous in one fact: At this time in the existence of Daventry, the conflict between Good and Evil is represented by the dark wizard Manannan and all his family on the side of Evil, and King Graham and his family for Good. Neither side chose to be what they are nor understand why they were chosen. The final winner will determine the course of the world until the next crisis arrives, and the fight is renewed again with new players.

Graham, of course, disagrees with this theory. He chortles and says some think too much. But he does not laugh deeply as he dismisses the musings, and usually finds a way to quickly change the subject. Perhaps he doesn't want to dwell on the trials that have beset him and his loved ones. One really can't blame him. He may be a king, but he is mostly definitely a mortal man. And mortal men, even kings, cry.

Evil Family[]

Note: Little is known of Lir, and besides only a reference to his name within Manannan's full name, there is little information on the 'legendary'/'mythological' character. He was also unlikely to have been evil. It is not clear on if Manannan is original Manannan, how the figure turned evil in the first place.

Notes[]

  • It is unknown if Graham screwed with another member of the family earlier than his journey in Kolyma. Though he did have a run in with a handful of other ambassadors of evil during his adventure to save the kingdom, including his run in with The Sorcerer, and killing the witch Dahlia. But these individuals seem to be unrelated. However The Sorcerer is apparently an associate of Manannan's (from the Magician's Guild). The identiy of that enchanter is still unknown (but some rumors are it could have been Manannan, or someone else perhaps even Shadrack). In some various Worlds of Daventry the Sorcerer and Enchanter are the same being, or separate individuals.
  • Almost nothing is known about "Lir" the father of Manannan. Nor is there any indication that the royal family encountered him. He may not necessarily be evil or corrupted either.
  • It's unclear who was behind the release of the Three-Headed Dragon but is generally believed to have been part of the revenge plot of the Evil Family. Manannan at least enjoyed watching its rampage from afar. The companion says it was neither Mordack or Manannan who sent it.
  • It's also not certain who blackened the magic mirror. But generally assumed to be related to both Alexander's kidnapping and the advance of the dragon. Some assume it was probably Manannan who did it, but KQ4 manual is not specific...the Magic Mirror could provide no answers, not even a clue, for some bearer of black magic had cast a cloud of darkness upon its face... It does confirm however that Manannan was watching the attack and enjoying it from afar.
  • KQ5 on the NES asks this question about the storm that stole the castle: Has the ruthless wizard Manannan cast another evil spell?[10] A related account states: When Graham returns but finds no home, he immediately suspects that his long-time enemy, the evil sorcerer, Mordack, is behind the disappearance. His suspicions are confirmed by Cedric, an owl who witnessed the strange occurrence. With the help of Crispin, the kingdom's wizard, and accompanied by Cedric, Graham sets out to find his home and family and return them to their rightful place. In the beginning, his only weapon is a worthless wand, but he gradually finds items that will be useful to him on his quest.[11]

See also[]

Behind the scenes[]

The term 'Family of Evil' is a contraction of the description from InterAction magazine to "...family of the dark wizard Manannan, the champions of Evil".

References[]

  1. ↑ KQC2E, 475, 484
  2. ↑ KQC1E, pg313, 319
  3. ↑ King's Quest Companion, 2nd Edition, pg 474
  4. ↑ KQC, 2nd Edition, pg 490
  5. ↑ KQC2E, 475, 484
  6. ↑ The Quest for King's Quest VI, InterAction, Fall 1992, pg
  7. ↑ KQC2E, 485
  8. ↑ KQC2E, 485
  9. ↑ The King's Quest Companion, 2nd Edition, 475
  10. ↑ Box synopsis
  11. ↑ KQ5 Nintendo Power Article
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