Multiverse

The multiverse is the location of several planes of existence. It makes up the universe (or multiple alternate universes), exists beyond time and space, and encompasses parallel worlds, dimensions, and realities.

Derek Karlavaegen and others would send messages across the multiverse to either Peter Spear, Eluki Bes Shahar, Jane Jensen, Roberta Williams and other people either through their computers, dreams or visions. Then Peter Spear published these messages as the King's Quest Companion to help people complete the games, and also tell people "what really happened". Derek seems to suggest that there may actually be several multiverses.

Background

One explanation put forth by a number of reputable scientists argues that there exists in reality an unknown number of different universes. These could be thought of as different regions of the same universe, but in either case, theory allows for these "pocket universes" to have their own unique sets of the laws of science and nature. Another theory states that the universe is not made up of individual particles, like atoms or electrons, but instead composed of strings--strange things that are long, but not high or wide, and have other dimension. This theory only makes scientific sense, however, if the universe has more than the four dimensions to which most are accustomed to; 26 dimensions is one number given. The reason that people do not see the extra dimensions is that they're folded up on themselves, but they are there, nonetheless. These could be pocket universes. Daventry may be one of these pocket universes.

The universe of Daventry and the universe of earth are so far apart that they can never touch, and so close that individuals living in the universes sometimes dream of each other. The walls between the worlds are thin enough to let folk pass through in one direction, and thoughts and dreams to pass in both. The Eye Between the Worlds is a hole in those walls which through which dreams journey. The two worlds touch together in a place shared by the head and certain earth machines.

A few locations seem to touch multiple realities existing both within the world of Daventry but where other realities seemingly bleed into the world physically.

Similar swirling portal appear to connect the realm of Daventry with the Realm of Eldritch, the Dimension of Death, and the Black Abyss. Though the colors of the portal are different for each.

The Black Abyss is a dark realm. Lucreto was banished into a swirling portal to the black Black Abyss created by the Mask of Eternity where he would be trapped and vanquished for eternity.

The multiverse can be expanded creating new worlds, new realities, and new dimensions by the influence of great dreamers both outside main world (who can create game realities) and on the inside of the worlds.

Locations within the multiverse

• The Worlds
• World of Daventry (the past) & Worlds of Daventry
• Other World (Earth) (the present)
• Realm of Eldritch (the alternate universe, the land beyond dreams)
• Dreamland
• Black Abyss
• The Abyss
• Heaven and Hell
• The Efreeti are creatures of pure magic also said to come from another plane of existence.
• The Void: the three Fates live in another world. It is a plane of velvety blackness, with no ground below and no sky above. Everything there exists suspended in the air. The three fates lie suspended in space with their loom. Voices sound preternaturally loud, echoing in the endless void.
• The Realm of the Dead does not exist on the world, but the next (However, it is connected to the Isle of the Dead which physically exists within Daventry).
• The Dimension of Death exists both in its own dimension and also as a physical realm beneath Daventry and nearby lands. Since it lies in a separate dimension it avoided most of the released magic from the cataclysm.
• Realm of the Sun also not physically connected to Daventry but is another world which lies far above Daventry in the void.
• The Enchanted Isles has been described as lying somewhere between being its own dimension, another world, and on the face of world of Daventry.
• The city of Tanalore is said to touch all realities of creation.
• The Isle of the Mists is semi-permanent island in the Land of the Green Isles, it comes and goes from the world.
• The Edge of the World which lies at the edge of the universe and the next.
• The Scales of Justice appear to exist in a cosmic realm that both connects to but is separate from the Dimension of Death.
• Pocket universes/26 dimensions (parallel worlds of Daventry)
• Place between the worlds
• Enchanted Isles and Enchanted Island appears to exist both physically mile away from Daventry on the other side of the world, but also in another world across dimensions. Like some other regions of the world it appears to coexist and touch multiple realities.
• Tamir due to its nearness to the city of Tanalore, also appears to coexist both physically in Daventry and another world.
• Various alternate Daventrys than the one Derek Karlavaegen inhabits (his theory of their being multiple Daventries,  See realities, game realities, and dimensions).

Inhabitants

• Paradimensional deities

Sierra Multiverse

Article from the Lytton Tribune

Apparently Space Quest, King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry and other sierra universes may be connected through a so-called Sierra universe. Peter Spear for example also claimed that Larry Laffer came from an alternate Earth in the Multiverse (the details can be found in the Leisure Suit Larry's Bedside Companion), and that he also received disks from John Williams containing messages from Roger Wilco from the future which he then published as the Space Quest Companion.

Even the LSL games take a meta (beyond the 4th wall) approach to idea that Larry was originally part of a parallel universe, and that universe happened to be inside of the games themselves (Larry has always been aware of this and interacts with his own Narrator as well). Thus Larry ends up helping to design his own universe by the end of the third game. Rosella, Graham and even Daventry are acknowledged inside of Larry's "Sierra World" (and later Reloaded universe). But these also appear to exist within a meta fourth-wall universe within the games. Larry encounters Graham (and the green Dragon) in Sierra's underground factory in LSL1, but also meets Rosella who is visiting from Daventry in LSL2 (and Rosella reenacting an event from her own life in the 'real world' at Sierra On-Line in LSL3). Official Book of Leisure Suit Larry and the Larry Bedside Companion take this further, to discuss other encounters between Larry and Rosella. Al Lowe Interviews Rosella, concerning her opinion of Larry Laffer. A Mask of Eternity appears in Love for Sale Mobile, it reminds Larry of his friend Graham. The Daventry is the name of Ken and Roberta's boat. Patti may see visions of Daventry if she smokes some weed.

The Hoyle Book of Games, Volume 1 played with the multiverse idea by having characters and game designers from various series and some of their children were "trapped" inside the game and trying to get back to their own worlds while playing games together. In the game many of the Sierra characters thought they were real (or at least knew they came from various Sierra game worlds that exist in parallel to the real world). The programmer, Warren, on the other hand believed that the characters didn't exist, and that he had created the game putting the characters within it. Apparently Roger Wilco had even once pushed a button marked "don't touch" crashing into Daventry's moat (though he apparently survived). After hearing an explanation by Roger, Rosella and Graham admit that they finally understand what the object in the moat was. Hoyle 3 and Hoyle 4 also put characters from across the Sierra universe together. However, they were not nearly as talkative.

In Police Quest I, a news report in the Lytton Tribune reported that the kingdom of Daventry was under siege by the Three-headed Dragon, and that they had interviewed a gnome who stated that the kingdom was in a "state of emergency". Another paper in Police Quest II, reported when Graham was near death.

The Bookwyrm of Mixed-up Fairy Tales once interviewed the 'citizens of Sierra' about their favorite books. According to King Graham; "That would be Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott. It has action, intrigue, romance, adventure, and romance--very inspiring!. it's historically accurate, with all kinds of fascinating information about knights and the medieval world. Of course you have to take it with a grain of salt. Whoever heard of a world with no dragons, unicorns of magic?". According to Rosella; Not book, dragon friend, books. I love The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. It's a seven book series, set in a wonderful fantasy world where horses talk and evil witches live. There's a nice royal family who gets in all kinds of trouble and they always end up going on a quest--hmm, no wonder I like it."

Once, during Rosella's First Quest, she had a strange adventure trying to find her golden football when she was a young girl, when she encountered all sorts of individuals from across the entire world of Sierra.

In Quest For Glory 2 there are Rosella puppets for sell, and the Hero is said to once known Genesta. The Leshy in QFG4 shudders at the thought after he hears the name of Cedric. In KQ1 remake the Famous Adventurer's Correspondence School is mentioned.

In Freddy Pharkas, the Whittlin' Willy may start telling the Ballad of King Graham. Graham and his family are also mentioned in a notice in the general store. Cedric visits the desert outside of Coursegold but does not have a happy ending (finding himself eaten by vultures). In the demo a broken down wagon was left behind by someone from Serenia. Smithie says he once had the old spellbook from KQ6. In Laura Bow II: The Dagger of Amon Ra, Laura Bow discovers that the body of King Edward of Daventry and a Unicorn had been found and preserved in vats in the Leyendecker Museum. The museum also contains a picture of dead King Graham being tortured in Hell in the paintings gallery.

In KQ2 graham can look into the realm of space quest if he looks into a hole in a rock. However in the Apple II version you can look into the future and see King's Quest III from the hole. Graham was befuddled by the bizarre event, and braced himself to continue the quest.. There is no hole in the rock in the 1985 versions.

In the original Space Quest, Roger Wilco can travel to the Daventry Zone, as discussed in Hoyle's Official Book of Games: Volume I. In floppy version of SQ4, Roger can find a Shamir Florists company. There are labor camps on Daventry VIII in SQ6. Cedric can be heard on the Deepship 86. In SQ2 a bit of graffiti claims that King Graham cross dresses. Graham (or Maharg) is seen being carried by a Roc across the skies of Estros in SQ4 (SQ10 era). The Sariens have a historical massacre known as the Great Daventry Rout.

In Space Quest 3, there is a postcard for RobertaLand which shows swan mobile (much like the swan flying machines see later seen in KQ7).

In the 1987 PC (and Apple II) versions, Graham can find a sign attached to the back of a tree in a grove of trees near the dwarf's house (this sign doesn't appear in the 1.0w version of the game). The sign is an announcement by sierra describing both Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter, and King's Quest III: To Heir is Human (depending on the windows or apple II version the text is somewhat different ]I[ or III for King's Quest 3 for example). In the 1985 version (1.1H) this sign advertised Black Cauldron. The confusing message puzzled Graham, as it didn't seem to be part of his quest.

In KQ3, Alexander can find charcoal written diagrams and references to KQ4 written onto the wall behind a tapestry.

In Conquests of the Longbow, a merchant was selling rugs from around the world including from king's palace in Daventry with crest of Daventry and Lytton emblazoned on them (there are a number of other characters or places including Roger Wilco, Shapeir, and Spielburg).

In Gabriel Knight 3, when looking at a tower, Gabriel will think about Princess Cassima.

Behind the scenes

• The 1991 Sierra catalogue states that ...Rosella must journey to another world..., thus perhaps suggesting that at one point Sierra may have considered Tamir to be in another parallel universe, much like how KQ7 made Etheria. Of course the Companion might still hint at this as it discusses Tanalore being connected to all locations across the multiverse, and the swamp apparently hides that city. Tanalore might be the 'town' mentioned in early Catalogue summaries. This summary also appears in other games such as Police Quest 2 in a computer database.

Nature of the Multiverse

In extended discussion of the Multiverse and its cosmology in the introduction chapter of the King's Quest Companion, the book brings up a number of interrelated ideas which it uses to try to explain the nature of universe and multiverse.

While the primary discussion leans towards dimensions and parallel worlds, it also brings up the concept of wormholes, and time travel (travel into the past) being related to the concept. This maybe one of the few examples where the King's Quest Companion acknowledges the idea that King's Quest universe is actually in the past rather than con-currently with Earth (though these dimensions either past or present are still able to overlap and interact in some way). Although there does seem to be elements that suggest that Daventry might be progressing at a 'faster' rate than on present earth.

As such ideas of time travel and alternate universe travel should not be dismissed as mutually exclusive (or even contradictory) but overlapping. The novel Timeline by the late Michael Crichton had a similar model for time travel and interdimensional travel.

Later editions and the Authorized KQ7 guide would expand on this to include still other concepts and overlapping between a real physical world, and a cyberspace (Game realities), almost as if King's Quest was set in its own 'Tron'-like universe. While these are initially treated as more or less 'separate' entities, later concepts added for the KQ7 related material, started to bring these universes 'closer'.

See On the Origin of Daventry for more information.

Sierra Crossovers

While the idea of the multiverse originates specifically with The King's Quest Companion, the idea that certain places such as the Enchanted Islands, Realm of the Dead, or the Realm of Eldritch existing on another plane of existence or in another dimension from world of Daventry itself, originate from those games, boxes and their documentation. Specifically the back of the box of KQ7 states that the Realm of Eldritch is another world beyond a magical pool. This idea of crossovers via magical pools or mirrors is inspired by ideas in stories such as Chronicles of Narnia or Alice through the Looking Glass.

Lytton Letter

Edward is Pickled

King Graham is tortured in Hell

Peter Spear wrote wrote the King's Quest Companion as if he had really received messages from Daventry, and then sent it to our earth's publishers to be printed to be read. The book explains that creatures from human myths and literature are real in the multiverse, supposedly originating from our world. The book explains that people of earth really did have a fantastic past, and as time passed, that the modern people of earth who believe in science and technology can not accept our "true history", and are writing revisionist history that denies(though they can't "disprove") what "really happened". Compare to various religions of the world that believe fantastic things of mythic proportion actually happened in the past, and that fantastic beings really existed.

According to Roberta Williams; "Well, ya, King's Quest is on earth. Daventry is very old city from a long time ago. It's in ruins now and people aren't quite sure exactly where it used to be. There are some archaeologists searching through the ruins, they think they know its Daventry. But its somewhere on Earth."-Roberta Williams, Mask of Eternity Talkspot Interview, 1998, part 1 (1:20:40 to 1:59:58)

Crossovers appear in other Sierra games to varying degrees. In space quest I its possible for Roger Wilco to end up on the planet Daventry ("Daventry Zone") if messes with the controls on his escape pod. This event was referenced by Graham, Rosella and Roger in Hoyle Book of Games, Volume 1.

In LSL1, the moose head in Lefty's bar is said to be an antique from King's Quest III.

Someone insults Graham within Graffiti in Space Quest II, suggesting that he is a cross dresser. A game starring an elderly King Graham is mentioned in SQ4. Castle Daventry, and the The Daventry Zone appears in Space Quest 1 EGA. A planet Daventry VII is mentioned in SQ6.

In Hero's Quest/Quest for Glory 1 (SCI) the hero can find a stone in Erasmus's house, called The Rosella Stone. Examining it shows a hieroglyphic of Rosella posing like an ancient Egyptian.

These are not all indicative of the existence of the Sierra-multiverse though, and may be deemed as simply as plugs, easter eggs and in-jokes. Some appear to break the fourth wall with character actually acknowledging the references (in LSL series this is intentionally part of the meta-fictional aspect of Larry's story as a game character that escapes the boundaries of his game world into the real world).

The Peter Spear connections need a bit of clarification. The conceit behind Spear's story was that he did indeed receive communications from Derek Karlavaegen in Daventry which were included in his King's Quest Companion. However, the Space Quest/Roger Wilco material was left on the doorstep of the Sierra On-Line offices in California in the form of a number of computer disks. They were discovered by John Williams (the brother-in-law of Roberta Williams) who was of the initial opinion that they were a hoax. Later events convinced him otherwise and he made the disks available to Spear for editing and publication a few years later. Spear was chosen specifically because of his King's Quest work.

According to the Leisure Suit Larry's Beside Companion, Peter Spear also discusses that Larry Laffer traveled through the Multiverse from an alternate Earth to our earth and became an employee of Sierra Online in Oakhurst (as portrayed at the end of LSL3) where he helped to design the Leisure Suit Larry series. He disappeared during the production of Leisure Suit Larry IV along with the game (possibly having returned to his game universe). He was not heard from again until the events of Leisure Suit Larry V.

Multiverse (unofficial)

See Multiverse (unofficial)