The Great Mountains is the collective name of the large mountain ranges on the continent of Serenia and at one time the the North.
Background[]
Daventry's awesome mountains, the Great Mountains, punch upwards through the clouds to snow-capped summits daring to be scaled[1]. The mountain ranges are inhabited by fierce creatures.[2] Giants walk those clouds, yeti prowl the snows, and the great Roc's nest in its most inaccessible peaks.[3]
The mountains separates the continent into three main areas. The Snowy Mountains, Westering Mountains range and the Spasky Hills (ranging from east to west) divide the northern kingdoms including Serenia from the southern kingdoms including Daventry.
The Glass Mountains and the Hibestian Range (which both range from north to south) divides the west from the eastern kingdoms (it includes the Vale of Obscurity and Kingdom of Sorrow) and leads down to the Northern Sea to the east. Icebella's realm is located high up mountains east of Serenia, and a small village is located east of her realm below the Roc's nest in a small hidden valley. The Glass Mountains are a series of ranges formed from black glass which make up part of the eastern ranges, and the Hibestian Range is a series high black mountain peaks beyond then were giants live and was the location of the Vale of Obscurity. Daventry lies west of both ranges. The Kingdom of Sorrow lies to the east of Daventry high in the mountains. Near Daventry lies the Door into Mountain which leads up to the Land of the Clouds.
Snowy Mountains
Not so many years ago, it is said the great Wizard Harlin used his powerful magic to move a section of the Great Mountains north and east of the woods of Serenia and created a vast ocean in between and dividing the continent in two, leaving most of northern half of the continent missing, when it was moved to the North. These were created to be obstacles to prevent his enemies from reaching him.
Around this time, Gwydion crossed a portion of the great mountains on the northern edge of the continent of Daventry, which surrounded Daventry. This is the Sierra range where Sierra water can be found. Part of this range passed through the middle of the kingdom of Daventry ending at the Door into Mountain, the great mountain with the door leading to Land of the Clouds. To the north of the mountains he could see an untouched forested valley in Daventry with rivers and lakes could be seen. Some time later after the great magics were released to heal the land, the mountains and the rest of Serenia were restored to their original location.
The Underground Realm of the Gnomes is located to the north of Daventry under a series of volcanic mountains. The Barren Region is a plateau in the range above their mines, and it lies just below the largest volcano. The Frozen Reaches are located on top of the volcano. This great volcano may be part of the Great Mountains range or a mountain south of them.
Graham is said to have spent many an afternoon in the mountains with his family, defeating the occasional dragon that wandered across their path.[4]
Geography[]
The Great Mountains are made up of several smaller ranges, several which surround the Sovereignty of Serenia on at least three sides, bounded on one side to the north beyond the Dark Forest and continues northwest beyond the edge of the forest near the Brushland. The bulk lie to the the eastern mountains which border the sea to the east, known as the Snowy Mountain (aka Icy Mountains). It is the realm where Icebella lives. It is part of the Snowy Mountains range which rises up to east, and curves around to the south of Serenia. The Snowy Mountains divide between Serenia and Daventry proper. To the southwest beyond the River and west of the Snowy Mountains lies the Westering Mountains & Spasky Hills. A mysterious valley exists up in the Snowy Mountains near Icebella's Snowy Mountain, a mountain known as Half Dome rises above the valley (seemingly touching two realities across space and time).
Then there is the Door into Mountain, it is a lonely peak that rises out of the highlands and foothills of the Kingdom of Daventry (though its location has shifted over time to due to magical flux and Magical law of "containment" sometimes to the north of the castle, and sometimes to the south). The eastern edge of the Snowy Mountains slopes down around the side of the mountain into Daventry. Many miles to the east of Daventry running from north to south before it reaches the Snowy Mountains and Icebella's Snowy Mountain are parallel ranges of the Glass Mountains, and the Hibestian Range. Near the junction where the Snowy Mountains, Snowy Mountain, Westering Mountains, Glass Mountains, and Hibestian Range meet is a great volcano, and the highest peak of the mountains which make up the Barren Region and the Frozen Reaches (if not a separate mountain in its own right, it might very well be the highest point in the Snowy Mountains). The Frozen Reaches may even lie near to Icebella's realm, for even the mountains near the Ice Queen's realm, are also described as the 'frozen reaches'.
The cliff with the caves on the path leading towards Daventry is 700-feet tall.[5]
Landmarks[]
- Snowy Mountains
- Snowy Mountain
- Mountain Trail (Mountain Path)
- Frozen Waterfall (Jutting Rock)
- Icy Crevasse
- Ice Palace (Ice Castle)
- Yeti Cave
- Roc Nest (valley of diamonds)
- Door into Mountain & Land of the Clouds
- Westering Mountains & Spasky Hills
- Glass Mountains
- Hibestian Range
- The Barren Region and Frozen Reaches
- Sierras & Half Dome
See also[]
Behind the scenes[]
Geography of the Great Mountains (Snowy Mountain and Snowy Mountains)
The Great Mountains originate from the game, The Wizard and the Princess and the Adventure in Serenia. The mountains were were mentioned during the back story in the manual and back cover (box/manual/folder). Harlin's castle was said to lie beyond the great mountains. The mountains are capitalized as Great Mountains on the back of the box of the C64 port.
Most references to the mountains are lower case in King's Quest V. They are given as capitalized at least once during KQV, such as when Graham explains his quest to King Antony the Great, and of his need to cross the mountains.
The KQ5 Hintbook refers to this region as Great Mountains. The Official Book of King's Quest Third Edition refers to the region in KQ5 as the "Snowy Mountain" or the Mountains.
The Great Mountains are first introduced into The King's Quest Companion in the 2nd Edition with the addition of the King's Quest V material, but it also retroactively applies this region to the KQ1 mountain (Door into Mountain)/mountains, combining the region into the Great Mountains passing near Serenia. The Official Book of King's Quest 1st and 2nd Edition call this region the Snowy Mountains (based on the name given in the former sierra BBS hint site).
In the PC KQ games the mountains can be see in the distance north and above Crispin's house and also from the crossroads heading up into the mountains (where a glimpse of the mountains can be seen on the westenr side of the screen). A particular good view of the mountains range from east to west can be seen above outside of the Town of Serenia (though the eastern part of the range is hidden behind the buildings). Further west, a good view of the mountains peaking over the tops of the forest from west to east can be seen from the crossroads where the log and prince were located. A small peace can be seen poking out above the northwest edge of screen outside of the Inn.
The mountains can be seen to the west of the Dark Forest north of the Bandit Camp but also from the Ant Hill, and the Bee Tree. But are noticeably in the distance perhaps angling northwest, and they may be not as tall as the eastern range of the mountains. It is worth noting that there is no indication that the northern range (east and west) has snow, so while part of the Great Mountains is not part of the Snowy Mountains range to the east/south of Serenia..
They cannot be seen in the distance in Brushlands at the edge of the desert, only another woodsy area can be seen. Thus they do appear to connect to the Mountain Wall in at the north end of the Endless Desert, which appears to be a different range altogether. However some maps of Serenia do seem to show that the mountain range may continue on further west beyond the desert cliffs. Although some of the less detailed continent maps don't show the western portion of the mountain range at all, nor even the desert cliffs. Some mountains that resemble the general color of the Great Mountains ('purple') can be seen poking up above the Desert Temple far north of the Mountain Wall.
Some parts of the range can possibly be made out from the sky view before Graham falls from the sky, but it shows them to be at great distance north of Crispin's house, and that his house borders a small mountain as well. Although the geography of the sky view doesn't necessarily align with the geography in main game itself, as there are a number of buildings that exist that don't seem to be appear in the visitable areas in the game.
Great Mountains (unofficial)[]
The Great Mountains appear in the fan games, see Great Mountains (unofficial).