Haroun alRaschid

Haroun alRaschid was once a wizard of the Isle of the Crown in Land of the Green Isles.

Background

The wealthy wizard was the only known magician the kingdom had ever had He was once the court enchanter to Cassima's grandfather, and was also the court magician to King Caliphim. He was the one that helped teleport Derek Karlavaegen to Serenia after his stay in the land of the Green Isles.

His magic map of the Green Isles was one of his greatest treasures. The wizard had been quite old and feeble and had enchanted the map to aid in traveling. He had only needed to desire to be on an island to find himself there. He also had owned the valuable and rare Ye Olde Spell Booke, a book with several powerful spells. He had also owned a bottle of invisible ink and a handful of other useless junk, like fake thumbs, exploding cigars, exploding gum wrappers, a cracked wand, and a shattered crystal ball. His second crystal ball was for sell in Hakim's shop.

It is rumored that he had transformed himself into an aardvark in the end or that he died. His estate fell into the hands of Hakim, but it was mostly useless magical junk. The magic map was the one true treasure in the lot, though Alexander also made use of his Invisible Ink.

One rumor concerns the Isle of Wonder, that it was an uninteresting deserted island until a wizard enchanted the whole place, bringing everything in it to life, and presented it to his daughter as a birthday present. As wizards are known to have long lives, it is not impossible that the wizard, if he existed may have been one and the same.

Behind the scenes

This character was mentioned in off hand remarks in KQ6, although he is not given a name. His name is established in the King's Quest Companion.

His name comes from a historical Caliph, who was immortalized in Arabian Nights tales. If its the same Haroun alRaschid he must have withdrawn to the Daventry at some point, or if a past contemporary moved there.

The fate of the wizard is mixed as some rumors state he transformed himself into an aardvark, others say he died of old age. Its is also said he was the only magician the kingdom had ever known. It could mean the only magician known on the Isle of the Crown.

Wizards and sorcerers have been known in the legends of other islands. Specifically there is the story of the wizard and his daughter. Some of the druids of the Isle of the Mists are great sorcerers, earth sorcerers, and nature wizards. Although most in the kingdom do not know they exist (neither did Hassan, Ali, or Hakim).

Other wizards and magicians such as Mordack and Abdul Alhazred (although most do not necessarily know he is a wizard, and only know him as the Vizier), visited the islands as well, though they hid the fact that they were wizards in public (there is no evidence that the town people knew about them). Shadrack at least knows of the islands (through Abdul Alhazred), although there is no evidence that he had ever visited them. The wizard Crispinophur knew enough about the location of the islands to return Cassima back to her home. The magician Derek Karlavaegen had also visited the islands in the past. However, he didn't start dabbling in magic until later however. Even Alexander proved to be a competent magician as well but he came much later.

There was at least another sorceress witch who visited the islands as well, and cursed the Isle of the Forest into the Isle of the Beast when she brought the former prince Cocteau to the island.

Haroun alRaschid is similar to Merlin in King's Quest lore in that the final outcome of both wizards is wrapped in mystery. Both are believed to have possible died, or perhaps still live on, but under other guises. Haroun possibly as an aardvark, and Merlin as Crispinophur.