KQ8 summaries

Background

King's Quest 8 underwent several revisions before it was finally released. The story was changed several times. The summaries below include those from late previews when the story was more or less finalized in late 1997, as well as those versions related to release version of the game. In the behind the scenes some of the earlier stories are included when mask was shattered when Connor was born, rather than when he was a young man. In many of the early to mid revisions Connor had the patronymic title of Connor Mac Lyrr (Connor, Son of Lyrr), this was case even up to some advertisements shortly up to the games release (see KQ8 Product Description (World of Krondor) from November 1, 1998 released shortly before KQ8’s release on November 24, 1998), but in general the closer to the final release, he was just known as Connor or Connor of Daventry in the game and references.

At least with the understanding that it isn't a surname, but rather a title, one of many he has, the information might still be somewhat relevant, and add some additional backstory to his parentage.

Summaries

InterAction Fall 1997

Connor is very much a new character. He is an inhabitant of Daventry, a kingdom he doesn’t rule but whose fate lies in his hands. A terrible curse has turned all of the people living in Daventry, including the Royal Family themselves, into stone. Connor must find the answers behind the curse, including why it’s been imposed, who imposed it, and, possibly most importantly, why he alone has been spared the terrible fate of his comrades.

Connor is a warrior and it’s his combination of strength, cunning, intuition, and intellect that make him best-suited to save the kingdom.

The Mask of Eternity itself is the glue that keeps order in the world and keeps chaos at bay — and when it's broken.... In order to solve the mystery behind the curse of Daventry and restore celes- tial order, Connor must find the broken pieces of the Mask and defeat Lucreto in the ultimate battle between good and evil.

1997 Sierra/Blizzard Catalogue

You are Connor Mac Lyrr, the sole survivor of the evil curse which immobilized the whole of the Kingdom of Daventry. Find the pieces of the Mask of Eternity hidden in 7 different kingdoms and you will unravel the mystery of the Mask and save Daventry!

InterAction Spring 1998

…all of the inhabitants of the beloved kingdom of Daventry have been turned to stone by a disastrous magical curse. All inhabitants but one: the son of a local villager, Connor Mac Lyrr. Players will assume the role of this young, unlikely hero to brave many evil encounters and find the missing pieces of a sacred mask that will cancel out the spell, and restore peace in Daventry.

Press Release

The Story:

In Mask of Eternity, a mysterious storm has overtaken the kingdom of Daventry, turning all but one of its inhabitants, including King Graham and Queen Valanice, to stone. Assuming the role of the one spared peasant, Connor, the player discovers that the only way to uncoil this spell is to travel through various exotic worlds to find and reassemble the five shattered pieces of The Mask Of Eternity.

…guiding Connor through Daventry, now a dark mystical land filled with stone inhabitants and dangerous Henchmen, goblins, spriggins and zombies. They venture through the Swamp, where the weeds whisper dark secrets; and to the Gnome Underground where players meet helpful gnomes who mine tunnels and fight past bat mantas, and rock demons who, as part of the earthen and rock walls, pelt rocks at the players as they pass.

KQ8 website

The tale thus far...

In a time long ago, magic and myth is embodied in every living creature roaming the world. Unicorns graze in forest meadows, wizards concoct mystical spells and kings and queens manage thriving kingdoms.

In the kingdom of Daventry, inhabitants enjoy peace and prosperity under the rule of the majestic King Graham. But one day, the kingdom's serenity turns to disorder. An evil being takes up quarters in the sacred sanctity of the Mask of Eternity - the global icon of truth, light and order. With arms thrust upward, he summons a dark spell. The skies darken and bolts of lightning converge on the temple. With a powerful burst, the mask explodes into pieces that fall to the world below.

Meanwhile, in Daventry, a young townsperson named Connor is about to become the most important person in the world's history. As the Mask of Eternity rains down on the land, one piece lands at Connor's feet. Just as he picks it up, the supernatural spell reaches ground. In a flash, every inhabitant of the beloved kingdom turns to stone. That is, every inhabitant but one. With the sacred mask piece in hand, Connor is somehow protected from the consequences of the omen.

Playing the role of Connor, you must gather strength and courage and set out on the ultimate quest: reseat the Mask of Eternity and restore law, light and order to your world. Only then can global order be restored!

Journeying beyond Daventry, you will visit otherworldly realms filled with unimaginable characters, brain-twisting tests of courage and incredible challenges. But the spread of evil has created an extra challenge - dark creatures roaming free across the land are ready for a fight. It'll take perfect marksmanship and a sharp sword to keep these from ending your quest!

Demo summary (Developer's Description)

It is a time long ago, and magic and myth are embodied in every living creature roaming the world. Unicorns graze in forest meadows, wizards concoct mystical spells, and kings and queens manage thriving kingdoms. An evil being has summoned a spell to break the Mask of Eternity--the global icon of truth, light, and order--and a piece falls to Earth and is discovered by you, a youth called Connor. You pick it up, and everyone else in the kingdom turns to stone. You must gather strength and courage and set out to reseat the Mask of Eternity and restore law, light, and order to your world.

InterAction Fall 1998

…we see a fantastic world off in the celestial realm. A white-robed, priest-like character approaches a gold Mask set atop an altar. He transforms into a dark being as lightning crashes down on the altar, exploding the Mask. The pieces hail down to the world below. In Daventry. King Graham's magic mirror begins swirling and displays the bad omen of the Mask breaking apart.

We then meet Connor. A piece of the Mask sails down from the sky and lands at his feet. Just as he picks up the piece, a storm swirls overhead, the sky turns dark, and everyone turns into stone...except for Connor, who is somehow protected by the piece of the Mask. The player will soon discover that it's up to him to restore order to the world. Eventually, Connor must face the dark being himself and attempt to banish him from the celestial world.

Product Description (World of Krondor Promo CD, November 1998)

King's Quest: Mask of Eternity™ returns players to the Kingdom of Daventry, the majestic setting of the King's Quest series, where myths and legends are the stuff of daily life, and magic is both a ticket to survival and a passage to death. A destructive magical storm overtakes the kingdom of Daventry and turns its habitants, including King Graham, Queen Valanica and every farmer, merchant, scribe, smith, and handmaiden to stone. Assuming the role of Connor Mac Lyrr, a young resident of Daventry, players must muster their strength, bravery and aptitude and set out on the grandest quest of his life.

To unravel the spell that binds this land blighted by a mysterious sorcerer, and discover why he alone has been spared, Connor must undertake a quest of legendary proportions and recover the five scattered pieces of the ancient Mask of Eternity™, destroyed by an Archon's greed for power. But when all the heroes of the land sit silently encased in stone, this one young peasant, Connor, untutored in the arts of war, must become the warrior and hero that Daventry so desperately needs. This search will reveal the monumental importance of finding the world's most powerful, sacred object...the Mask of Eternity™, the key to the restoration of his land and inhabitants.

…guide Connor through Daventry, now a dark mystical land filled with stone inhabitants and dangerous Henchmen, goblins, spriggins and zombies. …venture through the Swampland, where the weeds whisper and the mummies caw; to the Gnome Underground, where players meet shop-keeping gnomes who mine tunnels and fight past bat mantas (half bat, half manta ray-looking creatures), and rock demons who -- as part of the earthen and rock walls -- pelt rocks at the players as they pass. The City of the Dead is the dwelling place of the Shadow Monster, a dark, amorphous creature with fiery eyes, sword and mace-wielding skeleton guards.

Also in the City, there are Weeper souls with life-draining gazes and a mysterious, beautiful winged sylph guarding the Well of Respite and offering words of advice. Lava flows through The Barrens and pyro demons, fire ants and tunnel-dwelling submen threaten with fiery defenses. In the Frosty Mountains, players visit the inside of a volcano cone, where frost nymphs and Gryphs (avian-type creatures) dwell. The Temple is the ancient home of the mask and the land of the Archons, who now rest in marble slabs of death. Finally, the Realm of the Sun is a spiritual locale offering the promise of success as well as the threat of defeat at the hands of the Water Demon, Shadow Monster and Viscious Beast.

KQ8 box (November 1998)

Conquer Those Who Would Destroy Forever

When the Mask of Eternity, the symbol of order in a chaotic universe, was shattered by a powerful evil, the kingdom of Daventry was beset by a terrible curse. You alone have been chosen by Fate to make an epic journey through seven amazing lands to recover the lost pieces of the Mask of Eternity and restore light to a darkening world. It will take all of your strength and intelligence to navigate this world, interacting with its strange inhabitants, battling monsters and solving puzzles on your way into and out of danger. Succeed, and honor and glory will be yours. Fail and the forces of evil will reign supreme... for Eternity.

Enter this deep and compelling tale of an Eternal Champion’s struggle to restore the Mask of Eternity and save the kingdom of Daventry.

InterAction Magazine, Holidays, 1998

…witness an astonishing event in a far-off, ethereal realm. On one of many islands in a sea of clouds, a robed priest-like character steps up to a glimmering golden Mask set atop an altar.

With arms thrust upward, he summons a dark force. The skies darken and bolts of lightning converge on the divine Mask. With a powerful burst, the Mask explodes into pieces that fall to the world below.

In that faraway world, one of its most peaceful communities is moments away from experiencing a cataclysmic change of weather. The kingdom of Daventry is serene; farmers till their land, artisans practice their trade, and the great King Grahamover sees the land's bountiful wealth.

But in the palace, all is not well. Standing in front of his magic mirror with his courtiers, the king's foretelling object stirs and evinces the terrible celestial occurrence.

Meanwhile, in the village, a young townsman named Connor approaches the home of his girlfriend, Sarah. As they trade greetings, the sky darkens and a strong wind rushes across the land. Just then, a piece of the Mask falls from the heavens and lands at Connor's feet. He picks up the piece just as a supernatural storm sweeps across the land, it's over in a moment but unbelievable damage is done: Everyone has turned to stone...that is, everyone but Connor, who is somehow protected from the consequences by his piece of the golden Mask.

1998 Sierra Catalog

Mask of Eternity returns you to the Kingdom of Daventry, where a destructive magical storm has turned the inhabitants to stone. In the role of Connor, players will need all their courage and skill to recover the five scattered pieces of the ancient Mask of Eternity destroyed by en evil sorcerer’s greed for absolute power. The searchers straddle seven amazing lands as they unravel the mysterious power of the Mask and undertake the greatest quest of all.

1998/1999 Buyer's Guides

Return to the Kingdom of Daventry where a destructive magical force has turned all of the inhabitants to stone. Assume the role of Connor, a resourceful young man who has mysteriously been spared. Muster all your strength, bravery and intelligence as you travel across seven amazing lands seeking to shatter this evil spell and understand the astonishing power behind the Mask of Eternity.

InterAction Spring 1999

YOU ARE CONNER, A SIMPLE PEASANT. A MAN destined for greatness. It's a morning much like any other. Things are about to change— change evilly. A tempest begins to blow as you speak with your sweetheart to be, Sarah.

Suddenly she, along with almost every other being in the land, is petrified. Your only hint to the petrifaction is a piece of a mask that falls at your feet. From this humble beginning you must solve this evil puzzle and return Daventry to its former glory.

KQ8 GOG release

Travel through the remarkable worlds of King’s Quest 8, from a dark underground land to a mysterious realm in the clouds. Every turn yields both secret and salvation, and every mystery you solve brings you closer to the fiery confrontation that will determine the fate of an entire kingdom!

Behind the scenes

Mask of Eternity underwent a number of story revisions, for earliest story concepts see KQ8 development and Coming Attractions.

1995 concept

KQ8 will be set in Daventry -- at the beginning of the game, at least. YOU will be a brand new character -- a marble statue of a knight which has been brought to life through an accidental reversal of a spell which turned King Graham and his family into stone (by an evil sorcerer)...As far as King Graham, Alexander, Valanice, and Rosella are concerned -- they ARE in the game, but they are the poor victims of the evil sorcerer's spell. YOU -- as a "former" statue-turned-alive-knight -- are the main character of King's Quest 8. You can save the royal family from the evil spell they've been placed under. You -- as the knight -- can save them and then get the chance to become a "real man" in the end (a la Pinocchio). Princess Rosella might be SO grateful that he saved her and her family that...who knows?

1995-1995 concepts

The character was initially known as Brendan and would have been the son of a widowed mother (which she noted was a common idea in 'these kinds of stories', for example Jack in the Beanstalk). Some of these ideas appear to have probably been shifted over to Connor's neighbor Sarah, and the Widow Burke in the final game.

Spring 1996 Backstory

The backstory: Twenty years before the time of the game, a magic mask analogous to the Holy Grail exploded into seven pieces which - surprise - were scattered hither and yon on the cosmic winds. In this newest King's Quest installment, we meet Conner, the son of a poor fisherman, born at the instant of the momentous explosion and marked, figuratively and literally, by a piece of the enchanted shrapnel. In the present-day of Conner's 20th year, a horrible chaotic spell sweeps across the land - never mind why, it just does - turning all mortals to stone except the auspicious Conner. His only hope to restore the pebbled populace of Daventry is to locate the seven fragments of the mask...

Fall 1996 InterAction Magazine

You enter the Kingdom of Daventry as Connor mac Lyrr (the son of a fisherman), who alone has been passed over by an evil spell that has turned every mortal inhabitant to stone. Connor must find a way to restore them to flesh and blood. At the heart of the dilemma is The Mask of Eternity, which was broken into seven pieces and scattered by the Cosmic Winds to seven different lands at the moment of Connor's birth. A piece of the Mask touched Connor as he was born, leaving a vivid scar on his cheek. He carries this scar as an adult - a sign that he has been marked for greatness. The quest to find the seven pieces of the Mask and restore them to the Island Temple is his destiny. Only by accomplishing this can he end the chaos that now rules the land.

1997 Website Story

Note: There is no known archive of this website online, a low resolution screenshot of the story website appeared in Fall 1997 issue of InterAction magazine.

What little can me made out from the image is that it was called “The Story”. The magazine described the webpage as “A summary of the story behind the Mask of Eternity as well as how it evolved from the King’s Quest saga.”

The first sentence appears to begin with “Return” and contain phrase “Kingdom of Daventry”. Noteably several other marketing synopses also share similar wording “Return to the Kingdom of Daventry…/…returns players to the Kingdom of Daventry…”

Demo Summary

Note: The demo summary is a Developer's Description (possibly from original demo website). It often included with archives of the KQ8 demos and appears paraphrase The Tale, as original links to demo website are no longer available it’s not clear on original source of these notes. It may be based on earlier version of the tale from the earlier version of the website, which an archive no longer exists.