King's Quest Omnipedia
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Owen was a great magician, and owner of the Floating Castle, and former wielder of Telgrin's Staff. He was the father of Princess Lydia.

Background[]

Owen was once a king, a magician and a scholar. He had the love of a beautiful and gracious woman. When she died of an accident--that Owen could not forestall--he lost heart, and could no longer attend to the affairs of his kingdom. He built the floating castle--investing it with powerful and singular magic--enabling it to sail from place to place on the wind. He then set forth with his daughter in order to explore the length and breadth of the world.[1]

He later chose to train Telgrin a lad in his scullery, choosing to take him on as an apprentice. Over six years, he trained the lad in the secrets of magic, and the castle. But the lad was treacherous, and attempted to kill Owen by chopping off his head, and stole his staff of power. However, not even death could keep him down. Owen joined the ranks of undeath with just his own force of will.

Since Telgrin couldn't destroy him, he had him locked him up in the castle dungeons, and then took over the castle. He spent ten long years there, before Alexander discovered him, and after a small discussion, Owen asked that his staff be returned to him. After Alexander's success at retrieving the staff, he returned the staff and freed him, and Owen used his source of magic to levitate his head just above his neck and shoulders.

He asked that Alexander not tell his Daughter he was alive or about the fact of his undeath. Owen then left the dungeons and proceeded to battle Telgrin for the castle in the courtyard above. He told Alexander to save his daughter, and take her from the castle, and told him about the Golden Pin that controlled the castle's movement and landing. He told Alexander to get rid of the pin (so the castle could no longer land), and escape the castle with his Daughter as it lifted into the sky. Alexander last saw Owen and Telgrin's battle as he escaped the castle with Lydia and Cyril. Lydia saw her father, and knew it was him, but accepted his fate. The castle along with Owen and Telgrin then floated away, and they were never seen again.[2]

Titles and nicknames[]

  • King Owen

Behind the scenes[]

Owen seems to be inspired by stories such as the Canterville Ghost, the Headless Earl, headless horseman and the Dullahan, and other similar headless ghost stories.

References[]

  1. KQTFC, 142
  2. TFC, 141-147, 160, 198, 199, 203, 210, 215, 224, 229, 236-243, 252-260, 263-265, 267-271, 285
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