Tanalore (KQGS)

Tanalore is a land in King's Quest: Adventures of Graham. Its name is inspired by the name of the continent and city of Tanalore that appears in The King's Quest Companion, though its context has been reimagined as a land near Daventry. Tanalore appears in King's Quest Chapter V: Once Upon a Climb and King's Quest Chapter IV: Snow Place Like Home, and is foreshadowed in earlier chapters.

Background

Tanalore appears to be the southern region and beach of the same continent where Daventry is located nearest to the Enchanted Isles (KQGS), bordering the sea of Neptune's Kingdom. It lies to the West (KQGS) of Daventry.

Beautiful Tanalore is a place known for its local delicacy: serpent-skin-wrapped frog-dogs.

Chester and Muriel Hobblepots have visited there (Muriel may even have originated from there).

Chester and Muriel like taking weekend trips to Tanalore.

Chester believes his heart belongs there, being so enamored in its cuisine.

It may also be the location of fantastic retirement communities (as rumored to be mentioned in brochures).

Whales apparently live off the coast.

Chester and Muriel later retired there, and built their home inland from the shore.

Tanalore is home to jungle goblins, goblins that wear grass skirts. There once was a civilization that lived there that deforage its ruins with tiki heads and guarded a magical Hourglass filled with Slow Sand.

Geography

Tanalore shore is a tropical oasis in a desert (perhaps near the southwestern edge of the Infinite Desert which has similar sandstone bluffs).

It is place of red sandstone bluffs, and yellow sand beaches, and jungle. However its not without its dangers, as pits of quicksand have trapped unwary adventurers leading them their doom. High above the jungle on the sandstone bluffs a mechanical bridge is used to cross a chasm between sections of the shoreline. Inland from the shore one can find a tranquil blue pool filled with rocks to hop across to reach other side.

Tropical Tanalore lies to the West (KQGS) (or perhaps more accurately southwest) of Daventry near Scandia (and to the west of Avalon (KQGS), on the same island/continent.

If Graham had married Vee (KQGS), Neese had remained in Tanalore to live, and the tropical jungle froze over as she began to turn into the Ice Queen, Icebella (KQGS).

Locations

• Tanalore shore
• Hobblepots Beach
• Goblin Beach and Cliff
• Quicksand
• Tanalore Chasm
• Rockhop Pool
• Ice Palace (KQGS) (Ice Labyrinth and Ice Tower)

Note: If Graham is on the Vee romance path, the trip to Tanalore is after Avalon, and there is an extra area the Rockhop Pool to cross.

Behind the scenes

Tanalore is inspired by the name of a land/continent/city that first appeared in The King's Quest Companion.

The exact context of Tanalore has been changed, to no longer a continent, but being attached to the south of Daventry (as Acorn implies in ch 3), not very far Daventry, but is also very close to Kolyma. In chapter 4 if you had Vee, it is confirmed to be a land west of Daventry on the same continent/island.

• In Chapter 1 depending on your actions Tanalore maybe mentioned by the Hobblepots. It finally appears briefly in chapter 3 as one one of the regions to the south of Daventry near to or as part of the Enchanted Isles. It seems to be close to Enchanted Isles as throughout the chapter the tower moves about Kolyma and possibly the land of Avalon (see Squirrel Ruins), and Hobblepots mention seeing it in the distance out in the sea from Tanalore.
• In ch 3, in a cut line Knight #2 would have referred to magic carpets and soaring to Tanalore if you try to offer him the carpet #3 was standing on.

Tanalore received a couple of mentions in a short discussion in King's Quest Chapter 2 Rubble Without a Cause script between the Hobblepots, which plays when they are full health and idle. The reference is somewhat 'random' and out of context of any previous reference, but its possible that the reference to serpent skins is a reference to KQ3, and frogs (frog-dogs) maybe a reference to KQ4. This however seems unlikely of chapter 3 in which it appears the food was just forshadowing.

It would have been mentioned again in a conversation with Acorn. Although it appears Acorn and the other comment was cut.

Acorn (KQC2):So I hear there are fantastic retirement communities in Tanalore. I have a brochure back at home.

These are perhaps one of the first references within new King's Quest series that originated from the King's Quest Companion. (Other than a possible usage of Great Mountains in chapter 1) But these references lack much context.

This may also be a link to Acorn being the son of the Hobblepots, and that he's suggesting that they move there to retire. Acorn's connection to the Hobblepots either directly or indirectly may never be answered, as his plot line may be completely absent from future episodes.

Beyond this some of the references in KQC2 may link back to elements known about Tanalore from the original games and Companion. The reference to "brochure" maybe a reference to Ten Days in Tamir (travel guide), retirement communities might be a reference to the fact that retired fisherman and his wife life in Tamir. Serpent skins maybe a reference to the serpent skin found in the desert near Llewdor (KQ3), and reference to frogs might be a reference to Frog Pond and/or Swamp near Tamir (in KQ4, where frogs could be seen or heard). However, if so the references are completely out of context as seen in chapter 3. Beyond that elements of desert, and possibly marshy jungle areas coicidently link it back to the Great Western Desert, and Tamir Swamp (but it bears no resembalance to either location).

Based on the pun war between Graham and Vee, Vee emphasizes the pronunciation of "desert" as in a dry region in place of "desert" to leave some one behind. This along with the quicksand may suggest Tanalore is in a desert region.

The Tanalore river section only appears if the player is romancing Vee through the game.

The directions of the camera shots while in Tanalore are confusing. Its mentioned that they traveled 'west' along the beach looking for the Hourglass, however camera wise they walk to the right with the beach on their right. At one point they go 'inland' to find the artifact.

Chapter 4

Depending on which princess you saved in Chapter 3, the location of the Ice Palace (KQGS) is either in Tanalore, or in Avalon (KQGS). Tanalore is confirmd to be on the same continent as Daventry and lies roughly to the 'west' (southwest) and can be reached by road.