King's Quest

This article is about the series. For the first installment, see King's Quest: Quest for the Crown. For the upcoming game, see King's Quest (video game).

King's Quest
File:Kings Quest Logo.png "King's Quest" Logo
Genre(s)	Adventure
Developer(s)	Sierra Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Sierra Entertainment
Creator(s)	Roberta Williams
First release	King's Quest: Quest for the Crown May 10, 1984
Latest release	King's Quest TBA 2013

King's Quest is an adventure game series created by the American software company Sierra Entertainment. It is widely considered a classic series from the golden era of adventure games. Following the success of its first installment, the series was primarily responsible for building the reputation of Sierra. Roberta Williams, co-founder and former co-owner of Sierra, designed all of the King's Quest games. The first game was released in 1984, and the latest came in 1998, although in February 2011 it was announced that the series will be rebooted by Telltale Games.

The King's Quest series chronicles the saga of the royal family of the Kingdom of Daventry through their various trials and adventures. The story takes place over two generations and across many lands, including Daventry, Kolyma, Llewdor, Tamir, Serenia, Eldritch, Etheria, Land of the Green Isles, Realm of the Dead, The Swamp, Dimension of Death, Underground Realm of the Gnomes, Barren Region, Frozen Reaches, Paradise Lost, and Realm of the Sun.

Description

The world of King's Quest encompasses many different kingdoms and supernatural realms. Technologically, the series pioneered the use of animation and pseudo-3D environments in graphic adventure games, so that the main character could, for example, walk behind objects on-screen.

The main characters in the series are King Graham, originally a knight of Daventry who won the throne of the kingdom through questing, and members of his family: his wife Queen Valanice and his twin son and daughter, Prince Alexander and Princess Rosella. The exception is King's Quest: Mask of Eternity, where the protagonist is Connor of Daventry, a tanner from the Kingdom of Daventry who is unrelated to the royal family although in the opening sequence there is a brief moment where King Graham is shown and Connor later visits Castle Daventry and sees the King's statue form.

Many famous fictional characters make appearances in the series, including Beauty and the Beast, Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood and Count Dracula. They are featured most prominently in the earlier games, which focus on solving item-based puzzles in a fantasy setting. The later sequels have more elaborate story lines, more complicated puzzles, and more original and well-developed characters.

The primary way in which characters solve puzzles and advance through the game is by using items found earlier in the game and stored in their inventory. Even the most apparently useless item (a dead fish, a rotten tomato, or an old board) can have an unexpected and creative purpose in the right situation. King Graham's famous dictum, "Take anything that isn't nailed down," is generally a good rule of thumb, as is the fan addendum "And if it is nailed down, look for loose nails, or solve the nail-removing puzzle." When a situation looks completely impassable, a good idea is often to leave it and come back later with new items. Other puzzles include the mapping of labyrinths, deserts, or other inhospitable places; solving riddles; and tasks involving the use of logic or lateral thinking skills. People who play King's Quest should expect their characters to die rather frequently (due to the difficulty of many of the puzzles and encountering situations for which the character is not yet ready) and should use the "Save Game" option accordingly. Some parts of the game can only be solved by saving and restoring a character many times. Another important strategy is to use all one's character's senses to gather all the information available: look, listen, smell, taste, or touch whenever possible.

Series

Main titles:

• Wizard and the Princess (1980) / Adventure in Serenia (1982)
• King's Quest: Quest for the Crown (1984)
• King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne (1985)
• King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human (1986)
• King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella (1988)
• King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! (1990)
• King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992)
• King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride (1994)
• King's Quest: Mask of Eternity (aka King's Quest VIII) (1998)
• King's Quest IX (2013)

Other titles:

• King's Quest: Quest for the Crown for the Sega Master System (1989)
• King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (1990 - enhanced Sierra's Creative Interpreter remake)
• King's Quest V for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1992)
• King's Questions, a King's Quest trivia game (1994)

Geography

Castle Daventry, the opening scene from King's Quest: Quest for the Crown

The region in which the first game takes place has no boundaries. Sir Graham can travel north, south, east, or west, but no matter what direction he goes, he will eventually loop back to the same screen where he began. This is the easiest way of programming a closed gamespace. King's Quest II, III, and parts of IV held on to this design, albeit in a more limited manner. The looping takes place only when the character goes north or south. Geographical barriers such as the sea, mountains, or deserts serve as boundaries to the east and west. The desert boundary in III was partially looped in one direction, one could continually travel west almost endlessly, until succumbing to dehydration. However, the player would become lost, and traveling east could lead to endless desert screens, until the magic map was used to return back to the main map..

In I-IV one could sometimes see elements of the next screen to the north in the distance. This gave the illusion that each location was connected to the next seamlessly despite the fact land was looping.

It was less defined in earlier games. In I the elements were the castle in the distance and some views of the rivers (most other areas were obscured by hills and trees). In II and IV this phenomenon was primarily seen along the beach (as trees and hills tended to block view inland). In IV one could see various elements scattered throughout various screens, such as the fisherman's shack, the pool, the old mansion, the ogre cottage, and river, in the distance in certain screens. For example, from the first screen the player begins the game they can see small cliffs to the north (the next screen is those cliffs). Traveling one screen north, one can see the Fisherman's shack in the distance (the next screen is the shack). One screen north of the fisherman's shack, one can see the river in the distance (the same river from the first screen). Heading east one screen from the back of the shack, one can see the pool in the distance (the pool is the next screen).

However, in III, it created an interesting situation. The magic map, for example, shows the topography for Llewdor. It showed the Village of Llewdor and Three Bear's house as being south of Manannan's house (which is also supported by some of the in-game descriptions of each screen). One can see the mountain to the north from the Three Bear's house, supporting the topography in the magic map. Yet from Manannan's mountain, one would see the both the village and Bear's house to the north of the mountain.

According to the manual for the King's Quest IBM, this phenomenon was described as such; "Daventry's world has a three-dimensional quality about it, places "wrap around" like countries on a globe. Imagine Daventry as a country so large it bends around the world."

The looping is also physically in the world's descriptions and artwork, as sections that connect to each other (such as the Raging River in KQ1) are often contain elements of the northern screen that can be seen in the distance (in KQ1 east and west edges had elements of next screen). For example in KQ2, areas such as the beach, the chasm, and the poisonous lake are made up of areas that take up several screens from north to south (visually connecting to each). Each of these areas when compared to each other are staggered with the beach lying somewhat north or south of the lake, and chasm screens lying both north and south of the lake. So no matter how someone may attempt to set boundaries, elements of the map will always be split in some way, with part of the landmark appearing in the north, and part of it appearing in the south. So if for instance boundaries included the chasm and poison lake, the beach is cut in half. If the boundaries include the beach and the poison lake, the chasm is cut in half. If the boundaries include the beach and the chasm, the poison lake is cut in half. In another example KQ4, putting boundary edges near the definable boundaries south of Lolotte's Castle (a rocky wall), and north of the Skull Cave (another rocky wall), ends up splitting Genesta's Island in half.

The 'wrap around' has affected the drawn artwork maps and diagrams in strategy guides and hint books. For example, various maps were drawn for the King's Quest Companion's first three editions, which tried to portray the various lands of the first four games. The looping caused each artist to portray the edges of their maps differently, and thus locations were shown in different places on each map. The maps drawn for KQ3 more or less stuck to the geography defined by the magic map. The KQ1 maps show the most dramatic differences in interpretation. For example, the Door into Mountain being shown as being part of a mountain range in two of the maps, and as a central mountain in the third. The looping situation has been explained in The King's Quest Companion (retroactive continuity) by saying that the character is trapped in the region magically, magical law of "containment".

Beginning with KQ V, looping was eliminated and all game regions had boundaries in all four directions. Where physical boundaries didn't exist, expanses such as an endless desert or the ocean were used where the character would usually be killed or die if they traveled too far.

Mythology

Much of King's Quest was inspired by fairy tales, which designer Roberta Williams loved reading. Many creatures, characters and situations from mythology, fairy tales, and folklore are encountered within the world of King's Quest. A Minotaur, Pegasus, Pan, Pandora, Charon, Cupid, Ceres, Druids, Harpies, Oracles, Poseidon, Medusa, Fates, Djinn, Azrael, Goliath, and the Graeae appear in various games in the series. In general, the mythology and cultures of the King's Quest world is derived from that of the Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Egyptian, Arabic, Biblical, Mesopotamian, and Celts.

Many of the puzzle solutions are inspired by various tales (so a player with knowledge of the stories beforehand would have an advantage).

Magic plays a large role in the King's Quest series. Wizards, witches, enchanters, sorcerers, and genies appear throughout. In some of the games (most prominently in KQIII), the main character must use magic spells or items to achieve a goal.

The concept of the King's Quest series was derived from ideas first established in Wizard and the Princess (Adventure in Serenia) which was an early forerunner of the series. The game versions followed the exploits of unnamed hero known only as the "wanderer", in later versions said to be a time traveler from the future. The game's connection to the King's Quest series led to its inclusion as one of the King's Quest trivia questions. The fifth King's Quest game marked a return to Serenia, the land first seen during the game. The game's backstory was further tied into the King's Quest history through The King's Quest Companion. According to the Companion, in various periods of history people from the real world withdrew to Daventry, which explains how historical and mythical elements exist there.

In most of the series, it is said that the games take place, 'a long time ago', in a time when mermaids and unicorns existed.

Well, yeah, King's Quest is on Earth. Daventry is very old city from a long time ago. It's in ruins now and people aren't quite sure exactly where it used to be. There are some archaeologists searching through the ruins, they think they know it's Daventry. But it's somewhere on Earth.

— Roberta Williams, Mask of Eternity TalkSpot Interview, Part 1, December 9, 1998 (1:20:40 to 1:59:58)

In The King's Quest Companion, the series takes place in a parallel universe.

The Quest

The "King's Quest" (for which the series takes its name) often involves the hero saving the king of Daventry or becoming a king during the adventure. To save Daventry often involves adventuring in other lands. Often the quest is given to the protagonist through the realm's magic mirror (the first game involves obtaining the magic mirror, that becomes an important feature in the later games).

In King's Quest I, the young knight Sir Graham is sent on a quest to find three treasures to save King Edward and his kingdom. He became the new king in the process. During the journey Graham finds the magic mirror, one of the treasures, it also shows him he will be the new king. In King's Quest II, the quest is for the new king to find his queen (he learned about through the magic mirror), and save her so that there will be heirs to the kingdom. The fifth game returns to the king, in his attempt to save his kingdom and family from an evil wizard (this is the first game which doesn't include the magic mirror).

The 3rd and 4th games do not star a king, but involve the protagonists who ultimately end up saving King Graham and/or the kingdom from threats such as a dragon and untimely death. Gwydion is portrayed as a poor slave and peasant of Llewdor, who ultimately discovers he is the long lost son of the king Graham (Alexander), and discovers he has a sister. After he saves his sister (Rosella) and father from the ravages of the dragon (and restoring the magic mirror), she travels to another land (after learning about it through the magic mirror) on a quest to save her father, the king.

King's Quest VI follows Alexander's attempt to save his true love, marry her, and ultimately becoming king of the Land of the Green Isles. The magic mirror pointed him in the right direction to finding the kingdom.

King's Quest VIII is similar to King's Quest I, in that it involves a young knight attempting to save the king Graham (who stands in place of Edward), his queen Valanice, and the kingdom of Daventry from harm. Again the magic mirror shares a prominent role telling of the doom that befell the kingdom.

King's Quest VII is the only game in the series that does not involve King Graham (he is missing entirely from the story), Castle Daventry, or saving the kingdom of Daventry (only a small portion of the land is shown briefly in the introduction), nor the magic mirror. Rather, the plot involves the protagonists Valanice and Rosella attempting to save another land. Rosella ultimately finds a romantic interest with the implication that she may be married in the future (perhaps continuing the family line).

Good and evil

In the series, the player, as the main character, always plays on the side of that which is right and fair. King Graham, Queen Valanice, Prince Alexander, Princess Rosella, and Connor strive to serve the greater good. The main character is often motivated by a desire to protect his or her loved ones or protect the innocent from evil. The villains of the series have been characters who threatened the safety of Daventry or sought to rule other kingdoms as tyrants. In the first seven games of the series, emphasis is placed upon avoiding violence whenever possible. Many of the villains are not killed but instead are magically imprisoned or otherwise neutralized. Sometimes, especially in the earlier entries, there are multiple methods of defeating adversaries. When dealing with adversaries who are dangerous but not necessarily evil, non-lethal methods are always rewarded with more points and sometimes more tangible rewards too (most notably the snake in King's Quest II). Still, violent methods are used against certain villains. In KQ1, Graham pushes the witch into a burning stove or cauldron. In KQII, he kills Dracula with a wood stake. In KQ3, Alexander slays the three-headed dragon. In KQIV, Rosella kills Lolotte with a love arrow. In KQV, Graham kills a Yeti (indirectly, by causing it to fall over a cliff), and he also kills Mordack during a magical duel. In KQVI, Alexander uses a red scarf to cause the minotaur to fall into a pit of fire. This drastically changes in King's Quest VIII, where every villain the player encounters is killed with the exception of Lucreto, who cannot be killed and is therefore banished into the Abyss.

Characters of the King's Quest series

Protagonists

• Graham: A knight of the realm during the first game, and then King from its finale onwards. He is husband of Valanice, father of King Alexander of The Green Isles, and Rosella.
• Valanice: Graham's love interest during the second game, at the end of which, she marries him and therefore becomes queen of Daventry. Between the end of KQ2 and the beginning of KQ3, she bears Graham two children, Alexander and Rosella. Valanice's name is inspired by the character Queen Balanice in the story Rosanella in the Green Fairy Book. Elements of her backstory in KQ2 are a combination of Rapunzel and according to the King's Quest Companion she is the daughter of a miller (much like the queen in Rumplestiltskin).
• Alexander: Son of Graham and Valanice. Alexander was kidnapped as an infant by the evil wizard Mannannan, and was raised as a slave named Gwydion. He eventually discovered his heritage and escaped from Mannannan. He met and fell in love with Cassima, princess of the Land of the Green Isles, and later rescued and married her. He now rules the Green Isles with Cassima. Alexander's nickname Gwydion is taken from the character in Welsh mythology of the same name, Gwydion ap Don.
• Rosella: Daughter of Graham and Valanice, and twin sister of Alexander. She was to be a sacrifice for the three-headed dragon that invaded Daventry, but was rescued by her long lost brother. She later went on her own quest to save her father's life. Rosella's name is inspired by the name of the character from the story Rosanella in the Green Fairy Book.
• Connor: A lowly tanner, painter and knight of Daventry (much like the young Sir Graham). Though not of noble birth, he rises above his lowly status to save his kingdom and the world, becoming a great hero in the process. Connor is the subject of several ancient prophecies concerning saving the world. Over the course of the adventure he earns many titles based on his fulfillment of prophecy and/or deeds, these include; Champion, Sir Champion, The One, Chosen One, Champion of Champions, Champion Eternal, The Deliver, Enlightened One, Incorruptible One, Champion of Light, Upholder, True Upholder, Upholder of Law and Order, Victorious One, Exalted One, Champion of Righteousness, Righteous One, Anointed One, and Sir Knight.
• Rumplestiltskin: The wizened gnome has helped the royal family on several occasions. When Graham first encountered him, he wanted the knight to give his name backwards. He appears in KQ1, KQ3, and KQ5. He is based on the classic fairy tale character of the same name.
• Genesta: Genesta is a good fairy, a queen of the fairies, and ruler of Tamir. Her powers and life energy are tied to a talisman she wears around her neck. Genesta is based on the character of the same name from the fairy tale, the "Heart of Ice" from the Green Fairy Book.
• Cedric: Cedric is the owl familiar to the wizard Crispin. Some believe he may be Archimedes living under an assumed identity. Cedric is inspired by Archimedes, Merlin's owl familiar, he is also similar to Dr. Watson's role to Sherlock Holmes, and the mechanical owl given to Perseus by Athena to aid him on his quest.
• Crispin: Crispinophur is a good wizard of the land of Serenia, and the leading member of the Society of Wizards. Some believe he and his owl Cedric are Merlin and Archimedes living under assumed identities. Crispin is based on the absent-minded Merlin from The Once and Future King.
• Edgar: Son of the fairies Oberon and Titania, and foster of (and kidnapped) son of Lolotte. When he was kidnapped, he was transformed in a hideous green hunchback. He fell in love with Princess Rosella, and later aided in her escape - which also led to the subsequent death of Lolotte. He was later transformed back into his human form by Genesta. He reunited with Rosella when he tried to find her way back to Daventry from the fairy world.
• Cassima: Former princess of the Land of the Green Isles. She was kidnapped by the evil wizard Mordack, but was rescued by King Graham. She fell in love with his son, Alexander, and was later rescued by and married him. She now rules as Queen of the Green Isles with Alexander. Her name is inspired by the character Cassim, the brother of Ali Baba.
• Derek Karlavaegen: Author of the Guidebook To the Land of the Green Isles. He also wrote several articles and chapters in the King's Quest Companion. Derek Karlavaegen moved into Manannan's house shortly after Alexander escaped. Inside the library he discovered a strange device called the "The Eye Between the Worlds", that allowed him to send documents to the computers of twentieth-century earth. Derek originated as a character in the King's Quest Companion, and was incorporated into the KQ6 documentation.
• Gerwain (or Gervain): The royal Prime Minister of Daventry, seeing his liege's melancholy he called together a great banquet drawing together all the eligible maidens of the kingdom. Later in life, following his bad advice to sacrifice the maidens to the three-headed dragon, he was dismissed from his duties. However, he left amicable, and took up his dream to become a mushroom farmer. Gerwain is first mentioned in KQ2 manual, and is the author of the KQ2 chronicle in the King's Quest Companion.
• King Edward the Benevolent: The previous king of Daventry when Graham was a knight. He tasked Graham with retrieving Daventry's three lost treasures with the throne as Graham's reward. Edward died shortly after Graham returned after completing his quest. Edward later reappeared before Graham in the magic mirror to tell him he needed to find a wife, before he ended up like Edward without an heir.
• Wanderer: A time traveling barbarian, sent into the past by the defeated Harlin the Malevolent (in an attempt to prevent his own defeat). He is challenged to defeat the evil wizard, who tells him of his defeat by the one he simply knew as 'the wanderer', and believes if he sends back the challenger from the future, he can prevent his own demise. The wanderer is given a few words of hope by an image of Princess Priscilla, and told he is 'the wanderer'. The happy wanderer entered the nearby village of Serenia, where he heard the decree from the town crier that King George IV, was offering half the kingdom, and princess's hand for her rescue. The wanderer began his journey, crossing deserts, forests, the ocean, and the Great Mountains to reach the evil wizard's castle. After defeating the wizard (who had turned into a bird), by turning into a cat and eating him; He rescued the princess, returned to the village of Serenia, and received a junior-master adventure certificate. He then turned down the king's offer, traveled into the desert, and died of thirst (a reference to the skeleton in KQ5).
• Priscilla: Priscilla is the daughter of King George IV of Serenia, she was once kidnapped by the evil wizard Harlin and taken to his land beyond he Great Mountains. She was able to communicate to the Wanderer magically sending him advice and offering a little help. The wizard turned her into a frog. After the wanderer rescued her she returned home to Serenia. After the wanderer turned her down for marriage, she went on to marry someone else, and became the Queen of Serenia. She and her husband ruled the kingdom both with kindness and an iron fist.

Villains

There are various villains in the official games.

• Dahlia: The wicked witch that stole the Magic Chest taking it to the Land in the Clouds. She is a shapeshifter and tricked King Edward into marrying her. On their wedding night she took the keys to the treasury, and made off with the chest. She lives in a gingerbread house and terrorized Daventry. Graham sneaked into her house, when she returned, he pushed her into her own oven. Originally she was a nameless wicked witch in the original King's Quest (with no ties to the story), but in the release for the IBM, she was given the name Dahlia (according to the manual). In the game he is only referred to as the 'wicked witch'. She is the only villain that can be killed in KQ1 (to gain full points). She is based on the Gingerbread Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West (her theme music is taken from The Wizard of Oz).
• Giant: The witless though no-neccesarily-evil minion of Dahlia. She convinced him to guard the Chest of Gold for her. Graham had the choice of killing him with a sling and stone, or simply waiting for him to fall asleep so he could simply take the chest. He chose the latter. He is later seen attending Graham's wedding in KQ2. He is based on Goliath, and the giant encountered in Jack and the Beanstalk or Jack the Giant Killer.
• Troll: The Troll was an evil forest troll guarding the bridges in the Land of Daventry. He required treasures from those who would want to pass. He met his end when he was knocked off one of the brides by a goat. Another evil cave-dwelling troll appeared in KQ4, and a good race of trolls appears in KQ7.
• Hagatha: An evil, cannibalistic witch and the sister of Manannan and Mordack. Out of jealousy, she imprisoned Valanice in the Quartz Tower in King's Quest II. She lived in a cave near the coast of Kolyma and was never defeated by King Graham in the original Kings Quest II. She appears at Graham's wedding at the end of the game. According to the King's Quest Companion, she later disappeared from Kolyma soon after her brother kidnapped Alexander from Daventry. The writer worries that Hagatha and a cured Manannan may be together again plotting revenge. Much of Hagatha's story is inspired by the character of Dame Gothel from the fairy tale "Rapunzel".

• Count Dracula the evil count and ruler of vampires in Kolyma. Dracula's Castle is on an island in the middle of a poisoned lake. He and his minions are at odds with the monks living nearby. A monk gives Graham a cross to protect him from the vampire (after they pray together). Graham receives Dracula's ring and black cloak from Granny, which tricks the Boatman and ghosts of Dracula's Castle, allowing him inside the castle. According to the King's Quest Companion he withdrew from the other world along with his castle. It is suggested by Derek Karlavaegen that he may not even be a supernatural vampire, but rather the last surviving member of the 'lizardfolk' a race evolved from both chameleons and bats (and which silver is a deadly poison). He is the only villain that can be killed in KQ2 (much like the 'wicked witch' in KQ1). However, true evil cannot be fully destroyed, and Dracula appears Graham's wedding at the end of KQ2. Count Dracula is based on the character of the same name in from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

• Enchanter:An evil sorcerer living in Kolyma. He maybe the same sorcerer who stole the Magic Mirror from the Land of Daventry from King Edward (hiding underground with his guardian dragon), as well as the sorcerer Graham encountered during his adventures obtain the three treasures. He wears the pointed hat designating him to be a member of the Magicians' Guild (the same organization which Manannan is a member). He is a member of the Mystic race. In KQ1, then known as the Sorcerer (in KQ1 remake), he traveled around Daventry, occasionally casting paralysis spells on unsuspecting victims. Later, after Graham banished evil from Daventry, he traveled to Kolyma, where he enchanted Pegasus, turning it into a viper, when he refused to let the wizard ride him. He also wanders Kolyma, looking for victims to enchant, turning them into frogs. The enchanter/sorcerer appears at Graham's wedding at the end of KQ2.

• Dragon: The minion of the sorcerer, who tricked King Edward in giving up the Magic Mirror. He was set up to guard the mirror in the Dragon's Lair below the Ancient Well in Daventry. Graham defeated by putting out its flames with a bucket of water, rather than killing it. The Dragon later attended Graham's wedding in KQ2.

• The Dwarf: The title of the individual who cheated Edward out of the magic shield, claiming to have a special root who could heal his wife. He was known to have taken the shield down a hole, and was never seen again; the shield ended up in the Leprechaun King's throne. Graham encounters the Dwarf, a sneaky thief who tries to steal Graham's treasures (pathways in the mountain leading to the Land of the Clouds). According to the King's Quest Companion he apparently has a wife, and it confirms that the Dwarf who appears in Kolyma is the same character, where he lives: He appears at Graham's wedding at the end of KQ2.

• Leprechaun King: King of the Leprechauns in the Land of the Leprechauns near Daventry. He became the guardian of the Magic Shield that the Dwarf stole. He later attended Graham's wedding in KQ2.

• Manannan: An old, twisted and evil wizard who had the custom of kidnapping infant boys and training them as his servants only to kill them at age 18. He is member of the Magicians' Guild. For many years he reigned as the absolute ruler of the land of Llewdor, and under his leadership brigands, thieves and the like prospered. Manannan made a fatal error, however, in the choosing of his final servant, a baby boy whom he named Gwydion (who later was found to actually be Alexander, Prince of Daventry and current king of the Land of the Green Isles). Gwydion was able to escape the clutches of Manannan and, learning several magic spells, turn Manannan into a cat. King Graham later encountered him in Mordack's castle, and captured him in sack of peas. After the defeat of his brother Mordack at the hands of King Graham of Daventry, Manannan was never seen or heard from again and his fate remains unknown. King's Quest Companion speculates that he may have clawed his way out of the sack Graham put him in, and may have even affected a cure for his feline condition. It goes on to suggest that he and Hagatha may be together again plotting revenge. Manannan is based on the wizard of the same name of Celtic myth, Manannan Mac Lir.

• Three-Headed Dragon: An evil beast that demanded the sacrifice of young maidens in Daventry. Its last demand was for the princess, Rosella. She was brought up the mountain into the Clouddand where she was tied to a stake. Lightning was required to kill this creature, and it was Alexander's storm brew spell that did the deed. Manannan enjoyed watching the destruction of the dragon from afar, although he nor his brother were likely the ones who summoned the creature.
• Lolotte: An evil fairy, and false ruler of the land of Tamir. She was once an evil fairie from Etheria. She was cast out of Etheria for treachery and wicked deeds. Before leaving though, she kidnapped the baby Edgar (the Prince of Fairies) in revenge for the banishment. She moved into Tamir, and corrupted Edgar's appearance, and tried to twist his mind. He grew up being told she was his mother (and that his father was a human). His parents searched for years but never found him. Years later, she showed her true self and stole a talisman from Genesta, ruler of Tamir and Queen of the Fairies there, in an attempt to gain more power and the rule of Tamir for herself. The talisman was the source of Genesta's powers and her life force. She also sought Genesta's gold egg-laying chicken, a Unicorn, and the fabled artifact "Pandora's Box" in order to rule the world by unleashing its terrible evil. She was 'apparently' killed with Cupid's arrow by Princess Rosella of Daventry. Upon her death she vowed that she would return somehow and take revenge on Rosella (leading to some believing she might have a way of returning to take revenge according to King's Quest Companion). After her death, Edgar's appearance was cured by Genesta, and Genesta returned to ruling the country. Some have thought Lolotte is a sister of Genesta, Malicia and Titania, and related to Edgar, but this was not the case according to references in King's Quest VII, and the backstory notes printed in various official hint guides which state she is not actually related to any of the noble family of Etheria (or Genesta); Edgar states in KQ7 that he knew somehow he wasn't related to her, and Oberon calls her an "evil faerie" and gives no direct ties to himself or Titania, nor does Titania give any indication of her having any connection to Lolotte. The character's name originates from a character of the same name in the story "Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida" in the Green Fairy Book, crossed with the wicked witch of the west in The Wizard of Oz

• Witch of the Dark Forest: She is an evil hag, who lives in a strange tower made from a gnarled tree in the Dark Forest near Serenia. She enjoys turning victims who get lost in her forest into frogs and toads, if they aren't killed by other denizens of the forest first. Her worst action was to kidnap Princess Alicia. Before he could save her, she banished Alicia's fiance, Prince Herbert to another part of the world. He took Alicia to Serenia, near the Dark Forest, where she stole her heart turning it to gold, and turned the princess into a weeping willow tree, with nothing but her harp to keep her companion. The witch locked the golden heart into a tree in her forest and hid the key in her tower. Herbert was forced to search the world over, never knowing where the witch had taken his darling. After Graham was brought to Serenia, he met Herbert (who had come to the land looking for his fiance) and the Willow and learned of their plight. After obtaining magical protection, he journeyed to the witch's forest. He tricked the witch into opening a bottle containing an devil djinn, who trapped her in the bottle for the next 500 years. He discovered the witch's key, found the heart, and ultimately broke the curse, and reunited the two lovers. The witch and her story is based largely on Dame Gothel from "Rapunzel" (though the story has been changed a bit).

• Mordack: A sinister and powerful wizard, who is the brother of Manannan and Hagatha. He inhabits a large castle on an island to the east of the shores of Serenia. Mordack was the "friend" (according to Cassima) and master of the former Vizier of the Green Isles, Abdul Alhazred Through his relationship with Alhazred, Mordack was able to meet Cassima, princess of that land. He expressed his wishes to marry Cassima, and when she refused, he kidnapped her, brought her to his island, and put her to work as a scullery girl. He is a member of the Society of Wizards, who put him on suspension several times due to his abuse of power, but it never did him any good. In the opening of King's Quest V, Mordack casts a spell on the royal family and castle of Daventry in an attempt to avenge his older brother Manannan. Having shrunk them, he then places them into a glass jar in his possession. He plans to feed them to Manannan, who had been turned into a cat by Prince Alexander in King's Quest III. King Graham, the only member of the royal family who escaped Mordack's evil spell, later infiltrated Mordack's castle and saved his family and Cassima, using some newly-learned magic spells to kill Mordack in the process. Mordack is not specifically stated to be a member of the Society of the Black Cloak within KQ6, but is connected to both Shadrack and the Abdul Alhazred via a letter (he is also connected to the Vizier via a few lines in KQ5).

• Abdul Alhazred: The Vizier of the Land of the Green Isles and minion of the Mordack He came to the Green Isles and impressed the King and Queen, Caliphim and Allaria, with his intelligence and knowledge. Exploiting the King's desire for a male heir, he gained the King's absolute trust and was named Vizier, in charge of the day-to-day running of the kingdom. Cunning and nefarious, he sought to rule that kingdom and towards that end had the Princess kidnapped by the wizard Mordack. Shortly after her kidnapping, he murdered the King and Queen, claiming that they had died of heartbreak over Cassima's disappearance. With the help of his all powerful genie, Shamir Shamazel, he created feuds and bitterness between the four other islands of the Land of the Green Isles in order to isolate them from one another, thus allowing him to commit his evil acts without much resistance. He instigated these feuds by having his genie rob the islands of their most prized possessions and spread rumors of the other islands' involvement in the thefts. After the rescue of Cassima, he imprisoned her against her will within the Palace of the Green Isles, pretending she was sequestered in mourning for her parents. He made preparations to fake a marriage to Cassima by staging a wedding with his genie playing her role. He also arranged for the subsequent murder of Cassima, which would grant him total control of the Land of the Green Isles. His plot was eventually foiled by Prince Alexander with help from Captain Saladin (captain of the guard who was suspicious and helped after reading a letter showing the truth) and the resurrected King and Queen in the long path's ending. Also, Jollo the Court Clown helped out in the long path's ending by supplying the genie's bottle. Alhazred was imprisoned by the guards of the Green Isles after being defeated by Alexander and Cassima in a swordfight. In the short path's ending, Captain Saladin says that he was banished forever from the Land of the Green Isles. According to the King's Quest Companion, Abdul Alhazred wrote the Necronomicon, a dark tome feared throughout Daventry. He is named after the prophet of Cthulhu with the same name from H.P. Lovecraft's short story, "The Call of Cthulhu". Lovecraft's Alhazred was the author of the infamous Necronomicon. He is the only character in the game that is specifically said to be a member of the Black Cloak.

• Shamir Shamazel: A genie in the service of Vizer Abdul Alhazred. Sharing the evil personality of his master, he did his master's evil bidding to cause in-fighting among the islands by disguising himself and stealing each of the islands treasures. Jollo the Clown said that while he usually doesn't kill other people himself, he tends to lure them to their doom. Throughout King's Quest VI he takes on various disguises and tries to lure Alexander to his doom through various traps. He can also be seen spying on Alexander at various points in various forms in which he is recognizable through his glinting eyes. He has a love for peppermint and seems to get drunk or high on it. At the end he takes on Cassima's form in order for Alhazared to marry her, but is exposed depending on the path chosen by either Cassima's parents or Alexander with Beast's mirror. His fate depends on the ending. In the short path you can only destroy him by having him eat peppermint leaves and he destroys himself with an energy ball. In the long path you can destroy him in the same manner, or you can capture him using his lamp stolen by Jollo. Doing turns abuses him to take on turn afire of his new master, turns him to good and he is happy about it as he always wanted a good master but was forced to do the bidding of his evil master. If you destroy him in the long path rather than capture him the ending is slightly different: the people of all of the islands and Alexander's family aren't there for the wedding as they are if you capture him. Apparently if he's captured he uses his powers to bring them all together for the wedding and also repairs the islands ferry. He is at the wedding at the end if captured and happily celebrates Alexander and Cassima's wedding, his powers now being used for good instead of evil.

• Shadrack: Very little is known about Shadrack other than that he is a wizard, and the author of the note found in KQVI. It is known that he has given some advice to Abdul Alhazred concerning capturing the kingdom. He has also played chess with Mordack. He is not specifically said to be a member of the Society within KQ6, but there is an implication that he may be a brother within it. In the King's Quest Companion it is said specifically that he is a member ( "also of that company..."). The Companion also adds that he wanted the body of Cassima dead or alive to fulfill his peculiar interests (if Alhazred hadn't chosen to keep her for himself). It also states that "Shade" is his hidden name for himself. It also mentions that Mordack and Shadrack had plans to set up the destruction of the Land of the Green Isles with Alhazred's help (in KQ6 it's said to be primarily Abdul's plan to become king of the islands, but he has received advice from Shadrack).

• Minotaur: A monster that dwells within the catacombs on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain in the Land of the Green Isles. According to the game's manual, it took a liking to the place and took up residence. At first the Winged Ones tried to retake it, but were ultimately forced to abandon the catacombs to the Minotaur. The Winged Ones bolted the door shut so no one could enter and every year the Minotaur demands of the kingdom a living sacrifice of his choice or he would attack the city. With no other choice, the Winged Ones agreed. The Minotaur entered and exited the catacombs through a secret passage in his lair (which was a secret room hidden behind a tapestry) that led to behind a boulder right next to the main entrance. The Winged Ones Oracle prophesied someone who would climb the Logic Cliffs (something no one had been able to do for centuries), enter the catacombs and defeat the Minotaur. Not long before Prince Alexander of Daventry climbed the cliffs, the Minotaur took the kingdom's Princess Lady Celeste and Alexander went into the catacombs to try to rescue her. The Minotaur was interrupted in his secret lair as he was preparing to dine on Lady Celeste and Prince Alexander killed him by enraging him by waving a red scarf causing the Minotaur to charge him, miss and land in a fire pit where he burned to death. Lady Celeste was recovered unharmed and the catacombs were retaken by the Winged Ones. Not for long however, it's stated in the King's Quest Companion, that soon after another Minotaur took up residence in the catacombs.

• Samhain: The merciless Lord of the Realm of the Dead. Samhain was once a mortal man, but had insulted the gods and was sentenced to rule the Underworld, bound to his throne with great chains. He is a wicked and evil being, who hates all mortals because he lost his own mortality. He spent years watching misery and horror and growing ever more numb to it; the seep of his humanity; and slow growth into a thing altogether, a grotesque figure. He and his thrown had grown together over thousands of years till he could no longer move. Alexander traveled to his realm and challenged him for the souls of Princess Cassima's parents. Alexander won by showing him the Truth of his existence. He had no possibility of redemption, and no end, causing him to shed a single gray tear. Had Alexander lost, Samhain would have taken his soul with cold malice and contempt. Samhain is based largely on eighteenth century ideas of a fictional 'Celtic' 'god of the dead'.

• Malicia: An evil fairie, Titania is her sister, and the Weaver of Dreams is her brother. Years before the events of King's Quest VII, she had attempted to overthrow the land of Etheria but was defeated by Count Vladmir Tsepish, protector of the land of Ooga Booga. On the same night Edgar returned to Etheria, after being discovered in Tamir, she kidnapped him transforming him into an impostor of King Otar. During the events of King's Quest VII, she sought to destroy the realm of Eldrich by activating a volcano, thereby creating new land over its ruins. To achieve her goal, she kidnapped the troll Otar, the king of the Volcanix Underground, and replaced him with Edgar troll. She had her pet, an evil gargoyle, behead Count Tsepish and let an evil undead creature known as the Boogeyman loose on that land. She imprisoned the Lady Mab, the ruler of the Land of Dreams in ice, transformed Attis (the Lord of the Hunt, husband of the harvest goddess Ceres) into a stag and Ceres, mother nature, into an oak tree. She fatally wounded the tree, placing the world in danger because if Ceres died, spring would never come again and the world would be in a state of eternal winter. Malicia was defeated by Princess Rosella of Daventry and through magic was changed into an infant. In her infant form, she was taken in by Queen Titania (Malicia's sister) and her husband Oberon to be raised and given a second chance at goodness.

• Boogeyman: Malicia's lieutenant and guardian over Ooga Booga Land. He lusted over countess of the land Elspeth Tsepish, and took over the land after Malicia's gargoyle killed Vlad Tsepish.

• Gargoyle: Malicia's other minion. He was the one who directly beheaded Vlad Tsepish, turning him into the Headless Horseman. The Gargoyle's part was mostly cut from the game. It remains as an obstacle and guardian of Malicia's house (though most of its backstory is not mentioned in game). Most of its backstory is mentioned in the KQ7 Hintbook by Lorelei Shannon, the Authorized Guide by Peter and Jeremy Spear, and the King's Quest Companion (4th Edition).

• False Troll King: A brainwashed Edgar, who believed he was King Otar Fenris III, the Troll King. The imposter unquestioningly followed Malicia's orders to cause the volcano to erupt to destroy Etheria, and along with it the Realm of Eldritch (the entire world).

• Lucreto: Not much is known about Lucreto except that before his decline into evil he was the head of the Archons, charged with protecting the Mask of Eternity, the Global Icon of Truth, Light and Order. Indeed, Lucreto had been the head Archon, and through use of dark and powerful magics, he shattered the Mask. Its pieces were scattered throughout different parts of the world of Daventry. As a result, Chaos reigned, and creatures of darkness were allowed to roam free in the world. Lucreto was defeated in battle with the hero Connor, whom the Mask had deemed its Champion Eternal, and was plunged into a magic portal. It was stated in the game that Lucreto could not be killed, but that pushing him through the portal to the black Abyss would be the only way to vanquish him forever. Lucreto is given several titles based on his role in the prophecy, these include; The Father, the Pretender, the Master, and the Evil One. For example, he is "The Father" of demons and abominations. Lucreto's character and backstory is inspired by the story of Lucifer.
• Swamp Witch: An evil naga-like witch who lived in a tower in the Swamp near Daventry. One of the pieces of the Mask of Eternity came into possession. Using her cauldron she poisoned much of the Swamp, and weaken and capture King Mudge. She also used the cauldron to spy on others in the world (such as Lucreto). She set guardians to protect the Golden Ladle that was needed to purify her poison. With the poision she was apparently also able travel between waterways of the Swamp and a pond in Daventry, where she stole the horn of a unicorn living there. This cursed the creature into an ugly beast. She also has strange taste in cuisine, and needed the unicorn horn to prepare goblin tartar. She also is known to have captured poor humans, where she tortured them in the dungeon of her tower. Her tower was filled with fiendish traps to prevent intruders finding the Mask piece. Connor met her outside her tower, where she threatened to kill him, and then began attacked. He fought and beheaded her, and made his way through her tower, and undid the actions she wrought.
• Thork: The Warlord of the Ice Orcs. He is one of Lucreto's allies and (possibly unknowingly) has a piece of the Mask in his fortress. He is killed by Connor in a swordfight after he infiltrates his fortress and rescues the Gryff King. He is inspired by the orcs of Tolkien.
• Henchmen: Lucreto's guards created from water from the River of Death in the corrupted Sacred Well in the Temple of the Sun.
• Harlin the Malevolent: The villain of Wizard and the Princess and Adventure in Serenia. He had kidnapped the Princess Priscilla of Serenia, daughter of King George IV. A wandering barbarian journeyed to his island in order to save the princess, and defeated him. The barbarian would later return to Serenia with the princess and turn down her offer of marriage, journey into the desert and die, leaving only his skeleton and an old shoe (Graham later discovered his body and took the shoe). Priscilla went on to marry Kenneth the Huge and they ruled over Serenia. Harlin was not completely defeated however, in the future he used his magic to turn back the sands of time, and to start a new adventure. Finding an individual to challenge, the hero was the one who would become the one known as the Wanderer, who went on to save the princess and defeated the Wizard.

Harlin is portrayed as a particularly powerful wizard, at least so far that the manual explains he magically divided the land of Serenia in two, and created most of the obstacles encountered by the Wanderer thoughout the game, partially explaining the different geography in Serenia, and the Daventry continent between the game, KQ3 and KQ5.

• Karn Megiddo: The true villain of King's Quest: Kingdom of Sorrow. The true ruler of Sorrowing Court. He had created it in order to absorb the energy of those staying there in order to increase his power, and prepare for a great spell that would make him the most powerful wizard east of the great seas.

• Kuzgu an efreeti disguised as an imp. He is the servant and familiar of Karn Megiddo. Before Karn Megiddo's plot is revealed Kuzgu is believed to be the mastermind behind the Sorrowing Court.
• Telgrin: The villain of King's Quest: The Floating Castle. The evil ruler of the dark castle. He took over the kingdoms of the world, by stealing the souls of kings from various kingdoms around the world. He took pleasure from enslaving the bodies of the former kings as his dark knights. He had removed the head of the true master of the castle and imprisoned him in the dungeon.

Others

• Captain Saladin and the Guard Dogs: Not true enemies as they are not evil, but they bar Alexander on his quest and throw him in the dungeon if he's caught in the castle. While they follow the Vizier's orders, their true loyalty lies with Cassima and her family and at least a couple, including Saladin were suspicious of Alhazred but did nothing as they couldn't be sure and he was in charge. When Saladin learned the truth from a letter Alexander found that proved Alhazred's treachery, he immediately sided with Alexander as did the rest of the castle guards. Captain Saladin and the guards helped Alexander defeat Alhazred and his genie and Saladin even later married Alexander and Cassima at their request. His name is inspired by famous Sarecen leader o the same name, Saladin.
• Sense Gnomes; Guardians of the Isle of Wonder. Each of the five gnomes has an oversized sense organ (one has big hands, one has big eyes, one has a big nose, and one has big ears, one has a big tongue). They are also not true enemies or evil, but have orders to kill Alexander (or any intruder) when they try to enter their island.
• Prince Cocteau the Thrice Blessed (The Beast): He is the Beast Prince, the guardian of the Isle of the Beast. In the game he is known simply as the 'prince'. He is based on the prince in the story of "The Beauty and the Beast". He was given a name in the King's Quest Companion. The name is inspired by Jean Cocteau, the director of the 1946 French adaptation of the story.
• Beauty: A native of the Land of the Green Isles. She was a slave to her stepmother, but was rescued by Prince Alexander when he was searching for a bride for the Beast. She broke the Beast's enchantment, and now lives happily with him on the Isle of the Beast. Based on The Beauty and the Beast.
• King Neptune: Ruler of the Seas. He aided King Graham in his quest for Valanice, and later attended their wedding. Inspired by Pluto/Neptune.
• George IV: He was the king of Serenia and father of Priscilla. When his daughter was kidnapped, he sent out a decree offering half of Serenia, and his daughter's hand in marriage, for anyone who would go out to rescue her. King George is first mentioned in the original version of Wizard and the Princess, and is expanded on and given the name George IV in The King's Quest Companion.
• Otar Fenris III: The king of the Vulcanix Underground.
• Oberon: Inspired by Oberon.
• Titania: Inspired by Titania.
• Medusa: Inspired by Medusa.
• Vlad Tsepish: Inspired by Vlad the Impaler and the Headless Horseman.
• Elspeth Tsepish:
• Fairy Godmother: A kind fairy who aided Graham in his adventure in Daventry, providing protection from evil creatures who would do physical harm to him.
• Good Fairy: Another kindly fairy of a pixie-like race that aided Graham in Kolyma.
• Seven Dwarfs: Seven small men whom Rosella met in Tamir. They work in a local mine to uncover diamonds. Rosella cleaned their entire house, and they were very gracious to her. Inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Three Bears: A family of three anthropomorphic bears who live in a house to the south of Llewdor. Prince Alexander, who was then the slave Gwydion, had to steal several items from their house to escape Mannannan.
• The Fates: Inspired by the three Fates.
• Weaver of Dreams: He is the brother of Titania and Malicia, and nephew of the Three Fates. He weaves the dreams of the world, and knows the way for people to enter the Dreamland physically.
• Lady Mab: Inspired by Queen Mab.
• Queen Icebella: Ruler of the Great Mountains of Serenia. She had King Graham kill a yeti while he was questing to save his family from Mordack. She is inspired by the The Snow Queen.
• Queen Freesa
• Lord Azriel: The Lord of the Dimension of Death. He is inspired by the angel of death, Azrael.
• Uriel: One of the Archon acolytes. Although trapped in marble he actively attempts to actively interfere with Lucreto's plans by appearing to Connor and giving advice throughout his quest, and also help him to reach the Realm of the Sun. He is inspired by the archangel Uriel.
• King Gryph:
• Little Red Riding Hood: A little girl King Graham met in Kolyma. Her basket of goodies was stolen by Master Wolf, but Graham found them and returned them to her.
• Grandma: The ailing grandmother of Little Red Riding Hood. Graham helped her condition by giving her some chicken soup, and she rewarded him with some items to help him in his quest.
• Pan: A character from Greek mythology. Princess Rosella met him in Tamir, and gave him a lute, and he subsequently which he gave her his flute.
• Cupid: Another character based on Greekand Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of love. While bathing in a pool in Kolyma, he was startled by the appearance of Princess Rosella. He flew away and left his bow and love arrows behind; Rosella used these arrows to tame a unicorn and to kill Lolotte.
• Caliphim: Former king of the Land of the Green Isles, and father of Princess Cassima. He and his wife, Allaria, were murdered by his vizier, Alhazared, but were revived by Prince Alexander. He later passed the crown onto Alexander and Cassima.
• Allaria: Former queen of the Land of the Green Isles, and mother of Princess Cassima. She and her husband, Caliphim, were murdered by Alhazared, but were revived by Prince Alexander.
• Ali
• Hakim
• Hassan
• Sarah: She is Connor's next door neighbor and potential love interest. Connor was chatting to her about her mother, when the cataclysm struck daventry. He turned away to pick up the piece of the Mask of Eternity that had fallen at his feet. While he was turned away, she turned to stone. Connor vowed he would save and restore her back to life. When Connor restored the Mask of Eternity to its rightful place in the Temple of the Sun, Sarah along with Daventry and its other inhabitants were restored back to life.
• Sir James: An ancient knight of Daventry. His ghost haunts a tomb near the Castlekeep Ruins of Daventry. Seeing courage in the young Connor, after he slayed a spriggan archer, he helped the fellow knight with advice, and even allowed him access to his ring. He was a famous and noble knight of Daventry many years agone. He was buried in a tomb near the ruins of the Castlekeep Ruins. He saw Connor as a fellow champion he told him to seek the Dimension of Death. He told him to search for the door of divine origin, a portal, and that an urn would lead the way. Sir James did not know how to defeat the Shadow Bane. Connor also "borrowed" Sir James hero ring from his sarcophagus. He asked the knight to forgive him, but he needed the ring for his quest. The knight told him to avail his ring in his quest for righteousness. Connor said he would try. Once Magical Ring of Illumination was formed Sir James returned to his tomb, and was not seen by Connor again.

Organizations

There are a number of organizations or alluded to in the King's Quest games and expanded material.

The Royal House of Daventry

In the majority of the KQ games, the Royal House of Daventry, aka the Royal Family, are the protagonists of the series. They are the rulers of the Kingdom of Daventry. King Graham's family are the current Royal Family (formerly it was King Edward's family).

The King's Quest Companion suggests (or at least believed by Derek Karlavaegen) that the King of Daventry and his family are forever charged (although some might say cursed) to play a grave and crucial and essential role in the very existence of the universe of Daventry. King Graham and his family are for the side of Good and Manannan and all of his family (Mordack & Hagatha) are on the side of Evil. The final winner will determine the course of the world until the next crisis arrives, and the fight is renewed again with new players.

In KQ8, though not related to Graham's family, Connor was a Knight of Daventry.

Family of Evil

The family on the side of Evil. The family consists of Hagatha, Manannan, and Mordack. Manannan's family at least according to Derek Karlavaegen represent all that is Evil in the world. They are in a constant struggle with the Royal Family (which represents the forces of Good). Neither side chose to be what they are nor understand why they were chosen. Both may influence the course of the world, and determine its fate. Good and Evil keeping the world in balance.

According to the theory, a powerfully evil family must exist in the universe in order to balance the presence of the powerful and good royal family of Daventry. Such conflict is part of the order of the universe not just to balance the forces, but to give purpose to existence. If this is correct then this means that good and evil (or whatever one wants to call the two) must exist—just to keep things interesting.

The Crown

The Crown is the royal family of the Green Isles. They are based on the Isle of the Crown. It is currently ruled by King Alexander and his wife, Cassima. It was formerly ruled by Abdul Alhazred (in interim), and before that King Caliphim and his wife Allaria. The Crown has ruled the Islands for over three hundred years.

The Society of Wizards

In KQ5 the Wizard Crispin, makes reference to an organization called the Society of Wizards. It is apparently a society for all wizards, though they prefer those with good and ethical standards. In the game, Crispin mentions that he is a member (Cedric his familiar maybe as well), and Mordack as well. Most of those in the society take a dim view of Mordack and his abuse of power, and have put him on suspension a few times, but it never seemed to do any good.

The society was founded during the earliest days of Daventry, immediately after the first great withdrawal there, by the Grand Wizard Crispinophur. The identity of the Society's leader is kept secret, but rumor has it to be Crispin himself, and always has been. The society is made up of the leading adepts, sorcerers, magicians, wizards and necromancers in the world of Daventry, it is dedicated to advancing the state of the magical Arts, historical and thaumaturgical research, and maintaining a strict set of ethical standards. One does not apply to join the Society—one is invited, and then only after the application is proposed by a current member in good standing. That application must be approved unanimously.

The Society of the Black Cloak

In King's Quest VI, Alexander discovers a letter that makes reference to an organization called the Society of the Black Cloak (often referred to as the "Black Cloak Society" by the fans). There is little official information known about the organization, it appears to be a shadowy brotherhood made up of malevolent wizards who desire to manipulate the Land of the Green Isles and conquer it. This was an idea created by Jane Jensen (not Roberta Williams), and was not followed up in later games.

The "Black Cloak Society" was never an actual term that I instigated or thought up. I'm not actually sure where that came from. The closest thought that I have on that subject is that: when I was working with Jane Jensen on King's Quest 6, and we thought up the evil vizier, we talked loosely about the possibility of putting Mannanan, Mordack, and the vizier together as group -- possibly -- in a future King's Quest. There was loose reference to the possibility in King's Quest 6, although nothing was set in stone at that time. I think that it's possible that Jane Jensen might have mentioned the possibility (perhaps) in subsequent interviews on the subject, although, I'm not sure about that. Later on, I heard about the Black Cloak Society and kind of wondered where that phrase came from, but, I never refuted it as I thought it was kind of cool and, probably, would have gone on with the idea in future King's Quests had I had the chance. And, one final thing: Hagatha was never part in any discussion of a Black Cloak Society.

— Roberta Williams, SierraGamers interview (6-9-2003)

The note found in King's Quest VI only connects three as a group (Mordack, Shadrack, and Abdul Alhazred). Although in some cases such as Mordack, his direct involvement with the organization is not specifically clear. Shamir Shamazel as Abdul's genie and confident is also very much tied into the machinations of the Society, at least until Alexander becomes his new master, completely changing his personality.

Very little is known about the Society, and what is known concerns Abdul Alhazred's (or possibly Shadrack's) plan to take over or destroy the Land of the Green Isles. KQ6 primarily portrays the plan as Alhazred's plan to become the new King of the Green Isles (who asks for advice from Shadrack), and the Companion takes it further as the ultimate plan is to lead to the Land's destruction (possibly instigated by Shadrack himself, with Abdul Alhazred being Mordack's underling).

Magicians' Guild

The King's Quest Companion makes mention of another magical organization which various characters are connected to called the Magicians' Guild. The Magicians' Guild is a guild of magicians, enchanters and sorcerers. Manannan and the Enchanter (Sorcerer) were members of the guild. Wandering magicians formed the loose organization, its members are easily recognized by their distinctive black and purple pointed hats decorated with the image of a crescent moon. The guild passes on information about different spells to its members, along with magical gossip. As magicians become powerful enough to be considered sorcerers, necromancers or thamaturgists, the tend to leave the guild, thereby amplifying the notion that the guild is just a collection of amateurs. For whatever reason although Manannan is an extremely powerful wizard, he is still a member of the guild.

The information concerning the Magician's Guild ties together characters such as the Sorcerer from KQ1, the Enchanter from KQ2, and Manannan from KQ3 together as part of the same organization. Abdul Alhazred may even be tied into the group as he wears the crescent moon symbol of the organization on his turban.

Faerie Court

The Faerie Court are the rulers of the land of Etheria, and the whole of the Realm of Eldritch. They are ruled by Titania and Oberon. Malicia was once a member of the Faierie Court before she was cast down to the realms below.

Archons

The Archons are a mystical race and guardians of the sacred Mask of Eternity (an object that physically represents the power of God over the universe). The Archons uphold the precepts of Light, Truth, and Order in the universe. They maintain the world's peace, and try to keep Evil, Chaos and Darkness at bay.

Druids

Druids are the inhabitants of the secret Isle of the Mists of Land of the Green Isles. They are guardians of the weather of the kingdom. They maintain a constant spring season, and prevent storms from destroying the islands. They are knowledgeable about many of the secrets of the islands including the history of the Realm of the Dead (a dark nearby land).

Other media releases

Collections

The games in the series have been released together in several collections or bundles through the years (often packed with bonus material).

• King's Quest 15th Anniversary Collector's Edition (1994)

Contains I (AGI & SCI versions) through VI, The King's Questions, King Graham's Board Game Challenge. It also contains a French floppy version of KQ5, and the German floppy version of KQ6. It also contains Inside the Chest, Behind the Developer's Shield, A View from Inside the Mirror, Hold onto your Adventurer's Cap, and The Royal Scribe, programs which contain concept material, artwork, documents, magazine articles, etc.

It also contains assorted videos, including making of, interviews, anniversary material, promo videos for KQ7, etc. The Fun Has Just Begun, Sierra Technology History, 15 Years of Products, Roberta Williams's Inspiration Interview, Ken & Roberta Sierra Future Interview, Roberta Williams Designer Interview, the Making of KQ6, Intro Sequence, KQ6 Art Slideshow, KQ7 Promo (non-playable demo), and two About KQ7 interviews.

• King's Quest Collection (1995)

It contains I (AGI & SCI versions) through VI, King's Questions, Graham's Board Game Challenge. It contains all of the bonus material from the 15th Anniversary Collector's Edition, and added a playable demo of KQ7.

• Roberta Williams Anthology (1996])

It contains KQ1 (AGI & SCI versions) through 7 (2.0 version), Wizard and the Princess. It also contains Laura Bow 1 & 2, Mixed-up Mother Goose (AGI & VGA versions), Mystery House, Mission Asteroid, Time Zone, Dark Crystal, and Chapter 1 Demo of Phantasmagoria.

It contains the Chest & Developer's Shield, as well as box covers, and KQ7 concept art. Videos contain some of the videos from the first collection (that were not included in the "Collection 2"), and more interviews from the development teams, and a different Mask of Eternity sneak preview.

• King's Quest Collection Series (1997)

Also known as King's Quest Collection 2; it contains 1 (AGI & SCI versions) through 7 (2.0 version), King's Questions, Graham's Board Game Challenge, Wizard and the Princess, Mixed-Up Mother Goose Deluxe, Laura Bow 1 & 2, Mystery House, Mission Asteroid, and Time Zone.

It contains most of the bonuses from the previous versions, including Developer's Shield, Royal Scribe, and Chest. It does not contain all of the videos from the previous versions. It contains making of and intro videos for KQ6, and the intro and ending videos for KQ7. It has an added sneak peek of KQ8: Mask of Eternity.

• King's Quest MASK/Collection Bundle (1998)

A special bundle sold through Sierra during the release of King's Quest Mask of Eternity. It included both the 1997 King's Quest Collection, and King's Quest 8 at a discounted price. It included King's Quest Mask of Eternity™ , plus the first seven games in the King's Quest Collection. Both products came in separate boxes.

• King's Quest Collection (2006)

In September 2006 Vivendi Universal released King's Quest Collection, a compilation CD for Windows XP encompassing games I-VII. Rather than porting the games directly, however, this release uses the original versions running under the DOSBox emulator and a Windows frontend. As a result, it is also possible to run King's Quest I-VI on other platforms with a little tweaking and ports of DOSBox. King's Quest VII is the earlier 16-bit Windows version, version 1.4. It lacks DOS compatibility, the improved save and restore functions, and character speed control found in version 2.0. It contains the dragon tail death that was removed from version 2.0, "Father always said to let sleeping dragons lie", and the volcano eruption deaths. It runs natively on Windows 32-bit versions but is incompatible with 64-bit windows.

Missing in the collection are the original AGI version of King's Quest I, as well as installation for the Windows CD version of King's Quest VI with high-resolution character art (although the assets can be accessed through ScummVM), the 2.0 DOS and Windows versions of KQ VII, and King's Quest: Mask of Eternity. It also lacks any of the bonus material from previous collections.

This collection was released on Steam in July 2009.

• King's Quest Bundle: King's Quest 1+2+3, 4+5+6, and 7+8 collections (2010)

Three collections released by Activison through GOG.com. The first consists of the classic AGI versions of King's Quest I-III (the KQ1 remake is not included) released 2010, and the later games King's Quest 4-5-6 on Vista. The final collection contains King's Quest 7 (2.0 version) and 8 designed to work on Vista and Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit. The collections come with assorted bonus material such as windows background artwork. All three sets can be bought as a bundle; the "King's Quest Bundle" at 30% off the regular price of all three separately.

Collection bonus material

• Inside the Chest; a program containing reprints of magazine articles, game reviews, designer interviews, studies of game development process, and other documents related to the KQ series.
• Behind the Developer's Shield; A program containing pencil sketches, background and game art, and other documents related to the game development of KQ1-7.
• A View from Inside the Mirror; A series of videos including an interview with Roberta Williams and Ken Williams, talking about the history of the King's Quest games, and other Sierra products she was involved with. Roberta Williams reflects upon her role as the designer of the award winning King's Quest series.
• Hold onto your Adventure's Cap; A series of videos concerning the development of King's Quest VII. It contains a video preview of the game.
• The Royal Scribe; A document containing information about the Sierra company, their various series, each KQ game, with a few interviews from the developers (including Roberta Williams, Josh Mandel, Jane Jensen, and Lorelei Shannon).
• King's Questions; A king's quest trivia game, with randomized questions.
• King Graham's Board Game Challenge: Checkers & Backgammon: A King's Quest themed board game collection starrting King Graham.

Quest for Daventry

Quest for Daventry is a King's Quest V themed pinball board in Take a Break! Pinball, one of the first pinball games for Windows. Other boards in the game are also based on Sierra game characters like Leisure Suit Larry, Gir Draxon, Willy Beamish and Roger Wilco.

The pinball game follows a narrative story with objectives based on the KQV adventure game. The board transforms adding new locations as the player finishes missions.

Hoyle's Official Book of Games, Volume I

This game contains both King Graham and Rosella as opponents. They both are able to communicate with other players in the game, discussing various topics related to the Kingdom of Daventry. One notable aspect of the characters stories is that it introduces Rosella's Great-Grandfather, who "slew the Dragon of Herenna". Another discussion between royal family and Roger Wilco establishes that Roger once crashed a space ship into Castle Daventy's moat (a nod to an Easter egg in Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter).

Graham and Rosella along with two King's Quest villains Mordack and Lolotte would go on to appear in Hoyle 3: Board Games, although they weren't nearly as interactive, only commenting on moves in the game. Lolotte was given an updated higher resolution VGA close up image (KQ4 which she originated was EGA). Lightning would spark behind her whenever she got mad.

In Hoyle's Classic Card Games only Graham returned as an opponent representing King's Quest series characters, again comments were limited in interactivity.

Books

• Manuals; Most of the games of the series came with manuals that included short stories or recap of the series. The manual for KQ3 included the spellbook needed to solve the puzzles in the game (the spells were reprinted in the King's Quest Companion). Often the manuals contained information used for copy-protection schemes. The manual for KQ8 contained assorted information concerning the lands, enemies, and potion and health items in the game.
• Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles - Written by Jane Jenson, it was a booklet packed in with KQ6, which discussed background and geography of the Land of the Green Isles. The book also contained copy protection information for the game.
• King's Quest V Hintbook - Written by Roberta Williams. Gives a behind the scenes details of the making of King's Quest V and the King's Quest series, and the stories of the previous games. It contains concept art from KQV. The book is split into sections for each major area in the game including; "Woods and Town of Serenia"; "The Desert"; "The Great Mountains"; "Beach, Ocean and Harpy Island"; and finally "Mordack's Island and Castle". Each section begins with a character introduction giving a few details about most of the characters in the game.
• King's Quest VI Hintbook - Written by Lorelei Shannon. It contains behind the scenes "Welcome" discussing the making of the game, an "Excerpts from "The Royal Family: A Celebration" by Bryanne Eridiphal, Scribe and Herald", which discusses the Royal Family and events leading up to KQ6. A section is devoted to each island, and to the two paths of the Castle of the Crown. Each section contains a page or two which discusses places of interest and character introductions giving more background to the game. The book also contains concept art from KQ6. There is also a "Did You Figure Out...?" section which explains Alhazred's schemes.
• King's Quest VII: The Official Hint Guide - Written by Lorelei Shannon. It also contains an interview with Roberta Williams, a making of KQ7 section, A summary of King's Quest (discussing the events of each game leading up to KQ7), and a section giving the backstories and legends explaining the backstories to King's Quest 7. It fills in details of Lolotte, Malicia, Edgar, Count Tsepish, and other KQ7 characters backgrounds both before and after the events of KQ4, up to the start of KQ7. The book also contains concept art from the game.
• The Official Book of King's Quest - Written by Donald B. Trivette.

The Official Book of King's Quest: Daventry and Beyond, Forward by Roberta Williams, making of King's Quest IV.

The Official Book of King's Quest (Second Edition)

The Official Book of King's Quest VI/The Official Book of King's Quest (Third Edition), published with two different cover titles. Has an interview with Roberta Williams discussing development of King's Quest VI, material concerning making of King's Quest V, and line artwork.

• King's Quest: Mask of Eternity Prima's Official Strategy Guide- Written by Rick Barba. Basic strategy guide offering little in the way of extras. The book follows the "designers' own optimal solution path" and tries to tell the game's story efficiently without sacrificing dramatic effect.
• The King's Quest Companion - Written by Peter Spear and published in four editions. The book contains novelizations of games. It also contained articles that further explained the history of Daventry, its geography, the characters, and magic. The first two editions also contained An Encyclopedia of Daventry (Abridged) which gave even more details about various subjects relating to Daventry (from abominable snowman to zombies).
• Authorized King's Quest VII Players Guide - Written by Peter and Jeremy Spear. It is a strategy Guide and novelization of King's Quest VII.

Three original novels have been published by Boulevard Books.

• The Floating Castle (1995): Written by Craig Mills, placed somewhere between KQ IV and VI, it follows Alexander on a quest to discover what is behind the mysterious Floating Castle and the monstrous invasions over the kingdom.
• The Kingdom of Sorrow (1996): Written by Kenyon Morr (pseudonym of Mark Sumner and Marella Sands), placed between II and III, it follows the adventures of Graham, who moves to rescue an imprisoned Fairy Queen held by the giant Dunstan in order to return balance in nature.
• See No Weevil (1996): Also written by Kenyon Morr, set between II and III. Taking place 7 years after the previous book, it focuses on Rosella, just before her 15th birthday, who must run the Kingdom of Daventry during an absence of her parents.

King's Quest (in-development)

Main article: King's Quest (video game)

In February 2011, it was announced that Telltale Games would be producing a new episodic adventure game in the King's Quest series. It would be the ninth official game in the series. The game is to be a continuation of the series, rather than a reboot, much like other series continued by Telltale, such as Sam & Max Save the World and Tales of Monkey Island. It is currently untitled, and referred to simply as King's Quest.

Cancelled games

King's Quest II (1990)

In 1990 the developers at Sierra redeveloped King's Quest with a new interface and up-to-date technology. The plan was to redevelop King's Quest II but due to rather disappointing sales of the 1990 remake of King's Quest I, the prospect of officially remaking and re-releasing King's Quest II was scrapped.

King's Quest 8 (1996-1997)

Between September 1996 to January 21, 1997, due to conservative criticism over the content in Roberta's King's Quest: Mask of Eternity and Phantasmagoria by the Davidsons of Davidson & Associates, a team of managers was assigned to work above Roberta Williams. They began creating their own version of KQ8 while ignoring Roberta's version. Their version was purged of combat, violence and possibly religious themes. While Roberta continued to work on her own game including its own script and puzzles, the Davidson's team of managers began to design their script and puzzles for their own version of KQ8.

This ultimately lead to Roberta to believe she had lost control of the game during that period; she even thought about removing her name from the product.

Work on the Davidson version was ultimately cancelled (Davidsons left the company in January 1997) and Roberta reasserted her control. But this was not without its damage to the Roberta's version of the game's final release (due to loss of time and funding), which was already hurting from other technical issues caused by Dynamix engine development problem and others.

King's Quest 9 (2002)

There was a King's Quest 9 in development by Sierra during 2001-2002. It was cancelled before going into production. The game never made it past the prototype stage. Images of two renders of the playable character were leaked to the public.

King's Quest 9 (Silicon Knights)

Silicon Knights worked on a prototype for a King's Quest game before Telltale Games acquired the rights. This information was released to the public through documents on the Silicon Knights suit against Epic Games.

Fan-created episodes

Main article: King's Quest (fan games)

There have been several fan-created Kings Quest games both original and retellings of the original games that have been released by various developers.

Satire

Many of the classic Sierra games series had in-jokes, cameos, or homages to characters, situations and elements of the King's Quest Series. Cedric from KQ5 was often the brunt of several jokes found in Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness, and Space Quest VI, etc. Rosella has appeared in or was mentioned in the Leisure Suit Larry series, Police Quest II, and Quest for Glory series. Graham is mentioned in or appears in several of the Space Quest, Police Quest, and Laura Bow games.

Mike and Matt Chapman, creators of the Homestar Runner series of cartoons and games, have created a game known as Peasant's Quest, mostly based on King's Quest I. However, there are allusions throughout the game to King's Quest II, King's Quest III, King's Quest IV, and The Black Cauldron.

Monkey Island also pokes fun at how easy it was to die in other adventure games, namely Sierra games.

External links

• King's Quest Omnipedia Wiki
• The heroine of Daventry, Adventure Classic Gaming
• AGD Interactive - Remakes of King's Quest I, II, and III
• Sierra On-Line Fan Site, run by Ken Williams
• MobyGames' entry for the King's Quest series
• Sierra Planet - King's Quest Collections - An article discussing the different King's Quest collections.
• King's Quest Technical Help on the Sierra Help Pages
• Famous quotes from the King's Quest series