World of Daventry

World (KQ4 era)

Charts and Magic Map (KQ3 era).

Chart (KQ3 era)

World of Daventry (KQ4 era)

World of Daventry (KQ5 era).

World of Daventry (KQ6 era))

Map (KQs era)

Map (KQ8 era)

The World of Daventry (aka Daventry) is the world in which King's Quest takes place according to the King's Quest Companion. It was created when magical individuals withdrew from the Other World. According to the games this is Earth of the distant past.

The world is not a paradise, it is a dangerous place, it is the real world for the people who withdrew. The normal cares of life fill their days. The occasional conflicts between people and kingdoms are seemingly woven in to reality.

Background

Daventry came into existence after many of the more magical and mythical elements of the Other World got together and withdrew, creating a world less bound to logic and science and in more attuned to the irrational and fabulous.

The universe of Daventry is divided into many parts. How many, may never be known, for the world (and its people) is always reinventing itself, and today's count of the number of realms, kingdoms, and deserts, and islands, and mountains to hold the sky will be different tomorrow. It is different again the day after tomorrow, and again the day after that, and again, and again. Today's fact is tomorrow's anachronism. In a world of magic and wonders, all is possible if not inevitable.

The stars and sun and celestial bodies revolve around the sky, neither falling down upon the people's heads nor failing in their appointed rounds across the heavens.

Daventry is made of four or five great countries (the numbers have changed through time), which make up the bulk of the Known World. These include the Kingdom of Daventry and Sovereignty of Serenia on the continent of Serenia, the continent of Kolyma (and kingdom of the same name), and the lands of Llewdor and Tamir on the continent of Tanalore.

At times portions of the continent of Serenia have vanished, and at that time, the continent was known as the continent of Daventry (as such even the continent of Serenia can alternatively be known as the continent of Daventry). This has happened at least twice in recent history. Around the time when great Three-Headed Dragon was attacking Daventry, and again during the Cataclysm.

Around the time the dragon was invading Daventry, it is said the great Wizard Harlin used his powerful magic splitting the continent and moving the Great Mountains north and east of the woods of Serenia and created a vast ocean in between. Around the small village of Serenia he had created vast deserts (he had shifted the Endless Desert surrounding the village itself). These were created to be obstacles to prevent his enemies from reaching him. He had moved much of the continent of Serenia to a place referred to as the North. At the time what was left of Serenia consisted of unnatural desert he created, and some woods to the north. Though what was left of the kingdom of Serenia, must have been a small area on the northern edge of the continent of Daventry (though its not indicated on any known maps of the time).

Another important kingdom is the Land of the Green Isles, although it is not part of the so-called "great countries of the world" (as it is not a large kingdom).

As for the rest of the world, little is known beyond the occasional tales of wanderers from unknown parts, the ravings of shipwrecked sailors, and the wild tales gasped out by those who staggered out of the mountains or deserts or the darkest of caves. There are tales of a place where the oceans are red and the sands are blue. Some claim to have seen islands that do not float in the waves, but hover above them; enchanted islands, perhaps the homes of great wizards. Kingdoms beneath the sea, jungles containing beasts the size of mountains and cities containing people the size of peas, are rumored to exist as well. If they don't exist at the moment, they will on some tomorrow.

During the cataclysm, much of the surrounding world vanished leaving only a flat section of the continent of Daventry, and surrounding lands. During this period both water and lava flowing off the edge of the world. As was explained, the Frozen Reaches were the end of the world at the time, and there was naught beyond.

Daventry is a world where miracles often happen, and where the impossible sometimes only tskes a little longer.

Distance between the Known Lands

The exact distance between the various continents and the Green Isles and other kingdoms is unknown. But for the most part it doesn't seem to be a large region. It rarely are terms such as 'miles' used to describe distance between areas (with a few exceptions in the novels which maybe using a different scale for the world).

However we are given a few clues to the amount of time it takes to travel between Llewdor and Daventry, between Llewdor and Serenia, and between Green Isles and Llewdor, and Green Isles and Daventry. In addition there are occasional references to how much time it takes to get to certain areas on the continent of Daventry on foot to other regions on the continent (but they are not always consistent with each other).

Derek Karlavaegen was already two weeks into the voyage from Llewdor to reach Serenia on the Round About, a storm hit the ship, and it became lost. Combined he traveled nearly a month and a half before he reached the Land of the Green Isles. When Alexander left to find Cassima in the Land of the Green Isles he had a day's voyage from Daventry to Llewdor (to speak to Derek and get a copy of the Guidebook), and returned to Daventry, before finally traveling to the Land of the Green Isles. The entire voyage took three months (three months of searching, and not a direct route).

Of course Derek's account doesn't figure in all the time lost, possibly traveling in circles after having lost directions. But it would seem that it would have taken him two weeks to get to Serenia from Llewdor at least. However, other accounts seem to suggest that it only takes under a day or two to reach Daventry form Port Bruce. Alexander took a day to visit Derek in Llewdor, and return home, while his ship was being prepared for the journey to the Green Isles.

This might suggest to suggest a different scale for the world between KQ3/KQ Companion, and that being described in KQ6/Guidebook.

However, of course it could also mean that weather, wind, magnetic anomalies, changes of currents and other factors could determine how fast or slow a ship travels between continents. Also the water between Daventry and the Green Isles is also described as having magical qualities as well.

One final clue involves the surviving sailors from Alexander's ship who returned to Daventry to tell Alexander's family he had been lost. They had made it back to Daventry within a few days to a week from the time the ship went down (once he ended up in the Green Isles, Alex adventure took place over the course of one to three days, and another week from the time he defeated Alhazred to the wedding).

Graham tells King Alexander that when they return home he will let the crew know that they had been successful. Which confirms they had already made it back home within that week.

This begs the question without a reliable ship how did they return to Daventry so quickly if the distance between both locations is truly vast. Instead this would suggest that in reality the continents, and Green Isles are likely very close together, and there are other factors that cause travel to be longer or shorter for passengers on ships.

King's Questions may also suggest that in good weather, and due to magic it might not take long to travel between Green Isles and Daventry as well. Able to cross over in the time it takes for the Captain to finish a rousing quiz game with his passengers.

Continents

• Daventry (aka Serenia)
• Tanalore
• Kolyma
• The North (continent divided from Serenia by Harlin's magic)

Great countries

• Kingdom of Daventry
• Kingdom of Kolyma
• Llewdor
• Tamir
• Sovereignty of Serenia

Islands

• Land of the Green Isles
• Blue Islands
• Islands of Despond
• Enchanted Isles (Enchanted Island)
• Mordack's Island
• Harpy Island
• Avalon
• Fairy Island
• Shipwreck Island
• The Island
• Rocky Islets

Notes

According to King's Quest Companion "World of Daventry" or simply "Daventry" is a name humans may use for the entire world where King's Quest's lands are located, although this is not the proper name of the planet. The areas of the world that have been explored are known as the Known World. The world appears to actually be earth from a long time ago in the distant past, and like the present earth shares the solar system with celestial bodies such as the Sun, Moon and the planet Jupiter. Further evidence that the world is a parallel time period on earth is that it shares the modern Calendar (names of week days and months).

At several points in history magical beings withdrew into Daventry to avoid persecution by the increasingly scientific societies. The world is continued to be called "Earth" by the gnomes from the Underground Realm of the Gnomes, and the occasional human (according to the games and manuals).

Derek Karlavaegen once explained, "We have no name for our world, our universe, but you may call it Daventry if you like. We think of it as home." However, the world is also referred to as Daventry (or World of Daventry) by various authors of the Chronicles of Daventry including Derek himself. Derek also calls the world Earth in the Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles..

Though the World of Daventry may represent ancient Earth period (at least according to Roberta and the games), the world seemingly follows the flat earth concept cosmologically. That is the oceans, rivers, and lava flow off the edge of the world. Though the edge of the world changed in size at any given time. This is shown both in KQ6 and in KQ8. In KQ8, the Snow Nymphs point out that during the events of the cataclysm the Frozen Reaches are the end of the world, and nought lays behind.

It is known that the world has polar regions and these areas are ruled by Icebella.

Depending on the version of the Guide Book of King's Quest the various major kingdoms are divided into regions (somwhatt arbitrarily and with disregard of the looping):

1st and 2nd editions divide the lands into Northeast Daventry, Northwest Daventry, Southwest Daventry, and Southeast Daventry. Northeast Kolyma, Northwest Kolyma, Southeast Kolyma, and Southwest Kolyma. West Llewdor and East Llewdor & West Tamir and East Tamir.

Third Edition divides Daventry into West Daventry and East Daventry, East Kolyma and West Kolyma, West Llewdor and East Llewdor, West Tamir and East Tamir.

Some of the KQ8 advertising also used the term 'world of Daventry".<ref>http://www.giantbomb.com/images/1300-1367245</ref>

Behind the scenes

Interestingly one piece of 'expanded universe' material an interview of Rosella in The Official Book of Leisure Suit Larry seems to imply Daventry exists outside Earth, and perhaps certain references in Space Quest series does as well. See Larry's Women Speak: The Rosella Interview, The Daventry Zone and Daventry VIII. However other material such as Laura Bow II, Hoyle 1, and others seem to suggest it was set in ancient past.

The Manuals for King's Quest and sometimes lines within the games themselves, and other material by Roberta Williams herself always claimed that Daventry was in Earth's past.

Well, ya, 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 its Daventry. But its somewhere on Earth."-Roberta Williams, Talkspot Interview, part 1 (1:20:40 to 1:59:58)[1]