King Lorik
"Scion of the bloodline of Erdrick, hero of legend! Long have I awaited thy coming! In days of yore, thy revered ancestor did receive of the Almighty Goddess the Sphere of Light. By its power was our world rid of the menace which did beset it. Yet, alas, some few years past, there did arise a new threat--the Dragonlord. With his coming, he did steal away the Sphere of Light from us, plunging the land into darkness once more. Should this state of affairs be suffered to continue, the night must surely take unrelenting hold, and our realm perish. So I say to thee, of the bloodline of heroes, vanquish the accursed Dragonlord, and reclaim the Sphere of Light!"
King Lorik from Dragon Quest (Cell phone)
| King Lorik | |
| Dragon Quest Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake | |
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| Sprite(s) |  
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| Japanese name | ラルス十六代 |
| Romaji | Rarusu XVI |
| Title | King |
| Family | King of Alefgard (ancestor) Princess Gwaelin (daughter) Prince of Midenhall (descendant) Princess of Moonbrooke (descendant) Prince of Cannock (descendant) Princess of Cannock (descendant) |
| Voice actor | Ryūji Saikachi (CD Theater) |
King Lorik XVI is the sixteenth ruler of Alefgard and is the ruling monarch in Dragon Quest.
His daughter, Princess Gwaelin, has been abducted by the Dragonlord and his realm has been cast into chaos through the wyrm's theft of the Sphere of Light, spreading fetid swamps through the land and giving rise to countless monsters. He tasks the Hero to rescue his beloved daughter and to restore peace to the kingdom.
Appearance and Personality[edit]
King Lorik wears a white robe with blue trim, a scarlet cape, and the gold and silver crown of Tantegel. He carries a sceptre taller than he is, capped with a smooth emerald gem topped by a silver cross that matches his necklace. Lorik is younger than most kings within the series, appearing to only be in his late middle age.
Lorik maintains an approachable disposition despite his station as king of the entire Alefgard archipelago and places utmost importance on the wellbeing of his people. Though the kidnapping of Gwaelin and her long absence tears at his soul with immeasurable grief, he puts on a brave face so as to not spread despair among his subjects and refuses to abandon hope that she will be rescued.
In the original version of the game King Lorik unconditionally accepts that the Hero is the descendant of the fabled Erdrick and places his utmost confidence in him. In the HD-2D version he acknowledges that the young warrior bears no proof to back up his claim, but remains cautiously optimistic and gives him the chance to prove himself.
Appearances[edit]
Dragon Quest[edit]
In Tantegel, King Lorik is the first to speak with the Hero and requests that the descendant of Erdrick defeat the Dragonlord and recover the Sphere of Light. He gives the Hero 120 gold coins, a torch and a magic key to assist him in his quest. The Hero will also need to rescue his daughter Gwaelin from a Green dragon. King Lorik has the ability to tell the Hero how many experience points are needed to reach the next level and is the only person in Dragon Quest that can record the player's deeds onto the Imperial Scrolls of Honour.
At the end of the game, he offers his throne to the Hero, but that offer is declined on the grounds that the Hero wants to establish his own kingdom in other lands. If Gwaelin is rescued, he joyfully grants his blessings to their union.
Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake[edit]
Months prior to the beginning of the game, King Lorik has ordered that the theft of the Sphere of Light be kept top-secret, knowing that the people would fly into panic if they knew the holy relic had been taken from the castle on top of Princess Gwaelin's kidnapping.
The Hero is granted an audience with King Lorik as his reward for saving the Captain of the Tantegel knights, Princess Gwaelin's personal body guard, and a Royal Guard from a horde of monsters. The king welcomes the young man and questions him about his purpose in the realm, not balking in disbelief when the Hero states that a voice in a dream beckoned him to Tantegel. Lorik explains that he is well-versed in the legends surrounding Erdrick and states that the fabled savior also began his own quest upon hearing a voice in his dreams―he tasks the Hero to travel to the Shrine of Rain and speak with the sage dwelling there, then report back his findings.
When the Hero returns to Castle Tantegel Lorik reveals the truth of what has taken place in his kingdom, explaining that his daughter is able to hear the voice of Almighty Rubiss Herself and did receive a warning from the Goddess several months earlier. Rubiss forewarned that a great evil was about to threaten the realm and that Gwaelin must take the holy Sphere of Light with her into hiding so that she may await the arrival of a hero in safety. Her father accommodated this prophecy by dispatching a regiment of his finest knights to escort the princess to the Shrine of Rain, but the company was ambushed by the Dragonlord and wiped out save for Gawelin's bodyguard.
With the truth of the situation revealed to the Hero King Lorik briefly succumbs to dread over the safety of his daughter, but recomposes himself and states that this is the anguish of a father and not a king, and as king he must prioritize reclaiming the Sphere of Light from the Dragonlord's Castle to put an end to the monster attacks plaguing his subjects. Lorik then asks that the Hero follow in his ancestor's footsteps, namely by collecting the three keys Erdrick was known to carry so that no part of Alefgard may be out of reach on his quest. The first of these, the thief's key, has been located in Galenholm and sends the young man off to the northwest.
Much, much later when Gwaelin has been rescued from the green dragon in the depths of the Quagmire Cave and returned safely to the castle, King Lorik is rendered speechless with joy at seeing his beloved daughter after so long. Gwaelin regretfully tells her father that the Sphere of Light is still in the Dragonlord's clutches, but he states the blame is all his own for allowing the fiend to stage the kidnapping and hopes she find it in her to forgive him. Addressing the Hero, he states he unknowable gratitude and proclaims the royal court to hail his daughter's deliverer. That night a meeting is held in the throne room where Lorik, Gwaelin, and the court discuss the current situation with the Hero. Though the Dragonlord's forces still blight the people of Alefgard, Lorik asserts that there is still hope to endure the encroaching darkness and he has the Hero to thanks for teaching him thus, fully acknowledging him as the descendant of Erdrick. King Lorik leads the royal court in cheering for the Hero, praises him as their savior.
In the game's finale, the king welcomes the triumphant Hero when he returns to Castle Tantegel. Having witnessed the Hero's capability first-hand, Lorik asks if he will not rule Alefgard in his stead. The Hero declines, seeking to establish a kingdom of his own, with Gwaelin declaring her undying love for her rescuer and asking him to take her hand in marriage. Overjoyed, King Lorik blesses the union.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age[edit]
King Lorik has been stricken with a curse that renders him unable to speak, and his daughter beseeches the Luminary and his allies to cure her father. After giving the king some spectrum nectar gifted by a tockle, he thanks the group with a Pallium regale and recites a song in their honor.
Trivia[edit]
- The updated artwork by Akira Toriyama has Lorik looking considerably younger than originally envisioned.
- The King's given name is only stated in the original Famicom and NES versions of Dragon Quest prior to the HD-2D remake, with earlier remakes of the game removing any mention of the King's proper name and only referring to him as "the King".
- King Lorik's status as the sixteenth descendant of the King of Alefgard was only specified in the Japanese versions of the game prior to the HD-2D remake, with all English scripts up to the 2014 Android/iOS version leaving his position in the royal lineage ambiguous.
Gallery[edit]
Famicom art.
King Lorik, from Nintendo Power.
Appearance in Stars.
