Expedition of '78

The expedition of '78 was an expedition to the final resting place of Zarok's spell book undertaken by Lord Palethorn and Professor Hamilton Kift in 1878.

The expedition of '78
[[Image: File:Expedition.png |250px]] A photograph of Palethorn and the Professor.
AKA	The Professor's ill-fated trip
Date	1878
Location	The Hebrides

"Alright, alright. I've been economical with the truth. I knew it was Palethorn all along... We used to be friends. That was before the expedition of '78. Ever wondered how I got these hands? Well it's all in my diary over there..." ― Professor Hamilton Kift, The Sewers

Background

In January of 1878, Lord Palethorn sought out Professor Hamilton Kift, whom he asked to accompany him on a trip to the north to unearth the final pages of Zarok's spell book. The Professor accepted the offer, and a week later, they were in the Bonny Prince Charlie, a Coastal inn some 80 miles west of Inverness, ready to set sail for the Hebrides.

After making it to the island where the pages are, the two set up camp and prepared to enter the tomb that held them. As they entered the tomb the next day and attempted to take the book, the room began to collapse. Palethorn pushed the Professor aside and ran for the tomb's main door.

Aftermath

The Professor failed to reach the tomb door in time and had his hands crushed in the process. The Professor does not remember the following two weeks, but he was eventually found by local fishermen and transported back to Inverness to recover from his injuries. After his arrival back to London, he constructed mechanical hands for himself and in his final diary entry, he promised revenge upon Palethorn.

Eight years later, Palethorn finally decides to use the spellbook and casts the Spell of Eternal Darkness, triggering the events that become known as The Autumn of Death.

Behind the scenes

Development

In MediEvil 2 0.19, a prototype version of the game from December 1999, an alternate photograph of the Professor and Palethorn can be found in the Professor's bedroom. In this version, they appear to be standing in front of pyramids, suggesting that their expedition might have originally led them to Egypt instead of the Hebrides, or at least that they have previously travelled to Egypt together.

See also

• The Diary of Prof. H.KIFT
• World history