| Adin knew that he was the one who must fill the medallions in the belt.
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A couple of Ralads
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"They are famous architects and builders, & travel in teams to construct important buildings throughout Deltora." |
The Ralad tribe is one of the seven primary tribes in Deltora. Their gem is the great Ruby and they reside primarily in the Ralad territory.
History[]
Before the unification of Deltora, the Ralad tribe was unknown to most of the other six tribes, due to their passive, shy nature. The Plains folk looked on the Ralads with disdain, thinking of them as backwards, ignorant people.
Unlike the other tribes, the Ralads had always knew in their hearts that the only way to repel the Shadow Lord was to unite with the other tribes. Unfortunately the Ralads did not know how to begin such an endeavor.
At the time when the Shadow Army began to march to invade Deltora, the Ralads had discreetly overheard their Plains neighbors speak of the invasion. Additionally they spotted an Ak-Baba spying on Raladin from afar. The Ralads knowing that the invaders would cross into their lands took advantage of the knowledge of their territory to construct traps to defend themselves against the army of Greers. Despite this the Shadow Army still managed to make it part of the way through the Ralad Wilds at reached what they believed to be Raladin where they found the village to be empty of any Ralads. Unknown to the Shadow Army the village was a decoy created by the Ralads to fool them.
Ralad spies at the border of the Plains soon spotted Adin and heard of his plan to unite the Land of Dragons. They watched him as he traveled through their land and saw that he was a man of character worthy of the Ruby. Though as trouble emerged when he arrived at the Greers camp in the ruins of the occupied fake Raladin. The Ralads knowing the importance of Adin and his belt sought to rescue him from the invaders and summoned a ruby dragon to attack the army. In the confusion they brought the man from Del to the true Raladin where they gifted him the Ruby to add to the belt.
After Adin was crown king of Deltora the Ralad builders were commissioned to construct the Bone Point Lighthouse.
A hundred years prior to the Shadowlands invasion, the sorceress Thaegan cursed the town of D'Or turning it into the Lake of Tears. The Ralads raised their voices against Thaegan for this injustice. In retaliation the sorceress cursed the Raladins of that time and all their future descendants to be mute, robbing them of their voices.
During the sixteen years of occupation of Deltora by the forces of the Shadow Lord, the Ralads were spared the worst of the enemy's predations as their lands were already being laid to waste by Thaegan who was the Shadow Lord's ally. However the Ralads knew it was only a matter of time before the Shadow Lord would turn its attention to them as it coveted the Ralads buildings skills.
More than five years before the quest for to restore the Belt of Deltora, one Ralad named Manus left Raladin to seek the aid of the Resistance that was rumored to operate in the city of Del. On his journey to Del, he was captured by Jin and Jod and held as their slave.
Four years later an army of Grey Guards at the command of their master marched to Raladin to enslave its populace, however they found the settlement abandoned.
The Lake of Tears[]
Manus after several years enslaved under the children of Thaegan, managed to break free from his bonds and out of their dwelling. His escape was short-lived as he was caught by a band of Grey Guards who intended to return him to his masters. When the band set up camp they were noticed by Lief, Barda and Jasmine. The companions seeing the treatment of the Ralad helped free him. His escape was noticed by the Grey Guards who gave chase on their prisoner and the companions, though they ceased pursuit as they realized that the group were heading straight towards the home of Jin and Jod, which they beliedv would surely meet their end. Manus realizing where they were tried to warn then, but was too weak to elaborate. The companions left him alone, as they went and discovered the hut of Nij and Doj.
Return to Del[]
Culture[]
Society[]
Ralads are very in tune with nature and, as a result, do not like building roads through their territory or altering the natural landscape more than is necessary. They are generally quite pacifistic, opting to run and hide rather than engage in direct confrontation, and they do not carry weapons. Ralads instead defend themselves and their territory with clever traps and trickery.
Ralads are some of the more cooperative people in Deltora. They gave Adin the ruby without any trouble and built an entire city for the people of D'Or. Since the unification of the seven tribes, Ralads have been relatively common in other territories, as they are often hired as architects. Ralads are seemingly the only tribe in Deltora that treat Dragons with respect, rather than as dangerous pests. Ralads believe that Dragons are importantly tied to the fate of Deltora and attempt to coexist peacefully with the ruby Dragons.
A group of Ralads as seen in the anime.
Though friendly, Ralads can be quite paranoid and value their privacy, and as a result it is unwise to attempt to visit Raladin unless invited. It is implied that Ralads build small traps to defend their home from unwanted visitors, though they may simply be "accidents". Ralads can be found outside of their town relatively often, however, and they may invite good friends to Raladin.
Common Ralad symbols and their meanings
Ralads are great lovers of music, particularly flute music. Playing music and singing are some of the only interesting activities that occur in Raladin, and music became an important way of expressing emotion when the Ralads were cursed by Thaegan. Ralads also practise a unique form of picture-writing. They have an alphabet of symbols in the thousands, and adult Ralads will combine symbols for speed and clarity. The Ralad alphabet became an important form of communication during the Shadow Lord's rule; not only among the mute Ralads, but also among members of the Resistance.
Architecture[]
Ralads are renowned throughout Deltora for their incredible architectural ability. They have been contracted by all areas of Deltora since the tribes were unified. Ralads were responsible for the construction of the royal palace in Del, the city of D'Or, and have built elaborate decoys of Raladin to hide from the Shadow Lord on at least two occasions. Ralads are quite proud of their architecture and are deeply offended when their original designs are altered; it is one of the few things that can legitimately anger a Ralad.
Ralad architecture varies wildly; they are capable of building glorious, grand palaces, such as the one in Del, or entire cities, such as D'Or. Raladin itself is actually quite simple, with small, circular buildings. Ralad architecture is defined by its sturdiness and cleverness, but is overall quite versatile.
A Ralad as they appear in the anime
Physical appearance[]
Ralads are relatively small and frail-looking, but they are remarkably strong for their size. They are easily recognised due to their peculiar blue-grey skin. Their orange-red hair grows in a crest or tuft on the top of their head and they often wear clothing with complicated embroidery. Their eyes are black and button-like.
References[]
- ↑ Rodda, Emily. Secrets of Deltora. Scholastic Australia. 2008.