The Belt of Deltora (book)

This article is about the fictional book. For the magical belt, see Belt of Deltora.

The Belt of Deltora could be found in the library in the palace of Del.
The Belt of Deltora
General information
Created by Withick
Purpose To inform about the Belt of Deltora, its history, its power and the importance of protecting it and how important it is for the monarch to wear it
Chronological information
First appearance The Forests of Silence
Last appearance Secrets of Deltora

The Belt of Deltora is a book that contains the story and information behind the Belt of Deltora. The book was produced by the artist Withick.

History

The title inside the book.

The Belt of Deltora was written and illustrated by Withick, Deltora's greatest painter. He intended it to be a history book of the Belt of Deltora, dating back to its original forging and how the customs of Adin conflicted with the current customs of the kings and queens. The chief advisor at the time, Drumm ordered all copies be rounded up and burned.

However, Withick was able to save several copies of the book. One was hidden inside the palace library.

Secrets of Deltora

Withick illustrated a section of the palace library in Doran's Secrets of Deltora. It showed light being reflected off one of the bookshelves, where a copy of The Belt of Deltora lay hidden for the prince to find. This never came to be, as after Withick's death, Secrets of Deltora was hidden away, deemed too valuable to be viewed openly.

The Forests of Silence

Many years before the Shadow Lord's invasion, Jarred discovered the The Belt of Deltora while looking through the palace library. Reading through it, he realised how blinded the kings and queens were to the chief advisors and their rules. He tried to convince Endon to read the book, but was declaired an assassin and forced to flee for his life.

Years later, after Jarred and Endon switched identities, Endon educated Lief by having him remember the The Belt of Deltora passage by passage.

The Valley of the Lost

While inside the Guardian's palace, Lief discovered a copy of The Belt of Deltora. It had been placed there to further convince travellers that King Endon had given into the Shadow Lord's power.

Return to Del

Lief used his memory of the The Belt of Deltora and the seven tribes to help orchestrate the ceremony to discover the heir to Deltora. Later, while remembering, he realised that the gemstones in the Belt of Deltora needed to be in the exact order that Adin first collected them.

The Sister of the South

Lief again remembered a passage from The Belt of Deltora regarding the Shadow Lord as "it", rather than "he". This nearly caused Lief to give into the despair of the situation.

Known passages

"In ancient days, Deltora was divided into seven tribes. The tribes fought on their borders but otherwise stayed in their own place. Each had a gem from deep within the earth, a talisman with special powers."

"There came a time when the Enemy from the Shadowlands cast greedy eyes on Deltora. The tribes were divided, and singly none of them could repel the invader, who began to triumph."

"A hero called Adin rose from the ranks of the people. He was an ordinary man, a blacksmith who made swords and armour and shoes for horses. But he had been blessed with strength, courage, and cleverness."

"One night, Adin dreamed of a special and splendid belt — seven steel medallions beaten to the thinness of silk and connected together with fine chain. To each medallion was fixed one of the tribal gems."

"Realising that the dream had been sent to him for a purpose, Adin worked in secret over many months to create a likeness of the belt he had been shown. Then he traveled around the kingdom to persuade each tribe to allow its talisman to be added to it."

"The tribes were at first suspicious and wary, but, one by one, desperate to save their land, they agreed. As each gem became part of the belt, its tribe grew stronger. But the people kept their strength secret, and bided their time."

"And when at last the belt was complete, Adin fastened it around his waist, and it flashed like the sun. Then all the tribes united behind him to form a great army, and together they drove the Enemy from their land."

"And so Adin became the first king of the united tribes of Deltora, and he ruled the land long and wisely. But he never forgot that he was a man of the people, and that their trust in him was the source of his power. Neither did he forget that the Enemy, though defeated, was not destroyed. He knew that the Enemy is clever and sly, and that to its anger and envy a thousand years is like the blink of an eye. So he wore the belt always, and never let it out of his sight ..."

"The first to leave the belt aside was Adin’s grandson, King Elstred, who in his middle years grew fat with good living and found the steel cut sadly into his belly. Elstred’s chief advisor soothed his fears, saying that the belt need only be worn on great occasions. Elstred’s daughter, Queen Adina, followed her father’s ways, wearing the belt only five times in her reign. Her son, King Brandon, wore it only three times. And at last it became the custom for the belt to be worn only on the day the heir took the throne ..."

"At the urging of his chief advisor, King Brandon caused the Ralad builders to raise a great palace on the hill at the centre of the city of Del. The royal family moved from the old blacksmith’s forge to the palace, and over time it became the custom for them to remain within its walls, where no harm could come to them ..."

"Each gem has its own magic, but together the seven make a spell that is far more powerful than the sum of its parts. Only the Belt of Deltora, complete as it was first fashioned by Adin and worn by Adin’s true heir, has the power to defeat the Enemy."

"The diamond, symbol of innocence, purity, and strength. Diamonds give courage and strength, protection from pestilence and helps the cause of true love. But take heed of this warning: Diamonds gained by treachery or violence, or desired out of envy or greed, are ill omens, and bring bad fortune. Great evil comes upon those who gain them without honour."

"The emerald, symbol of honour, dulls in the presence of evil, and when a vow is broken. It is a remedy for sores and ulcers, and an antidote to poison."

"The topaz is a powerful gem, and its strength increases as the moon grows full. The topaz protects its wearer from the terrors of the night. It has the power to open doors into the spirit world. It strengthens and clears the mind ..."

"The opal, symbol of hope, shines with all colours of the rainbow. It has the power to give glimpses of the future, and to aid those with weak sight. The opal has a special relationship with the lapis lazuli, the heavenly stone, a powerful talisman."

"The great ruby, symbol of happiness, red as blood, grows pale in the presence of evil, or when misfortune threatens its wearer. It wards off evil spirits, and is an antidote to snake venom."

"The great amethyst, symbol of truth, calms and soothes. It changes colour in the presence of illness, loses colour near poisened food or drink, and guides the wearer towards sincerity, security, and peace of mind."