#Emily rodda

[sisterofthesouth]

after weeks of planning and editing, my comprehensive look into deltora quest is done!

i interviewed friends and family to discuss the lore, cover rodda's excellent handling of difficult topics, investigate the mysterious rarity of the books in the western hemisphere, talk about the impact the books had on us as fantasy readers, and pitch the series to new readers.

thanks for watching, and special thanks to @withickmire, @zahroreadsthings, @dragonloverdoran , and my (very offline) sister for their participation 🫶

[disgruntledexplainer]

Deltora, a subversion of fantasy tropes (or perhaps more accurately going back to it's roots)

@yellow-eyed-green-crocodile OK, here we go.

Deltora Quest is a children's book series. It consists of 16 books, though it exists in an expanded universe which contains another 12 books, not counting Tales of Deltora, Secrets of Deltora, and Monsters of Deltora (as well as the little-known extra book The Land of Dragons, which contains about half of what's in Tales of Deltora plus 3 additional stories which you can't find anywhere else).

The books were written during that time when Scholastic was doing it's darnedest to get kids to actually pick up a book and read. You know, the era of Animorphs, Secrets of Droon, and other books like that. Pre-harry-potter stuff. But deltora always stuck out as somewhat... odd.

For one thing, the setting. Deltora is a land absolutely INFESTED with horrifying monsters. we're talking lovecraft-level stuff. indeed, these things are so powerful that going toe-to-toe with them in conventional combat is laughably absurd. I mean, just look at this thing:

each of those little globes is a stomach the size of a PERSON. a sword ain't doin SHIT against that thing. and it wasn't even the primary monster from the book it came from. do you know what was? THE SAND IT'S STANDING ON. YES, THAT ENTIRE DESERT IS A SINGLE MONSTER.

there are also dark sorcerers, capable of, for example, turning an entire town into a fetid swamp in a split second, and deflecting any weapon directed at them. the main villain is a sorcerer of such incredible power that he makes zeus and odin look like chumps.

in order to defeat these creatures, the main characters are consistently forced to use their wits instead of their weapons.

but this isn't what I am writing this post about. every fantasy book has monsters of some kind. probably. no, what REALLY stands out about the Deltora Quest series is the BELT.

this is the Belt of Deltora, a composite magic item formed from 7 gems, each linked to the power of the land, bound together by a belt made by a simple blacksmith who united the seven tribes of deltora and became it's first king. it is considered the single most powerful mystical object on the continent, and uniting it is Deltora's only hope for survival.

except from a generic fantasy perspective, it kinda sucks.

in most generic fantasy settings, the characters are attempting to accumulate magical power which they can use to engage their enemies directly in combat; alternatively, they may be trying to build a big enough army or something similar. but the gems don't work like that. lets take a look at what the gems can actually do, shall we?

the Diamond: Gem of Strength or Fortitude, can give physical strength, fortitude, and courage to the wielder, as well as the ability to cure diseases in the person who touches it. it punishes those who attempt to take it in a dishonorable manner with misfortune. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Diamond Dragons, and a nearby dragon of it's type boosts it's power, and vice versa. it also has this weird synergy with the topaz where the topaz can summon the strength of everyone who believes in the wearer (in a metaphorical sense) and the diamond transforms that belief into physical strength.

the Emerald: Gem of Honor, dulls in the presense of evil or at the location of a broken vow, is a remedy for sores and ulcers, and is an antidote to poison for whomever touches it. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Emerald Dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. Note that out of all the dragons, emerald dragons are arguably the biggest and most powerful. It might have other powers as well, as it's potential isn't as well explored as the other gems.

Lapis Lazuli: Gem of Luck or Providence, protects the wearer from evil and brings good fortune. also may have some subtle effect on the weather, though that hasn't been confirmed. it is arguably the most powerful of the gems for the protection it provides, but the nature of it's power is ill defined, and certainly outside of the wearer's ability to control. It also allows you to detect the location of the Opal as if it were a compass, and is more powerful when in close proximity to it. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate and heal Lapis Lazuli dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. If the opal has it's power boosted by a nearby opal dragon, the Lapis Lazuli's power is also boosted if they are close to each other.

Topaz: Gem of Faith, can allow the wearer to make contact with the spirit world during a full moon. the character can see ghosts, and sometimes the spirits of the hallowed dead (those who are in heaven) will appear to the character and given advice, those this is extremely rare. It also clears and strengthens the mind and protects the wearer from the terrors of the night (also ill-defined). It's powers are all strengthened during the full moon. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal topaz dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

Opal: Gem of Hope, has the power to give glimpses of the future and can enhance the wearer's vision, and it can also fill the wearer with hope for the future (which helps counteract the panic that the visions of the future often produce). It can detect the Lapis Lazuli like a compass, and is more powerful when in close proximity to it. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal opal dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. If the Lapis Lazuli has it's power boosted by a nearby lapis lazuli dragon, the opal's power is also boosted if they are close to each-other.

The Ruby: Gem of Happiness or Love, it grows pale in the presense of evil, or when misfortune threatens it's wearer. Can be used in conjunction with the emerald to fully distinguish between danger, evil, and vow-breakers, since their powers overlap a little. It wards off evil spirits (also ill-defined) and is an antidote to snake venom, and also apparently repels snakes and venomous creatures in general. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal ruby dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

The Amethyst: Gem of Truth or Wisdom, changes color in the presence of illness, pales near poisoned food or drink, and guides the wearer toward sincerity, security and peace of mind (AKA calming the wearer when touched). It also boosts the power of Toran Magic. By A LOT. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Amethyst dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

True, this is a lot of variety in powers, but with the exception of the Diamond most of this is pretty useless in combat. Especially given that the sorcerers in this world can do things like call lightning down from the sky, or create and control thousands of soldiers made out of goo. And compared to the combat capabilities of end-game weapons of other setting? it's chump change. it should be noted that the gems DO NOT allow the wielder to control dragons, only telepathically communicate with them, meaning that the King of Deltora must still negotiate to get any help, and the Dragons are rarely cooperative, even in the face of their own extinction. The gems don't give you the ability to control the elements, warp space and time, kill with a thought, fly, or turn into a glowing giant (whatever the anime adaptation might say to the contrary).

No, what the gems allow the user to do is: keep a level and clear head, detect potentially dangerous situations, and heal people of ailments.

but here's the thing; given what I said about the monsters in deltora, any of the spectacular kinds of magic would be pretty much useless. The Shadow Lord is beyond anything any mortal is capable of fighting; he has integrated his twisted will with the spirit of half a continent, and has experimenting with new and more twisted kinds of magic for thousands of years. Frankly, even by the standards of most "dark lords" like Sauron, Melkor, and Galbatorix, he is unimaginably powerful. a direct confrontation with him is laughable.

so then, why is the Belt considered one of the most powerful objects on the planet?

Well, because what it grants isn't power.

it grants FREEDOM.

freedom is defined as "the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness[...]" -Catechism of the Catholic Church section 1731

in other words, Freedom, properly defined, is not the ability to do what one wants; that is power, not freedom. Freedom is the ability to do what one NEEDS to do. Freedom to protest. Freedom to preach. Freedom to worship. Freedom to defend oneself both physically and legally. These are freedoms.

Now lets look again at what the belt enables one to do. It allows one to clear and calm one's mind and strengthens one's will, heals, protects from certain kinds of danger, and allows one to heal others. These are not powers, they are FREEDOMS.

oh yeah, and I forgot one more of these freedoms:

WHEN ALL THE GEMS ARE PUT IN THE BELT TOGETHER, THEY PRODUCE A MAGICAL SCREEN WHICH BANISHES DARK MAGIC AND THOSE WHOSE SOULS ARE TAINTED BY IT.

it is not combat power, but it is a power FAR GREATER THAN ANY COMBAT POWER COULD EVER FEASIBLY BE

In a sense, this subverts normal fantasy tropes by going back to its roots. When JRR Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings, he wrote a book about simple working class and middle class people defeating an evil by DESTROYING POWER (with a One Ring being a kind of stand-in for power itself in all it's forms). yet, it seems that every writer since has taken a look at his work and gone "look at all this cool world-building and monsters and magic! but the protagonists and themes are kinda lame. I KNOW, i'll REPLACE those complex and nuanced themes with EDGY GRIZZLED WARRIORS AND POWER-HUNGRY SORCERERS, and make the story all about CONSOLIDATING AS MUCH POWER AS POSSIBLE TO DEFEAT SOMEONE WHO HAS ALSO CONSOLODATED AS MUCH POWER AS POSSIBLE, BUT IN AN EVIL WAY. sometimes they even have their characters performing actions which are completely morally bankrupt (razing cities, killing civilians or surrendering enemies, etc), and justify it because "main villain is worse". because in other words, most fantasy writers decided to completely rip off all of tolkien's world, down to the very creatures that inhabit it, but HORRIBLY INVERT the themes

Meanwhile, Deltora seems to do the opposite. It doesn't copy Tolkien's world. there are similarities; the Shadow Lord is kinda like Sauron if you squint a little. but the world is populated with plenty of creatures that don't line up at all, and even those that are similar are only superficially so. meanwhile, Emily Rodda (the author) took a look at Tolkien's themes, smiled and nodded, and proceeded to ELABORATE UPON THEM. The kingdom of deltora fell because the rulers detached themselves from the needs of the common man and physically separated themselves from them out of cowardice. the shadow lord twists and destroys nature to produce his horrific experiments which mirror in many ways modern genetic engineering. the battle is won not through force of arms, but through planning, cleverness, and uniting the tribes under a common cause.

there are other things, like how each gem corresponds to one of the seven virtues, or how so much emphais is put on using logic to solve problems, and similar things, but this post is long as it is, so i'm going to stop here.

[addicted2coke-theothercoke]

Every now and then I rediscover my interest in Deltora Quest, clearly that series had a far greater affect on me then I thought, but that's not important right now

What's important was I was thinking about the three "riddles" they're given in book two in order to cross the bridge. I just think the differences between them are kind of funny

Jasmin gets a logic puzzle(puzzles are kind of a staple of Deltora Quest, which is love)

Barda gets an actual riddle

AND LEIF GETS RAPID FIRE MATH

Giant practically says pop quiz and just starts listing numbers

And it's a total cheat because it requires you to know Thaegan eats live Ravens

Giant took one look at Leif and said that kid is going to die today

[milkflavouredpoptart]

okay so I maybe got a little re-obsessed with Deltora Quest? Only a little I promise (I'm actively trying not to pick up the books).

This is a Jasmine design from @deltoravivisection (complete with a Kree) and I am IN LOVE WITH HER. ALL OF THEM. I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER HYPERFIXATION RIGHT NOW PLEASE.

Anyway as usual tumblr fucked up my quality, but hey nothing new.

@transhitman Sorry I didn't know if you wanted your vivisection tag or your normal one so I used both 😭

[harrisonblock]

Lego Deltora Quest - Gorl

[lindalofbroome]

25 - Joy

And at last the dragons were so close together that the tips of their wings were touching. Together they roared, and the colours of their fires mingled in a rainbow blaze. And when that last, great fire had died, nothing remained of the Shadow Lord's terror but a vast circle of blackened ash. [...] And all who looked upon that scene were wept by a great wave of joy and wonder. For they saw that the shining wings of the dragons were like the gems of the Belt of Deltora, blazing in the sky. DELTORA QUEST 3 The Sister of the South Ch 20 Full Circle

bonus doodles:

can't not have barda and lindal in here you know me by now

gla-thon and gers lmao. can't remember if their friendship is canon or i was deflecting my ocs onto them but i stand by it

[toshitophchan]

If you're wondering why it has such a high rating, it's cos the Shadow Lord and the Pirates are review bombing it as a great place to hide giant gemstones and leave people for dead!

Roddacember 2024 Day 9 | Travel Review Activity

See Read More for Original Image

[zahroreadsthings]

And if I have a bit of fun doing a guardian zone/perfume match up. What then.

Forests of Silence is to me so clearly Undergrowth by Örok. She's sweet she's earthy she has that distinct smell of plant matter breaking down and with the rich cherry and damp earth she smells like the nectar of the lilies of life spilling into the soil.

Pairing Squid by Zoologist for The Lake of Tears. Salty, smoky, inky, and undeniably fishy. What else could there be for Soldeen and the crew.

City of the Rats had me stumped but I'm gonna go for post-Lief Yakisugi Wood by Flâner Fragrance. Because well you know the dry, burning wood. I've not smelled it but Moth by Zoologist also sounds like a contender for pre-Lief Hira.

The Shifting Sands got me well and truly stumped but I'm going with Bull's Blood by Imaginary Authors. Bloody and mineralic - there's no way those sands don't smell at least a little bloody.

Dread Mountain I'm going with Hexensalbe by Stora Skuggan. Woody and aromatic and packed with poisonous plants. (More importantly, I can't think up anything for the stronghold itself right now.)

For Maze of the Beast I did briefly consider Shoreline, also by Örok (warm sands, sea air, a hint of sweat) but that's not the maze or the river Tor. That's like the dreaming dunes or something. I'm gonna pair it with Secretions Magnifiques by Etat Libre d'Orange - as if the maze wouldn't smell like a mix of marine notes and blood and sweat and milk that's about to turn.

Valley of the Lost I will pair with Cape Heartache by Imaginary Authors. I considered pairing this one with dread mountain but the damp undergrowth? The morning fog? The sweetness that feels like it shouldnt be there but works anyway? That's the valley of the lost, babey

[fefe6rosaz]

Glus glus glus glus

Glus glus glus glus

[rat-king-reeah]

Roddacember Day ??? Year ???

Was reminded of the originals existence recently and thought it could be fun to redraw and see how much I've improved!!! Aware that it's vaguely Roddacember at the moment so gonna cross me fingers and hope it aligns well with todays prompt haha 😅 enjoy!!

[alethianightsong]

It's canon that Jasmine is rich as hell cuz she's been living in woods looting the bodies of all the Forests of Silence's victims. She had little idea what the coins were and just collected them due to a "you never know" mindset.

[on-a-quest]

Verity

"I hear your words, James Gant, and they will bind you!"

Roddacember 2024 - 27: Haunt

[addicted2coke-theothercoke]

I really love the maps at the back of fantasy books like Eragon or Fellowship. They're just so cool in all the detail and elegance they hold. Its a joy to flip back to the beginning of the book at every new location to see where you are in the story

I also really love that throughout all of Deltora Quest you are given this scribble to work with:

Its, one, comically great. I don't think its meant to be, but that's part of how I view it

And its, two, somehow feels more accurate then the high detail fantasy maps you commonly see. Again I don't think that's initial, but when you look at the map of Deltora its incredibly vague in scale, without even a legend or river lines. I just like it so much

You look at real world, pseudo medieval maps and you don't get Tolkien, you get rough estimations compiled together. I remember in world history we looked at an old map of Africa that just had a picture of Mansa Musa vaguely where he would be. While I wouldn't trade high detail fantasy maps for the world, it would be cool to see more things like Deltora Quest, or something bridging the gap, as these maps are often supposed to be in world

[theoakleafpancake]

04. Guardian

“Bede was the captive. Kirsten was the gaoler. The evil in the room was not his, but hers.”