Lake of Tears (location)

The Lake of Tears was a lake in Ruby territory, located where the city of D'Or had once been. It was the hiding place of the Ruby. The guardian of the Ruby, a giant fish-like creature named Soldeen lived in the lake. The lake was created by the sorceress Thaegan over a hundred years ago when she put a curse on Deltora's north, transforming D'Or into the lake. A hundred years after its creation, the lake was restored to D'Or when Thaegan was killed by Kree.

History
The city of D'Or was cursed by the sorceress Thaegan and transformed into the Lake of Tears about a hundred years before the Ruby was hidden there.

The Lake of Tears
Lief, Barda and Jasmine embarked on their journey to the Lake of Tears shortly after they had obtained the Topaz. The companions knew little of the place, only that a gem had been hidden there. On the road to the lake, Jasmine heard a bird talk about a city named D'Or that once existed in the land nearby the Lake of Tears. She commented that the town was no more and the place had been transformed into a 'dead, sad place'.

On their way to the Lake of Tears the companions saved a Ralad named Manus. The city of Raladin is quite close to the lake and the companions figured that Manus could guide them. Manus agreed because the companions had saved him twice and they traveled to the lake together.

Thaegan had created the Lake of Tears from the beautiful city of D'Or because she could not stand the beauty of the city and the happiness of its residents. The Ralads protested to her actions and in turn Thaegan decided to silence their voices.

When the companions arrived at the Lake of Tears, they quickly realised that the place was infested with creatures. The beasts overwhelmed them and they would have surely perished if Soldeen had not ordered them to retreat. Soldeen wanted to claim the companions as prey for himself because he ruled the Lake of Tears.

Soldeen talked to the companions about the Lake of Tears, labeling it as a 'forbidden place'. Somewhere close to the centre of the lake stood a rock in the shape of a weeping lady. This was the hiding place of the Ruby. Soldeen agreed to help the companions because of the power of the Topaz. Soldeen then carried Lief to the weeping rock. There he obtained the ruby and realised that evil was nearby because the ruby was pink instead of red. Thaegan appeared and attacked Soldeen and the companions. She was eventually killed by Kree and her sorcery was undone. The creatures of the Lake of Tears were transformed back into their human form and the lake was restored to their home city, D'Or.

Description
The Lake of Tears was a large lake of grey, icy water, surrounded on all sides by thick mud and perpetual clouds. Inside the mud dwell all manner of pale worms that sucked the blood of anything that tried to wade through it. The place had an aura of despair that weakened the spirits of anyone who entered. In the middle of the lake was a rock in the shape of a woman, called the Weeping Rock.

Trivia

 * Thaegan was killed at the Lake of Tears.