Painted Plain

The Painted Plain is a location in Ruby territory, in the north-east of of Deltora. It is named for its rich carpet of grass and wildflowers. The Painted Plain lies east of End Wood and west of the Capricon Hills and Broome. During the reign of King Lucan, the Shadow Lord had the Sister of the East placed in Dragon's Nest, close to the plain, which poisoned the land and made it barren and infertile. Following the Sister's destruction, the Plain may have regrown.

Secrets of Deltora
Doran mentions the fertile Painted Plain in his traveller's guide, Secrets of Deltora. It is full of plants and animals good for food, and is frequented by Broome hunters. Some of the animals on the plain include Painted Plain Deer, Pig Rats, nodnaps, and partridges. The edible flora of the Painted Plain includes sweetplums, Traveller's Weed, celery, mint, fennel, parsley, and thyme.

Dragon's Nest
After Lindal rescued Lief, Barda, and Jasmine from an Orchard Keeper in End Wood, she led them out of the Forest and on to the Painted Plain. The four of them camped on the Plain that night and ate a meal of pig rat and Traveller's Weed. Because of the Sister of the East's poison, the Plain was no longer fertile like it was in Doran's time. Instead it was barren and there was barely any Traveller's Weed around any longer, while the weeds used to grow in every ditch before the Sister of the East positioned the north-east of Deltora. Following the destruction of the Sister, the Plain might have regrown and become fertile once more.

Trivia

 * In Two Moons, Jewel mentions 'fried pig rat', indicating that she, like other people of Broome, utilises the resources the Plain provides.