Belt of Deltora


 * This article is about the object. For the book of the similar name, see The Belt of Deltora (book).

"The tribes united under Adin, & the Belt of Deltora, worn by Adin's heirs, protected the land & strengthened its most ancient defenders—our dragons."

- Doran.

The Belt of Deltora, also known as the Belt of Power, is a magical belt crafted by Adin containing the seven gems of the seven tribes of Deltora. Its primary purpose was to unite the tribes of Deltora and defeat the Shadow Lord. It also strengthens Deltora's dragons and each gem within the Belt possesses unique abilities. Only when worn by an heir of Adin does the Belt have the power to drive the Shadow Lord out of Deltora.

The Belt's magic is bound to the blood of Adin, and will only work for him and his heirs. It gets its power from the united trust of the people in the heir who wears it.

The Belt is made of seven medallions of strong steel, connected by fine steel chains, each of the medallions containing one of the seven ancient tribal talismans of the seven ancient Deltoran tribes.

Forging
One night, Adin, a blacksmith of Del, had a dream of a belt of steel with seven medallions, with chains to connect them to each other. In each medallion was one of the seven gems of Deltora. Adin created the Belt that he dreamt of and when he finally finished it, he took the Belt and travelled to every tribe to persuade each of them to give him their gem.

In the beginning the tribes were mistrustful, but they slowly began to trust Adin and his mission to save the land. They gave him each of their gems, and Adin placed each of them in the spots of the Belt. When each gem was added to the Belt, it became stronger and with it the territory of the gem too became stronger. When in the right combination, the first letter of each gem spells the name 'Deltora': Diamond, Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby and Amethyst.

Battle for Deltora
During the Battle for Deltora, Adin wore the complete Belt, save for the Toran Amethyst. During a turning point for the Shadowlands army, the Torans arrived and together, the forces of Deltora were able to defeat the invading army. The Torans agreed to hand over their talisman and the Belt was completed. Zara noticed the order of the gems spelled what she believed to be the name of the land, Deltora.

Kingdom of Deltora
After Adin became Deltora's first king, he ensured his descendants would wear the Belt always. However, the Shadow Lord infiltrated the minds of the monarchs throughout the centuries through Ols staged as Chief advisors. Over time, the Shadow Lord learnt of a single flaw with the Belt; it required the trust and love of the people of Deltora to activate its magic. The Chief advisors were thus able to influence the thoughts of the monarch, setting up a series of rules that limited the royal family's interactions with the populace, and limited the wearing of the Belt to ceremonious occasions. Some of them would go on to be the Rule. Eventually, the Belt was kept in the palace's highest tower behind glass and it became the custom to wear the Belt only on a new monarch's coronation.

Destruction
During the reign of King Endon, the Belt finally lost what little power it possessed. The Shadow Lord wasted no time in invading, and had its seven Ak-Baba destroy the Belt, and scatter the gems around Deltora in locations deemed too dangerous for anyone to think of travelling to, as the gems could not be destroyed.

Reconstruction
However, Endon was able to re-forge the Belt, and eventually gave it to his son, Lief, on his sixteenth birthday. Together with his companions Barda and Jasmine, they were able to gather the gems and drive the Shadow Lord back to the Shadowlands. Lief then re-instated the rule that the heir of Deltora should wear the Belt at all times.

Abilities
The primary use of the Belt of Deltora was to keep the power of the Shadow Lord at bay, so that he could not invade. This will only work as long as the ruler of Deltora has the trust and faith of the people. If separated from the gems for a time, the belt will become hotter the closer it is to one. Each gems have their unique and different abilities, all of which are listed below.

Diamond
The Diamond, talisman and treasure of the Jalis, gives courage and strength, protects from pestilence, and helps the cause of true love. It symbolises Strength and Purity. If it is taken by force or trickery the person taking it meets with misfortune.

Emerald
The Emerald, a talisman and treasure of the Dread Gnomes, dulls in the presence of evil, and when a vow is broken. It is a remedy for sores and ulcers, and is an antidote to poison. It symbolises Honour.

Lapis Lazuli
The Lapis Lazuli, talisman and treasure of the Mere, is the heavenly stone and is a powerful talisman that protects the wearer from evil and brings good fortune. It symbolises Fortune. It has a special bond with the Opal.

Topaz
The Topaz, talisman and treasure of the Del tribe, gives the wearer contact with the spirit world, strengthens and clears the mind, and protects its wearer from the terrors of the night. It symbolises Faithfulness. Its powers are strongest during a full moon.

Opal
The Opal, talisman and treasure of the Plains people, has the power to give people glimpses into the future, and to aid those with weak sight. It has a special bond with the Lapis Lazuli. It symbolises Hope.

Ruby
The Ruby, talisman and treasure of the Ralad, 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. It symbolises Happiness.

Amethyst
The Amethyst, talisman and treasure of the Toran, changes colour in the presence of illness, pales near poisoned food or drink, and guides the wearer towards sincerity, security, and peace of mind. It symbolises Truth.

Weaknesses
Since the Belt was created as a defensive weapon, it cannot be used offensively unless brought into direct contact with an evil being. Also, it cannot kill wicked animals, including those that are native to Deltora, such as Granous, since they follow their own instincts.

The Belt has two major flaws in its design. The first is that the gems cannot be brought beyond Deltora's borders. Attempting to will result in their bearers burning to death. The exact nature of the borders is unknown, but Lief was nearly killed when swept out to sea in the Isle of the Dead. This most likely means the gems must remain on the Deltora continent.

The other major flaw is that the Belt's powers are dependent on Adin's bloodline, and the strength of the people. Should either of these elements be removed, the Belt's magic will leave it and it will crumble to pieces.

Anime
In the anime, the Belt of Deltora appears to be more elegant. The medallion s have a more detailed structure while the original Belt has a simple circular outline to hold the seven gems. The chain holding the gems together is more symmetrical than Marc McBride's vision.

Unlike the original Belt, the anime depicts the gems as being an oval shape. This could be because of how the gems looked on the cover of the series one books. The Belt is also shown releasing the gems in the finale, when Fallow grabs it. Why this happens in unknown.

Trivia

 * According to Jasmine she believed that the Belt of Deltora should be more powerful in the Pirran Caverns, as the gems originally came from deep within the earth. However at the time Lief wore a fake imitation of the belt so the theory could not be proven.