Del (city)


 * This article is about the city. For other similar uses, see Del (disambiguation).

"Del is a busy, crowded city, where every kind of shop, stall and industry may be found."

- Doran in Secrets of Deltora

Del is the home of the royal family and is the main capital of Deltora and Topaz territory. It is described as a busy crowded port city The city itself is surrounded by a wall.

Tales of Deltora
Del is the city where the first king, Adin, was born and crowned. Adin once worked as a simple, but honourable and respected blacksmith in the city's forge, but later, he created the magical Belt of Deltora from a dream, which he embedded all of the seven tribes of the lands' gems into and wore it in order to combat and vanquish the evil of the Shadow Lord and protect it from him and his domain, called the Shadowlands. Many years later, the royal family still lived in the forge, but decided to call on the clever Ralad people to construct a magnificent palace. The Ralads added secret passages and functions to the palace, under the orders of King Brandon, the one who requested the palace in the first place. Its sister town is the magic, white marble city of Tora. The two cities most have close bound and friendship between each other, or mistakes done in the past may be repeated. The great Topaz, one of the gems and talismans of the seven tribes of Deltora and the Del Tribe's own talisman. The golden gem, the symbol of faithfulness, one of the gems of the magical Belt of Deltora, once lied sealed behind glass in a container on a little pillar. Adin the blacksmith, also called the Archer of Azzure at that point, gained Del's trust and obtained the topaz for his dream belt.

Secrets of Deltora
Doran the Dragonlover started his book Secrets of Deltora by detailing the city and palace of Del. The Sister of the South was also hidden within the Palace's chapel around the time Doran was finishing his journey.

The palace
Built during the time of King Brandon and King Lucan by the builders of Raladin, the palace is the home of the Deltoran Royal Family. It stands on top of a hill in the centre of Del.

Forge
The blacksmith's forge was the place where Adin lived and the place where Lief was born. It was here that the Belt of Deltora was constructed. It was also the traditional home of the royal family from King Adin to Brandon, who moved into the palace he had begun the construction of, and became the family's home once more when King Lief moved back into it following the quest for the Pirran Pipe.

Inns

 * The Topaz
 * The King's Arms
 * The Golden Dragon
 * The People's Palace
 * The Vine-Weaver
 * The Seafarer
 * The Blue Jug

Del habour
Much trade is conducted at the docks in Del harbour. Street-sellers throng the area and offer food to all who walk by. The taverns that line the docks are rowdy, however, offer cheap ale and good company.

Market Square
All roads in Del lead to the Market Square, the centre of the city. The Market Square is a very popular place and is filled with stores selling all kinds of goods.

River Del
The River Del runs along on the western side of Del where it eventually meets the sea. The riverbanks are lined with trees and sweet-smelling violets.

Shores
Many boats and fishing craft can be seen along the shore. The shores also offer great views of the Ocean of the South.

Pottery
Famous in Deltora, the Pottery, found in Piper's Lane, is a family business which had been running before the rise of Adin. The Pottery became the hiding place of Josef the palace librarian and the Deltora Annals. When Josef was ordered to destroy the Annals by the King's Chief Advisor Prandine, he had faked his death and the destruction of the Annals. Then he fled with the Annals by hiding in the rubbish cart, driven by an old, blind and deaf man who was the only person allowed to travel between the Palace and Del, due to his handicaps. The potter at this time, Mikal (later known as Claw) had given his cellar to Josef and his assistant, the orphan Ranesh, who he had met in the drain tunnels. They hid the Annals in a chest in the cellar. Mikal/Claw's wife was named Amarantz. They had many friends in the Resistance. One day Grey Guards came and raided the Pottery. They set fire to it. Josef and Ranesh was hiding in the cellar, but fortunately the fire did not reach them. Mikal and Amarantz was taken to the Shadowlands, along with many other Deltorans, including Resistance members, to become slaves.

During the Shadow Lord's reign, on Lief's sixteenth birthday, he would stay out in the city past sunset, which was forbidden by the Shadow Lord. He scurried through the city, avoiding to be seen. Two Grey Guards nearly found him, but with the help of Barda, unknown to Lief at the time, he escaped over a wall by climbing Barda's rope and he ended up in the backyard of the burned-down Pottery.

Events

 * Full Moon Meeting

Trivia

 * Del is the birthplace of Lief, the current king of Deltora.
 * Del was also the birthplace of Adin, the first king of Deltora, who was a blacksmith before he being crowned.
 * Del is the home of the Deltoran monarch and his palace.
 * In the time of Adin, before his crowning, a city guard watched over the city and patrolled its walls during the night. At this time the city was also ruled by a council. The council was disbanded after Adin was crowned.
 * In the days of the Shadow Lord's rule, Grey Guards patrolled Del and the palace became one of his most important headquarters of Deltora.
 * Del's sister town is the magic, white marble city of Tora.