Tora (tribe)

The tribe of Tora is one of the seven tribes in Deltora. Their gem is the Amethyst and they reside primarily in the city of Tora in Amethyst territory. The members of the tribe are known for their beauty, ancient folklore, and strong magic.

Pre-monarchy
Since more than a thousand years ago, and centuries before the time of Adin and the building of the city of Tora, the Torans have been wise and strong in the ways of magic. By this time they lived in huts made of grass and branches and the great white city of Tora had not even been thought of. They had a meeting house made of woven branches in which all the members of the tribe would meet and cast special symbol-bearing fortune-telling stones that helped them predict and prepare for the future.

When the face of the world was about to be changed forever by a cataclysmic world-spanning seaquake, the Torans sensed that great terror was coming and met at their meeting house and cast the stones several times, each time stones meaning "fire", "water", "death" and "marriage" falling together. The stones predicted the change of the world, and the joining of Pirra and the Land of Dragons. The subsequent seismic event that reshaped the world caused seven magical gems to appear from the earth, one in each of the seven tribes' territories. They were thought to the the land's gift to the the people, and thus each tribe took their gem as the talisman of their people. Tora's gem was the Amethyst.

The sorcerer Malverlain landed on the Amethyst coast of the Land of Dragons. Detecting an evil presence in their land, the Torans banished him from their territory.

At some point in Deltora's early history, the Torans magically carved their famous city from a mountain of marble. The city is one piece, without any seams or cracks.

The time of Adin
The Torans were the last tribe to present their talisman to Adin for the construction of the Belt of Deltora. After the Battle for Deltora, the Torans swore an oath of loyalty to Adin and his heirs. If the oath should be broken, the Torans would be swept away from their city and live in dishonour.

The invasion of the Shadow Lord
As the centuries passed, the Torans grew haughty and complacent. When Jarred, pretending to be Endon, wrote to the Torans, pleading for sanctuary, they refused. The oath was broken, and the entire city's population was swept away to the Valley of the Lost. There they lived as subjects of the Guardian for almost seventeen years.

The Valley of the Lost
When Lief, Barda, and Jasmine won the Diamond and defeated the Guardian, the curse was broken. The Torans' bodies and magic were restored, and they used their magic to assist the companions.

The Restoration of the Belt
After reclaiming Deltora, King Lief forgave the Torans in Adin's name, allowing them to return to the city of Tora.

Cavern of The Fear
Lief and Doom traveled to Tora to find Lief's heir.

Physical appearance
The Toran people are tall and slender, with black, silky hair that hangs to their waists. They have long smooth faces, with dark eyes and slanted eyebrows. They wear brightly coloured robes with long sleeves that reach the ground.