Rithmere

"Pedlars, music-makers, fortune-tellers, acrobats & tricksters offering gambling games throng every corner."

- Doran in Secrets of Deltora

Rithmere is the capital of Lapis Lazuli territory. The only large city in its territory, Rithmere has long been the home of the Mere tribe. The city is ruled by three leaders who are elected annually.

Rithmere is a walled town with large wooden gates and narrow streets. In Doran's time, guards wearing traditional Mere armour were typically stationed outside the walls. The bustling streets are full of shops and stalls, peddlers, musicians, fortune tellers, acrobats, tricksters, and people offering passersby a chance at gambling games. Hot, salty street food and sweet drinks are readily available anywhere in Rithmere, but water and plain meals are usually only found in taverns or inns. Gambling is typical and even encouraged in Rithmere, some citizens even make their livings gambling: though not always in the most honest ways. Thieves and pickpockets are common, but it is unusual for goods to be forcefully taken.

Adin's Ride, Rithmere Road, and the Heavenly Way are the main roads leading in and out of Rithmere.

History
Before the unification of Deltora, the Rithmere leaders kept the Lapis Lazuli in a star-shaped pendant worn around the neck.

The Time of Adin
Adin came to Rithmere during a time of great tumult. Refugees from the countryside were pouring into the city, which was being heavily fortified. Mere workers built the city wall higher and topped it with spikes of broken glass and Greer heads. Beggars and refugees thronged the streets and a crowd of Mere folk held an angry audience with the town leaders. Zillah, one of the leaders, saw Adin and knew he was not Mere. She blamed him for their ill fortune and had him brought in front of the people. He was able to explain his quest and ask for the Lapis Lazuli to be added to the Belt, to the derision of the Mere, but the leaders agreed that fortune should decide his fate. If he could bring back the head of a Sand Beast from the Shifting Sands, he could have the Lapis Lazuli as he requested. The people of Rithmere walked to the Sands and climbed the wall to watch Adin fail in his attempt, but they were shocked to see him succeed with the inadvertent help of a Lapis Lazuli dragon. The town leaders gave him the Lapis in return and provided him with a horse, Wing, and a Mere helmet and cloak.

Secrets of Deltora
Doran the Dragonlover stayed in Rithmere for a few days, documenting instructions and observations for the traveller in his travel guide, Secrets of Deltora.

The Shifting Sands
Lief, Barda, and Jasmine came to Rithmere with the hopes of winning money by entering in the Rithmere Games. They encountered a swindler named Ferdinand, and Kree assisted his game, "Beat the Bird". After exposing Ferdinand as a fraud, the companions went to stay at The Champion Inn to compete in the Games. After Jasmine won the Games, the three were captured by Grey Guards and taken north, out of the city. They later escaped with the help of Doom.

Shadows of the Master
Britta encountered Sky of Rithmere and recalled that despite being far inland, Rithmere has a thriving trade business.

Government
Rithmere's three leaders are elected by the people at the beginning of every year. They wear heavy silver chains, long blue robes spangled with silver and paint their faces and the backs of their hands with blue patterns. They do not cut their hair, but curl it into long ringlets.

The Star House
All roads in Rithmere lead to the the Star House, a large, square building in the centre of the town. The three elected Mere leaders can usually be found at the Star House. Upon arriving in Rithmere, all travellers are given a silver-painted star and are directed to the Star House where they can obtain a permit to stay in the town. Soldiers are stationed around the building and can direct a traveller to a room where he or she will be interviewed by an official to gain a permit. The official will ask the traveller for his or her name, where he or she has come from, his or her reason for visiting and how long he or she intends to stay. A traveller may have difficulty obtaining a permit if he or she has come from Opal territory. If a traveller without a permit is found in Rithmere half an hour after his or her entry, he or she could be fined or even imprisoned.

These strict admittance laws were active in the time of Doran, but by the time of Lief they had been done away with. It is unknown if the reestablishment of the Deltoran monarchy caused a reestablishment of Rithmere's gatekeeping customs.

Rithmere Horse Stables
On the southern side of town lie the Rithmere Horse Stables, where the famous horses of the Mere are trained and bred. Wing, Adin's white horse, came from Rithmere's stables. Rithmere horses are handsome, brave, strong, long-lived creatures worth their price. Stablemasters are willing to bargain with potential buyers.

Marketplace
Despite being far inland, Rithmere has a busy trade business. The marketplace at the centre of town offers a wide variety of goods rivaled only by the markets of Del. Rithmere's marketplace is noisier and stranger than its southern cousin's, also the goods sold in Rithmere may not always be what they seem. There is no telling where items came from or what they can do, so caution is advised to those looking to spend money at the Rithmere marketplace.

Inns
The qualities of inns in Rithmere vary greatly, but a traveller can tell a good inn by the condition of the landlord or landlady's apron. The cleaner the manager's apron, the better the quality of the inn. Doran recommends the following inns:
 * The Gamer's Retreat
 * The Rithmere Arms
 * The Moon & Stars
 * The Happy Wanderer - An inn situated near the town's main gates. Doran stayed here during many of his travels.

The Champion Inn
The Champion Inn was once owned by Fardeep. He used his inn to stage his games, but it was taken from him when bandits raided the town. The inn was repurposed by servants of the Shadow Lord and given to Mother Brightly, where she ran the Rithmere Games for eleven years. After the Shadow Lord's defeat, Fardeep took back his inn.

Racetrack
The racetrack is located at the southern edge of town, near the horse stables. Horses race daily at the bustling tracks, where betting takes place in abundance and good food is sold.

The River Broad
The River Broad is rather sluggish near Rithmere, but makes for good fishing. It has a dense fish population because many innkeepers toss their leftover food scraps into the water. A traveller can find a variety of boats for hire and a number of ferries that can accommodate horses. River Broad water in Lapis Lazuli territory should be boiled before being consumed.

Rithmere Games
During the Shadowlands invasion, the Rithmere Games ran for eleven years, providing the Shadow Lord with prime fighters for his Shadow Arena.

Appearances
{{Scroll|

Deltora Quest 1

 * The Shifting Sands
 * The Maze of the Beast (mentioned)
 * The Valley of the Lost (mentioned)
 * Return to Del (mentioned)

Deltora Quest 3

 * Shadowgate (mentioned)
 * The Sister of the South (mentioned)

Star of Deltora

 * Shadows of the Master (mentioned)
 * Two Moons (mentioned)
 * The Towers of Illica (mentioned)

Other

 * Secrets of Deltora
 * Tales of Deltora }}

Trivia

 * Fardeep's family has lived in Rithmere for several generations.