History One night, Adin, a blacksmith of Del, had a dream of a belt of metal 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 went along with it to save the land. They gave him their gem, 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.
The tribes walked together with Adin and in unity they fought and defeated the Shadow Lord, driving him back to the Shadowlands. The belt only works when Adin or his heir wears it. However, the Shadow Lord, after many generations, took control of the royal family by making his servants the kings' and queens' closest advisors. Eventually, it became the custom to wear the belt only on they day in which the heir became the king or queen.
Chapter 1 introduces us to the main characters and the city of Del. We learn that the king has died and that young Endon is going to become the new king. The chief advisor, Prandine, stalks at his side and Jarred begins to ask questions...
When in the right combination, the first letter of each gem spell the name DELTORA: D - Diamond E - Emerald L - Lapis Lazulli T - Topaz O - Opal R - Ruby A - Amethyst