#roddacember 2023

[rat-king-reeah]

Roddacember Day ??? Year ???

Was reminded of the originals existence recently and thought it could be fun to redraw and see how much I've improved!!! Aware that it's vaguely Roddacember at the moment so gonna cross me fingers and hope it aligns well with todays prompt haha 😅 enjoy!!

#roddacember 2023 #emily rodda #deltora quest #roddacember #roddaverse #fidelis

[wizardlyghost]

#i don't think i realised before that the entire lief section of book one takes place in like. less than 24 hours lol. #lief truly gets home after sunset learns about his parents' past learns barda's secret gets a sword a cloak a map a belt and a quest #sneaks out of the city with barda wanders into the forest gets caught by monsters gets looted by some random girl almost gets eaten #has a treetop midnight snack sets out again travels branch to branch for the rest of the night fights a ghost almost dies AGAIN #gets saved by the same random girl who was looting him earlier brings barda back to life and finds a magic gem. #by which point it's like brunchtime the next day. truly one of the birthdays of all time. #deltora quest #roddacember #roddacember 2023

[lindalofbroome]

28 - Growth

'But we cannot knowingly leave someone at the mercy of the Granous!' Lief hissed. 'They will ask him their infernal riddles, and when he cannot answer them they will start biting off his fingers and toes. They will kill him, Jasmine!' 'Better that they kill a stranger than that they kill us,' Jasmine said. And Lief knew that she was repeating a lesson she had learned only too well in the terror that was the Forests of Silence. For a moment he hesitated. He knew that he should not let his heart rule his head in this. But then the piteous cry came again, followed by a scream of pure agony. 'No!' Lief breathed. He started forward. 'Wait! I will go back and fetch the guards,' said Barda, catching at his arm. Lief pulled himself free. 'There is no time for that!' he muttered. 'Come with me or not, as you like.' He began to run, and Jasmine and Barda followed, as he knew they would. DELTORA QUEST 3 Dragon's Nest Ch 7 Dragon Hunt

#roddacember 2023 #roddacember #lyn's roddacember prompts #postlyn #postlyn art #emily rodda #roddaverse #deltora quest #lief of del #jasmine of del #jaslief #fidelis #two faced beast #steven of the plains #nevets of the plains #// #this comic nearly broke me i nearly gave up a gazillion times #but despair is the enemy etc etc #lol

[toshitophchan]

Roddacember 2023 Day 12 | Memorable Deception Moment

Deception is either making you go 0.0 or >:O, there is no inbetween

#roddacember #roddacember 2023 #oops its all memes #deltora quest #the rondo trilogy #star of deltora #rowan of rin #either youre deceiving for the lols or deceiving for the trolls #deceiving for the trolls was what they did in the battle for rondo lol

[on-a-quest]

Roddacember 2023 - 17: Solution

For this Roddacember prompt, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the fact that, for a moment, the DQ trio genuinely thought the solution to the Guardian of the Valley of the Lost's puzzle, and therefore his name, was Eedoe.

Eedoe.

#deltora quest #the valley of the lost #emily rodda #roddacember #roddacember 2023

[sisterofthesouth]

Roddacember Day 9: Symbols and Signs. Or, my thoughts and headcanons on piercings in different Deltoran cultures:

del: it's very common to see people with pierced ears or noses, given that del is a diverse city full of sailors and trade and people from all over. but while nearly every career sailor from anywhere in the world has some kind of piercing, the popularity of piercings in del cannot be chalked up simply to the impact of sailors and trade. many del tribesmembers wear ear piercings proudly because adin himself had his ears pierced during his time with the mere, and earlobe piercings came to be seen as a celebration of del pride and deltoran unification. it later became part of the Rule that the monarch and their immediate family also have one set of earlobe piercings to emulate the first king.

ralads: while it is not unheard of for ralads to wear ear or nose piercings, it is far more common for their clothes to be pierced. sashes, purses, capes, pockets, shirts and tunics will often be pierced with decorative hoops and jeweled studs to accent their embroidery and show off the riches or skill of the wearer.

broome: citizens of broome never wore jewelry during dragon times, especially not women, but as dragon populations waned, non-metallic jewelry (made from bone, shell, wood, etc) became more fashionable. after the total disappearance of the dragons, piercings and jewelry made of gold and other precious metals exploded in popularity and you’d be hard-pressed to find any broome resident without at least one piercing.

opal territory: ear piercings may have been somewhat common centuries ago, but fell entirely out of fashion after the hira rat plague began. because of sanitary taboos, hirans (and noradz residents) never wear piercings. among opal residents outside of hira and noradz, especially those in the more rural areas near the lapis border, occasional ear or nose piercings may be seen due to cultural exchange with the mere, but they hold no significant meaning to those of the opal tribe.

the mere: in the mere if you don't have piercings you're literally cursed lmaooooo. everyone has some combination of ear, nose, or facial piercings, and non-standard piercings like tongue, belly button, and nipple piercings are extremely common as well. piercings may be worn simply for aesthetic reasons, but it is far more common for each piercing and piece of jewelry to have a deep symbolic meaning to it’s wearer. as with mere charm culture, there is a deep history of fortunetelling and superstition within mere piercing culture. many mere will consult a piercing expert or soothsayer to determine what piercing placement, metal, and charm combination will bring them the best fortune. after the unification of the tribes, it became popular for many mere to wear an array of 7 piercings on one (or both) of their ears.

dread gnomes: dread gnomes may sometimes wear piercings, but they do not deal in metallurgy and do not wear piercings for fashion. spikes of wood or bone in the ears or nose are worn to as markers of membership to certain clans or families.

torans: torans do not wear piercings.

jalis: while tattoos are standard jalis practice, piercings among the jalis are uncommon because they are such easy targets to tear out in a brawl. however, it is extremely common for the very old who have grown past their fighting years to wear ear piercings as a rite of passage into elderhood. if you do happen to see a young jalis with piercings, they are either someone very foolhardy and stupid, or perhaps a tenna birdsong storyteller who is not likely to see combat.

#is this anything. one of these days i will do some roddacember art for real #i just always forget and honestly i am not the most creative person #roddacember #roddacember 2023 #deltora quest #roddaverse #yes it’s the 8th where i live but it’s dec 9 in australia and that’s what counts #this post brought to you by the fact that i got my 13th piercing on friday oct 13 and i am not superstitious. but i am a little stitious

[bleeding-star-heart]

Roddacember day 10: Epic

*rubs hands* ooh boy, time to get out all my Deltora Quest memes. How am I supposed to choose just ONE meme? Or at least, that's what I WOULD say were it not for book 8's ending. So here is that meme, recycled for you in all its glory. Lief at the end of Book 8:

I dare you to find a Really Royalty Reveal as epic as that.

#deltora quest #roddacember #roddacember 2023 #emily rodda #roddaverse #sharn

[goawaypopup]

Roddacember Day 5: Magic

Something I like about the magic of Deltora's universe, something that not every fantasy media tries or manages to pull off, is how it's less a scientifically defined thing and more, almost, cultural.

Something like Dungeons and Dragons has spells that aren't just strictly defined, but universal. I can turn bat guano into a fireball by exploiting the laws of fictional physics, and someone across the continent can do the same thing if they learn how.

Other works will have something a little closer, where you have to be one of the people born with special blood. Magic is just something that happens sometimes, and if you're not either a random monster that innately uses it or one of the setting's wizards, you're out of luck.

What Rodda does, though, hits on an aspect of magic that I think is a better use for it than as setting dressing or a plot lubricant: the wonder.

Magic, as a piece of human imagining, is the natural consequence of a world where we have to work very hard to do things. "What if," says the archetypal everyman, "these dishes leapt into the sink and washed themselves, and I could stop using my precious god-formed fingers for things other than reaching for bonbons?"

The natural progression from there is... what if I could do things that I can't do now with any amount of effort? What if I could wipe away sickness with the touch of my hand? What if I could call upon the untameable forces of the natural world?

We all know, in the modern day, that the world is cold and made of smaller building blocks than we can comprehend. Disease is not made of elemental evil, but a multitude of complex problems of human homeostasis that our words and understanding can only capture the very surface of.

Of course, we still tell stories of magic potions that can cure any ailment. This is what magic has always been all about. It bridges the gap between the things that humans find meaning in, and the things that matter to the mechanical universe. A world with magic can have these categories be one and the same.

The way that magic works in Deltora reflects this principle. Magic comes from the land itself, and seems to be invested in rare lineages that have strong ties to it - the dragons and the royal Del line, the Torans, the Maris, the Fellans, the sorceress Tamm and the mud of Tier, all (that we know much about) carry magic because their ancestors found meaning and power in the land. And all of their powers are different, and - for the most powerful, still-united groups - used to maintain the connection with the land, and meet the needs of the people.

There is a spring in the Emerald Territory woods that checks whether it likes your inner motivations, and if it doesn't, kills you dead (via dendrification). There is another spring on another continent, this one definitely untouched by human hands until its discovery, that instantly heals wounds both internal and external, and apparently can restore blood to your body, specifically to allow the local yakbeasts to complete their migration and maintain a healthy ecosystem. We have 8 separate known instances of tribes finding - being gifted - extremely powerful magic stones that allow them to unify and defend their people. These are completely nonliving places - that clearly have motivations like people.

In Deltora's universe, in the eternal dialogue between people and the world, the world is actually talking back.

#roddacember 2023 #roddacember #deltora quest #magic

[theoakleafpancake]

02. Place

Apart from the sand beasts and other creatures and the Hive and the possible dehydration and the endless walking I imagine the sky would at least be pretty at night. Particularly since it’s the home of the Lapis lazuli

#deltora quest #roddaverse #roddacember 2023 #emily rodda #the hive #lapis lazuli #my art

[theimaginatrix27]

Roddacember Day 1: Favourite Character

I don't post about Deltora Quest enough, but something you need to know from the outset is that the first DQ book I read was Isle of Illusion because Vision Australia's library was like that. I got all the rest more or less in order (Shadowgate and Dread Mountain were out of sequence but hey, can't win 'em all), but this is important for what I'm about to say.

Because Jasmine in Isle of Illusion was keeping a secret from Lief, thinking he had been hiding her sister from her, and also demonstrated her absolute coolness in this book in several ways that made me instantly fall in love:

Had animal companions she could talk to, which I loved.

Proceeded to escape from the mud grubs offscreen thanks to animal companions and then bust Lief out immediately despite above beliefs about his lying to her.

Made it clear during her interactions with Penn and the Piper that she did not give a shit about stupid bullshit rules or others' expectations of her.

Fuckin swinging on a rope to get to the dome and the others joining her, because I do not like heights but I can acknowledge she was fuckin badass for doing that without fear and I didn't know anything about her that wasn't mentioned in this book.

Proceeded to destroy Auris's entire life by vocally shattering his illusions, figurative and literal.

In short, I was in love by the time I was halfway through the book.

And then I started reading the rest of the series and found I was right to do so.

Jasmine is impulsive, has a very short temper, can and often does break unwritten social rules, struggles with reading and can't swim. Jasmine is also whipcrack smart, observant, can talk to animals and trees, takes literally nobody's shit even if they're scary, is breathtakingly selfless, and as Glock said with his last breath, has the heart of a fuckin Jalis.

Jasmine is amazing and I love her, even when she gets herself or friends into trouble, and Lief made the absolute right choice, and that romance does not feel forced at all, because when a girl saves your life twice in the span of a day, when you've only just met, and then continues to save your fucken life over and over in the course of the next three years, what are you gonna do, not propose as soon as she'll let you?

Also that proposal, AKA "When the time comes, I will follow Adin's example and marry for love. If the woman I love will have me, of course," and her response, as lovely and forthright as Jasmine always is: "She probably will, when the time comes."

I love her.

Also she slayed in that outfit Steven gave her in Maze of the Beast and I love that for her as well. :D

#Deltora Quest #Jasmine #Roddacember 2023

[wizardlyghost]

'I cannot run and hide!' he burst out. 'I must find the gems and restore them to the Belt. Without them I am helpless and Deltora is doomed.' Glancing at Sharn's worried face, Jarred took his friend's arm. 'The gems must be found, but you cannot be the one to find them, Endon,' he said firmly. 'The Shadow Lord will be searching for you. You must stay in hiding, and wait.' 'But what if I die before the Belt is whole again?' Endon argued desperately. 'It will only recognise Adin's true heir. It will only shine for me!' Jarred opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it. Soon enough Endon would realise for himself that he had lost the last trust his people had in him. The Belt of Deltora would never shine for him again.

rereading my old friend deltora quest for the first time in too many years and i'm suddenly realising how much this book shaped my view of the world.

like, this passage is from the first part of book one, before the protagonist of the rest of the series is even introduced. lief's initial goal is to find and return the belt to endon's child, but it could very easily have been to return the belt to endon himself, with the shift to finding the heir coming as a twist later in the series. however, on the same page that the idea of the titular quest is brought up, rodda immediately throws out a word-of-god hard no, endon's done, there's no chance of this happening and here's why.

idk, i've sometimes wondered where i got the beginnings of some of my anti-monarchist leanings while being raised in a divine-right-of-kings household, and it's suddenly pinging to me that being obsessed with this series might be somewhere close to the root of it.

#ms rodda i owe you my childhood #a bit late for roddacember day 4 'something you wish was real' but 'magically ensured responsible monarchy' fits that bill :/ #like even if the belt didn't exactly stop the monarchy's corruption at least the post-series-3 monarchy has a precedent #of 'here's what's gonna happen if you fuck around' #roddacember #roddacember 2023 #deltora quest

[lindalofbroome]

09 - Sign

DANGEROUS BRIDGE DO NOT TRY TO CROSS GAP HERE IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE NEXT BRIDGE IS LAST CROSSING BEFORE FORESTS OF SILENCE DELTORA QUEST 3 Dragon's Nest Ch 11 Signs of Trouble

i just think this scene was so funny lmao mostly in hindsight

but also i want to highlight the chapter title, truly one of my favourites for the irony

#roddacember 2023 #lyn's roddacember prompts #roddacember #postlyn #postlyn art #emily rodda #roddaverse #deltora quest #lief of del #barda of del #jasmine of del #rolf of capra #// #omg finally caught up to the current day and can go back to scheduling #like this is scheduled lol #something so freeing about only do silly sketches again 😂 #also roddacember really been a sisyphean nightmare for me this year sigh #im sure i will fall behind again lmao

[toshitophchan]

Roddacember 2023 Day 22 | Abstract Technology

My fave Rodda technology is uh.....it's.....um......Nicks dodgy mobile phone in Teen Power Inc???

#roddacember #roddacember 2023 #emily rodda #oops its all memes

[on-a-quest]

Roddacember 2023 - 29: Time

I think we can all agree that one of the most chilling uses of 'time' in Deltora Quest is the race against the clock to remove the mask from Lief before it becomes permanently fused to his face after the hour. No matter how many times I read it, despite knowing exactly what happens, it never fails to fill me with a feeling of dread and worry that maybe they won't get it off in time 😬

The eerie countdown of the clock in the background definitely builds the tension and desperation.

What makes the moment and the stakes of it feel even more chilling and dire is the fact that as the time passes, as the mask begins to set in place, Lief begins to lose himself, his mind becoming taken over by the mentality of the Masked Ones. His descent into their madness is happening right before our eyes, and Barda and Jasmine's.

And then, at the end of the chapter, with the final strikes of the clock, it all reaches its peak, with Jasmine and Barda desperate, doing whatever it takes to free Lief, even though they know it is going to hurt him badly, even though he is screaming, even though hurts Jasmine to have to cause him such pain, tears streaming down her face as tears the mask from his. It's heartwrenching 😢💔

It's got to be one of the most, if not the most, heartstopping moment in the series. It has me on the edge of my seat, gripping the book tightly, scene playing vividly like a movie in my head every time.

#deltora quest #shadowgate #emily rodda #roddacember #roddacember 2023

[rye-the-grain]

Day 1 - Favourite Character

The need to save it drove everything else from Rye’s mind. He found an old washing basket among the ruins and put the goat gently inside it. Then, clutching his burden, he made for home.

The Golden Door // Ch 5 Fate

#roddacember 2023 #the three doors #the three doors trilogy #emily rodda #roddaverse #roddacember #rye of weld #rye #the golden door

[bonepointlight]

roddacember day 1: character, and day 2: place. of course I had to choose verity, and the bone point light

#roddacember 2023 #deltora quest #the title is from a grace petrie song and if you like wonderful lesbian protest singers I am forcefully guiding you in the direction of #her spotify #anyway! took a break from editing my novel about haunted lighthouses to uh. write a fanfic about haunted lighthouses. I am nothing if not #predictable