Upon Lief's sixteenth birthday Barda revealed himself to Lief and the quest for the gems of Deltora began. He also became the bodyguard of Endon and Sharn's child Lief, albeit without the semi-arrogant Lief's knowledge thereof. For the next sixteen years Barda disguised himself as a beggar so as to discover information vital to the quest. Barda: Barda was enlisted as a friend by the king and queen of Deltora and was trusted to help him find the lost gems of Deltora sixteen years before the initial story took place.On his sixteenth birthday it is revealed to him that he must begin a dangerous quest to find the lost gems of the Belt of Deltora.
Though he did not know it, he was constantly protected by Barda and he prided himself on his many 'lucky' escapes. As a child Lief roamed the streets of Del, sharpening his wits and gaining him the skills needed for his future quests. Lief was born to parents King Endon and Queen Sharn though he believed them to be Jarred and Anna of the forge. Lief: Lief is the main character of the series.Lief remembers that the opal's vision of the future is not always true, they continue their quest to seek their fourth gem at the Shifting Sands.
Lief touches the opal to take it, and gets a vision of him sinking into the Shifting Sands. After a fight, Lief and Jasmine defeats the snake. Lief realizes that Reeah had set a trap for them. Also, "Noradzeer", which is repeated very often by the people of Noradz, appears to be a homophone of "No Rats Here". The overrun of rats in their city had caused them to move and take up vigorously clean customs. He also realized that "Noradz" was a homophone of "No Rats" and "Ra-Kacharz" was a homophone of "Rat-Catchers". Lief realized that the past inhabitants of the City of the Rats were the people of Noradz. The crown atop of Reeah's head housed the opal. There, Lief starts to hear voices, which was revealed to be of Reeah's, a huge snake called the King of Rats. The Glowing Bubbles come into use and lights their way as they move through the dark. They managed to escape the deadly rats using the explosive Fire Beads and enter the city's center. Using the Water Eaters, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine crossed the river, only to find that there were rats waiting for them. They survive the dangers of the tube by wearing the Ra-Kacharz clothes that they stole and finally reached the Broad River.
A girl named Tira managed to free them and shows them the secret way out, by passing through the kitchen trash tube. Realizing that both cards say Death, Lief tricks the Ra-Kacharz and the trio is thrown into prison. Lief was commanded to pick a card labeled either Life or Death out of a cup. When Filli comes out of hiding from Jasmine's shirt, a Ra-Kacharz mistakes it for a rat and gives the trio two choices, to live or to die. Noradz has customs that keeps the city vigorously clean.
Lief, Barda and Jasmine followed the Muddlets home, the city of Noradz and become trapped. The three lost control of the Muddlets as they ran on their own. Despite Tom's directions, Lief didn't listen to him and went the wrong way. Muddlets had three legs and can be ridden much like a horse. They also bought three animals called Muddlets. They find and enter Tom's shop and buy useful provisions such as Fire Beads, Water Eaters, Glowing Bubbles, and Instant Bread. With the help of Filli, the three managed to kill all the children except for one, Ichabod, and continue on their quest.
They then find themselves in a trap that Thaegan's remaining eleven children had prepared. While travelling, they find signs which all have the word "Tom" written on it. They are now searching for the opal, which is located in Hira, or the City of the Rats. Lief, Barda, and Jasmine leave the Lake of Tears, after they have retrieved the Ruby.