Shadowlands

The Shadowlands (previously known as Pirra) is a decadent and darkened countryside that is the Shadow Lord's kingdom and his own domain. This land which ocated north of Deltora, is the birthplace of Ols and Grey Guards and many other nasty and fierce creatures and monsters. The Ak-Baba wasn't bred here, but was found by the Shadow Lord in the Barrier Mountains. It plays a major role in the third/final book "The Shadowlands!" in the Deltora Shadowlands (Deltora Quest 2) series.

Pirra
Before the Shadow Lord arrived, Pirra was a beautiful green country north of Deltora that was inhabited by the Pirrans, native citizens of Pirra. Pirra was protected by a magical pipe, known as the Pirran Pipe. The pipe played such powerful notes that no evil could get past Pirra's borders. A few Deltorans attempted to enter Pirra but did not succeed, so they began to ignore their northern neighbor. The pipe was made of three separate parts.

However, when the Pirran Piper of those days died, three newcomers attempted to become the new Piper. They were known as Plume the Brave, Auron the Fair, and Keras the Unknown. Because the pipe was not being played, this allowed the Shadow Lord to secretly enter Pirra unnoticed. As was the custom of deciding the new piper, the three played in turn before the people, who then voted for their favorite. However, each player received an equal amount of votes. When the votes were called equal for the thirteenth time, the crowd turned against each other and attacked themselves with their magic.

It is then that the Shadow Lord, disguised with a hooded cloak, came forward and offered a solution. He said that the contestants should share the honor of being Piper, and each player should receive one part of the Pirran Pipe. The tired and angry people agreed, and each group went their separate ways.

The pipe did not play the next day, so evil entered Pirra. Because the groups were too far apart to make the Pirran Pipe whole again, they used the last of their magic to escape. Pirra was then enveloped by shadows and taken over by the Shadow Lord, hence the name "Shadowlands".

The Pirrans fled into a series of caverns underneath Deltora and The Shadowlands. These underground caves became known as the Pirran Caverns, consisting of an underground ocean and three isles: Isle of Plume, Isle of Auron, Isle of Keras.

Later, Lief, Barda and Jasmine went to each of the secret underground isles, and managed to retrieve the pieces of The Pirran Pipe, the only weapon strong enough to defeat The Shadow Lord in his own land. They took to the pipe to The Shadowlands and Emlis played the pipe. The three pieces' hiding places is listed below:

Isle of Plume (The Mouthpiece: They didn't have it because The Seven Goblins, from The Tenna Bidrsong Tales had stole the piece and gave it to the head of the Jalis, Greel. It was handed down in generations of the family and ended up with Glock. It was thought to be a talisman which didn't protected the killed Goblin which carried it, but protected the Jalis themselves. It was located in a little bag around Glock's neck. When he died he gave it to Jasmine, and then found had the mouthpiece. Glock was killed by The Fear).

The Shadowlands
The egg of the Ak-Baba was big, and was placed in a nest of stones, on the top of a mountain. It was cold and there was snow on the top.

The sorcerer (The Shadow Lord) took the egg back to his den in the Barrier Mountains, and he also thought that it was a Dragon's Egg. But then he discovered that it was strange ugly big bird that came from the egg, he then filled with anger and prepared to crush the bird with his hand. But he then realized, because of the size of it, that it could grow very large, and he also saw that it had teeth. So he used what he got.

Also there is a garbage mount in the Shadowlands where expired guards, corpses and used Ols are placed. there are the remnants of the Shadowlord's creations. Also rotting dead guards can be found on the mound. The mound supposedly leads to the Shadowlord's very own palace. Shadowgate, which is also a village. When Lief was in the Shadowlands, when guards found out about him, the message was sent to the Shadow Lord by the remnants of the guards on the mound. they passed the message by echoing it one by one all till the end of the mound or until someone picks it up. most guards on the pile have missing limbs such as head's, hand's and others.

The Shadowlands, is a deserted land, with mountains and hills in various and several shapes. It is a disgusting and sometimes smelling place. It also got many sorts of monsters and creatures, and creepy things on the ground, under the ground, or in waters.