Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal facts for kids
Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal is an exciting children's fantasy novel. It was written in 1996 by Australian author Emily Rodda. This book is the third adventure in the popular Rowan of Rin series.
Contents
The Story of the Crystal Keeper
This book tells the story of Rowan of Rin. He lives in a village called Rin. One day, a messenger brings important news from the Maris people. Their leader, the Keeper of the Crystal, is dying.
The Crystal dims. The Chooser is summoned...
Rowan's mother, Jiller, is chosen to pick the new leader. She must choose from three different Maris clans. Their names are Doss of Pandellis, Asha of Umbray, and Seaborn of Fisk. But then, Jiller gets very sick from a strong poison. She falls into a "Death Sleep."
Rowan suddenly finds himself in a very difficult spot. He has to choose the new leader. He also needs to find a way to make an antidote to wake his mother. The Crystal gives him a riddle. This riddle holds the secret recipe for the antidote.
To mix the brew that wakes death sleep
Fill one spread hand with silver deep.
In a hungry pool moons raise their heads:
Pluck one and add the tears it sheds.
Stir slowly with new fighters quill,
Three times, no more, and let it still.
Add venom from your greatest fear--
One drop—and then the truth is clear.
Solving the Riddle
Rowan and his friends leave the Keeper's cavern. They go to an island where the first Keeper, Orin, made the original antidote. They think the second line of the riddle means water. Doss, one of the candidates, says it's too easy to be just sea water.
Rowan then sees something shiny in the trees. He runs towards it. They find a pool of clear water. Seaborn tries to get the water. But clear, tube-like leeches attach to his hand. He screams in pain. He still manages to give Rowan some water.
A bird swoops down. It dives into the pool to grab some leeches. The pool then turns silver. The leeches bury themselves under the silver sand. In the middle of the pool is a special moon flower. They realize they need to grab the flower with their hands. The "tears" they need are the sap from the flower.
Rowan remembers how scarecrows work in Rin. They build a bird-like kite using Seaborn's cape and sticks. They fly the kite near the pool. Rowan puts his hand in the pool and grabs the moonflower. Everyone else was too scared to do it.
The fifth line of the riddle talks about a "new fighter's quill." This means a feather from a bird that has not been picked and exposed to air for a long time. They use Asha's silver cape like a mirror. This helps them attract the right bird.
The last part of the riddle is about "venom from your greatest fear." This turns out to be venom from the Great Serpent. They get the venom while the serpent is laying its eggs. It lays them in the same pool where Rowan found the moonflower.
Key Characters in the Story
- Asha of Umbray: She is one of the three people who could become the new Keeper. She is tall for a Maris. Rowan couldn't choose her because she always followed old traditions. She found it hard to think differently.
- Doss of Pandellis: He is another candidate. He is the youngest of the three. The evil Zebak people tried to control him. But he became the new Keeper because he cared deeply about his people.
- Seaborn of Fisk: He is the third candidate. He is even taller than Asha. He was not chosen because he often acted too quickly. He didn't always think about what his actions might cause.
- Orin of Mirill: He was the very first Keeper. He was also the first person to make the antidote for the Death Sleep.
- Rowan of Rin: He is the main character. He is a young boy who becomes the "Chooser" after his mother gets sick.
- Jiller: She is Rowan's mother. She was originally chosen to pick the new Keeper.
- Keeper: This is the current leader of the Maris people. They are dying at the start of the story.
- Strong Jonn of the Orchard: He is a powerful man from Rowan's village, Rin.
- Star: This is Rowan's special animal companion, a bukshah. Star is the strongest and best of all the bukshah.
- Annad: She is Rowan's younger sister.
- Timon: He is the teacher in Rowan's village of Rin.
- Perlain of Pandellis: He is a Maris man who brings the important message to Rin.
- Zebak: These are evil people. They have tried many times to attack and capture the Maris people and the village of Rin.
Links to Deltora Quest
The Maris people live on an island called Maris. This island is in the Silver Sea. It is west of the land of Deltora. The dangerous Land of the Zebak is to the east of Maris. People from Deltora call the island "Maris" because they have traded with the fish-like Maris people for many years. The Maris people live in a village on the island's east coast.
