The Hills of False Rubies rise at the western edge of the Jackal Mountains, a cluster of red-tinted terrain that has attracted and ruined treasure hunters for generations. The hills are named for their abundance of crystals that look remarkably like rubies—and are worth nothing.
Geography
The Hills of False Rubies occupy roughly fifteen square miles at the point where the Jackal Mountains descend toward the Chull Lands. The terrain is lower than the main peaks—most elevations fall between 4,000 and 6,000 feet—but still rugged, with steep ravines and exposed rock faces.
The distinctive red coloration comes from iron oxides in the bedrock, which stain the soil and rock surfaces in shades ranging from rust to deep crimson. In certain light, the entire hillside seems to glow red. Crystals of various sizes protrude from exposed rock faces, catching the light in ways that look remarkably valuable.
The crystals are quartz, colored by iron impurities. They're attractive enough for jewelry but worthless as gemstones. A trained eye can spot the difference immediately; untrained eyes have been fooled often enough to give the hills their name.
History of Exploitation
The Hills of False Rubies have attracted would-be miners since the Dalizi Confederation first expanded into the region. The first expeditions returned with carts full of "rubies" and tales of wealth beyond imagining. The subsequent collapse, when merchants examined the haul and pronounced it worthless, bankrupted several prominent families.
Each generation, it seems, must learn the lesson again. Someone discovers the hills, sees the crystals, and becomes convinced that the previous failures must have missed the real deposits. They organize an expedition, invest heavily, and return with the same worthless quartz. The hills don't contain rubies. They never did.
The most recent significant venture was the Kerikos Mining Company's 3,341 SD expedition, which spent three years systematically excavating the hills. They found iron deposits (too remote to be profitable), copper traces (too scattered to mine), and hundreds of pounds of false rubies. The company dissolved; its investors lost everything.
Current Status
The hills are effectively abandoned. The mining attempts left scars on the landscape—abandoned shafts, rusting equipment, collapsed tunnels—but nature is slowly reclaiming them. The few travelers who pass through the hills do so on their way somewhere else.
Locals use the false rubies for decoration, since the crystals are attractive even if valueless. Children in the nearby Dalizi states sometimes collect them as curiosities. Merchants in distant markets occasionally encounter "Dalizi rubies" being sold to the gullible—the scam is old enough that most buyers know better.
The Persistence of Hope
Despite the well-documented failures, someone always believes. Perhaps the previous expeditions looked in the wrong places. Perhaps real rubies lie just below where the false ones surface. Perhaps the stories of worthlessness are deliberate misdirection, spread by those who want to keep the real wealth hidden.
The hills attract occasional prospectors even now, individuals convinced they'll succeed where companies failed. Most leave disappointed. Some don't leave at all—the hills are home to dire jackals ranging from the Jackal Mountains, and the terrain offers plenty of places to fall or become lost.
The Hills of Meus
Southwest of the False Rubies, the terrain transitions into the Hills of Meus, a somewhat gentler landscape that marks the boundary between the Jackal Mountains system and the Cerulean Crests. The Hills of Meus are unremarkable—grassy slopes with occasional rock outcrops—but they offer the easiest passage between the central highlands and the Rivoleta River valley.
Related Locations
- Jackal Mountains — East, the central spine they descend from
- Chull Lands — North, the lowland beyond
- Hills of Meus — Southwest, transitional terrain toward the Cerulean Crests
- Cerulean Crests — South, visible from the higher points