West of the Deadwalk desert, within the Scorches, stands Ruby Rock—a massive stone outcropping that erupted from the ground in ancient times. The rock contains a vast cavern system filled with rubies and gemstones, created when mineral-rich water from the hotsprings deposited sediments over millennia before being uplifted by geological forces.
The gems are breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly valuable, but they carry a curse. Those who take rubies from the cavern find themselves plagued by misfortune—relationships crumble, fortunes are lost, and death stalks them. Some say the curse is tied to the volcanic forces that created the gems; others believe the rubies remember being torn from their home and seek revenge on those who stole them.