Ruby Dragon

* Juvenile
* Baby
* Egg

*The **ruby dragon** was discovered deep in the Mogok Caves by an old wizard who simply went by the name Mohs. He quickly learned the error of reaching for rubies when they are attached to the tail of a dragon. This dragon cannot be breed at this time.*
    —Nogard's description of the **Ruby Dragon** in The Book of Dragons
The **Ruby Dragon** is an epic dragon of the Gemstone element.

## Appearance

**Ruby dragons** are considered one of the most beautiful dragons. They have crystal ruby horns that cast glittering red lights all over their surroundings and iridescent bloodred skin. Their wings and bellies are pearlescent coral pink. Their eyes are vibrant green and rimmed with black.

## Abilities

### Weapons

**Ruby dragons** are quite nonviolent. It is difficult to provoke these demure dragons to attack. They are often underestimated, due to their tiny size and harmless, fragile appearance, but their horns are worth fearing and the ruby club at the end of their tails is hard enough to crack armor and bone.

### Defenses

The corundum plates along the **ruby dragon's** back are nearly impenetrable by claws or swords. Ruby is one of the hardest minerals known, (third only to moissanite and diamond), so the **ruby dragon's** horns and tail club are quite formidable, though they may appear fragile.

### Other Abilities

**Ruby dragons'** wings whir rapidly like a hummingbirds', giving them incredibly precise flying abilities, ideal for navigating the tangled jungles and narrow cave passages where they dwell. They can get around surprisingly well on the ground for a dragon with only two legs.
Like all gemstone dragons, ruby dragons produce magical gems.

### Breath Weapon

**Ruby dragons** have a very unique breath weapon. They shoot bright sparks that blaze like flares, scattering ruby-colored lights everywhere. When they hit objects, they explode, blowing the object to bits with a bright, glittery red flash. When they hit humans, dragons or animals, they cause very painful, sparkly burns.

### Weaknesses

Unfortunately, these tiny, beautiful dragons tend to be gullible, which is a trait that dragon trappers like to take advantage of. They are easily attracted to beauty and sparkle. Dragon trappers often lure them with gems and trinkets in order to capture them and exploit their magical gem-producing abilities.

## Habitat

### Regions

**Ruby dragons** require an extremely specific combination of minerals to survive, like most gemstone dragons. Therefore, they are only found on a single island in the Shimmering Isles, covered in dense virgin forest and home to the Mogok Caves.

### Preferred Home

**Ruby dragons** wander through the jungle in the daytime, but like caves to nest in at night. These caves must contain specific minerals and metals to sustain the health of the dragons.

### Sheltering/Nesting

**Ruby dragons** build nests deep in caves near their closest family. They use moss as bedding, which is changed daily, and make curtains of flowers around their sleeping area for privacy. The caves are lit with the unearthly glow of magical lanterns and the walls are studded with beautiful gems.

## Diet

**Ruby dragons** consume only inorganic materials--rocks, crystals, metals and minerals. Their diet is extremely specific and specialized, consisting of many specific substances in definite proportions. Their digestive systems are incredibly strong and very specialized for this diet. If **ruby dragons** do not receive the proper balance in their diet, they will not survive to adulthood. They've also been known to feed on nectar like hummingbirds. The digested rocks and minerals are turning into a liquid. When threatened, they mix the nectar and rock mixture in their snouts, and condense it into crystals, shooting it out as defense.

## Lifestyle

### Behavior and Personality

**Ruby dragons** love color, beauty, and sparkle. They are friendly but can be sassy and sarcastic. They are sometimes described as having a catlike personality. Many **ruby dragons** are vain, but others are too busy appreciating the beauty around them to pay much attention to their own appearance. Despite their demeanor they usually are sensitive and attentive to the needs of those around them.

### Social Order

**Ruby dragons** live close together in large family groups or clans. They are led by the royal family, which is in a clan of its own. Ruby dragons don't need laws, but they all must collaborate on the proper and equal distribution of minerals.

### Relationship to Wizards

**Ruby dragons** are extremely curious about outsiders and rarely behave aggressively. It is important to be respectful and behave civilly, or else the **ruby dragons** might drive you out. They appreciate good manners, but they appreciate fine clothes and rich jewelry even more.
When bonded with a human, **ruby dragons** often help their owners design their hair, makeup, clothes, and jewelry. In fact, they often bond with fashion designers, architects or artists. They love to decorate for parties and interior design.

## When in a park

### Breeding

**Ruby dragons** can only be breed by breeding a chrome dragon to a scorch dragon and a lot of luck.

### Habitats

These dragon must be place in either a Gemstone habitat or on Gemstone Island.

## Life Cycle

### Mating

**Ruby dragon** courtship is a long and grueling process for the male. The female is extremely hard to impress and he must woo her by making beautiful carvings, sparkling jewelry and thousands of garlands of jungle flowers for her to decorate her nest with. A male without artistic talent and a good eye for color and form has no hope of starting a family. Once the female accepts him, he must go into the female's clan (there are over 40 clans, and marriages within clans are not allowed, to preserve genetic diversity) and become a mute servant for one year. During this time, he must serve the female's family with extreme respect and courtesy, performing the most disagreeable tasks imaginable. If he speaks a single word to her, fails in his duties, or if she helps him during his trial, the year of silence must start over. Once he is finished, the male is accepted as a full member of the female's family and they mate for life.

### Birth

**Ruby dragon** eggs are incubated in a chamber deep beneath the earth, lit with lanterns and surrounded by a delicately calibrated combination of minerals. The eggs must be kept at a specific temperature and must not be exposed to sunlight, or the baby inside will not develop. Ruby dragon parents rarely sleep during the incubation period of their eggs and can hardly stand to leave their young ones alone. They are hidden so well in large ruby crystal formations that even our best wizards have trouble finding them in the wild.

### Infancy

When **ruby dragon** babies hatch, they are brought back to the clan and there is a grand ceremony. The parents teach the baby about art from a young age and surround it with beautiful things.

### Adolescence

As the **ruby dragon** grows older, it will venture out of the caves where it was born into the beautiful jungles. Its life is now full of light and beauty, but it is now for the first time exposed to suffering and death. Most ruby dragons would prefer to ignore the existence of such things, so they shelter their babies from them until they are older. As the adolescent dragon starts to become an adult, it will begin to search for a mate.

### Adulthood

**Ruby dragons**, once they find a mate, are considered full members of the clan. They will help care or eggs and babies and help make sure each young dragon has the proper nutrition. As they age, **ruby dragons'** horns grow without stopping, and the oldest ruby dragons may be so weighted down with rubies that they are unable to fly.

### Life Span

**Ruby dragons** are long lived, like most gemstone dragons, and often live to 225 years.

## History

### Discovery

This is yet another dragon that was discovered on accident by the wizard Mohs. He found this species when studying the crystal formations of rubies under The Shimmering Isles, in the Mogok Caves. When he saw a particularly large cluster, he decide to grab it for his studies. Unfortunately for him, it was attached to the end of a **ruby dragon**, who thought that Mohs was trying to attack it. After freeing itself from his grip, that dragon gave him a swift thwack across the back of head, which knocked him unconscious. While falling down he dropped his journal, which flew open. Curious, the dragon looked in the journal. Realizing that it had just attacked a creature that meant it no harm, the dragon stayed with Mohs until he woke up. After a while, Mohs finally woke up and was able to study the kind dragon that watched over him. He left with a new dragon discovered and a slightly bruised head.

### Origin of Name

**Ruby dragons** are named for the composition of their horns, which are made of ruby.

## Magic

**Ruby dragons** are associated with crysalimancy, but due to their ancestry, they may have some connection to pyromancy as well. Unique among Gemstone Dragons they are also highly associated with Chromamancy, due to their vibrant colors.
**Ruby dragons** also have the ability to generate magical gems. Since this magic is so powerful, it is strictly regulated, and **ruby dragons** in parks are magicked so they cannot breed.