Ruby

"The great ruby, symbol of happiness, red as blood, grows pale in the presence of evil, or when misfortune threatens its wearer. It wards off evil spirits, and is an antidote to snake venom."

- The Belt of Deltora

The great Ruby is the talisman of the Ralad tribe and holds the sixth medallion on the Belt of Deltora. It is a blood red gem that pales to a soft pink in the presence of evil or misfortune.

Discovery
As foretold by the fortune telling stones of the Torans, fire and water wreaked havoc on the Land of Dragons. Afterward, the land gave each tribe a gift, a stone of power from the depth of the earth. The Ruby was the lands gift to the Ralads.

Tales of Deltora
On his quest to gather the gems from the seven tribes of the land, Adin gained the Ralad talisman, the great Ruby.

The Lake of Tears
Lief, Barda, and Jasmine, with the help of a Ralad, Manus, travelled to the the Lake of Tears to regain the second gem of their journey. When they arrived at the Lake, they found that the shores around it were all a thick mud, and that hundreds of slimy creatures lived below. The four frantically tried to drive the creatures of their bodies, until suddenly, all the creatures returned underground. Soldeen then burst from the Lake, attempting to eat them all. The four quickly fled from the shore, and over a hill, planning on how to get the second gem from the Lake. After throwing several ideas around, they lost heart, and Lief asked Manus to play the flute. As Manus played the flute, Soldeen approached the four quietly, listening to Manus's playing. He then set up a bargain, the second gem for Manus. While Manus was willing to live the rest of his life on the Lake to play the flute for Soldeen as a slave, the other three refused, and Soldeen struck out at Lief. Lief's cloak got stuck on one of Soldeen's spikes near Soldeen's head. Soldeen calmed down almost immediately, and started to talk of a wonderful city filled with happiness. Lief discovers that the Topaz is touching Soldeen, and therefore clearing his mind. Lief explains that those visions are real, and it would be possibly to regain that happiness by giving the second gem to him. Soldeen agreed, and took him to the Weeping Rock in the middle of the lake resembling a crying figure lying on its knees. On this rock the second gem, the Ruby, lay, however it had paled. Lief took the pale, pink gem in confusion, wondering which gem it was. Then he realised that it was actually the Ruby, paled to a pink because it sensed evil. Thaegan then magically appeared in anger, and attacks Soldeen, who flays around in pain, causing Lief to lose the Ruby. Thaegan is killed when Kree pecks at her little finger to stop her from casting a spell on Jasmine, causing blood to start to drop out. After Thaegan's death, the Lake of Tears returned to be the city of D'Or, and the Ralads could talk again. The slimy creatures returned to their human forms as the people of D'Or, while Soldeen becomes Nanion, the leader of D'Or. Nanion happily gives the Ruby to the companions.

City of the Rats
As the three companions travelled to Tom's Shop, Lief checked the Ruby to see if they were in danger after Jasmine said someone was following them. Jasmine then heard a group following them, saying they were more than ordinary thieves, stopping when they would stop, and going when they would go. It turns out, the group pursuing them was the remaining eleven children of Thaegan.

The Ruby was used to protect the three from Reeah, who feared it due to the Ruby's ability to cure snake venom and drive off snakes.

Dread Mountain
In the fifth book, Jasmine was struck by one of the Dread Gnomes arrows, which are all covered with Gellick's deadly venom. Lief put the Ruby in Jasmine's hand, while talking to the Dread Gnomes to negotiate with them. The Dread Gnomes, doubting the companions had any position to negotiate scoffed them off, saying that Jasmine was going to die soon. Jasmine then stood up, and said that she was fine. The Dread Gnomes, astounded by Jasmine's recovery allowed negotiation.

The Valley of the Lost
In the seventh book, Lief noticed that, while the Emerald had dulled, the Ruby remained blood red. Confusing Lief enough for him to delve into memories to remember the verses from The Belt of Deltora. Barda discovered a fancy shell box containing letters to the royal family, and on top of them all, the letter that Endon sent, begging for refuge. The Torans, believing they were superior to the royal family now, tore the letter in half, causing the Toran Oath to be broken, forcing the Torans out of Tora, and to the Valley of the Lost. This broken vow is what caused the emerald to dull, which the Ruby remained red.

Cavern of The Fear
One morning, having spent all night in the palace library, searching documents for any clue to an heir in Tora, Lief returned to his bed chamber in the palace, he, out of habit, checked the Belt of Deltora to make sure he was safe. However, the Ruby had paled, signifying that he was in danger. Looking around his room, he could find nothing, and sat down on his bed. He then heard a clicking sound, and pushed his pillow away with his sword, revealing a deadly Plains Scorpion.

Shadowgate
The snakes in the snake pit were afraid of it, like Reeah had been in the City of the Rats, and attempted to get away from it by climbing up Kirsten's braid.

Powers
The Ruby pales in the presence of evil or misfortune threatens its wearer, so can be used to be able to defend oneself from attack by an enemy. It wards off evil spirits, meaning that no evil can attack the wearer when the Ruby shows its power. It also is an antidote to snake venom.

It also cures venom (although The Belt of Deltora only says that it specifically cures snake venom, it helps Jasmine recover after being struck by a Dread Gnome's arrow, which is tipped with the poison of Gellick the toad), and drives snakes away.

The Ruby has a connection to the Ruby dragons, and is able to strengthen them.