Blood Ruby

Item from acotar-thorns-and-roses by

A small, deep-red gemstone sent by the Night Court as an irrevocable death warrant, marking its recipient for execution across all territories under the High Lord's shadow.

More than a jewel, the Blood Ruby is a pronouncement—a token of the Night Court's justice that carries the weight of a High Lord's will. To receive one is to know that every fae in Prythian who owes fealty to the Court of Nightmares is now an enemy, and that no safe harbor exists from the Hewn City to the war-camps.

Appearance

The Blood Ruby is a polished cabochon the size of a thumbnail, cut from a stone that seems to hold a dark ember at its core. Its surface is flawless, yet when held to light, faint veins of crimson writhe within like living threads, and the gem pulses with a slow, steady warmth against the skin—as though it has a heartbeat of its own.

Also known as: Death Ruby, Night's Mark, Ruby of the Hewn City, Blood Token

What They Know

• A Blood Ruby can only be sent by the High Lord of Night or a commander expressly granted his authority; forging one is a death sentence in itself.
• Once delivered, the ruby cannot be returned or refused—it bonds to the recipient's scent, and any attempt to destroy it triggers a burst of darkfire that consumes the bearer.
• The ruby is traditionally delivered by a shadow-wraith or a trusted messenger of the Night Court, often left on a pillow, slipped into a pocket, or presented during a feast, so that the target knows the moment of their condemnation.
• In the war-camps of Illyria, a Blood Ruby is considered an honorable death sentence—reserved for those who have betrayed a blood oath—while in the Court of Nightmares, it is a tool of terror, used to cull rivals without trial.
• The gem is said to be cut from a single vein of stone deep beneath the Hewn City, where the mountain's pressure and the ambient malice of the court infuse it with a hunger for the life it is meant to end.

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