The Ruby Court of Sardior is a holy council consisting of five court seats, each representing a different gem type. It existed under Sardior in the most ancient of times, and was returned to session upon Sardior's resurrection in the late PR era during The War of Many Names.
About
The Gem Dragons who occupy seats on the court are called Thanes. Sardior transforms his Thanes to enhance their size, strength, and power for the purposes of serving him and acting as Exarchs for their gem types. Each of Sardior's Thanes represent an aspect of his personality and, as pertaining to worship, a different domain of spellcasting. Sardior maintains a constant psychic link with his Thanes unless he chooses to block it. Thanes also seem to possess some divine immortality, given that most of his Prehistory Thanes have lived for at least several millennia and likely longer.
Other roles have existed with the court at various times such as Lower Court Members (advisors to the court representing other types of Neutral Dragons), Knights (champions and protectors of the court), Harbingers (able to sit in for their gem type at court meetings when their Thane is not available), and Acolytes (heralds and disciples of the court).
The five court seats have always been filled by an Amethyst, Crystal, Emerald, Sapphire, and Topaz. However, an Obsidian or any other wild card of gemkind can also hold a position with the court…given they are in the right place at the right time.
History
Prehistoric Court
The original Ruby Court disbanded not long after the destruction of Sardior, and each of the original Thanes went off to pursue their own interests. As difficult as it is to find any records of this original court, it is nearly impossible to find any documentation of Kristang. His thousand-year-long imprisonment between the Material Plane and Shadowfell at the hands of Feredemius had the effect of partially undoing Kristang's existence, insofar that even Bleucorundum could no longer remember him.
Thanes
- Venaleth the Amethyst
- Eros the Crystal
- Feredemius the Emerald
- Bleucorundum the Sapphire
- Tuschello the Topaz
Lower Court Members
- Kristang the Obsidian
- ??? the Jacinth
- ??? the Jade
- ??? the Pearl
- ??? the Amber
Resurrected Court
The Ruby Court remained disbanded throughout the BR era and most of the PR era until it was reassembled in 826 PR during The Battle of Five Lights in order to resurrect Sardior and dispel the Shadowfell that had overtaken Isonhound. This event, accompanied by the recent un-banishment of Bahamut, the return of Tiamat following Kiston's unlocking, and the reascension of Chronepsis to godhood, meant that all Four Dragons from Quelmar's draconic creation myth were now working their influence on the realm simultaneously for the first time since Prehistory.
The role of Kristang in the reassembled court is uncertain as he disappeared shortly after his rescue and took Trina as his Obsidian Knight, enhancing her magic and revealing himself to have secretly been her Great Old One patron.
Additionally, some adventurers were gifted Harbinger boons by activating the long-dormant Topaz Astrolabe set by Tuschello. Being imbued with gem essence enabled them to be court candidates for the resurrection ceremony and they could also presumably serve as Harbingers for the resurrected court.
Thanes
- Venaleth the Amethyst
- Echemus the Crystal
- Durzibethinus the Emerald
- Spinel the Sapphire
- Delphi the Topaz
Knights
- Trina the Obsidian Knight
Harbingers
- Rooney, Harbinger of Durzibethinus the Emerald
- Cobalt, Harbinger of Spinel the Sapphire
- Blaze, Harbinger of Delphi the Topaz
Acolytes
- Herneldo, Sorcerer of the Third Path
- Most Sanctified Disciples of Sardior (MSDOS)
Artifacts
The Gem Artifacts of the Ruby Court were five items that were used by the court to continue its operations. Each of the original artifacts was said to be either forged by Sardior, or forged by the Thane member who it represents.
Prehistoric Artifacts
- Crystal Moonwell
- Topaz Astrolabe
- Emerald Blade
- A weapon belonging to Feredemius, lost to time after he became trapped under the Northern Snowy Mountains, rediscovered in the stone of the mountain on an archeological expedition which revealed a lost Sardior worship space.
- Created a small protective ward around its wielder, an impenetrable shield in or out, theorized to be used to protect Sardior or a Thane during trips into dangerous territories.
- The Galadiir (Corundum Egg)
- A Ruby egg, said to be the last hope in the event that Sardior needed to be recovered, reborn, restored, or otherwise given corporeal form again. While the most important of the five artifacts in that it was an emergency item, it provided no active protections or use to the court.
- Amethyst Tome
- The spellbook and notebook of the venerable Venaleth, scholar and researcher of the realm.
- Included notes and council from the original court's meetings, alongside other useful details of the realm that Venaleth and the court had gathered in prehistoric times.
- Was stashed away in a library, but recovered by heroes of the realm upon Venaleth's request. Technically taken out on a "loan."
- Kristang's Obsidian Artifact
- While not of importance to the court when it was in session, Kristang was a Dragon of similar size and shape, serving in a lower court (alongside gems such as Pearl, Jacinth, Jade, and Amber). Kristang's artifact as such held the essence of the original court and in a pinch could function as a proxy if the resurrection ceremony was performed.
Resurrected Artifacts
- Crystal Moonwell
- Emerald Splinter
- Originally a Crystal-related item known as the Selune Splinter, Durian's artifact from his hometown became transformed upon his ascension to become attuned to his own gem domain.
- Amethyst Tome
- Venaleth likely continued to make his atlas an item of importance to the court, and would likely still use it upon his ascension to the second court, continuing in the same fashion as the first.
- ??? (Topaz, important to Delphi)
- ??? (Sapphire, important to Spinel)
