Queen Illaka Ruby

Queen Illaka Ruby

The Queen Illaka Ruby is a legendary artifact in The Gerosha Chronicles of Dozerfleet Comics. It is so far the only major ruby of plot relevance in any story to not be a Marlquaanite ruby.

Cataclysmic Gerosha
Main article: Cataclysmic Gerosha

A fancy ruby was discovered in Alaska once, and was believed to have been the prized possession of a female Inuit leader. It was dubbed the Королева Illaka, or "Queen Illaka" Ruby by Russians who later discovered it. The ruby went missing after after Illaka passed away, amidst a dispute between Inuit natives and Russian settlers over who should rightfully possess the ruby. Around WWII, Rebecca Volstika discovered it and claimed it for herself. She later returned it to Inuit possession after marrying Akiak "Anarteq" Sundue. It remains somewhere in Canada, heavily guarded.

Earlier versions
See also: Gerosha multiverse, Ciem 2

In Gerosha Prime, it was stated explicitly that part of why Steve McLaine and Miriam Flippo were in Alaska was because they were looking for the ruby there. Miriam had attended the college in Farrenville, and was only in Alaska to date Steve and find the ruby with him. Their plans are derailed in Ciem 2 when the Hebbleskin Gang sends Melvin Markus to frame Miriam for involvement in stealing the Ming-Yo, prompting her trip to Dirbine and thus, the entire plot. Since there was no Becky Ryba in these earlier renditions, the ruby's location remained hidden "somewhere in Alaska." Its plot relevance diminished by Classic Gerosha, and was almost completely non-existent in Comprehensive Gerosha's Ciem: Nuclear Crisis. By this point, much of Miriam's origin story had also undergone serious revision.

Inspiration
Steve and Miriam's quest to find the Queen Illaka Ruby, which was interrupted by the events of Ciem 2, served as an early intro sub-plot to bring readers up to par with what Miriam had been doing with her life since she and Candi both left Gerosha behind. In spite being mentioned both by Miriam and by Captain Aardwulf, the ruby itself never once visually appeared in any rendition of the webcomic nor in Nuclear Crisis. A look for it was finally figured out on October 27th of 2013.

Design
The ruby was made as appearing to be cut to one ruby wrapping around another, both initially of an "egg cut" influence, per the "egg cut" ruby option in The Sims 3. The base ruby is actually one inside the Triangulum's treasure room, as per the treasure Stan Flippo inherits from Henry Lohtz. It was one of several rubies designed off that base and modified in Photoshop on October 27th of 2013. Its appearance is retroactively applicable to every story that need make mention of it.