Rubiss

"I wonder what kind of person this Rubiss is...? Come to think of it, she's not really a 'person' at all, is she? She's more akin to a god...
Will we have to be on our best behavior when we meet her? Will I have to curtsy?"

—Princess of Cannock, in the Faerie Palace

Rubiss
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Dragon Quest III Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
Sprite(s)
Japanese name	精霊ルビス
Romaji	Seirei Rubisu
Race	Goddess
Age	Ageless
Voice actor	Rika Matsumoto (BS Dragon Quest) Keiko Han (CD Theater) Kiyono Yasuno (Erdrick Trilogy HD) Kelly Hotten (Erdrick Trilogy HD)

Rubiss is a creator Goddess who appears as the principal deity in several Dragon Quest games. She is a recurring and important character in the Erdrick Trilogy and is the principal Goddess of Alefgard. Her power is delegated through certain individuals, namely Princess Gwaelin and her high priestess, Dream-Whisperer.

Appearances

Dragon Quest

Rubiss isn't mentioned in the original Famicom/NES versions of the game. However, as of the SFC remake, and carried into future re-releases, Rubiss has been the subject of two brief prayers of adulation in the aftermath of the Hero's victory over the Dragonlord. Specifically, the Sage in the Sanctum who bestows the Hero with the Rainbow Drop, as well as the Sage in Cantlin who tells the Hero about the location of the Mark of Erdrick mention Rubiss. The two sages have the exact same dialogue, as many of the citizens of Alefgard share dialogue with other characters of the same NPC class at this point in the end-game.

BS Dragon Quest

Rubiss aids the player under the guise of a common old woman, and at random intervals She will bless the Hero by fully restoring his HP after battle, voiding any MP costs for a brief period, and insuring that critical hits trigger much more often. In the finale of the final episode, She will be present in Tantegel castle in Her old woman disguise but reveal Herself when spoken to, thanking the player directly for saving Alefgard. Rubiss is voiced by Rika Matsumoto during these Soundlink segments of the game.

Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake

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The player is informed of Rubiss' existence upon reaching the Shrine of Rain, where the Hero explains during his meeting with the Sage of Rain that he received a dream-vision in the recent past―the voice in that dream told him that if he were to gain Her protection then he would stand a chance against the darkness in spite of the theft of the Sphere of Light. The Sage explains that Rubiss is the creator of all Alefgard and that the shrine in which the two stand was where the faeries offered worship to Her in the past. The Sage laments that the faeries dwindled in time and the means to beckon Rubiss have been lost to the ages, but he asserts that there must be a way to reach the Goddess and declares that he will only bequeath the Staff of Rain once the Hero achieves this.

Later, after reporting his exchange with the Sage to King Lorik, the Hero is informed by his liege that Princess Gwaelin can hear the words of the Goddess. Rubiss warned the young princess to hide the Sphere of Light several months prior to the beginning of the game, inadvertently leading to her capture by the Dragonlord once she and her company of knights were ambushed on the bridge leading to the Shrine of Rain. With Gwaelin's connection to Rubiss established she becomes the sole lead to summoning the Goddess, and finding her whereabouts becomes the Hero's chief goal. Travelling across Alefgard for clues takes him to the Craggy Cave, where he unwittingly saves a pair of faeries from a monster that had been hunting them.

After an exchange where the Hero explains his mission, the faeries introduce themselves as the Arm-Twister and the Day-Dreamer. The former explains that Rubiss is "visiting another world" and cannot be reached through normal means. The chief of the fair folk, known by the title of the Dream-Whisperer, came up with a means to call their Goddess, but she disappeared when the faerie settlement was attacked by the Dragonlord's monsters―the Craggy Cave is near the faeries' home and the two entered it in the hopes she was hiding there. The Arm-Twister explains that the leader faerie has had dealings with the dwarves living in the east of Alefgard and hopes the little ones might have a hunch as to her she might have fled, but states that none of her kind can stand up to the monsters and asks the Hero to speak with them in her stead.

Much later, after rescuing Princess Gwaelin from the Quagmire Cave and the Dream-Whisperer from the Weirdwood, the Hero regroups with the fair folk in their hidden village and the entire situation is explained: the Dragonlord made his move when Rubiss departed for a different dimension, and his theft of the Sphere of Light is preventing her from returning on top of corrupting the land of Alefgard itself. The Dream-Whisperer explains that the faerie flute and the lyre of ire are needed to perform a summoning ritual at the apex of the Shrine of Rain, along with five sigils that embody the power of nature. After obtaining the necessary items and halting the siege on the Shrine of Rain, the ceremony commences and the Goddess returns to her creation.

Rubiss' first act upon entering Alefgard is to dispel the encroaching darkness the Dragonlord had spread through the realm, putting him at bay momentarily. She explains that the Dragonlord's corruption is so severe that not even She can purify him now, and gives the Hero clear instructions on how to create the rainbow drop at the southern Sanctum. Rubiss laments the suffering Her beloved faeries have endured, and empowers the Dream-Whisperer and Over-Seer before dissipating Her material form. The Dream-Whisperer explains that Rubiss has returned to the land as she is part of Alefgard itself, revealing her to be a genius loci on a planetary scale.

During the ending of the game, Rubiss tells the Hero and Gwaelin that while darkness still prevails, She vows to aid his descendants in the future. She also thanks him for freeing the soul of the Dragonlord, and mentions that he will eventually be reborn into the light someday, free from darkness. Afterwards, Rubiss returns to her slumber within Alefgard.

Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line

The player can communicate with Rubiss by sailing to a small island shrine south of Midenhall. When presented with the five collected sigils, She will speak to the three cousins telepathically and give them a holy talisman to dispel wicked illusions.

Being Her first appearance in the series, Rubiss is introduced to players as a protector Goddess who operates through Her chosen ones, rather than directly intervening in world affairs. The fondness and loyalty to which She speaks of Erdrick elevates the character from but a mere ancient folk hero to a savior to whom the very gods are indebted. This relationship would be further expanded upon in III, especially the remade versions.

Rubiss' speech

The five sacred Sigils begin to glow brightly! A soothing, disembodied voice floats through the air...

"Who summons me..? Who calleth upon Rubiss, the spirit of the land...? Hm...? Ah...You are of the bloodline of Erdrick...I sense his presence within you... It is time, at long last, to fulfill the promise I made unto your dear ancestor so long ago... I do hereby bestow upon you a gift that shall give to you the power of true sight when you need it most... When illusions do assail you upon all sides, trust to that which I have given you this day... Then shall your eyes discern truth from falsity...being from seeming... Now go forth, scions of Erdrick, with my blessing...Wheresoever you wander, know that I do watch over you always..."

Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake

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The Scions of Erdrick first learn of Rubiss when a faerie mentions Her in passing when the four heroes put an end to Togrus Immensus' assault on the Shrine of Rain. Her nature is also elaborated upon, being the very life-force that holds Alefgard together; this is why the realm was drowned in darkness when Zoma petrified Rubiss and why She vanished as soon as She was feed in Dragon Quest III, for if the Lord of the Underworld were to slay Her in anger should the Hero from another world fail, then all life in Alefgard would have come to an end.

Upon ending the attack on the Shrine of Rain and rescuing the Over-Seer, the leader of the faeries states that all is going as Rubiss had foreseen. When questioned by the Prince of Cannock, the Over-Seer attempts to avoid answering and merely states that She is somewhere far away. The Over-Seer then gives the four Scions the echo flute and instructs them to use it to find the five sigils.

Later, after obtaining the Sun Sigil from the Lighthouse, the Over-Seer telepathically contacts the Scions and beckons them to the Shrine of Rain; there she explains that the Dream-Whisperer dwelling in the Faerie Palace has not communicated with her in some time and she suspects the palace is being attacked by Hargon's forces to press her for information on Rubiss. The Over-Seer's hunch is right and the Scions of Erdrick repel the mad cultist's forces, with the Dream-Whisperer then sending the four off to come to the aid of the Mermaid's Sanctuary.

After that undersea rescue mission is completed, the Scions of Erdrick return to the Faerie Palace and speak with the Dream-Whisperer and the Over-Seer. The two explain that Rubiss used the five sigils to seal Herself away, knowing that the darkness that corrupted the Dragonlord still lingered and would make an attempt on Her life once it grew strong enough. The nature of this seal renders Rubiss totally immaterial and safe to any harm with only the sigils themselves able to undo the ritual, but it also prevents Her from speaking to the minds of Her assistants. Thus, before sealing Herself, Rubiss gave the Dream-Whisperer and the Over-Seer precises instructions for when the armies of that darkness make their move.

Before departing the Faerie Palace, the Record-Keeper asks that the four Scions keep an eye out for the living memories of the faeries, which Hargon's forces stole during the raid. These seven memories explain what took place during the century between Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest II, as well as Rubiss' very origin:

Upon gathering the five sigils the Dream-Whisperer informs the four Scions that the faerie flute and lorelei's harp are the final relics needed to rouse Rubiss from her seal, and that She slumbers in the shrine bearing Her name in the south seas. The Scions of Erdrick are ambushed by the colossal Atlas after opening the shrine, but repel the giant. The four descend to the bottom of the shrine and awaken their Goddess, who greets them merrily. Rubiss explains that She watched over them as She dreamt, and gives them the Eye of Rubiss to dispel any illusions Hargon may envelop them in. Before the group departs Rubiss asks that they promise Her that none of them will lay down their life to bring peace to the world, which the children readily swear. Rubiss thanks the Scions, asks that they save Her world, and returns to her slumber.

During the game's finale, the player can return to the Shrine of Rubiss and speak with Her. She is overjoyed that all four children have survived the hardship and returned to Her safely, and explains that now that the darkness is finally destroyed She needs no longer slumber, and resumes watching over Her creation.

Rubiss plays a much larger role in the true ending of the game. Once the Scions of Erdrick are pulled into the dimension of darkness along with the rubble of the Hall of Hargon, the Princess of Cannock nearly falls into the abyss and clings to the ledge of some debris. The Princess of Moonbrooke tells her to not give in, reminding her of their promise to Rubiss. The Goddess then speaks to the four, telling them that their bravery in the face of the ultimate evil guided She and Ramia to them in their most dire hour. The Everbird then enters the scene and heals the Scions of Erdrick for the confrontation with Malwrath, and should they fall in battle then Rubiss will fully revive them once.

Once the battle is concluded, Rubiss shows the children Hargon's past before he was corrupted by the lingering grudge of Calasmos. Rubiss speaks to the Scions of Erdrick in the ruins of Hargon's citadel, telling them the darkness is finally vanquished.

Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation

Rubiss is held prisoner on the top floor of the Tower of Rubiss, having been over-powered by Zoma and displaced as ruling deity of Alefgard. The heroes must use the Faerie Flute in front of the statue there in order to free her. Her rescue by the Hero in this time of need would not be soon forgotten.

The Goddess' is depicted with a sprite resembling those of the Faeries, which would serve as the basis for Her illustration in Dragon Quest of the Stars decades later.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake

Rubiss' role is the same as in past iterations of the title, though Her petrified form is now guarded by the Soul of Baramos. Her dialogue has been greatly expanded. Here She will notice the Sphere of Light in the Hero's possession and state that She and Her flock are in the Dragon Queen's debt before elaborating on the bauble's significance in the fight against Zoma. Rubiss laments that Her powers have not yet returned to Her and that the task of slaying the fiend falls to the party, implying She is capable of facing Zoma directly and that the archfiend ambushed Her.

After telling the player that the Rainbow Drop is necessary to reach Zoma's citadel and bequeathing the Sacred Amulet to her saviors, Rubiss instills what remains of her divine power into the Sphere of Light so that it will pierce through Zoma's Shroud of Shadows and render him vulnerable. She then vanishes so Zoma cannot get the chance to imprison her once more.

Design-wise, Rubiss retains the appearance she was given in Walk, being a beautiful woman with red hair and large, angelic wings wearing a golden sash with matching torcs, tiara, and necklace.

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation

Rubiss is the true identity of the nameless mountain spirit the people of Weaver's Peak worship, and lives in an underwater shrine the party can visit after they acquire Lorelei's harp and can traverse the Undersea. Her palace is relatively close to the Isle of Murdaw.

In the beginning of the game, She possesses Tania to speak directly to the Hero that he must reunite with his companions after the failed assault on Murdaw's Keep in the game's opening sequence.

Dragon Quest X

Rubiss Herself doesn't appear in the game but due to a collaboration with Dragon Quest of the Stars players could obtain Her outfit from the mobile title. It was originally only available in the Hoshidora event back in September 2019, however, due to fan demand the outfit was added to the Present Ticket campaign, a dedicated reward system where players can exchange a special currency that is obtained on a monthly basis.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light

Rubiss was added to the game as a recruitable monster on January 31, 2023 as a member of the ??? family.

Dragon Quest Builders

Rubiss is a major character in the game, being the guiding voice that directs the Builder in each chapter. Presented in a more humorous light than in past games, the Goddess is frequently taken aback by the blunt and impatient craftsman's attitude, not being used to having to put up with anyone's sass. She warns the player that they are not a hero, and expressly forbids them from challenging the Dragonlord: their task is solely that of restoring the land and settlements of Alefgard.

Prior to the game's opening, Her influence upon the world is weakened by the Dragonlord sheathing the sky in darkness as Zoma once did. Only the Builder can hear Her voice throughout the game, and Her words cannot reach them at all in the final chapter of the game until a pious princess' prayers counter the malefic mist. Once the castle of Tantegel and the legendary arms are restored, Rubiss praises the Builder and declares their work complete--She states that She and the revived Alefgard will wait for a new hero to appear to slay the Dragonlord. When Her divine judgement is questioned, She reaffirms that the builder is forbidden from carrying out an assault on Dragonlord's Castle and ceases communicating with the player.

During the battle with fiend, Rubiss will intervene and counter the maniac's magical seal by teleporting the friends the builder has made along their journey into the fray to deliver materials, food, and medicinal herbs before spiriting them away to safety. When the Builder proves victorious Rubiss admits She was mistaken, and thanks the little architect from the bottom of Her heart before musing that the human spirit is something beyond even Her reckoning.

Dragon Quest of the Stars

Rubiss appears the III scenario in the same role as She did in the original game, appearing as a glowing faerie wearing an ornate gown. She is grateful to the player for having rescued Her from imprisonment, but shows a sterner side when She electrocutes Cyril for wasting time.

Rubiss also appears as a main character in the permanent event Guided by Rubiss's Light, in which She retells the story of the first three games while putting the party in the shoes of the heroes of said stories.

There is several gacha equipment based on Her: an armor and shield -which can be seen in the opening movie for the game-, a robe -which She wears in the cutscenes- and several weapons including sword, fan, dagger, rod, staff and bow. Most of Her equipment can be alchemized and/or awakened to further improve their skills and stats. Design-wise, most of Her gear seems inspired by the look of the Eye of Rubiss.

Her Stars design has been featured in the collaborations the game had with Dragon Quest X and Monster Hunter Riders, being obtainable in the former and Her robe and sword being worn by a special character in the later.

Dragon Quest Walk

Rubiss appeared in the later parts of the Dragon Quest III event. She explains to the player Her role in creating Alefgard and how Zoma sealed Her away. After defeating Zoma, She thanks the player.

Unlike Her Stars appearance, Rubiss's Walk design is not whited out, so it's easier to see how She looks like: She has blue-ish eyes, long and straight pink hair, pointy ears and big angel-like wings. She wears a white and purple dress, with orange accents. She wears some golden and blue jewelry, and carries a turqoise sphere. This design is inspired by Her sprite in Dragon Quest III for the Super Famicom, and has been utilized as Her official design for all subsequent appearances since its debut.

Dragon Quest Seirei Rubis Densetsu

Author Saori Kumi (久美沙織) wrote a three-volume series of novels revolving around the Goddess Rubiss before the creation of Alefgard in 1992 called Dragon Quest - Seirei Rubis Densetsu (精霊ルビス伝説). Cover art for all three novels were painted by Mutsumi Inomata, and these illustrations were the only official depictions of Rubiss beyond Her in-game sprites and a single guidebook image until the release of Dragon Quest of the Stars.

The novels detail Her past before Her apotheosis, when She lived in the spirit realm of Ideen as the heir of the Karikutisu family. The Karikutisu clan is one of the five great houses that rules over Ideen and has power over the element of fire; this station is reflected in the family's signature red hair and red eyes. Rubiss is shown to be lovers with a spirit named Diaruto Kentoropige (ディアルト・ケントロピーゲ), a member of the house of Koridoras which governs the element of earth. The name Diaruto Kentoropige is an alias the spirit must use in place of his real name; due to his mother being a human from the surface world he is denied any inheritance from the Koridoras family and is forbidden from using the surname of Koridoras as well as his given human name, which the family deems unclean.

Various circumstances stand in the way of the lovers' happiness and the two elope, an act that coincides with additional conflicts that leads to the collapse of Ideen and the spread of evil throughout Alefgard. By the end of the series Rubiss assumes Her role as an earth Goddess and Diaruto abandons his connection to the Koridoras family by embracing the human name his mother gave him—Erdrick (ロト). Erdrick's half-human nature leads to him passing away from age, but the lovers remain bound by fate as Erdrick continuously reincarnates and finds his way to Rubiss as the two battle against the evils they are partially responsible for unleashing.

Emblem of Roto: To the Children Who Inherit the Emblem

Rubiss appears in the sequel manga to Emblem of Roto.

Trivia

• Rubiss is given the full name of Rubiss Apisuto Karikutisu (ルビス・アピスト・カリクティス, Rubiss Apisuto Karikutisu) in the Dragon Quest: Seirei Rubis Densetsu manga.
• With the exception of the design used for Dragon Quest of the Stars, Rubiss has consistently been depicted with red hair since the 1996 remake of Dragon Quest III. This might be a homage to Saori Kumi's novels which compare Rubiss' hair to a blazing fire.

In Other languages

Language	Translation	Meaning
Español	Pamplín
Français	Rubiss	From English name.
Deutsch	Rubiss	From English name.
Italiano	Rubiss	From English name.

See also

• Eye of Rubiss
• Goddess
• Numen the Almighty

Gallery

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  HD sprites.

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  Promotional card used for social media
  Artwork by Yoshiya Fujisaki

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  Art from the Japanese Official Guide Book for the Famicom release of Dragon Quest.

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  Seirei Rubiss Densetsu illustration
  Artwork by Mutsumi Inomata

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  Dragon Quest Seirei Rubis Densetsu Vol. 1.

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  Dragon Quest Seirei Rubis Densetsu Vol. 2.

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  Dragon Quest Seirei Rubis Densetsu Vol. 3.

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  Stars appearance. (Cell phone)

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  Disciplining Cyril. (Cell phone)

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  Gacha banner featuring offensive-oriented Rubiss gear.

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  Gacha banner featuring support-oriented Rubiss gear.

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  Rubiss's face can be seen when using the Rubiss's Sphere skill.

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  Walk appearance.

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  Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light appearance.

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  Tact portrait.

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  Tact official art.

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  Hilda from Monster Hunter Riders wearing Rubiss's outfit from Stars.

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  A X Wetling wearing the Rubiss robe.

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  Rubiss as she appears in the sequel to Emblem of Roto.

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  Saving Rubiss in III. (Cell phone)

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• Error creating thumbnail: File missing

  Rubiss freed in III. (Cell phone)