Stormlight Decal Swords.svg

King's Drop

From The Coppermind
Jump to: navigation, search
King's Drop
Type Perfect gemstone (Ruby)
World Roshar
Universe Cosmere
Featured In The Stormlight Archive

The King's Drop is a perfect ruby gemstone stored in the Thaylen Gemstone Reserve on Roshar. It plays a key role in the Battle of Thaylen Field.


The ruby is the size of a child's head and when infused glows with a blood-red light as bright as daylight.[1] Although it is no larger than a gemheart from a greatshell, it is able to store Stormlight indefinitely; a normal gem of its size would run out of Stormlight in about a month.[1] Perfect gems maintain their ability to store Stormlight indefinitely if they are brought to Shadesmar.[2] Scholars believe that the perfection of the crystal lattice is the reason for these unique properties.[1]

The King's Drop is rumored to be a piece of the Stone of Ten Dawns, a legendary perfect gemstone.[1][2]



At the end of the Era of Solitude, the King's Drop is in the custody of the Thaylen Gemstone Reserve. It has stayed locked inside a closet-sized personal vault within the main vault of the reserve for over 200 years.[1]

Attempted theft[edit]

After injuring her legs in the Reshi Isles,[3] Rysn takes a job keeping ledgers for Queen Fen with an office in the Gemstone Reserve of Thaylenah.[1] She is surprised when her former master, Vstim, visits the Reserve for an audit.[1] Vstim and Rysn open the vault with the King's Drop and regard it with awe.[1] Suddenly, an assassin disguised as a guard kills Tlik, attacks Vstim, and fights off multiple guards in an attempt to steal the gem.[1] Rysn notices that the assassin displays unusual healing and illusory powers.[1]

During the scuffle, Rysn's pet larkin, Chiri-Chiri, consumes the Stormlight from the ruby.[1] The assassin is prevented from escaping when Chiri-Chiri drains what appears to be Voidlight from his body, preventing the use of his powers and enabling Rysn to kill him with a crossbow.[1] Rysn takes the now-dun ruby and tries to determine how she can retrieve the wounded Vstim and exit the vault.[1]

Battle of Thaylen Field[edit]

When Odium's forces attack Thaylen City, a thunderclast destroys the Reserve as it searches for the ruby with several Fused.[4] Although Rysn has already managed to flee with Vstim, Dalinar sees two more Fused locate their palanquin and steal the ruby.[4] Dalinar realizes that the gem must be special, and tasks Lift with retrieving it; Szeth soon comes to help her.[5] After some back-and-forth with the Fused, the duo are able to procure the ruby and Lift delivers it to Dalinar.[6]

Dalinar is able to "lure" and trap Nergaoul, the Unmade responsible for the Thrill, using the gemstone.[6] The ruby appears to glow with Voidlight after Nergaoul is imprisoned.[6][7] After the battle, Dalinar gives the gem to Navani for study.[7] She remarks on the visual similarity to one of Gavilar's black spheres.[7]


This page or section deals with theories or speculation.
Please read carefully and note that this is not necessarily canonical.

A ruby nicknamed Honor's Drop is mentioned in the Urithiru gem archive as one of the perfect gems guarded by the Order of Elsecallers of the Knights Radiant, presumably during the Heraldic Epochs.[8] It has been speculated that the King's Drop is the same ruby in the present day.

Additionally, Dalinar's ability to trap an Unmade in a perfect gemstone is presumably related to his abilities as a member of the Order of Bondsmiths, as the gem archive references a Bondsmith named Melishi as one of the keys to trapping an Unmade.[9] However, the mechanics of the imprisonment are not known.


This page is probably complete!
It has yet to be reviewed.