Rubies and Illager Trading

Minecraft has not added a new rare overworld ore since emeralds in 2012. Adding a new rare resource would make exploration feel fresh again and give experienced players something new to hunt for. Rubies would also expand the illager side of the game and introduce darker magic to contrast with villagers and emeralds. How it could work • Ruby Ore would be extremely rare and only generate in hot biomes like deserts, savannas, and badlands, making biome-based exploration more important. • Rubies would be the “opposite” of emeralds, tied to illagers, curses, and risky magic instead of peaceful trading. • Players could trade rubies with pillagers and other illagers at pillager outposts or woodland mansions. This would be dangerous and might require wearing a pillager disguise or ruby armor to avoid immediate hostility or there would be a new illager type specifically designed for this system. • Trades could offer powerful but risky rewards, such as cursed enchantments, rare items, or secret mechanics not available through villagers. Rubies could also be used to craft a dark totem called the Totem of Banishment. Instead of fully saving the player, it would teleport them to a random location with very low health and strong negative effects. It could even protect against void damage.