Carbuncle: Ruby Cave & Three Fragments
Start the Ruby Cave riddle, find all three Ruby Fragments by their Olderion landmarks and return to the epitaph to unlock Carbuncle without a boss fight.
Read → collect → return
- 01
Read the epitaph
Start inside Ruby Cave.
- 02
Find three sparkles
Ponds → coast → waterfall rise.
- 03
Return to the cave
Examine the epitaph again.
Ruby Cave epitaph → 3 Ruby Fragments → Carbuncle
Original sequence diagram; landmarks are not map coordinates.
01Two ponds
Southeast of Rukh Cave
02Eastern coast
Southwest of Squall’s sanctum
03Waterfall rise
Cross two bridges, then climb
Chapter-3 acquisition with source-reviewed landmarks and an original sequence diagram. No coordinate map or independently recorded gameplay screenshots.
On this page
Unlock routeHow do you unlock Carbuncle?Where are the three Ruby Fragments?Why has Carbuncle not appeared?Are Ruby Fragments part of the 99 Tablet Shards?Sources & reviewHow do you unlock Carbuncle?
Read the epitaph inside Ruby Cave, collect its three Ruby Fragments in the stated order, then examine the epitaph again. The reward is Carbuncle; you do not need to win a recruitment battle. This route becomes available in Olderion during chapter 3.
Begin at the cave even if you already recognize the world-map landmarks. Reading the riddle starts the search sequence. A sparkle you found elsewhere is not evidence that this particular fragment has been collected.
Where are the three Ruby Fragments?
1. Between the two ponds
Travel southeast of Rukh Cave and find the pair of circular ponds of different sizes. Inspect the ground between them for the sparkling pickup. The ponds identify the search area; you are looking on land, rather than in either pool.
2. Along the eastern coast
Move to Olderion’s eastern coastal road, southwest of Squall’s sanctum and roughly east of Cave of Waters. Search the straight coastal section near the grassy mountain indentations. Check the sparkle beside the path before continuing to the waterfall clue.
3. Beyond the waterfall bridges
Find the seven-waterfall area west of Olderion, the Aquapolis. Continue west, cross the two wooden bridges and climb the small grassy rise. Search the raised ground; stopping at the water’s edge leaves the final step unfinished.
Why has Carbuncle not appeared?
Return to the same epitaph in Ruby Cave after the third pickup. Collecting the fragments does not replace that final interaction. If the scene has not triggered, check the riddle’s activation and your progress through the three locations before searching unrelated caves.
The route illustration shows the order of operations. It does not indicate distances or a navigable path between regions.
Are Ruby Fragments part of the 99 Tablet Shards?
No. These three fragments solve Carbuncle’s riddle. The 99 Tablet Shards have a separate checklist and are delivered to Oblivion Palace. Do not add three to that counter when finishing this quest.
Carbuncle counts toward the other eight summons needed for the Bahamut acquisition route. Check the nine-Esper directory for whichever unlock remains missing.
Sources & review
Sources checked on 26 October 2026. This is a source-based guide, not a claim of independent gameplay testing. A specific patch number has not been verified. Read our editorial policy.
- PowerPyx — Esper acquisitionIndependent guide
- Gamer.org — Ruby Cave fragment landmarksIndependent guide
- Item Level — nine Esper unlock routesIndependent guide
Continue your journey
Collectibles guide
Find all 99 Tablet Shards by region and landmark, save your checklist locally, compare all 25 palace rewards and locate the eight Adamantite sources.
Open guide
Espers guide
Find all nine Espers, solve Carbuncle’s ruby riddle and follow the Titan, Leviathan, Odin and Bahamut prerequisites without confusing story fights with recruitment.
Open guide
Nichol — Nichol’s Duty
Complete Nichol’s Duty in Olderion, follow the merchant through Cave of Waters, and unlock Leviathan alongside the Enchanted Ring.
Open guideBahamut trial
Check Bahamut’s eight-Esper prerequisite, trigger the Enterprise event with Evan and prepare for the Megaflare countdown and elemental retaliation.
Open guide