Dyeing Resources

Yes, It's a heavy duty bit o work but I think it needs to be done... Its not by any means near complete but I just thought I'd post it for feedback.

Dyeing Resources

Plants that produce a colored dye-

Allia Berry – Allia Purple - This plant bares a dark purple berry cluster that, though poisonous, can be used for dying clothes. Allia berries are also used for dyes, most commonly to the Caltharian tribe. In autumn, Caltharian women and children may be seen colleting these berries in baskets and aprons just for this purpose.

Location - The Allia is found in a wide range across the middle of the Santharian Kingdom, commonly growing in heaths and meadows as well as near forests. Allia are found as far north as Voldar, growing around all but the northernmost border of the Thaelon Forest. They are also commonly found in the Heath of Jernaís, the Aurora Fields, and the Heath at Salazar, but as well around Vontron, the Shivering Woods and the Quallian, save the forest's western border, as well as around the Istarin, Paelelon and the Almatrar. Finally Allia also grow on the northern border of the Zeiphyrian Forest and around all the borders of the Auturian Woods except the western. However, Allia grows no farther south than the Tolonian Heath.

Alth'tiert Plant – The Helvet’ine use the leaves of this plant to make a dye. First, they soak the leaves in water for a few hours, then they boil the enlarged leaf with a small amount of water, until the yellow juices of the plant are boiled out. Then, some egg yolk is added, to help give the mixture a little more hold. It is then set out for several hours, and a rich golden dye is now ready.

Location - The Alth’tiert plants are found in volcanic areas and can especially be seen in the Celeste Mountains at the southwest of Northern Sarvonia. They don’t grow closely together, but seem to cluster more around vents that lead into the bowels of the volcano.

Arne'pheran Tree Bark - The dark ridge pieces are used in producing dyestuffs. These harvested pieces are boiled for several days, and at the end of that time a thin brown dye is made. With the addition of other ingredients and continued boiling a rich brown dye is made. However, it must be noted that too much harvesting of these protective ridge pieces can cause the death of an Arne'pherán, so care must be used.

Location - Though the Arne'pheráns are found throughout the whole of Northern Sarvonia, they are more prevalent in several of the larger forests. The broadleaf variety is common in the Shaded Forest, while the narrow leaf variety can be found in the Cartashian Woods and the Themd’lon. In the Hovel Frond Forest there is a strange variety that is black with even more prominent thorns.

Blackmoss - Its juice will, when mixed with an acidic liquid, form a deep, inky black that is so strong that it can be used as ink or dye for clothing. For preparing this ink, swaths of Blackmoss are picked, leaving most of the roots in the ground for regrowth, and bundled together. This harvest is usually done in spring, since the moss grows best and most lavishly in that period, and the flowers will yield additional juice. The whole plants are then stirred into hot water below boiling temperature to extract the fluids; boiling temperature will destroy the pigment. From a patch of 1 pen, about a mug of the solution can be prepared. The resulting liquid is a pale yellow, to which an acid is added. The acid varies; vinegar (produced from grapes or other vegetation) is used for dying cloth. Another, cheaper alternative to vinegar is urine. Being a freely available resource, it makes a cheap substitute if vinegar cannot be obtained. Thankfully, the strong fragrance of both vinegar and urine will fade away completely after the dyed cloth has been washed thoroughly.

Location - Blackmoss is usually found in forests throughout the northern part of Santharia, but it grows very scarcely in any single place. It usually grows only in light forests, because the rain has to reach it. The roots of trees hold the water in the ground; another reason for the moss's preference for forests. Regarding composition and acid/alkaline content of the soil, the moss has no special preferences, but on alcaline earth, the juice extracted from the plant needs more acid to turn black.

Fa'yale Flower - Once the flowers have been harvested the mixture is heated and allowed to boil for several hours. The mixture is then strained, which produces a thick, dark red dye.

Location - Unlike most plants who flourish throughout most of a continent or at least within a geographical area, these bushes and their respective flowers only grow in the Eastern shadow of the Southern Foothills.

Fireweed – Aerullian Red - Fireweed is noted most for the bright orange, yellow and red dyes it produces and is very coveted by people all over Caelereth.

Location - Fireweed is only native to the shores of Aeruillin and will only grow up to 10 peds away from land, which is thought to be because the plant depends on fish that are also only found closer to shore. Fireweed likes the warmest waters and hottest conditions, so it is unlikely that one would be able to grow it anywhere other than Aeruillin, although the southern tip of Sarvonia and other surrounding lands might have some chance at cultivation.

Juk'lan Leaves – Juk’lan may also be used to make a strong dark brown dye, which does not fade much and will colour nearly anything. This is done by cooking the fresh (not dried) leaves, along with some twigs from the plant in boiling water, letting it sit for two days while stirring occasionally. Then the dye is ready to use, once the leaves and twigs are strained out.

Location - Anywhere where there is water in Northern Sarvonia, there is likely to be Juk’lan. It grows from the Celeste Lowlands all the way up to the tree line and the Icelands, from the Sea of Tears to the Kanapan peninsula.

Teki Tree Seeds – Teki Red - The Teki Tree has only one use that we know of other than consumption, which is for dying cloth the colour red. When the pits are taken and crushed into a smeary paste, it can be mixed with boiling water to produce a deep blood red liquid, used to dye cloth.

Location - This tree is grown mainly in the Santharian province of Enthronia, while it does not only prosper here, this is the main area of Caelereth that has a market for its seed. All over the world of Caelereth, cloth is dyed red by this seed, but Carmalad is the foremost city of cloth dyers, so here is the market. Degenerated versions of the tree can also be found futher north in the province of Nermeran, where they even grow in the snow covered Tandala Highlands.

The tree is not a bountiful producer, and neither does it ever look particularly healthy, but it thrives in the soil of the North East of Santharia, and there it stays. Teki farms are usually vast, with many leagues to a single farmer, for the harvest from each tree is generally low and a single man can run his own thousand trees with ease. This tree also does grow in the wild, but it tends to do poorly, and it only grows in small clumps of a few to an area. Other areas of the world have tried to grow this tree, but have had difficulty with it. Most say this is because you can never move a Teki Tree or seed more than a league from its mother tree. This may be myth, but it seems to be real, at least to all the Teki farmer wannabes that couldn’t get a tree to grow.

Waterberry - Waterberry Blue - ???

Animals that Produce Dyes

Crystal Spider Venom - Several R'unorian tribes use the venom as a fixative for a colourful, non-running dye.

Umm... I CANT THINK OF ONE!!!! NOOO!!!!

Edited by: Chronusian at: 8/22/05 0:35