Dye

Dyes were a kind of substance used to impart colors to fabrics, leather, and other materials, alongside inks, paints and enamels.

Availability
Dyes were a valuable trade good, and were worth the effort for adventurers to steal.

Aurora's Emporium offered a wide variety of dyed colors for the clothing and fabrics in its catalogue, with white, black, gray, beige, and brown available by default, and brighter colors such as red, blue, yellow, and green available for an extra fee. Raw dyes were also available for sale in packs. These included Calimshan blue (33 sp), copper blue 9 sp, ultramarine blue (1 gp), mollusk green (9 sp), indigo (3 gp), ochre (12 sp), purple (33 sp), cochineal red (4 sp), iron red (5 sp), safflower (4 sp), sulfur yellow (3 sp), and vermilion (44 sp).

Crafting
The Most Excellent Order of Weavers and Dyers was responsible for regulating the dyeing industry in Waterdeep, and their livery was rainbow-hued cloaks and gowns. Bolts of cloth could be dyed for 5 sp to 10 gp, depending on the complexity involved.

In Cormyr, the Guild of Naturalists was the authority regarding all manner of substances, including the origination of dyes. The Guild of Weavers and Coopers made up the realm's fabric dyers, while the Tanners and Leatherers Guild represented the leather dyers.

Minerals and metals found use in dyemaking:
 * Alum and alkali were common ingredients in the dyemaking process. Alum-based dye imbued pigment very slowly, allowing different shades to be obtained from the same vat.
 * Brimstone was used to make yellow dye.
 * Cinnabar was used to make vermilion dye
 * Copper azurite was used to make blue dye.
 * Iron rust was used to make red dye.

Plants and herbs were widely used for dyes:
 * Blueleaf tree sap and leaves was used to make a vivid blue dye.
 * Dancing monkey fruit was used to make dye.
 * Dyer's brooms were used to make yellow dye.
 * Firethorns were used to make brilliant scarlet dye.
 * Henna was used to make a reddish-orange dye.
 * Indigo bushes were used to make dark blue dye.
 * Madder roots were used to make crimson dye.
 * Mahogany roots were used to make a red dye.
 * Marlikkon fruit could be made into a dark brown dye. Madder Root.png
 * Pixie table mushrooms could be made into a lavender dye.
 * Safflower was made into a dye.
 * Turmeric and tanbark were sometimes used to make dyes.
 * Woad was used to make blue dye.

Insects and mollusks found significant use in dyemaking:
 * Cochineals were made into a bright red dye.
 * Gem scarabs could be used in dyes and pigments.
 * Redwing butterflies could be made into a bright red dye.
 * Freshwater snails such as the browncurl and hornspire were used to make strong brown dye.
 * Saltwater snails such as hunting knights were used to make a rich purple dye known as oldblood or 'heartsblood'.

Production & Trade

 * Baldur's Gate exported fine dyes, made from local mollusks. The dyers there were among those kept in the Outer City due to the pollution their work involved.  The Gist family controlled the city's dye production, while the Ravenshades dealed in trading it. Green dye made out of tree sap was a common substance available in Baldur's Gate and the Western Heartlands.
 * In Zakhara, dyemaking was a common and valued trade, with the Pearl Cities notably importing dyes and fabrics from the north and east. Ajayib produced bright dyes and other luxuries, Jumlat harvested sea-borne products including bright dyes, Muluk farmed and processed indigo dye, , Qadib exported golden-yellow uther dye, and Umara was famous for its bright blue dye of cobalt and turquoise color. Liham was famous for producing red dyes, but secretly imported firethorns from Hawa, with only a small local supply of shell-based dye. The village of al-Azra'Wadi on the Island of Gardens harvested blue orchids to make dye and perfume. Emerald Dye.png
 * Chult produced a great amount of dyes and exported dyed fabrics overseas. The dyes were made using resources from the jungle and sea, though the wool and cotton fabrics were imported. The dye works of Port Nyanzaru were the center of this trade, with the cliffs below them stained with discarded dye vats.
 * In Kozakura, dyemaking was an important industry. Doiyu on Yarujima kept its silk dyers and other polluting industries east of the city. In Masakado on the main island of Shinkoku, the locals made a red mahogany root dye.
 * Wa produced and exported dyed silk. Wealthy and important Waese used dyed leather strips to make colorful patterns on their armor.
 * The Kuang family of Keelung devised an exceptional yellow dye, bringing fame and wealth to the city's silkworks. Vermilion Dye.png
 * Moss from Mornbryn's Shield was a secret ingredient in Waterdhavian hair dye.
 * In Halruaa, the town of Achelar had famous dyeworks.
 * Wood elves produced specialized green and brown dyes that they used to camouflage cloth and leather.
 * Corm Orp exported grape-based dyes.

Usages

 * Dyes were commonly used for imparting color to fabrics and leather. Vibrant dyes were especially used with clothing and tapestries.
 * Skin, hair and wigs were dyed for various purposes, and disguise kits included skin pigments and hair dye.  In the Realms, hair dye was often used for fashionable intents, but not to hide gray hair as a sign of ageing.
 * Tattoos were made by injecting dye under the skin.
 * Richly dyed and patterned silk was especially prized and valued in Shou Lung and T'u Lung, as well as in Laothan.
 * Tabotan fashion heavily featured leather and yak or sheep wool dyed green or red.
 * The Pazruki wore dyed horse or human hair wigs, beards, and mustaches.
 * Fireworks could be colored with dyes, creating different effects. Professional Fireworks.png
 * Poison water guns used water with powdered iron and dye to blind enemies.
 * Silver pieces from Memnon, called 'red worms', were tinted with red ochre dye. When the coating rubbed off, they became known as 'skinned worms'.
 * The ornamental stone satin spar could be dyed to change its color, though it killed any sparkle in the mineral. Soapstone could also be treated in this manner.
 * Followers of Zaltec dyed their hands red.
 * The Bedine dyed their tent material with henna or coffee-grounds.
 * Sunite priests wore deep crimson-dyed clothes.
 * Priests of Eilistraee dyed their hair silver, and non-drow followers would dye their skin black.
 * Zakharans used henna dye to decorate their brows with dots, redden their nails, palms, and soles of feet, and dye the foot-hair of halflings.
 * Tasloi used an inky black dye for furs that imparted a foul odor.
 * Drow noble houses sometimes paraded their slaves through the street, decorating their naked bodies with dyes perfumes.
 * Zantira people covered their bodies with green dye from plants.
 * Efreeti were fond of wearing black- and red-dyed silk and damask.
 * Gnomish alderfolk used pink and leaf-green dyes to distinguish their intelligence and guile.

Creatures

 * Couatl wing shavings could be dissolved in natural acids to produce purple dye.
 * Faerie unicorn horns could be crushed into a dye for a cloak of elvenkind.
 * Flail snail shells could be used to dye a robe of scintillating colors.
 * Neogi delineated themselves and their slaves using body dyes, tattoos, and and transformation magic.
 * Grungs secreted slime from their skin that could be used to make dyes.
 * Redcaps were compelled to dye their caps in fresh blood to avoid perishing.

Magic

 * The liquid orb spell could create an amount of liquid dye.
 * Essence of darkness could be used to make a strong black dye.
 * A jug of dyeing could permanently dye any object blue or red.
 * A mysterious mug could randomly dye someone's mouth black.

History

 * The mysterious magician Shiz-ti kept a caged boar with its fur dyed yellow. The Shining Temple of Bishamon had red-dyed wooden pillars.
 * Korax of Manchar wore a girdle of stone giant strength with a rainbow dye pattern.
 * The barber Jooge attempted to develop flail snail-based hair dyes, with mixed success.
 * The Old Xoblob Shop exclusively held purple objects, with the walls painted purple and the drapes dyed purple.
 * Jewelfish used to be dyed metallic colors for decorative purposes.
 * Drake General dye of fiery red and regal golds was a valuable commodity in the late 15 century DR. Valued at 50 gp per bottle, it was created exclusively by Imperial Dyemaster Sigurd and his apprentice, Aurora.

Other

 * Herbs of the North and How to Recognize Them was a book that gave highly suspect and dangerous advice on herbs for use in cooking, medicine, and dyeing.
 * Tyankurs were handy how-to books that gave readers instructions on everything from farming to dyeing.
 * Halabar's stealth was a treatment that imparted various qualities on metal, including allowing it to be dyed easily.