The Dye Wars

The First Interplanar War, usually called the Dye Wars in modern parlance, was a series of interplanar conflicts, both cold and hot, in a region of the Silurian Eighth, centred on Waking Materia. They're called such as they were mainly triggered over competition for materials to make dyes. As many players were humble trade guilds, minor pirate bands or simple frontier adventurers, conflicts did not often come to strong blows (though assassinations were common, to be sure). That said, over the decades of approximately 180-300 I.M. (2,670-2,790 A.D.), they were punctuated by sometimes substantial escalations in violence.

Lead-Up: The Kelpeaters

The plane of Waking Materia began its "First Age of Man" with the arrival of a warlike diaspora called the Kelpeater Dominion, leaving behind past mistakes in its home plane of Lorgain. The Dominion's new jewel, Alanthan'aravaut, would expand rapidly across the unsuspecting plane.

The displaying of certain colours was an important part of the Kelpeaters' caste system, and as such dyes were a significant part of their economy. While the materials to make dyes were common enough on Lorgain, there were scarce (or as yet undiscovered) on Waking Materia. The resulting dye prices would trigger a thriving interplanar market centred around the otherwise backwater plane, and with it large increases in piracy, and warfare between different trade guilds. Though such competition occurred before and after these dates, the period of 180-300 I.M. represents the height of the fighting.

180 I.M. - Battle of the Blacksheep

Though some cold wars occur earlier, the True Dye Wars are generally regarded to begin with the Battle of the Blacksheep in 180 I.M.. The belligerents were the two veteranmost pirate bands in the planar region: the Sagasingers were worshippers of the Insurgent Demigod of Fire & Tactics, V'Shaat (founding members claim to have sailed with her prior to her Ascension), while the Deliverers were primarily dealers in Duskscape materials and other occult contraband, and said to be lead by a vampire named Hildegard van Elmdor. Though there were heavy casualties on both sides, the Sagasingers are widely considered to have routed their opponents despite inferior numbers.

199 I.M. - The War of One Nine Nine

To be continued...

Conflict Type

War

Banner: A painting of the Battle of One Nine Nine (Left). A pen drawing of a whale capture (Right). Whales were a large, relatively harmless creatures whose oils were particularly useful for the making of dyes. There is little record of their existence past the Middle First Age.