Trail Ruins: Dyes and Trade
Trail ruins can be found in a few different biomes, including the taigas, old growth birch forests, and jungles. This is particularly interesting when we look at the range of colors that can be found in the terracotta, dyes, and glass panes in these structures. Almost a full range of colors can be found across these three categories. The only color that is missing is lime, which could have been crafted with green and white dye.
When we look at the colors they did have, we can see that there are colors that would not have been possible to find in the biomes that these trail ruins are found in. A prime example of this is green. Green candles can be found in trail ruins, but in the Player Era, green dye can only be made from cactus. As biomes with similar temperatures generate close to each other, the only biome that would likely generate close to a desert is the jungle.
Because of this distance, in order for green dye to appear in many trail ruins, there must have been some form of trade between settlements, and possibly even between these settlements and the settlements of ocean ruins.
At this point, it is unclear if there was a common currency between all the settlements, such as emeralds, or if they traded items for items. There is the possibility of both options existing, as emeralds can be found in both trail ruins and ocean ruins.
We also have to consider how the other dyes may have been acquired.
Red: Pretty simple, as poppies have the ability to appear is every biome that trail ruins can be found in.
Orange: This dye could have been obtained from torch flower plants, indicating further proof of trade between trail ruin settlements and ocean ruin settlements, or could have been made with red and yellow dye.
Yellow: Another simple one, as dandelions are also found everywhere that trail runs can be found in.
Green: As discussed above, can only be made from cactus, indicating trade.
Light Blue: Can be made from mixing blue and white dyes.
Blue: Could have been made from lapis lazuli or cornflower. Lapis is the more likely option due to the relative rarity of cornflowers compared to other flowers dyes can be made from.
Cyan: Cyan could have been made from mixing blue and green dye, but an alternative might have been that they traded and got it from pitcher plants.
Purple: Would have been made with red and blue dye.
Brown: Can only be made from cocoa beans, so would have been made in trail ruins located in the jungle. Seeing brown dye outside of the jungle is an indication that trade happened.
Black: Would have been obtained from squid ink
Light Gray: Made from mixing gray and white, or 2 parts white to 1 part black dye
Gray: Made from mixing black and white dye
White: Could have been made from bone meal or lily of the valley. Bone meal would have been more likely due to rarity of flower in the areas.
