Pigments of Tokuno
Pigments of Tokuno
Pigments of Tokuno is the canonical Tokuno-themed dyeing consumable that lets a player change the color of dye-tubbable items like cloth armor, certain leather pieces, and select cosmetic items. Introduced as part of the Treasures of Tokuno event series with the Samurai Empire expansion, Pigments of Tokuno arrive as event tokens / quest rewards / boss drops and provide a unique color palette that cannot be obtained from standard dye tubs. Each Pigment is a specific named hue — "Pigment of Tokuno: Red" or "Pigment of Tokuno: Black" or "Pigment of Tokuno: Tokuno Brown" — and each application paints one item in that exact named shade.
The Pigments are notable for two things: they're cosmetic-only (no statistical bonus), and they're event-locked — the canonical Pigments rotate during Treasures of Tokuno cycles, so collecting the full set is a long-term hobby for Tokuno-cosmetic enthusiasts.
How Pigments of Tokuno work
| Mechanic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Item type | Single-use consumable; deeded |
| Crafting | Not craftable; obtained from event drops |
| Application | Double-click the Pigment, target an eligible item; the item turns to the named color |
| Color permanence | Color is permanent until re-dyed with a standard dye tub or another Pigment |
| Stack | Pigments stack like reagents |
| Eligible targets | Cloth armor, certain leather, sashes, robes, cosmetic items, some rares |
Each Pigment is a distinct named hue with its own canonical color appearance. A standard dye tub offers a 30-color palette; Pigments of Tokuno offer dozens of additional named hues that aren't available anywhere else.
Color roster (canonical Pigments)
The Pigments of Tokuno set has expanded across event cycles. Some canonical entries:
| Pigment | Hue |
|---|---|
| Tokuno Black | Deep matte black; darker than standard "Black" dye |
| Tokuno Red | Bold crimson with a slight orange edge |
| Tokuno Brown | Earthy mid-brown; matches Tokuno wooden architecture |
| Tokuno Gold | Rich gold; pairs with brass-themed items |
| Tokuno Crimson | Deep red, distinct from Tokuno Red |
| Tokuno Sapphire | Royal blue |
| Tokuno Emerald | Forest green |
| Tokuno Plum | Deep purple |
| Tokuno Pearl | Off-white pearlescent |
| Tokuno Quicksilver | Metallic silver-grey |
Every Pigment is uniquely named — the player can see at a glance what color the dyed item will become. Some Pigments are seasonal / cycle-locked; the full set typically requires multi-cycle attendance.
Source — Treasures of Tokuno
The canonical Pigments-of-Tokuno earning route:
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Treasures of Tokuno event runs | Tokuno mobs drop Tokuno Coins |
| Player exchanges Coins | At the Tokuno mainland event NPCs |
| Coin → Pigment of Tokuno (named variant) | Each Pigment costs a defined Coin amount |
| Player double-clicks Pigment | Targets eligible item to apply color |
The exchange rate varies by event cycle. Some Pigments are cheap (5 — 10 Coins); others are rare-tier requiring 50+ Coins. The rarest Pigments are gated behind boss-tier event content.
Pigments vs. standard dye tubs
| Property | Standard Dye Tub | Pigment of Tokuno |
|---|---|---|
| Source | NPC purchase or Tinkering craft | Event drop only |
| Color palette | 30 colors | Dozens of unique named hues |
| Reuse | Infinite | Single-use consumable |
| Time-locked | No | Yes (event cycle) |
| Cosmetic value | Standard | Premium / collector |
Standard dye tubs are the workhorse of color-changing; Pigments of Tokuno are the collector tier for unique hues. A serious Tokuno-cosmetic build will use Pigments to color the headline pieces (chest, helm) while using standard dye tubs for everything else.
Pigments and the cosmetic economy
Pigments of Tokuno are highly tradeable — collector players pay premium Gold for rare Pigments at Vendor Search. Modern UO sees:
| Pigment tier | Approx. value (Gold) |
|---|---|
| Common Pigment (Tokuno Black, Tokuno Red) | 100K — 500K |
| Rare Pigment (named-event-specific) | 1M — 5M |
| Lost-cycle Pigment (no longer obtainable) | 5M — 50M |
Some Pigments from early Treasures of Tokuno cycles became canonically lost-cycle — the event hasn't been re-run for that specific Pigment in years, and the only route is collector resale.
Eligible item types
| Item type | Pigment-eligible? |
|---|---|
| Cloth armor / robes | Yes |
| Leather | Some pieces (gloves, leggings) |
| Studded leather | Yes |
| Plate / Chain / Ring armor | No (metal armor uses smelting-tier coloration) |
| Weapons | No (weapons use crafting-resource coloration) |
| Hat / Helmet / Mask | Cloth-tier yes; metal-tier no |
| Sashes / Capes | Yes |
| Pet | No (pets are race-/spawn-set color) |
Pigments and roleplay loadouts
A serious Tokuno cosmetic build pairs:
| Slot | Pigment-color use |
|---|---|
| Head | Tribal Mask (cosmetic; not Pigment-eligible directly) |
| Chest | Tokuno-themed armor in chosen Pigment hue |
| Sash / Cape | Pigment-colored Tokuno cosmetic |
| Boots / Greaves | Pigment-colored leather |
| Gauntlets | Pigment-colored cloth or studded |
The full Tokuno cosmetic loadout is a multi-Pigment investment — each piece costs one Pigment + the underlying item.
Long-term collector value
Pigments of Tokuno are canonically the most-collected dyeing consumable in UO. Collector players track: - Which Pigments they own - Which Pigments are missing from their collection - Which event cycles a missing Pigment was last available - The Vendor-Search price for that Pigment
The collector subculture is sustained by the Treasures of Tokuno cycle reset — every cycle is an opportunity to fill gaps in the Pigment collection.
See also
- Treasures of Tokuno — the event that distributes Pigments
- Samurai Empire — the expansion that introduced the Tokuno cosmetic tier
- Tokuno Islands — the facet whose theme the Pigments support
- Tribal Mask — partner Tokuno cosmetic item
- Tinkering — alternative skill for craftable dye tubs
- Anniversary — parallel "collector cosmetic" event class
- Gold — the canonical pricing currency for the Pigment trade