It began, not with a color, but with a vibration. A resonance within the fleece, a hum of nascent hues held captive within the strands. This is the story of the Wool-Dyed, a practice less of application and more of… retrieval. We don’t *impose* color; we coax it forth, listening for the echoes of the earth and the sky.
The core of the Wool-Dyed process relies on what we term “Attunement.” It’s a prolonged period of focused meditation, usually conducted amidst a flock of sheep exposed to specific atmospheric conditions. The key element isn't the sheep themselves, though their inherent calm is vital. It’s the confluence of sunlight, rainfall, and the subtle shifts in magnetic fields – a symphony of unseen energies. We believe these energies imprint themselves onto the wool, waiting to be drawn out.
During a particularly intense summer storm – one characterized by a distinct violet hue in the retreating clouds – we observed a remarkable effect. The fleece, initially a muted grey, began to subtly shift, adopting a delicate azure. The sheep, sensing this change, calmed further, almost… expectant. The process took seven days, each marked by a specific ritual involving the chanting of archaic phrases – fragments of lost weather lore, really. We believe the key phrase, repeated continuously, is: “Silas, Veridian, Respond.”
The process isn't linear. The wool doesn't simply become blue. It *becomes* blue through a series of layered shifts, each influenced by the past. This is where the concept of Temporal Resonance becomes crucial. We hypothesize that the wool acts as a kind of organic archive, holding echoes of past events – moments of intense atmospheric activity, forgotten rituals, even the emotions of those who tended the sheep before us. The Obsidian Shift, a rare and unpredictable event, is believed to be triggered by a convergence of these temporal currents.
“The Obsidian Shift is not a color to be sought,” warned Master Elara. “It is a reflection of suffering, of profound loss. During the winter of ‘The Vanishing’, when the snow fell for seven weeks without end, and the sheep huddled together in a state of near-panic, the wool shifted to a deep, unsettling black. It was said to carry the weight of their terror. Attempting to harness this shift is a dangerous endeavor; it can overwhelm the operator, leaving them lost in a vortex of past anguish.”
We utilize a device we call the Circular Nexus – a meticulously crafted sphere constructed from polished obsidian and intricately etched bronze. It’s used to amplify and direct the resonant frequencies within the wool. The bronze markings aren’t merely decorative; they correspond to specific constellations and their influence on atmospheric patterns. The Nexus isn't a tool for control; it’s a conduit, a way to facilitate the natural flow of energy. The key elements involved are centered around the constellation Cygnus, whose influence is theorized to be the most potent.
The Nexus, when properly aligned, creates a localized distortion, a ripple in the fabric of time. This allows us to access the ‘memory’ of the wool, to understand the conditions that birthed the color. The phrase “Silas, Veridian, Respond” is almost always present during this process. It’s believed to be the original invocation, the key to unlocking the chromatic potential within the fleece.
The cycle continues. The wool, the sheep, the sky – all interconnected, all echoing with the chromatic secrets of the universe.