Black Dye
Complete guide to obtaining the True Black Dye in Crimson Desert, including the full quest chain from the Raiders in Muiquun request to unlocking the Back Alley Shop.
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Black Dye is one of the ten rare uncraftable grayscale dyes in Crimson Desert. It produces a true black color when applied to equipment at any Dyehouse. Because it cannot be crafted at a Cauldron, it must be purchased from a hidden vendor that only appears after completing a specific quest chain in the Varnia region.
Black Dye is one of the most sought-after colors in the game due to its deep, true black appearance that cannot be replicated by any craftable dye recipe. It pairs particularly well with Pure White Dye for high-contrast armor designs.
Property | Value |
|---|---|
Type | Dye (Uncraftable Grayscale) |
Category | Miscellaneous |
Craftable | No |
Purchase Price | 37.5 silver |
Vendor | |
Region |
Before starting the quest chain, you need to have progressed far enough in the main story to reach the Varnia region. The narrator of the original guide had completed Chapter 7, though it is not confirmed whether that specific chapter must be finished. At minimum, you need access to Tash Calp, which is located in the far northeast of Hernand near the border of the Crimson Desert zone.
Obtaining the Black Dye requires completing a multi-step quest chain centered around the outlaw settlement of Muiquun, located southeast of Tash Calp in the Varnia region. The process involves picking up a bounty request, liberating Muiquun from raiders, eavesdropping on a black market conversation, and running a wagon delivery job for a local fence. Once the quest chain is complete, a new merchant called the Back Alley Shop appears in Muiquun selling the Black Dye.
Travel to Tash Calp, the city in the far northeast of the Hernand region near the border of the Crimson Desert. Look for a request notice posted in the city. This request works similarly to a bounty and kicks off the Raiders in Muiquun quest. The exact location of the notice may vary, so check around the central areas of the city.
From Tash Calp, head southeast to the occupied settlement of Muiquun. The town has been taken over by the Mistcloaked Owls, a group of raiders that are fairly difficult to fight. If you find yourself outmatched, consider returning later after leveling up or upgrading your equipment. Defeat all of the Mistcloaked Owls in the settlement to liberate it.
Travel tip: On your way to Muiquun, stop at the Abyss Nexus along the route. This is the closest fast travel point to Muiquun and you will need it later in the quest chain.
After defeating all the Mistcloaked Owls, return to Tash Calp and speak with the guard there to confirm that the settlement has been cleared. This completes the Raiders in Muiquun quest.
Return to Muiquun. The settlement should now be repopulated with civilian NPCs. Near the southeast side of Muiquun, find a pair of suspicious individuals having a conversation. You need to eavesdrop on them, which can be a bit tricky. It may take a minute or two to find the exact spot where the eavesdrop prompt triggers. Listen in on their discussion about a black market operation to start the next phase of the quest.
Head southwest from Muiquun to locate the wagon fence operation. Speak with the head of operations at the wagon fence to learn about the delivery job.
The fence needs you to deliver three wagons. The objective simply says "get on the wagon" with no map marker, so you will need to search the roads yourself. A good strategy is to start from Tash Calp, place a map marker on the wagon fence area, and head in that direction while watching for horse-driven wagons along the roads.
Important wagon details:
The first wagon you encounter near Tash Calp along the path should not be one you steal. It is driven by other outlaws, and taking it does not trigger a criminal bounty. This is likely the safest wagon to deliver first.
The next two wagons can be stolen. One of these will be a wagon already taken by bandits, found close to the wagon fence. This may be the easiest second delivery since it is nearby.
The third wagon involves stealing from rightful owners.
After delivering each wagon, return to the fence to continue the deliveries.
After delivering all three wagons, the quest completes automatically. There is no final NPC conversation required. Fast travel to an Abyss Nexus to reload the game world. When you return to Muiquun, a new Back Alley Shop merchant will have appeared on the east side of the settlement. This vendor sells various items, including the coveted Black Dye.
Buy the Black Dye from the Back Alley Shop for 37.5 silver. After purchasing, open your inventory and select "Use" on the dye item. This permanently unlocks the black color in your dye palette, making it available at Dye Houses.
If you have already unlocked Dyer Oliver at the Howling Hill camp, he can apply the color to your gear immediately. Otherwise, travel to the Dye House in Varnia (located in the northeast corner of the map) where the local dyer can apply this color.
Step | Objective | Location |
|---|---|---|
1 | Find the Raiders in Muiquun request | |
2 | Defeat the Mistcloaked Owls to liberate the settlement | |
3 | Report to the guard to complete the Raiders quest | |
4 | Eavesdrop on suspicious individuals | Southeast side of Muiquun |
5 | Speak with the head of the wagon fence | Southwest of Muiquun |
6 | Deliver three wagons to the fence | Roads near Tash Calp and Muiquun |
7 | Fast travel to Abyss Nexus; Back Alley Shop spawns | East side of Muiquun |
8 | Purchase Black Dye and use it from inventory | Back Alley Shop, then any Dye House |
The two unlock prerequisites are named Raiders in Muiquun and My Black Market. The Raiders chain begins when you pick up the bounty poster mounted on a pillar at a location south of Tashkalp; it is a four-mission series that ends with a fight to drive out the Mistcloaked Owls and liberate the settlement.
The My Black Market line starts with Lawless Market, which kicks off right after Muiquun is freed. You return to the liberated settlement, eavesdrop on a pair of merchants and farmers on the southeast side (the listen prompt is finicky, so inch forward until it appears), then head southwest to the wagon fence and deliver three horse-drawn carriages found along the nearby roads. Completing both chains updates the Back Alley Shop inventory with the Black Dye on your next world reload.
For the matching white color, see Pure White Dye and the How to Get White Dye guide.
The Mistcloaked Owls in Muiquun are fairly tough opponents. If you are struggling, come back after completing more of the main story or upgrading your gear.
Stop at the Abyss Nexus between Tash Calp and Muiquun on your first trip. This becomes your most useful fast travel point throughout the entire quest chain.
When searching for wagons, stick to the main roads between Tash Calp and the wagon fence area. Wagons spawn along established paths, not in the wilderness.
For your first delivery, look for the outlaw-driven wagon near Tash Calp. Taking this one does not incur a criminal bounty, making it the safest option.
Make sure you have enough silver before completing the quest chain. The dye costs 37.5 silver.
After purchasing the Black Dye, remember to "use" it from your inventory. Simply buying it is not enough; you must consume the item to unlock the color in your Dye House palette.
Combining Black Dye with the Polished Metal material finish creates a sleek, dark metallic look on plate armor.
Black and Pure White Dye together on different dye zones of the same armor piece create a striking high-contrast look that is popular for knightly builds.
Black Dye can only be applied at the Dyehouse located in Varnia. Varnia's house color is tied to the true black shade, so even after purchasing the bottle from the hidden Back Alley vendor you must travel to the Varnia dyehouse to actually apply it to your gear. Other regional dyers do not accept black dye.
If the Back Alley vendor in Muiquun does not appear immediately after completing the Lawless Market quest, fast travel to a different location and then return to the town. The vendor reliably spawns after this reload and will then sell the Black Dye.
Black Dye is sold by the Back Alley Shop vendor in Tashkalp. The vendor only appears after you complete the Lifted Fog quest chain inside the city, so the dye is effectively gated behind finishing that questline. His stock also includes the Ranged Weapons of the World - Bows, Vol. IV book and a daily supply of Explosive Arrows.
The Lifted Fog chain begins after Tashkalp has been liberated. Speak to the guard on the outskirts, return to the city, eavesdrop on the criminals by leaning on a wall with L3, and then go southwest to meet an NPC who asks you to steal three wagons in sequence. Returning each wagon to the nearby wagon vendor advances the quest until the back-alley shop finally opens. Once it does, Black Dye is on sale alongside the rest of the vendor's list.
Black is one of the most popular armour and bow colours in the game because it matches almost any trim or accent dye. Since bows ride on your back visibly at all times, pairing a black-dyed bow with a mostly black outfit is a reliable look, and the Tashkalp trip is often made once purely to grab this dye.