The bottles are magical artefacts created by wizards of the order Varkarlor.
Guest Gulkan captures the yellow bottle its ring from the Confederation in the Shackle Mountains. He becomes separated from the bottle, which Sken-Pitilkin holds, in Chi'ash-lan.
In 4326, Morgan Hearst recovers the green bottle from inside the tower of Seth in Castle Vaunting in Estar. The bottle is given to Prince Comedo. The rings which command it are held by the Prince and Valarkin.
Valarkin escapes with his ring. Miphon, trapped inside the green bottle, discovers a red bottle and its ring.
Elkor Alish escapes with the red bottle and ring. Morgan Hearst recaptures these in Runcorn.
Valarkin captures the red and green bottles and rings in Veda. Elkor Alish ends up with them on the Greater Teeth.
Togura Poulaan and Bluewater Draven steal the green bottle and one ring from Elkor Alish.
Bluewater Draven and Guest Gulkan discover a blue bottle in the green bottle and, destroying it, bring about the destruction of the green bottle. Its ring, presumably, remains with Togura - one ring for it remains at large.
Guest Gulkan is reunited with his yellow bottle.
Following the death of Prince Comedo, Valarkin and Elkor Alish, the red bottle and its ring end up in the hands of Hearst, Miphon and Blackwood.
The pirate Jon Arabin finally becomes owner of the red bottle.