Hollow's Lantern

* Middle of loop
* Start of loop
* End of loop

**Hollow's Lantern** is a relatively small but highly volcanic moon orbiting Brittle Hollow.

## Description

Hollow's Lantern has four volcanoes that throw out balls of lava into space at random short intervals. This slowly depletes the moon's lava reserves and reveals the moon's surface over the course of the loop.

Most of the lava balls fall on Brittle Hollow, causing parts of the crust to collapse into the black hole at its center. The moon has a very unusual axis of rotation, making the lava ball trajectory highly chaotic.

## History

Hollow's Lantern was first noticed by the Nomai when they crash-landed on Brittle Hollow with Escape Pod 1. At that time, it was already spewing ash and debris, causing minor structural instabilities on Brittle Hollow. The Nomai sought shelter from Hollow's Lantern's eruptions by building below Brittle Hollow's crust, starting with a temporary settlement and later structures such as the Hanging City and Tower of Quantum Knowledge.

After the start of the Ash Twin Project, the Nomai had to build a protective shell around the project's core to protect it from a supernova for a short time. Hollow's Lantern's volcanoes were used to test the ores from the Timber Hearth mines for their heat resistance. One was eventually found that survived the longest in direct heat. This allowed the Nomai to seal off the Ash Twin Project so that it could use the energy of a supernova without being immediately destroyed.

More than two hundred millennia later, the Sun reached the end of its natural lifespan and its solar activity increased. This caused Hollow's Lantern's volcanic activity to increase as well, leading to the rapid destruction of Brittle Hollow.

## Locations

### Volcanic Testing Site

The volcano on the north pole can be entered. The inside of this volcano contains a Nomai ruin. Inside the ruin is a Projection Pool, a projection stone, and a Nomai computer.

## Texts and recordings

ROOT: Friends in the Timber Hearth Mines, the last type of ore you sent us survives the longest in direct heat.

ROOT: Can you send us more of the same for additional testing? We’re attempting to improve its durability, and our forge has already burned through everything you sent!
OENO: We’ll deliver more ore to Hollow’s Lantern immediately. You must be fired up about crafting the Ash Twin Project’s protective shell!
ROOT: Yes, the idea of an encasement that’s supernova-proof, however briefly, has kindled my curiosity!
ROOT: My gratitude! I imagine we’ll also have an updated estimate soon of how much ore is needed to seal off the Ash Twin Project.
OENO: Will it be more than we initially thought?
ROOT: It will be *significantly* more. The smallest crack or opening in the protective shell would destroy everything. | **Evacuation warning**
WARNING: Increased solar activity detected.
WARNING: Increased volcanic activity detected.
VERDICT: Location is now inhospitable. Evacuation recommended.

## Trivia

* Sometimes, a fireball misses the crust and enters the black hole of Brittle Hollow, causing fireballs to be found elsewhere in the solar system. Due to this, balls of lava can be found crash-landed on bodies far from Hollow's Lantern.
* The achievement "Mica's Wrath" can be unlocked by destroying the model rocket by flying it into either the Sun or Hollow's Lantern.
* Once the lava has emptied enough, a Nomai skeleton can be found in a lava-lake, giving a 'rock on' gesture with both hands.
* The lava balls explode on contact with anything but the Scout, which makes it possible to prevent the destruction of Brittle Hollow.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 THATCH: Everyone brace yourselves, swiftly! The volcanic moon has returned! THATCH: Be cautious of falling ash and debris!
2. ↑ Escape Pod 1 computer: Scanning external environment... Scan complete. Minor structural instabilities detected.
3. ↑ THATCH: We need to find shelter, and quickly. The volcanic moon won’t be gone for long. PLUME: I observed several promising sites below the surface, but we’ll need to construct a way for everyone to climb safely down this cliff. Perhaps we could build platforms?
4. ↑ PLUME: Given concerns about our settlement’s stability, where should we construct a new, less temporary shelter? PLUME: I believe we should migrate to the northern glacier. FILIX: What if we use gravity crystals to craft a stable path? THATCH: Building beneath the crust again would shelter us from the volcanic moon’s eruptions.
5. ↑ OENO: We’ll deliver more ore to Hollow’s Lantern immediately. You must be fired up about crafting the Ash Twin Project’s protective shell! ROOT: Yes, the idea of an encasement that’s supernova-proof, however briefly, has kindled my curiosity!
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 ROOT: Friends in the Timber Hearth Mines, the last type of ore you sent us survives the longest in direct heat. ROOT: Can you send us more of the same for additional testing? We’re attempting to improve its durability, and our forge has already burned through everything you sent!
7. ↑ Sun Station computer: 281,042 YEARS AGO: No user commands received for 10 minutes. All systems entering sleep.
8. ↑ Sun Station computer: Star has reached end of natural life cycle. Now approaching red giant stage
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Volcanic Testing Site computer: WARNING: Increased solar activity detected. WARNING: Increased volcanic activity detected.