Melorae

**Melorae** was a Nomai from the Vessel who landed on Ember Twin with Escape Pod 2. She was the aunt of Thatch and the mentor of Coleus.

## Life on Ember Twin

After landing on Ember Twin, Melorae noticed that the heat from the Sun was much more bearable beneath the surface of the planet. She recommended to Annona that they should build a long-term shelter in Ember Twin's cave system. She and Coleus ended up finding the cavern that the Sunless City would be built in.

In the Sunless City, Melorae and Coleus studied the Anglerfish fossil, learning that it died from starvation and did not originate from Ember Twin. They also found out that Anglerfish are blind, a fact that the children playing the Anglerfish game incorporated into their game. Melorae was delighted upon hearing this, as she thought that it was never too early to appreciate biology.

## Studying phenomena

Melorae also remarked on the presence of the Quantum Moon, which she discussed with Bur and Annona. She believed that the Nomai should study it or in the best case, travel to it. This led to the building of the Quantum Moon locator. Once it was functioning, Melorae observed the Quantum Moon orbiting Dark Bramble. When the locator sometimes could not find the moon's location, Melorae proposed the possibility of a Sixth Location that the moon orbits.

Along with Coleus, Melorae studied the rocks on Ember Twin, finding out that the Cave Shard wanders around just like the Quantum Moon does. However, when Coleus was standing on the Cave Shard, Melorae turned away to take notes when her lantern died. Coleus disappeared along with the rock, and Melorae became deeply worried for him as he had a limited supply of air. Nomai from the Sunless City came to help, but nobody could find Coleus. Eventually, Coleus realized he had become quantum entangled with the rock and was able to free himself. He brought Melorae over to see the phenomenon, and while she congratulated him on discovering a new quantum rule, she did make him promise not to vanish again.

## Legacy

Melorae passed away at some unknown point before the Ash Twin Project started. While excavating ore on Timber Hearth, Coleus noted that she would have enjoyed the presence of the Hearthians' ancestors.

## Trivia

* *Cyanidioschyzon merolae* is a unicelular red alga, considered the simplest of eukaryotic cells.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 COLEUS: They remind me of a subterranean species that my mentor, Melorae, once told me about (from when our clan used to travel across this universe). I imagine she would have enjoyed these lifeforms greatly.
2. ↑ MELORAE: The heat from this star system’s sun is more bearable below the surface.
MELORAE: When our escape pod punctured this planet’s surface, it broke into what scans show is a cave system with much cooler air. I would recommend we seek a site down there to build a long-term shelter, Annona, but these passages are a maze!
3. ↑ THATCH: Is the hardest part of this tragedy not knowing who we may have lost? Or will the hardest part come later, when we learn? (Be well, Aunt Melorae...)
4. ↑ COLEUS: My hypothesis was correct! I can travel on this rock, as long as I’m not observing my surroundings (meaning I must be in complete darkness). I’m going to bring my mentor here to see this. COLEUS: Melorae is here now, too. We theorize when a conscious being is in contact with a quantum object and ceases to observe his or her surroundings, the being can become entangled with that quantum object, and they move together.
5. ↑ MELORAE: The heat from this star system’s sun is more bearable below the surface.
6. ↑ MELORAE: The heat from this star system’s sun is more bearable below the surface.
MELORAE: When our escape pod punctured this planet’s surface, it broke into what scans show is a cave system with much cooler air. I would recommend we seek a site down there to build a long-term shelter, Annona, but these passages are a maze!
7. ↑ MELORAE: We have found an enormous cavern at the end of this passage that appears promising! I believe we could construct long-term shelter there.
8. ↑ COLEUS: This anglerfish’s digestive tract suggests death by starvation. MELORAE: Visually, the specimen appears to be of the same species as the anglerfish in Dark Bramble. We don’t believe it originated from this planet.
9. ↑ COLEUS: An update: Melorae, while I was here making sketches of the anglerfish, I observed the children I saw earlier playing here again. They’ve added a rule to their game that incorporates our research (it’s wonderful)!
10. ↑ MELORAE: I’m entirely delighted! It’s never too early to appreciate biology!
11. ↑ MELORAE: This planet sometimes (and only sometimes) has a moon! This is also of note: It disappears if no one is watching it! Isn’t that a fascinating orbital characteristic?
12. ↑ MELORAE: This is my first time encountering a natural satellite with the ability to vanish when not being watched. We should study it! Or, even better, we should travel there!
13. ↑ MELORAE: Annona, Bur, I just observed the Quantum Moon in orbit around Dark Bramble. ANNONA: You have keen eyes, my friend. So this moon travels to a total of five locations, not four. BUR: I added a marker for Dark Bramble.
14. ↑ BUR: I thought the locator now accounted for all of the phantom moon’s locations, but sometimes the locator can’t tell where the moon is. Perhaps there’s a problem with the device? MELORAE: It’s also possible there exists a sixth place in this star system to which the phantom moon travels.
15. ↑ COLEUS: An update: Melorae and I went back to the Lakebed Cave and observed this rock again. Sometimes it’s there, and sometimes it isn’t. MELORAE: That means this rock wanders like the Quantum Moon does. How curious!
16. ↑ Melorae: We were examining the different rocks. I recall Coleus standing on the largest one (the wandering rock). I was taking notes, and then my lantern died.
17. ↑ MELORAE: I turned away from Coleus to examine a sample, and when I turned back, he simply wasn’t there anymore. He had a limited supply of air, Annona! I’m afraid for him!
18. ↑ BUR: Melorae, some of us from the Sunless City are here to help search for Coleus. Can you tell us more about your expedition? MELORAE: You have my gratitude, Bur! Coleus and I were studying the caves’ geology. We hoped to learn more about a unique and wandering rock that visits several different caves in the area.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 COLEUS: Melorae is here now, too. We theorize when a conscious being is in contact with a quantum object and ceases to observe his or her surroundings, the being can become entangled with that quantum object, and they move together.
20. ↑ MELORAE: Friends, Coleus has discovered a new quantum rule! (He has also promised me he’ll never vanish again, even if he does learn something useful from it!)