Melchior

Overview

Melchior is one of the three Gurus who reside in 12,000 B.C. during the events of Chrono Trigger. Melchior is known as Bosch in Japan, and is the Guru of Life. He, like the other two Gurus, is named after one of the three Magi in the English version of the game (the three Magi being Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar).

Role

During Chrono Trigger, Melchior carries a prominent role (as do the other two Gurus). Melchior originally lived in 12,000 B.C., in the Kingdom of Zeal, where Queen Zeal was growing more and more insane due to the extreme power of Lavos. She meant to harness it, and despite the efforts of the three Gurus, built a large device to attempt just that. Labeled the Mammon Machine, it was designed specifically to absorb Lavos' power for the good of Zeal. However, upon activation, Lavos' power was too great for it. Those in the room (Queen Zeal, her children Schala and Janus, and the three Gurus) were transported in front of Lavos, where a dimensional vortex launched the three Gurus and Janus into different eras. Melchior went to 1000 A.D., Belthasar went to 2300 A.D., Gaspar went to the End of Time, and Janus went to 600 A.D.

Upon arriving in 1000 A.D., Melchior found himself in Medina (the home of the fiends). Due to the fiends being so hostile towards humans (as they were defeated in war), Melchior decided to live in a cabin to the south of Medina. Here, he began to create a business making and selling various equipment. Melchior can be seen at the beginning of Chrono Trigger selling his wares at the Millennial Fair.

Later in the game, Crono and his party come to Medina through the same Gate that Melchior did. Here, they acquaint themselves with Melchior, who shows them a way back to the village of Truce. After finding the legendary Masamune (a sword of untold power), Melchior agrees to help reforge it, although he needs a certain material known as Dreamstone in able to do so.

The Dreamstone can be found in 65,000,000 B.C., where the party also finds Ayla (a prehistoric woman). Upon presenting Melchior with the Dreamstone, he helps to reforge the sword. The sword is meant to be wielded by Frog, a swordsman who lives in 600 A.D.

Later, the party makes their way to 12,000 B.C. before the activation of the Mammon Machine. Queen Zeal has begun her descent into madness, so she has trapped Melchior in Algetty, on a large floating rock meant to keep prisoners (called the Mountain of Woe). Upon freeing him, the mountain collapses. He then tells them that they must prevent the activation of the Mammon Machine at all costs, as it could cause terrible things.

At this point, Schala and Janus arrive at Algetty, where Schala tells them that the construction of the Ocean Palace (and undersea palace meant to get Queen Zeal closer to Lavos), and Queen Zeal plans on moving the Mammon Machine there. Schala is the key to activating the machine, and she tells Melchior that she refuses to activate the machine. However, at that time Dalton (Queen Zeal's right hand man) comes in and kidnaps her and Janus.

Melchior gives Crono a knife called the Ruby Knife, which is made from the same material as the Mammon Machine. They reach the machine before it is activated, and throw the knife into the machine (transforming it into the Masamune). They did that too late, however, and the machine is still activated in time. Everyone present is transported in front of Lavos. Before Schala manages to transport the party to safety, Lavos kills Crono.

When the remaining party members return to Algetty, Melchior is no longer seen. Upon speaking to the village elder, it is revealed that he tried to save Janus from being transported into a Gate, and as a result, fell into the Gate himself.