Info
Title: Entity 9-ID - "Lamp Moss"
Author: lemme
Release: 2024
Entity Number: 9-ID
Habitat: Architectural, Geology
Warning: Not to be eaten!
Usages: Raw Materials, Environmental Care
Description:

Lamp Moss
Lamp Moss is a collective name for various types of moss that are able to glow in the dark and even in complete darkness. These mosses are not as distinctly different from Earth's mosses in appearance and function as regular mosses, but the light they produce has earned them a category of their own as a new group of mosses. Research has been conducted by several Survivors and they have found that these mosses share a symbiotic mutualism with a type of luminescent bacteria native to the Backrooms. This species of glowing bacteria forms colonies in a sac specially formed by the moss for the bacteria to live in.
The relationship between the two species takes the form of: The moss provides the bacteria with nutrients from the decomposition of the organic material it is attached to, and in return, the bacteria produce light for the moss to process the nutrients (photosynthesis).
Lamp Moss will lose its glow if they are brought to a place with light, they will immediately turn grayish green and will only glow again after being brought to a dark place. However, they are still tolerant of low light and can still grow normally. They can still glow if immersed in water and the level of light intensity will increase so that it can be used as a source of lighting. The color of light produced is quite diverse such as yellow and green, other colors are known to be very rare to find because this color difference occurs depending on the species of glowing bacteria that live in the body of the moss.
The intensity level of the light they produce usually varies but never to the point of blinding—much dimmer than fluorescent lights. Soaking the moss in water will amplify the light to the point where it can be compared to a fluorescent light or a regular bulb, which is why it is quite often used by Survivors.
Habitat

A small colony of Lamp Moss in a cave.
They can be found in various dark, damp places such as walls or the ground. For example, they can be easily found in dark indoor architectural-themed levels such as Black Shrine due to their suitable environment. In addition, they can also be found in open spaces on dark, damp surfaces such as in Nostalgia, Industrial Village, and Megamendung. They dislike warm and dry locations, but they also won't be able to grow in environments that are too cold and too wet. They are known to grow on any material, but they are more often seen on stone, concrete, and wood than on other materials (rarely).
There is a report of a very large colony of Lamp Moss coming from a Survivor who explored a large underground cave with a small crack in the ceiling, the crack formed a curtain of light that reached the bottom of the cave which was a small trench, and a large colony of Lamp Moss was seen surrounding the curtain of light from all sides. The size of the colony was large enough that the Survivor was forced to take another path due to the closed cave passage and did not want to damage the bright yellow-green area.
Ecology
Lamp Moss does not grow as a parasite if it grows on the body of other living things such as trees, they grow as decomposers that absorb nutrients from the decayed parts of the tree's body. But they will grow as epiphytes if they grow on the body parts of trees that have not been rotten. They are very sensitive to air conditions such as the presence of pollution and temperature, they can die if exposed to smoke or excessive heat exposure. They are also home to small species of entities such as small creatures, insects, and small flying entities such as birds.
The presence of bacteria in the bodies of these mosses is the reason why no entity wants to eat them, the light they produce seems to have become a sign that they are not to be eaten. In addition, the light they produce becomes a source of light for other plants growing around them so they are quite useful in nature.
Variety
The variety of species includes many different types of common mosses that can glow so that they can be distinguished from non-luminous species of the same species. The most common categorization is based on the color of light they produce, such as:
- Yellow (common)
- Green (common)
- Blue (rare)
- Red (rare)
- Pink (rare)
- Purple (rare)
- Toska (rare)
- Orange (grows adjacent to yellow, rare)
- Magenta (grows adjacent to pink, rare)
- White (common name Holy Moss, very rare)
- Disco (able to change its color, very rare)
- Rainbow (diverse colors in one body, one report)
The rarer the variety, the higher the economic price, and not everyone dares to try to cultivate rare (and very rare) varieties because of the difficulty in finding replacements in case of failure. These varieties are usually just left to grow in their habitats and are adequately guarded by environmental activists.
Usages
As the name implies, Lamp Moss is used as an alternative lighting when there are no common light sources such as lamps or fires and has even been used by the Survivors in the Backrooms for a long time. The utilization of Lamp Moss has become common knowledge in many Backrooms colonies so that new Survivors can usually get the knowledge from more senior Survivors. Below are the utilization instructions that are most commonly used by many Survivors, namely by being used as a lantern.
Lamp Moss Lantern Making Instructions
Tools and Materials
- Clear container with lid,
- Lamp Moss (quantity depends on the need for light intensity level),
- Water (Almond Water to extend the maximum duration).
How to Make
- Put the Lamp Moss into the container,
- Soak with water until it fills the container and then close the container,
- Shake the container until the Lamp Moss glows brightly,
- The Lamp Moss lantern can be used.
Warning! One kilogram of Lamp Moss made into lanterns is usually only able to glow for 60 hours in ordinary water and 70 hours in Almond Water!
In addition, some Survivor colonies are known to have bred Lamp Moss for various purposes mainly as primary lighting as well as for environmental care. Due to their tendency to grow easily, many Survivors pick up and breed Lamp Moss, especially if Survivors are able to provide the right environmental conditions (such as temperature levels, humidity, and available light intensity) then the amount of moss that grows will be very abundant. The dead Lamp Moss can be used as compost or as a breeding medium for new Lamp Moss. Mixing dye into the water with dye will change the color of the Lamp Moss light giving it an aesthetic bonus, but coating the lantern surface with plastic or thin colorful paint is much preferred by the Survivors.
Lamp Moss can also be used as a weapon by modifying the water used to soak the moss, the right mixture formula will make Lamp Moss shine very brightly like a light bomb. The information to create this weapon has been restricted after an attempted misuse by an irresponsible party. Lamp Moss can also be used as a wayfinding tool in the dark such as planting it on the floor or wall, and can also be planted in the form of writing to make it easier to provide information in dark areas.
Cultures
The Light Moss is known to have been known to mankind in Backrooms for so long that it is no longer known when mankind first began to utilize these mosses. A story has spread among the Survivors which is intended as a children's tale, the story tells of a “angel” who gave a village a magical moss seed that can ward off evil creatures coming from the darkness. It is known that this story actually refers to the use of Lamp Moss as a means of illumination and has been taught early on to children in Backrooms.