Elden Ring: 10 Secret Stories & Locations You NEED To Find
2. Melina's Origins
Melina is a mysterious figure in Elden Ring. She's one of the most helpful NPCs, who gives the player their faithful Spirit Steed Torrent, and even offers to be the Tarnished's finger maiden, sacrificing herself to allow the Tarnished into the Erdtree.
For all that she provides the Tarnished with aid, however, her origins are ultimately extremely mysterious. She speaks of a mother who gave birth to her at the foot of the erdtree, which possibly could have been Marika - given that Melina has an M name, specifically used for Marika's direct descendants.
She also at one point repeats the echoes of Marika's own experiences to the plauyer, as though tapping into those memories, and revealing more about Marika's motivations.
Melina also has the exact same face as Ranni's, her eye closed to match. All these details tie into the game's larger story, and are worth looking into.
A specific ending also reveals her vengeful nature. A Tarnished player who chooses the Frenzied Flame ending will kill Torrent, and Melina will swear to deliver them Destined Death - her original golden eye clouding over and her closed eye opening to reveal a purple hue associated with the Dusk-Eyed queen.