Plots have been driven by comic-style story lines, which were once displayed in graphic form but are now Flash comics. All plots include Neopet characters as heroes or villains in dire situations that require all Neopets players to join in and assist in solving problems and defeating villains in the Battledome.
Plot elements
Neopets plots have certain recurring elements.
News updates
Significant plot developments are released with and generally referred to in the New Updates section of the site.
Story
Plots usually have a storyline that is released in a comic-style format. In addition, players may be required to interact with characters in the plot (by clicking on them) in order to gain more information.
Wars and Battledome
Since the introduction of the Battledome, an arena where Neopets players can test their pets' skills against other players' pets or against a set of predetermined game opponents, Neopets has released several war plots. A war begins with the appearance of a recruiting area, where interested players may sign up. If a player does not sign up in time, he or she will not be able to participate in war battles. Some plots have offered a choice of sides for which to fight, while others have not had more than one option. The last plot to be called a war (the Maraqua War of 2005) also included a "supporter" option, where players were asked to provide items such as weapons or healing items to the army, or to earn battle points by playing certain games.
Shortly after the recruiting centre is made available, the war itself will begin. Regular one-player Battledome opponents are no longer available, stealing items no longer work, and war-specific opponents will appear, often in "waves" or by difficulty ranking, with the weakest first. A "war boss" with the major villain or monster is often the final battle. A war will end the moment the boss is defeated by a user. Points are awarded for victories, again possibly in relation to the enemy's rank or the player pet's abilities; recent wars have endeavoured to allow weaker pets the option to contribute by earning more points for the weaker opponents, which are unavailable to stronger players.
Battledome opponents are incorporated into plots that are not strictly wars, as well. As with wars, the usual single-player opponents are replaced with one or more opponents that are relevant to the plot. Players are scored based on number of defeats or, in the case of the most powerful opponents, on the amount of damage inflicted towards the opponent's eventual defeat.
Puzzles
Unlike Battledome exercises, puzzle elements test the intelligence and skills of the players. Some require players to work in tandem, while others must be solved individually, as the specific solution will vary by player. Solutions have included clicking on certain areas of image maps in a particular order, identifying clues in source code, purchasing items from particular shops, and solving riddles that were in areas specific to the plot, such as digging graves in Neovia and moving sand in the Lost Desert.
Plot conclusions
When a plot is completed, prizes are dispersed based on user participation level. These prizes may include but are not limited to items found during the course of the plot, awards, medals, trophies (which appear on the users user lookup and display rank or points earned), avatars for use in the chat board and site themes that replace the traditional Neopets site theme. In recent plots, The Neopets Team implemented a Prize Redemption Center where users can redeem their points for an assortment of prizes based on how many points were scored.
2000
The Virtupets Plot
This plot, featuring the Space Faerie, was based on the quest to save the Space Faerie from Dr. Sloth who attempted to conquer Neopia by turning everyone into mutants. Dr. Sloth led his assault from the Virtupets Space Station (seen orbiting Neopia.) During this plot, transmogrification potions, which is a potion to turn pets into mutated versions of themselves, were introduced. As there was no Battledome at that time, player participation was limited to adopting Grundos to release the Space Faerie. Began August 16, 2000 and ended August 25, 2000.
Comic can be viewed here
The Hunt For The Battledome
This plot, whose links disappeared with Maraqua's destruction (see below), involved Sarkis the Blumaroo, Buckley the Wocky (a pet of Neopets founder Donna), and Ursulla the Usul. These pets were capsized by Chiazilla off the shores of Mystery Island while looking for an Acara professor who knew the secrets of the then-nonexistent Battledome. This led to the discovery of the underwater city of Maraqua, and the professor, who lived there. Dr. Sloth attempted to wrest control of the Battledome by kidnapping the professor and releasing Mechachiazilla on the city, but was thwarted by a rescue mission by the heroes and the inevitable Chiazilla attack. This was one of two plots with no player involvement.
2001
The Tyrannian Invasion
Beginning on April 5, 2001, the Tyrannian Invasion plot introduced Tyrannia, which was soon consumed by war between the Tyrannian villages (Lead by the Tyrannian Army) against the Chia Bombers, 1000 Tyrannian Buzz, 100 Grarrl Battlemasters, and the Monoceraptor. The Monoceraptor was defeated by a heroic Lupe. When this plot was finished, the Tyrannian Plateau and Tyrannian Jungle were introduced. Began March 20, 2001 and ended May 10, 2001.
Brucey B and the Lucky Coin
Shortly after the Lost Desert was introduced, Dr. Sloth returned. After stealing Brucey B’s lucky coin, he opened a tomb with his army and got a powerful magical weapon that could curse Neopians and cause mass destruction. Brucey B. defeated him by destroying the weapon. This plot had a war. Began June 12, 2001 and ended July 10, 2001.
Daily plot events found here.
Usurper
In this plot, the King of Sakhmet was killed. Players had to find out who had which bad habit, who ate which food, who had how many servings, and who killed the king.
It can be viewed here
The Hunt for the Crown
This is the second Lost Desert mystery plot. Malkus Vile and his Meerca henchmen had stolen Coltzan’s crown. This is archived on the site. This plot had no war. Began July 17, 2001 and ended July 19, 2001.
The unveiling of Coltzan’s Shrine can be found here.
The crown solution can be viewed here.
A Curse on Maraqua
This plot followed the invasion and destruction of Maraqua by a skeleton Kiko named Captain Dread. Maraqua was temporarily replaced with a whirlpool and then to ruins. Began August 17, 2001 and ended August 23, 2001. Following The Curse of Maraqua Plot (part 2), the Maraquans beat the pirates, allowing them to refurbish their old city.
The flash movie for the plot can be found here.
The first eyewitness report can be found here.
The final eyewitness report can be found here.
Neopets Version 2
One of Sloth's old programs, wanting friends, traps a group of four students on an elevator in the Virtupets Space Station forcing them to play games or else. They are eventually freed. Began October 5, 2001 and ended October 9, 2001.
The NPV2 movies can be found here.
The solution can be found here.
2002
Champions of Meridell
Among Neopian lands, Meridell has had the most wars on record, at two. The first was a dispute between Lord Darigan and King Skarl, long after Meridellian forces forcibly took an orb from Lord Darigan's kingdom that would provide prosperity for its owner. While Meridell developed into the thriving land today, the Darigan territory was left to degenerate, and diseases mutated the residents. Lord Darigan's army won the battle against the Meridell Defenders (users could choose whom to support between the two forces), but when Darigan regained the orb, he went mad with power. Both sides realized that he had to be stopped. Finally, The Spectre of Lord Darigan was defeated by all Neopians teaming up and working together, but the pet Majal_Kita delivered the finishing blow (in the plot, however, Darigan's downfall seems to be attributed to Jeran and Kass). Both sides (each led by Master Vex and King Skarl) still thirsted for power, however, and desired the Orb that Darigan had left behind. Before either side could claim it, it gave a flash of light and split in half.
One important character in Champions of Meridell (the first Meridell war) was the Blue Lupe, Sir Jeran Borodere. Jeran was Meridell's champion knight, and the main character of both Meridell plots. When he and his sister Lisha the Aisha were young, they were playing a game of Hide and Seek in the castle ruins. Jeran tripped over a root and was transported three hundred years into the past. Years later, when Lisha was older, she saw her brother's picture in a museum. Encouraged by this picture, she went to search for the brother she had lost so long ago. When they arrived at the castle, they were about to start a search for any clues, but this proved unnecessary, as Lisha's toy wand was much more powerful than anyone could have expected, and they wound up in the middle of Meridell, with all its sinister plots and quests for power. Lisha was reunited with her brother, now over twenty years old and stronger than ever.
This plot began July 23, 2002 and ended April 28, 2003.
Movie archive can be found here.
Final score can be found here.
2003
Mystery Island Plot
An early mystery plot in which encouraged players to find clues leading to the disappearance of several important Mystery Island figures and the activities of the volcano. Began October 23, 2003 and ended November 18, 2003.
Solution can be found here.
Green Jelly Plot
This plot featured Jelly World, which is claimed to be non-existent by staff members as a joke. On June 12, 2003, it was written in the New Features that Petpets were disappearing. If you went to the Giant Green Jelly in Jelly World at this time, it showed the missing Petpets eating the jelly. More Petpets disappeared until June 23, 2003, when all the Petpets returned. This was one of two plots that had no player involvement, besides the missing Petpets.
2004
Battle for Meridell
Only a few years after the first war, Meridell was once again forced to raise arms against Darigan. A new leader, by the name of General Kass, sowed the seeds of war and rallied Darigan's troops against Meridell. By using emotional propaganda, he misled most of the Darigan Citadel's civilians into believing that Skarl would start another conflict and persuaded them to perform a sneak attack before Meridell could. Kass sent a court dancer to the King, and the dancer's performances hypnotized some Meridellians into attacking their fellow countrymen. Others were simply too delusional to do anything. Lisha played what could be called a vital role in the plot by casting a spell to stop the Court Dancer's scheme. After this had been dealt with, Meridell still had to deal with a ground attack from Kass' War Machines.
The champion Meridell Knight, Jeran, realized that Kass had made a serious tactical error. Due to Kass putting a full effort into a ground invasion, the Citadel was completely vulnerable to an aerial assault. Jeran quickly assembled a strike force consisting of himself and his finest knights to launch a surprise attack directly against the Citadel, hoping to end the war.
During this time, Lord Darigan, well thought to be dead, was living in a Meri Acres barn, and he was in tatters physically and mentally. However, when Kass's army started to advance to Meridell and attacked the farm where he was staying, the mention of his name by some of the surprised men caused him to regain his memory. After saying farewell to his caretaker, a young Usul named Sally (no known relation to the Usuki collector), he left for the Citadel, regretting how he had ruled before. When he arrived, Kass was startled by Darigan's sudden re-appearance, believing the former ruler to be deceased. Nevertheless, Kass attempted to finish him off once and for all and the two leaders engaged in a heated duel atop the Citadel.
Eventually, Kass soon died by succembing to Ambition, Greed, and Revenge (personified as “The Three”, a group made up of a Faerie whose type is unknown, though she does not have the wings of a Dark Faerie, a skeletal Skeith, and a ghostly Gelert) that were controlling him. After Kass' death at the hands of The Three, Lord Darigan once again made peace between his people and those in Meridell.
There is debate about the role that each of the children from the future played in this war and whether any of them had the power to change history. Lisha broke the Court Dancer's spell over the kingdom of Meridell. Kayla opened a potions shop, and brewed a potion to make Turtums (giant turtles with armoured shells resembling tanks) grow hundreds of times their size and able to be used as war mounts, which proved vital when defending Meridell against Kass' War Machines.
Meanwhile, Morris and Boris, by drinking special potions, teleported up to the Citadel during the final battle with Lord Kass, and it was in rescuing them that Sir Jeran was knocked off the Citadel and fell. While these actions certainly could have changed the past, it is uncertain whether Neopets' form of time travel would allow for the change, or if Meridell is still doomed to destruction, as predicted by the Neopedia article about the Destruction of Meridell.
This plot began on February 2, 2004 and ended on May 1, 2004.
Comic can be found here.
The War Room can be found here.
The Return of Dr. Sloth
A cancelled plot that was supposedly going to explain why the purple coloured Neopets have various spots of Orange on them. It was also destined to be a double-sided war plot. It was scrapped because of lack of time. It was made reference to in the game "The Return of the Return of Dr. Sloth" and it was claimed that the plot would never be revived.
As a joke, the Hannah and the Ice Caves plot was given a fake ending where characters from this plot came in wanting revenge for its cancellation. The ending was changed within a few hours, which allowed only a few members to witness it.
The plot was finally released in 2008, albeit with several significant differences in the character design.
Hannah and the Ice Caves
Features Hannah, a Usul, who is tricked by the thief Kanrik into going into the Ice Caves. In her search, she discovers Armin, the Bori, a new species to Neopia at the time. The Bringer of Night is released by Kanrik and attempts to destroy everything. War was waged, the Bringer was destroyed and the Bori were thawed. Began October 21, 2004 and ended December 22, 2004, just in time for Christmas.
A fake ending was up for a few hours in which the characters from the cancelled "Return of Dr. Sloth" Plot came in and complained about their plot being cancelled. It was only up for a few hours, however.
Comic available here.
The Guildmaster’s Dinner viewable here. The Guildmaster’s Dinner was cancelled shortly after the conclusion of the plot.
2005
Curse of Maraqua
After Maraqua had been rebuilt and the whirlpool has calmed, Scarblade, an evil Lupe captain, set out to destroy it again. The plot centred around an eighteen-year-old Usul pirate named Garin and a future-seeing Maraquan Aisha girl named Isca, who sees into the future though her dreams while sleeping. She also seems to have a bit of a crush on Garin, constantly wanting him to stay with her for protection. Jacques the Kyrii and Isca's twin sister Caylis, who also can see into the future while sleeping, but in her nightmares, also played major roles in Garin's attempt to gain revenge on Captain Scarblade, and later protect Maraqua from the crazed Lupe. Purely a war, Neopets players who chose to participate were required to either assist Garin in his attack on Scarblade and his minions or join Scarblade to fight against the Maraquans, in order to receive points for prizes. During this plot, Scurvy Island was supposed to be released but was given up because of its similarity to Krawk Island. Began March 15, 2005 and ended June 10, 2005.
There was some confusion while the plot was taking place about Chapter 2 of the story. In it, a Gelert groom and Usul bride can be glimpsed, about to get married, for a single frame. Some people think that it could be Kanrik and Hannah from the previous HatIC plot, but this has been officially denied in an editorial in an issue of the Neopets magazine.
* Garin and Jacques have cameos in different panels of the first chapter of Journey to the Lost Isle--Garin can be seen when Roxton and Professor Fairweather enter the tavern, Jacques when Professor Fairweather and Roxton are bribing Captain Rourke.
Comic can be found here.
The Lost Desert Plot
Affectionately known as the LDP by many, the Lost Desert Plot featured a Kyrii by the name of Prince Jazan who comes from the ancient kingdom of Qasala. Jazan comes to Sakhmet in order to marry Princess Amira (the elder sister of Princess Vyssa from the Siege of Sakhmet and Search for the Crown plots) so he might save his city. When Amira refuses, he causes Sakhmet to fall into another dimension and Sakhmet disappears off the world map. Sakhmet returns when Jazan marries Nabile, a cousin of Amira’s and a main character of the plot along with Tomos. This marriage only occurs after a long series of complex puzzles as well as a few battles and is followed by the release of Razul on the Lost Desert who attempts to destroy it but it beaten back by Neopian Battledomers. This plot is famous for the sheer complexity of its puzzle (which caused many to quit participating in the plot) and the fact that it introduced Qasala to the Neopian world. It is also remarkable because of the way Neopians banded together to solve the plot in groups on the chat boards and shared solutions like never before. Began August 30, 2005 and ended November 30, 2005. In a poll released by TNT, it showed that a majority either (1) could not find the way to begin the plot/didn't know of it until it ended or (2) got lost in the Temple of 1000 Tombs when it ended.
Comic can be viewed here.
2006
The Darkest Faerie or Altador Mystery Plot
The newest mini-plot/mystery that started March 18, and has been completely finished, but it can still be completed, as of January 24, 2008. This plot does not contain a war and is a puzzle based on the discovery of Altador (discovered March 27, 2006) and its history and is a "mini-plot" and is not as involved. So far (as of March 21, 2006), the quester is required to plot star constellations on a star map obtained through a series of hidden links. This plot features characters from the PlayStation 2 game "The Darkest Faerie" including the King, the Darkest Faerie and other characters. It also features a Yurble janitor that appears to be the foreman from the Lost Desert plot. Again, groups of players have banded to solve the plot together, like never before, with incredible cooperation. This plot concluded on the 3rd of June 2006, having destroyed 'The Betrayer's' statue.
Prizes were released on September 15, 2006. The prizes include 5,000 Neopoints (the currency for Neopia), a trophy, a sidebar theme, and four items. The items were a Club President Super Plushie, The Way Windmills Work, Set of Four Commemorative Punch Club Pie Plates, and a Hall of Heroes Play Set. Many Neopets users showed anger at the fact that everybody got the same prizes. On the other hand, the Neopets team repeatedly reminded users that Altador was a mini-plot with mini-prizes. To get prizes, one had to have completed the entire puzzle. On September 16, a new avatar was released along with a random item worth between 1000 and 3000 Neopoints, and if someone who had completed the plot visited the King of Altador every day afterwards, they would receive another random item. This plot is open.
The puzzles in this particular plot are somewhat more difficult that the average Neopets plot, as it includes several instances of using math far beyond the level of younger players.
The Cyodrake's Gaze
During August, 2006 (The Month of Hiding, Year 8, in Neopian time), the image of a single pirate ship named the Cyodrake's Gaze was added to the Krawk Island map. The ship's crew consists of pets appearing to be from an Asian-themed world, called Shenkuu. Captain Tuan, a Blue Gnorbu, is the captain of the ship. Kentari, a Yellow Shoyru, is the weapons master. Chef Bonju, an Orange Blumaroo, is the ship's chef. Linae, a Pink Kougra, is a crew member who likes to play Kou Jong, a game based on Mahjong. Shumi, a Green Scorchio, is the first mate. Orrin, a red Nimmo, is in charge of inventory aboard the ship. Anshu, an elderly Brown Ruki, is the ship's doctor. Hoban, a Yellow Aisha, is the lost navigator of the ship.
According to the Adobe Flash plot comic, the ship lost their navigator, Hoban, in a storm, causing them to become lost. The captain thinks that someone pushed Hoban overboard. After the loss of Hoban, the Cyodrake's Gaze has been sailing Neopia, searching for him. At the end of the plot, the ship had made appearances (chronologically) in Krawk Island, Mystery Island, Faerieland, the Lost Desert, and last in Mystery Island again. Upon arrival in Faerieland, the captain informs readers that the ship can fly, so there is seemingly no Neopian place that is out of bounds for the ship. When it appeared in Mystery Island for the second time, the final chapter was released. The plot is now revealed to be a logic puzzle, where users must figure out a variety of things related to Hoban's disappearance.
Leading up to September 8th, 2006, which is when Hoban was found and his homeworld of Shenkuu was 'discovered', players were allowed to fill out a form on the site, inputting their answers to such questions as "Who pushed Hoban overboard?" and "When was Hoban pushed overboard?". In the end, prizes were given based on how many questions the user had correct.
Prizes included items, a trophy, and a site theme.
Linae can be seen arm wrestling with someone who appears to look like Bruno from the Tale of Woe in Journey to the Lost Isle-In the same panel as you can see Jacques from the Curse of Maraqua.
The Tale of Woe
The Tale of Woe plot tells the story of the colonial style city of Neovia as it fell victim to a curse caused by an evil potion. The plot began on October 2 and ended on November 20.
The tale begins with Gilly (an Usul from the Castle of Eliv Thade game) stopping to listen to a story in a Gypsy camp in the Haunted Woods. The Gypsy tells her of the lost town of Neovia, whose citizens were tempted by greed into buying a magic potion that would supposedly grant all their wishes, but in reality distorted them until they became twisted abominations. This resulted in Sophie (From Neopets: The Darkest Faerie PS2 game) to be sent with her brother, Bruno, into the Haunted Woods. Being the only one free from the effects of the potion, Sophie is taken in by Ilere, an Earth Faerie, who takes her into the Haunted Woods.
During the first stage, users needed to find an old locket and interview various residents of the Deserted Fairgrounds in the Haunted Woods. On October 9, the first chapter began with Gilly being chased off by Sophie and taking shelter in a cave, which begins the second stage. The cave is a puzzle that requires users to move different objects around to trap a monster. This "monster" is the mutated Bruno, who has been living in the cave. This led to the third comic released on October 14, where both Bruno explained his escape from the mob, while Sophie tells of what happened with Ilere (who just gave her a chest full of magic items), and found out the curse that fell upon Neovia: its citizens had become zombie-like ghosts that appear only during Halloween. Believing that this is what was done by the Spirit of the Slumber, they decide to search for Ilere deep into the woods. This is the beginning of the third stage, in which users collect numerous items and solve puzzles, such as the finding and use of vines and Meepits, in order to reach the Earth Faerie.
In chapter four, released on October 17, Sophie, Gilly, and Bruno finally find Ilere, the Earth Faerie, and ask for help in order to reverse the curse on the town of Neovia. In Chapter five, released October 19, the three adventurers begin searching for the Spirit of Slumber, whose "cure" of the potion's effects has left the citizens of Neovia in an unknowing, ghostlike state. The Spirit of Slumber's bones were found by the Neopets user Heavenest after many people helped dig up graves, test bones, and fetch potion ingredients (the fifth and sixth stages of the plot involved great interaction between users, e.g. four users taking turns to dig up a grave). On October 25, the sixth stage was released. During this stage, players are to mark off the graves that do not belong to the Spirit of Slumber. The stage ended on October 27, with the name of the Spirit of Slumber being revealed as Jubart Igig.
The dialogue at the end of the sixth stage currently has many users excited. In the end, Gilly remarks that the name of the Spirit of Slumber might possibly be an anagram. This has led many people to believe that an upcoming plot step will feature Eliv Thade (a Kacheek who deals with anagrams) in some way, as that is where Gilly was first from on the site.
On October 28, the seventh step was released. This step involved testing several potion ingredients to create a potion to allow Bruno's body to be inhabited by the Spirit of Slumber so the curse could be lifted. This required three potions to be made by a user until the third one was shown as a cliffhanger. In the eighth chapter, the potion is revealed to have worked, and Bruno becomes possessed by the Spirit of Slumber. Sophie and Gilly follow him to Neovia where he undoes the spell and restores the townspeople. However, before long, just after Sophie, Bruno and Gilly celebrate, it is shown that the potion all the townspeople drank still retains its effects. The townspeople quickly mutate beyond their original disfigurement, turning into greatly twisted and monstrous creatures. Sophie flees and Bruno and Gilly are left before the beasts calling after her.
On November 1, chapter nine was released. It shows the Krawk (Mr. Krawley), who sold them the potions in the first place, showing up. Bruno glances at him and he quickly departs. As Bruno holds back the enraged townspeople, Gilly chases after Mr. Krawley into the graveyard, shortly thereafter the gravestones come to life and menace Gilly. There is also some battling now (against the "Sentient Stones" and some trees, and some zombies.), hinting at a war. On November 8, Chapter 12 was released, involving players to make composites out of potions.
The next part of the plot had Sophie mix composites. Sophie had never done this spell and knew the measurements but not the ingredients. The player had to crush, soak, burn, or desiccate an ingredient until it had the correct number of conjuring, power etc. There were four potions players had to go through. Once done there was another step.
To start the step the player had to go to Meepit Oaks Sanatorium for the Psychologically Fragile. There players would have to find five journal pages, a lamp, two keys, a shovel, and a bone. There were four different hallways each one had four out of six doors go nowhere. There was also a courtyard. This was one of the hardest steps besides the previous one.
On November 17, Chapter 14 of the comic was released, along with a new One-Player Plot Battledome opponent, Mayor Thumburt. For this part of the plot, users have to battle against Mayor Thumburt until he loses all of his hitpoints. However, users have to work together in order to lower his hit points, similar to Lord Kass at the end of the Battle for Meridell plot. In addition, he comes in three forms - normal mayor form (10,000 HP), large form (100,000 HP) and HUGE form (1,000,000 HP).
The final part of the comic was released on November 20. We see that Sophie decides to leave, and Bruno cannot revert into his original form, while the rest of the town goes back to normal. It is unknown how long prizes will take to be awarded, but Neopets stated that they would tally everyone's scores starting in the week beginning November 27. Then on December 1 Neopets released a statement that they have divided the plot up and have assigned a script to tally the points.
After a several-month interlude, plot prizes for the Tale of Woe were released on March 1, 2007, in the news update for March 2. The prizes that could be redeemed for their accumulated points at Sophie's Shack included Ghost Paint Brushes, new books, Battledome items, and more. This is similar to The Lost Desert Plot.
;Plot links
* Flash Comic
* Solution Page
* Prize Shop
2007
Journey to the Lost Isle
This Neopian plot/puzzle began on April 30, 2007. On the first day, users had to complete a deck cleaning puzzle. This consisted of taking random items (including brooms, anchors, etc.) and arranging them perfectly in a square, like Tangrams. There were three different levels of increasing difficulty. On the second day, players were able to fight the Ravenous Monster in the battledome. Then, there was a puzzle where you must match up ring symbols much like the Time Tunnel game on Neopets. Like the puzzle before, this puzzle had three levels. After that, players could defeat another monster, The Monstrous Moach. On May 23, Chapter 5 gets released. And the next day, May 24 , the next step gets released. The next step is to rebuild the ship. You have to find the items to rebuild the ships. The items are in a forest maze (similar to ToW's maze). Once the ship has been repaired, the cartoon and journal of Mad Tongue Murphy reveal that a horde of monstrous petpetpets is attacking. You then go to the battledome and fight three evil-looking petpetpets simultaneously. Since their weapons and endurance points are relatively advanced, only the bravest and best-equipped warriors have succeeded in defeating them thus far.
The comic currently has seven chapters and is now said to be over. However under the Coming Soon bar on the site, one feature is named "A Mysterious Voyage Continues". According to the NeoBoards, the Journey to the Lost Isle plot was originally named 'A Mysterious Voyage'. It is said to be on hold to make way for the Altador Cup, an event that resembles the FIFA world cup where teams from different Neopian worlds compete in a game called Yooyuball. From the recent NT Editorial (Issue 296), it seems that the plot may actually be over.
On July 6th, the plot prizes were released, as well as the solution. According to a recent Neopedia article on one of the characters, it is stated that the professor is planning another expedition to the island.
;Plot links
* Journal
* Flash Comic
* Prize Shop
* Plot Solution
2008
Return of Dr. Sloth
This plot was originally set to be released in 2004, but was cancelled because of lack of time, and the Hannah and the Ice Caves plot was released instead. In January 2008, the Return of Dr. Sloth plot was finally released. So far there are two characters from the Neopets Trading Card Game, Gorix the Grundo and a Cybunny Scout.
On January 29, 2008, the first puzzle step was released for the plot. The puzzle featured Gorix, and the user had to control turntable pads in the maintenance tunnels in order to guide Gorix to the exit. There were five puzzles in all. Once all five steps were completed, the user was shown a "To Be Continued_" sign.
The plans in 2004 included revealing why Neopets painted purple have orange spots, and having a war in which users could pick one of two sides to fight with. It is unknown if this will still be included.
Users of Neopets can submit assorted works set in Neopia, such as comics, short stories, articles and series. The Neopian Times is typically released on Fridays, but occasionally it may be released later than usual because of assorted editorial issues. In extreme cases it may not 'go live' until the following Monday due to the fact that the Neopets Team characteristically does not release content during weekends or holidays.
How it began
First Style
When The Neopian Times started out, it lacked the visual flair it currently possesses, but it was still driven by user submissions. The very first issues were composed mainly of relatively short series, short stories, and articles. Comics are noticeably absent from the earlier issues, but eventually became a standard part of the Neopian Times as time went on.
The first look of the Neopian Times was distinguished by its top banner- a picture of a man and a woman in 50's style and the text "For an easier life". Several of the front pages still exist, but the links to the stories and comics no longer work- ostensibly removed to save server space, as so few people cared to read that far back that the content would hardly be missed.
Super-Old-Dusty-And-Moldy Neopian Times
Second Style
The first major revamp of the Neopian Times changed the format from a simple page of text with an overlying banner to a set of tables that made it look more like a real newspaper. Comics were not included in the vast majority of Neopian Times issues at this point, but an official comics page was added in Issue 57 and has been included in every issue following. A Guild Spotlight was included as one of the features under this format, showcasing one of the many guilds in Neopia. The Guild Spotlight was eventually dropped from the Neopian Times, however. Around the same time, the banner was replaced by an image of a gold engraving that depicted a Jubjub reading the Neopian Times.
Very old neopian times
Third Style
The third style was simply a modified version of the second style. Several of the more significant changes include the addition of the Quote of The Week, which is a memorable quote chosen by the editor from one of the submissions; and a 'More Stories' column on the right-hand side of the page that displayed the images, summary, and links to several randomized stories from that week.
The banner with the Jubjub was changed, replacing the circulation number of 12,500,000 to display how many Neopians had actually read the Neopian Times, which at this time sits at 116,830,831.
Older Neopian Times
Note that this link leads the final issue of the Third look. The 'Show All' button included next to the issue number at the top will reveal all preceding issues.
Fourth Style
This is the current style of the Neopian Times, and currently the most popular. It was officially introduced the day that the 150th issue of the Neopian Times was released. It is similar to the third style, but it has been altered slightly to make navigation more simple and reduce clutter on the front page. It (The front page) has been organized into tables that make it much easier to read, with a special blue table for the featured stories. The navigation buttons have been replaced with plain text links, and a randomized caption is displayed under the banner on the left (some of which are related to Times in-jokes). The banner has been changed to a simple "The Neopian Times" with a blue quill on either side, and the circulation number now sits beneath it in plain text.
The entire colour scheme has been changed from the darker and more moody orange of the third style to a lighter and more upbeat combination of blue and white. The colours & background pictures change for special events.
Current Neopian Times
Editors
Mr. Shankly
"Quite Frankly, Mr. Shankly"
The first known Editor was Josh, better known as Mr. Shankly. He edited the Neopian Times up until Issue 75, when he left. His trademark was his love of dung, and many of the submissions in his last issue as editor reflected his love of dung as a farewell gift. One such story was Hippiesoul's The Dung Hero.
Snowflake
Mr. Shankly's replacement was Felicia, more commonly referred to as Snowflake. She began working in e-mail support at Neopets, and rose through the ranks to become the Neopian Times Editor, where she stayed until Issue 195. During the last few months of her role as editor, she was assigned the duties of Poetry Contest and Art Gallery as well. She also hinted a few times about her newly-hired assistant, Droplet. Droplet was apparently being taught how to run the Neopian Times and sort through submissions, though Snowflake never fully confirmed that she would be the new editor. Her trademark is her white wedding dress that she wears in her staff picture.
On June 14, 2005, she officially announced her resignation from Neopets:
"Hello everyone,
I'm just writing to let you know that issue 195 will be my last as editor of The Neopian Times, since I'm going to be moving on to some exciting new things. Darcy (Droplet) will be taking over as your new editor, and I'm confident that she'll do an excellent job. My hope is that you'll give her as warm a welcome as you did me.
Felicia"
Droplet
Darcy, also known as Droplet, was Snowflake's assistant during her last few months as editor, and took over the job of editor after Snowflake left. Her first issue was issue 196, and she is the editor of the Neopian Times to this day.
The Captions
This is a list of all the captions that appear under the banner in the top left corner of the Neopian Times (Fourth Style).
Enter the Snowflake's lair...
Invisible Paint Brushes rock! (Highlight this)
White Weewoos don't exist. *shifty eyes*
Now with 50% more useless text
Meow
Sanity is forbidden
There are ants in my Lucky Green Boots
Neopia's Fill-in-the-blank News Source
Chet Flash wuz here
A Yurble stole my cinnamon roll!
Battle Quills... ready!
the 1337est n00zpaper
Caution: Quills may be sharp
Neopian Times Inside Jokes
White Weewoo
The White Weewoo is a Petpet on Neopets that has become associated with the Neopian Times, due to the efforts of some Times authors in the creation of the color. This was started by the author Laurensama, also known as Linny, who received a Weewoo as a gift and wished to paint it white to resemble Hedwig from Harry Potter. She and a group of fellow authors hid White Weewoo references in their stories, comics and articles in hopes that The Neopets Team would pick up on it and make the White Weewoo an actual color. Eventually, their efforts paid off and the White Weewoo was created.
The White Weewoo has become one of the symbols for the NTWF (Neopian Times Writers' Forum) because of this, and was found on 23 October 2003. Snowflake gave the authors who were published on the week that the White Weewoo was released a White Petpet Paintbrush. October 28 could be seen as a Neopets holiday for writers, as the White Weewoo was officially released that day.
The first official drawing of a White Weewoo in the Neopian Times was for this story: The Weewoo of White It is now one of the symbols for the Neopian Times, and can be seen at the bottom of pages in the Neopian Times and in other official art about the Times, including shopkeepers and blogs.
Chet Flash
Chet Flash is a recurring nonexistent character in the Neopian Times who makes appearances in various places in the Times now and then. His signature phrase "Chet Flash wuz here" can be found in comics, articles, in the banner of the Times itself, and sometimes even stories. No one knows exactly what he looks like, or who he really is.
The exact date of Chet Flash's first appearance in the Times is currently unknown, but some of the planning for his appearances remain here:
List Of Publication Types
In the Neopian Times, there are 4 unique categories of user submissions: Articles, Short Stories, Series, and Comics.
Articles
Articles usually do not tell a story. Articles can be either informative or humorous, and the subject of one can range from an Interview With Sloth's Mom to a List of Tips For Creating Neopet Names. Articles can be serious or philosophical (such as In Praise of the Unpainted Pet), or teach people how to do, play, or win something in Neopian games. Fun articles are also common: recently, a trend has emerged where a large majority of Neopian Times articles are simply lists regarding a specific subject such as "50 Things To Do While Neopets Is Down" or "10 Reasons Why Neopia Needs Telephones" and so forth.
The size requirements for submitting an article are a minimum size of 1,000 words and a maximum size of 50,000 words.
Short stories
Short Stories are very different from Articles in that they are works of fiction that must tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end, within the limits of a single issue. They run for one week only, and do not have separate parts, unlike the much longer series. Short Stories range in genre from comedy to adventure to horror. Stories can be dedicated to someone you know (though they must take place in Neopia) or can be based on a book title from Neopets. For instance, there is a book called "The Magic Paw", so you can write a story based around your imagining of the plot of "The Magic Paw".
Short Stories must be 1,200 to 4,000 words in length.
Comics
Comics are different from the other submissions in that they typically use art to convey their message. However, the artwork does not need to look professional, as long as it is legible enough to view in a casual manner. Comics must be drawn by the artist rather than cut and pasted together using images from Neopets, and they usually require some sort of joke. A serious comic series can also be accepted into the Times, although if each part does not make sense on its own then the whole series should be submitted at once. In order to be accepted, comics need fairly decent art and a good, understandable joke (except in a serious comic series).
Comics must be less than 470 pixels wide, under 200kb in size, and must be in gif or jpeg format.
Series
Series are longer stories that run anywhere from two to twelve weeks in the Neopian Times, with each part constituting one week of material. These stories are usually far more complicated and epic than a short story, but often if a short story is too long it may instead be run as a series. For example, if a story is 4600 words, it's 600 words above the maximum word limit for short stories, and can be divided into 2 parts as a 2 part series.
A Series has anywhere from 2 to 12 parts, each part running 1,500 to 50,000 words. The average length of a Series is 6-8 weeks and about 9,000 to 12,000 words. The longest running series ever are 'As Told by child_dragon' and 'Dark Flame', both of which have 21 parts and were written by child_dragon. This feat can no longer be achieved again, because of the restrictions that were applied when the submission form was introduced.
Editorial
This is the only part of the Times in which the Neopets Staff provides the content rather than the users (besides custom images). In the Editorial, Donna (the co-creator of the site) and sometimes Adam (the creator) answer questions about Neopets submitted by users. These questions range from questions about gameplay and suggestions regarding the site in general to questions about merchandise and the Neopets Staff members. The Editorial used to be infamously known for frequently causing the Neopian Times to be released later then presumed. Now, if Donna doesn't have enough time to answer questions that particular week, a notice is usually displayed and a bigger Editorial is put up the following week.
Criteria For Publication
As nearly all of the content submitted to and posted in the Neopian Times is user-created, the editors must strictly control what is published, and therefore, what isn't. Over the run of the Neopian Times various authors have begun to collect a general list of criteria as to what is allowed (considered canon or age-appropriate) and what is likely to be rejected by the editor.
The list should not be taken as the final word on submission to the Neopian Times, because it is incomplete and unofficial; rather the list should be used to give a more general overview as to what will help a story be accepted and what will more likely end in rejection.
Topics/Items Forbidden
* Cars, Planes, Radios, Cell Phones, TVs, Video Games, Telephones, and other assorted 'modern' conveniences specifically based on Earth.
* Stories based on Earth or occur in time periods that do not exist in Neopia. This includes the possibility of pets discovering Earth's solar system in the reaches of space.
* Explaining humanity's origins in Neopia
* Computers (The exception being the Virtupets Space Station and Kreludor where such technology exists.)
* Hybrids (An owner that is part pet, or a pet that is also part of multiple species.)In a few accepted stories and comics, an owner drank a morphing potion and was turned into a pet temporarily.
* Two- or three-headed Neopets (the exception being creatures such as Scordrax, or Mutant Hissi whom already exist within the site.)
* Pets painted in unique styles or in a colour that has not been created yet, either for that pet or at all. (Examples include a Jelly Gnorbu, a yellow and green striped Aisha, or a Fire pet with green flames rather than the customary orange.)
* Blood, gore, and generally extreme violence; dating, open or graphic affection, and even marriages. (Neopets is frequented largely by a younger audience, and tightly restricts all content that is not considered 'age appropriate'.)
* Male Faeries (A great deal of controversy has sprung up recently regarding Male Faeries and their inclusion in Neopian canon, with many users pushing for them to be introduced. The stance of the Neopets Team thus far is unclear, but it appears that there are no current or future plans to include Male Faeries in Neopia.)
* Faeries of an element or type that has not been introduced by the Neopets Team (e.g., a Typo Faerie or a Time Faerie., Dung Faerie was introduced later and therefore is now allowed)
* Articles that explicitly discuss the rules of the Neopian Times (articles that instead discuss improving your chances of acceptance seem to be permissible, however, as these tend to focus instead on improving the piece of writing rather than specific rules.)
* Cults or organized religions (Leagues, Clans, Clubs, and Guilds are all acceptable.)
* Mentioning Neopets as a website rather than a cohesive world; that is, mentioning sponsors, links, banner ads, etc. This also includes the mention of an owner breaking Neopets rules, or the mention of punishments such as banning or freezing of accounts.
* Permanent or debilitating injuries, amputations, etc.
* Two Series by the same author simultaneously (The policy is that one author can only have one submission in an issue, though the rule is not strictly enforced; and an author may have up to three simultaneous submissions at once, assuming at least one of them is a long-running Series.)
* Pets acting as Earth pets, engaging in activities such as eating from bowls, drinking from the toilet, drinking from bowls, acting as pack mules, being walked on leashes, and such. (On Neopets, pets themselves are treated as sentient and self-aware people rather than animals. However Petpets are often shown to act more like traditional pets.)
* The phrases "DIE!", "Prepare to die!", and "Shut up!" (This rule, more so than any other on the list, is not strictly enforced. Rather, it is preferred that the phrases simply aren't used. It is not a blanket ban and there are many recent examples of the phrases being used.)
* Mentions of Jelly World (the exception being cases where the author simply reminds the reader that Jelly World doesn't exist.) This stems from the in-joke that Jelly World doesn't exist, when there are many topics that only prove its existence.
* Death (Death is not strictly frowned upon, but more than one serious storyline death is considered excessive and will more than likely result in rejection. This rule has become more strict in recent years, where before multiple stories featured the death of most of the major cast by the end.)
* Séances (that is, communication with dead pets who have not expressly chosen to return to Neopia as ghosts.)
* Neopolice (Neopets once featured a police force called The Chia Police, but eventually phased them out following their takeover by Viacom. Now superheroes and soldiers serve as protectors of justice in the event of a crime or war. Although some stories in recent times have been able to get away with such mentions--one of the Storytelling competitions even centered around a kiko and chia officer.)
* Two parents in a custody battle over a child
* Prisons/jails (Dungeons are acceptable.)
Permissible Topics/Items
* Alternate realities, time travel, and exploration of worlds or lands that do not exist. (This rule tends to depend on the extent to which the plot devices are used. As an example, creating a completely new planet is unlikely to be accepted, whereas a village or tribe of wanderers with their own culture will be more likely. The same general rule applies to the time travel and alternate realities.)
* Crushes, infatuations, and character relationships (It is preferred that this stays strictly implied rather than explicitly stated.)
* The phrase "I love you," if the context under which this is stated is a friendly or fraternal relationship.
* Telegrams, newspapers, messengers and similar 'low-tech' methods of communication.
* Technology that has been introduced by the Neopets Team, typically of Virtupets, Kreludorian, or Alien Aisha origins. (Few types of technology that do not come from the three listed locations are allowed. Among those that are include cameras, stoves, slide projectors, and medical equipment as long as their origins are not questioned or explained.)
* Human characters (typically owners of pets.)
* Anthropomorphic animals and pets (that is, animals and Neopets that share human-like characteristics. The most common is the power of speech and clothing/armor.)
* Magic and other mystical phenomena or powers.
* High-tech security systems, security guards, traps, etc. (The security systems typically apply to buildings such as Neohomes, though the possibility of them being in shops has yet to be denied specifically.)
* Pets in the hospital for injuries, disabilities, or rare diseases. (This rule causes a great deal of confusion; debilitating injuries are technically forbidden as are most serious illnesses. The rule of thumb seems to be to keep the character in a sympathetic light, and, if possible, give them hope of rehabilitation in the future.)
* Pets moving from their Neohome.
* Owners transforming into pets (That is, completely becoming a pet rather than being only part pet.)
* Talking to ghosts.
* Mind control, possession by evil forces, or a character being overtaken by dark magic.
* Character death (As mentioned above, this should be kept in severe moderation. The death of a character should be significant and should never occur without a specific reason.)
* Families of Neopets (The origins of children in the family is strictly forbidden.)
* Non-helpful or parody articles.
* Comic series/non-comedic comics.
* Series of unrelated short stories featuring the same characters.
* Kidnapping, bribery, thievery, and petty crimes
* Birthmarks, scars, clothing, hair, accessories, tattoos, and dyed fur.
* Extreme weather (e.g. tornadoes, waterspouts, earthquakes)
* Pets who wear glasses, are overweight, or insane.
* Hybrid pets that The Neopets Team has created (e.g.: Geirrod Sternhoof)
* As of Issue 291, the words 'Hell' and 'Damn' were deemed acceptable. A later issue said they are no longer acceptable.
Related Websites
The sites listed here are about The Neopian Times or Neopets in general and some of them also include writing tips.
Neopian Times Writers Forum - One of the largest forums devoted solely to the discussion of content for the Neopian Times. This site also includes a place to contact the editor of the Neopian Times, Darcy (also known as Droplet).
The NT SecretRuleBook - An unofficial list of things that will assist aspiring writers be published in the Neopian Times.
NTIndex - A large archive/database, that lists everything that has been published in the Neopian Times to date.
Sarakrindel's List of Writing Help - List of articles in the Neopian Times that concern writing.
The Times Tower - A Neopets fansite, with lots of information regarding the Neopian Times among other things. Its content covers everything from Neopian Plots to Game Guides to recommended Reading.
Career
Duran was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico in October of 1978 to parents Leroy and Jenny Duran. After becoming acquainted with the music industry while DJ-ing party's in New Mexico and Texas, Duran eventually became an intern for Terry "Motor Mouth" Young a radio legend (now heard on XM's 60's channel) in his own right. After "paying his dues" which included washing the station vehicles and doing crazy stunts for the morning show, Duran was only 17 when he got his first full time gig doing overnights on 97.3 Kiss FM. Duran earned and was offered a hosting position in a more prominent time slot 7pm-12am and was also given Music Director stripes by then PD Tony Manero. Duran landed his "dream gig" on a station he grew up listening to, and soon proved successful in night time and eventually mid-day and morning hosting spots. Duran began using the name "Bad Boy Carlos D" when he hosted nights with then co-host Big Moon. Always getting in trouble with the boss they became known as the "Bad Boyz of Kiss FM." And while the Bad Boyz were maintaining and increasing the ratings and revenue at KKSS. Both Duran and his partner had job offers in a several major and large markets by the age of 21. Duran turned them down due to the fact he felt he wasn't "ready," as well as a desire to remain in Albuquerque.
Duran's image as Bad Boy Carlos D became well known throughout New Mexico from hosting party's to promoting local hip hop and R&B talent. In early 2000, Duran came to a cross roads and wanted MORE, he was offered the morning position on then Mega 95.5, a fusion '80s/Hot AC format in Albuquerque. With new management in place at KKSS and his contract looming to an end Duran decided to take the position. After a successful but short stint at Mega 95.5 Duran was offered a job in Lubbock, Texas at the then new Kiss 104.7 KLZK. It was then when Duran took his passion and successful ratings to West Texas. While he was in Texas he lured San Francisco native DJ Skooby Jones to Lubbock to join him and took in a young local kid and trained the DJ to become Tino Cochino, a name Duran felt would catch the ear of the latino market in West Texas. Duran named the night show "The Night Time Freak Show". Duran eventually left Lubbock and returned to Albuquerque for personal reasons, cheifly among them the desire to return home.
It wasn't long before then PD Kris Abrams offered Duran a job in the night time hosting position at KOB-FM, which had recently changed from an 80's hybrid format to a Top 40 Pop Station. Eventually Duran would move to a more prominent spot at KOB-FM, with the help of Chico Suave and Janae Herrera, they are currently working together on 93.3 KOB FM doing live and local afternoon radio with lots of phone interaction, prank calls and a bit that is popularly known as "What Grinds My Gears with El Janitor" which is a comedy bit of a character called "El Janitor" daily saying what grinds his gears. Duran is the main host for the prime time slot, from 3pm-8pm Monday-Friday. Duran is also music director. Duran also spends time hosting events, concerts and MC'ing local clubs in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe markets.
On December 22, 2006, at the age of 28, Duran's girlfriend gave brith to his first child, a boy named Mario D'Angelo.
In October 2007, Bad Boy Duran signed a multi-year deal with Citadel Communications for 93.3 KOB-Fm's afternoon drive.
Common Faeries
There are six different types of common Faeries in Neopia, each drawing their power from a different elemental source.
Air Faeries
Air FaerieS enjoy dancing on the wind and are a bit vain. If the player is granted a quest by an Air Faerie, she will ask for some type of beauty product to become more radiant. If the said item is supplied, the pet will get swifter, which means their Battledome statistic for movement is increased.
One of the more famous Air Faeries is Psellia, who was a part of the Altador plot. It was said that she saved a Blumaroo from falling off the clouds and became one of the 12 heroes of Altador. She has also saved Sir Jeran of Meridell in a similar way in the Battle For Meridell plot. Another famous Air Faerie is Briana, who lives on Lutari Island:).
Dark Faeries
Dark Faeries are the evil one's minions. They grant powers such as creating darkness, draining life, and night vision. The alignment of Dark Faeries has often been ambiguous, being alternatively described as fully evil and neutral. The Uber Dark Faerie will ask for toys for her quests. In return, she will raise a pet's hit points.
Famous Dark Faeries in Neopia are Jhudora, who lives in Faerieland and gives out quests (like Illusen; see Earth Faeries); The Darkest Faerie (also known as the Betrayer and the Sleeper); Mavara; Jennumara; Maelstra; and the Dark Faerie Sisters (Vanity, Malice, and Spite). Another Dark Faerie called Fiona tried to prevent Aethia the Battle Faerie from recovering the two swords belonging to the previous Battle Faerie, Valeane.
The Dark Faerie abilities are: Night Vision, Nighttime, Temporal Leak, Shroud, Demon Breath, Shadow Health, Sink and Drain Life.
Jhudora
Jhudora is a Dark Faerie who lives on a cloud in Faerieland. She gives out quests and is a mortal enemy of Illusen, the kind Earth Faerie in Meridell. Though the two were thought to be sisters, TNT (The Neopets Team) confirmed that they were not related in an issue of the Neopian Times. Jhudora's holiday (Jhudora Day) is on February 4th. If you complete one of her quests at this time, you will receive a special avatar. Little is known about her evil ways. Nobody knows why she and Illusen supposedly hate each other
Earth Faeries
Earth Faeries live in the tallest trees of the Neopian forests. They enjoy collecting and storing items and try to avoid creatures on the ground. They can toughen a creature's skin or give it the ability to magically create food or burrow into the ground.
The Uber Earth Faerie will ask for magical items for her quests. In return, she will heal and bloat the player's pet. This is often considered extortionate, as these things can be gained for free from elsewhere in Neopia.
A famous Earth Faerie is Illusen, who lives in Meridell and gives out timed quests to anyone who is willing. Her arch-nemesis is Jhudora. There is also Iyana, an Earth Faerie, who "lives in a forest, making her home high in the branches of the tallest tree." Ilere is an Earth Faerie who lives in the Haunted Woods and saved Sophie when the inhabitants of Neovia turned on her family.
The Earth Faerie abilities are: Magic Pebbles, Tough Skin, Magic Berries, Burrow, Negg, Twisting Vines, Great Feast and Regeneration.
Ilere
An Earth Faerie featured in the Tale of Woe plot. She gave Sophie a home and all she would need to survive in the Haunted Woods, including various magical items and ingredients.Even though she did this she still left Sophie th fend for herself in the dangerous haunted woods. Sophie never saw her again until the tale of woe plot. She lives in a closed off area of the Haunted Woods guarded by ghost meepits. Not much else is known about her.
Illusen
Illusen, an Earth faerie, lives in the land of Meridell and gives timed quests to those who come to her glade. Her holiday (Illusen Day) is March 17.
Illusen first appeared when the land of Meridell was discovered, soon after a war came by and destroyed her glade and home. She is a popular figure in the Neopian Times and is considered arch enemies with Jhudora, a Dark faerie. Much speculation surrounds their rivalry, but it is supposedly Illusen who witnessed Jhudora in the act of something so evil it would have her banished from the realm of faeries without powers or wings.
Besides this, Illusen is a kind and loving faerie and is willing to help those in need. She is a quest faerie who sends users looking for utterly random things, said to combat Jhudora. Every third quest or so, she rewards questers with progressively better items. Almost anyone can agree that the honey potion she gives out on the 35th quest is well worth it. She is the guardian of the eastern Woodland area of Meridell and is its resident Faerie. Her powers were only defeated by Darigan and the power of the orb in the Battle for Meridell.
Fire Faeries
Fire Faeries have very strong mischievous streak. They love to play pranks, especially during the Neopets Faerie Festival.
The quest-giving Fire Faerie will ask for clothing for her quests. In return, she will increase the player's pet's strength level. Fire Faerie abilities are as follows: Smoke Screen, Fiery Roar, Fiery Gaze, Fireball, War Cry, Lava Spit, Meteor Shower, Song of the Volcano, and Boil. Fire Faeries are also known to be very loyal to traditions.
The most famous Fire Faeries include Nuria, Eithne, Fuhnah and Ember. Nuria appeared as a statue in the Lost Desert plot, though not much is known about her. Eithne is an evil Faerie banished in the Mystery Island plot and who has never seen again. Ember is one of the players of Gormball.
Light Faeries
According to Neopian legend, "living on clouds on the upper levels of Neopia are the radiant Light Faeries. Devoted to the cause of good, they will rarely stray deep down to the lower levels. If a creature is noble and bold of heart, these magical sprites can grant him or her holy powers such as bless and restore".
The Uber Light Faerie will ask for collectible cards for her quests. In return, she will raise the player's pet's level.
A famous Light Faerie in Neopia is Siyana (also known as the First to Rise), who lives in Altador.
Light Faerie abilities are as follows: Magic Torch, Flash, Bless, Sun Ray, Psychic Blast, Mote Dance and Restore.
Water Faeries
Water Faeries are found in the rivers and streams of Neopia and have mermaid tails and fins. The Uber Water Faerie will ask for books for her quests. In return, she will increase a pet's defense level.
A famous Water Faerie in Neopia is Nereid. The Drenched, three Water Faerie witches, appeared in the "Curse of Maraqua Plot". Another famous Water Faerie is the Fountain Faerie, who runs the Rainbow Fountain. The Healing Springs are also run by a Water Faerie, though her name is unknown.
Water Faerie abilities are as follows: Heal, Bubble Shield, Water Jet, Quench, Steam Shield, Water Breathing and Water of Life.
Fountain Faerie
This famous faerie lives in Faerieland, where she operates the Rainbow Fountain. She gives Fountain Faerie Quests as random events (although they are quite rare); and, after a player completes one of her quests, she may paint his/her active pet almost any color previously released to that pet species (exceptions being Royal, Robot and MSP). The Fountain Faerie asks for items with a rarity value of between 90 and 99, which are usually expensive. However, she sometimes asks for items that are relatively cheap. Items she has asked for in the past include Korbat Whips and King Hagan Usukis. As the cheapest non-basic paintbrush (Sketch) costs around 40,000 Neopoints, the most expensive (Pirate) costs around 5 million, and her offering of colours include those that are otherwise only available by using the secret laboratory ray such as Coconut; most would say that they are quite worth it. However, receiving the Fountain Faeries quest is extremely rare and thought of as the rarest of the quests. If someone goes to the Rainbow Fountain and do not currently have a completed quest from the Fountain Faerie, the Fountain Faerie will tell them that "All the magic has gone :( Unfortunately it seems that too many Neopets have bathed in these magical waters and have used up all the fountain's magical power. Oh well :( Maybe if you come back at another time you will be slightly more lucky!"
Bottled Faeries
Bottled Faeries are elemental faeries trapped in a bottle and may bless a player's Neopet if they are released. A player releases the Faerie by activating the item. The Faerie will then either bless the player's Neopet with a Battledome ability or fly away depending on the pet's level. There are 8 Fire and Earth Faerie abilities and 7 each of the other types. Each ability can be leveled up by landing on the correct slot in The Wheel of Excitement or use (eat) a Radioactive Negg, though they don't often work effectively any more due to the ability levels being thought as an idea long abandoned by Neopets. Bottled Faeries are bottled by Balthazar the Lupe. A minor reference to Bottled Faeries is present in Neopets: The Darkest Faerie, where The Darkest Faerie captures Queen Fyora in a bottle.
Other Faeries
As well as the normal Faeries there are some other unique Faeries living in Neopia.
Ambition
Ambition is a Faerie in the mysterious group known as The Three. The Three were responsible for giving Kass the power to seize control of the Darigan Citadel and attack Meridell, causing the conflict known as the Battle for Meridell. Ambition's element is fairly ambiguous, which causes her to be alternatively viewed as either a Dark Faerie (because of her dark attire) or a fallen Light Faerie (because of her glowing wings). While little is known for certain about The Three, Ambition appears to be their leader.
Battle Faerie
In olden times of war, this magical creature was said to help inexperienced pets learn to defend themselves and on rare occasions teach the strongest ones a lesson they would never forget. The current Battle Faerie is Aethia. Her predecessor was Valeane. Legend says whoever defeats her will be rewarded with one-of-a-kind items. She has been retired from the Battledome and her weapons are available from the Battle Magic shop. She currently runs her own Faerie Weapons shop in Faerieland. A Battle Faerie avatar is sometimes made available to the player after completing a 1-player battle.
She is said to ride on an Eyrie.
Dung Faerie
The Dung Faerie will occasionally donate a pile of dung to the rubbish dump.
She is a secretive faerie uncommonly seen donating random things at the Meridell Rubbish Dump.
Fyora
Fyora is the Faerie Queen and ruler of Faerieland. Fyora has been queen for as long as anyone can remember. She was featured in the "Darkest Faerie" video game and is also known for her quests, which increase a pet's stats greatly. It is extremely rare to be given a quest by Fyora. She has a shop called the Hidden Tower, a shop that sells things for at least 110,000 Neopoints, can only be visited by users whose accounts are at least four months old and gives out an avatar to anyone who buys an item from there. Her remarks are often scarcastic.
Grey Faerie
The Grey Faerie is a poor, miserable creature that has lost her magical powers and wings. So far, she is the only one of her kind reported, although it has been hinted that whenever a faerie loses its wings, it turns into a Grey Faerie. The only way for a Grey Faerie to get her powers back is to get new wings and to do that she must get a new name.
Tavi asked the faerie's name, but she did not reply; instead, simply looking at the magical lock. In order to set herself free, the Grey Faerie said the lock's name must be spoken. Tavi and the lock agreed that they would ask each other questions, Tavi finding out the lock's name and the lock trying to figure out what was in Tavi's pack. However, they could not ask what was the lock's name was or the contents of the Kyrii's bag. The lock was so over-confident it let the brave Kyrii go first. She asked what the faerie's name was, for Tavi had seen the Faerie look at the lock when questioned her name. The lock, grumbling, told the truth, to which Tavi replied, "Then your name must be Baelia." The two escaped together, all the while the lock calling to them that 'his lady of shadow shall find the Grey Faerie, and capture her once more'.
It is rumoured that in her original form, Baelia wore green clothing, had green eyes, and sported white feathered wings.
It is also a common belief that normal Faeries can be turned into Grey Faeries as punishment when they break Fyora's laws.
Happiness Faerie
The Happiness Faerie bears a great similarity to the evil Dr. Sloth, except the Happiness
Faerie wears a small mask, a pin and carries a flower. It is greatly suspected that the Happiness Faerie is really Dr. Sloth in disguise. Nobody knows why neopets released the happiness faerie.
Jhuidah
Jhuidah (not to be mistaken with Jhudora) runs the trading post and cooking pot in Mystery Island and is described as an "Island Faerie." During the Mystery Island plot, she was shrunk and trapped in a fish bowl at the Mystery Island petpet shop. Players had to give her a Tagobo Potion to free her, and those that did received a now-retired avatar.
Library Faerie
As well as running the Faerieland Bookshop, the Library Faerie runs the Daily Crossword. The faster players complete the crossword, the more Neopoints they receive. If players get the crossword done, they receive an avatar.
Negg Faerie
The Negg Faerie lives in the Neggery in the Ice Caves. Here players can trade neggs and negg tokens for one another and purchase some of the rarer neggs available.
Soup Faerie
The Soup Faerie, the Neopian Faerie of Love and Kindness, lives in the Neopia Central market place and runs the Soup Kitchen, where Neopets can be fed if their owners cannot afford to buy food (or when the owner has 0-3000 neopoints in total). Players who feed their pets here may receive an avatar.
Space Faerie
Players can receive a quest from this Faerie, from which a pet will gain four points in a random stat upon successful completion.
This Faerie starred in the original Sloth plot and was supposed to star in the Return of Dr. Sloth plot, but that plot was cancelled and replaced with Hannah and the Ice Caves plot. She is known for her strong hatred for Sloth and her compassion for Grundos. The Space Faerie is now the spokesperson for Neopets Premium.
Taelia
Also known as The Snow Faerie, Taelia lives on the top of Terror Mountain and gives out quests. Unlike other faeries, users can choose to get a quest from Taelia whenever they wish to a maximum of 10 times a day. She is always in need of spell ingredients, but what she uses them for is unknown. Seemingly cold on the outside, Taelia really has a warm heart and often helps lost Neopets, including Hannah, from the Hannah and the Ice Caves plot. She is also known for her healing powers.
Tooth Faerie
The Tooth Faerie often appears in random events to give money for "lost teeth". The player usually receives between 60 and 1000 neopoints and possibly the chance to use the Tooth Faerie avatar. She also has a few items and even once had a day dedicated to her.
Faerie Quests
Fyora, the elemental Faeries, the Space Faerie, and the Fountain Faerie give quests as random events. These quests involve finding an item without the aid of the Shop Wizard (the user shop search engine), thus limiting the ways to find the requested item. The auction house and trading post can be used to get around this, as can the Quest board on the message boards. In this board, many users are willing to use the Shop Wizard in the quester's stead and retrieve the username of the shop with the cheapest price. A player can cancel any quest by clicking on the "I don't want to do this quest!" option given when retrieving the item. The rewards and requests vary depending on the faerie:
* The Earth Faerie will ask for a magic item and, in return, fully heal and fill one of the player's pets with food.
* The Water Faerie will ask for a book and raise the defense of a random pet.
* The Fire Faerie increases a random pet's strength in return for clothing.
* The Air Faerie increases the speed of a random pet in return for beauty products.
* The Light Faerie will raise the level of a random pet in return for a trading card.
* The Dark Faerie will increase a random pet's a hit points in return for a toy.
* The Space Faerie will ask for any random item and increase a pet's level stat by 4.
* Fyora will ask for a rare item and will give a pet a raise of 1 level, 3 strength, and 3 hit points.
Fountain Faerie Quests
Arguably the most desirable quest, the Fountain Faerie assigns quests. She will ask for any item with a rarity level of between 90 and 99 (they are usually expensive, though she has been known to ask for cheap items like Icy Snowballs and Puntec Fruits) and, in return, the player will be able to access the Rainbow Fountain in Faerieland. They will have the option of using the fountain to paint one of their pets almost any colour you wish. Most rare colours (i.e. Malevolent Sentient Plushie) and lab-ray only colors such as Robot are not available as options; although Usuki/Quiguki, Coconut, the magical Chia colours, Mallow, and other rare colours are present. If a player uses the Rainbow Fountain to paint a Buzz, they will receive an avatar.
Illusen and Jhudora
Illusen and Jhudora each offer a different type of quest. They are both game like quests, Illusen's Glade and Jhudora's Cloud. Their quests can be taken on demand (with a 12 hour wait in between each one) and they do not give rewards for every quest. A tally is kept of the number of quests completed in a row, and prizes are given at set intervals. Unlike the quests that are given out randomly, players may use the Shop Wizard to find the item, though they are also given a time limit of around 16 minutes and 40 seconds for each quest. The early rewards are poor and worth very little, but completing 35 quests or more in a row will earn players very rare and expensive items. It is almost always said that their quests are a waste of time and money and that when an expensive or rare item is acquired, it is usually not worth the trouble the player has been through. A possible exception to this is Illusen's 35th Quest reward, a Honey Potion, which sells for upwards of a 800k and does a lot of damage. There are only a very few number of people who have managed to complete all 50 quests of either Faerie. Players cannot do quests for both at the same time, as the two hate each other and will know if the player has been doing quests for the other; the only way to switch to the other Faerie is to wait twelve hours after completing a quest for the one you are "working" for. As a result, it is one question every twelve hours, with it not mattering which one. Jhudora is also featured in the Gallery of Evil, and Illusen is featured in the Gallery of Heroes. Illusen and Jhudora have been enemies ever since.