Hello and thank you for stopping by as we present this week's edition of The Neopian News Brief, your
all-in-one roundup of the biggest stories coming from the land of Neopia. There have been a number of
exciting additions to the site during these past few days, so let's take a closer look at what's been
happening...
This week's lead story is the latest development in our ongoing "Champions of Meridell" storyline. On
Wednesday, a floating citadel was spotted just north of Meridell, creating quite a stir among the
citizenry. Looking to protect his loyal subjects, King Skarl sent out a squadron of top scouts to learn
more about this mysterious castle in the sky. However, the king's envoys have yet to return from their
mission, and the populace of Meridell have begun fearing for the worst. Then, on Friday evening, a
report surfaced, claiming that winged beasts had left the citadel, and were on their way to Meridell,
making the prospect of a war between Meridell and the enigmatic empire seem imminent...
Thursday saw the release of Neopia's coolest new game, Attack of the Marblemen! Last night, before
going to bed, Barry the baby Shoyru was playing Marbles in his bedroom. However, once he was done
playing, Barry forgot to put his marbles away... what a mistake! As a result, the marbles are now
extremely angry! Your mission is to help Barry round up those marbles and put them back in his toybox,
before they get loose and run rampant through Neopia. While gathering those disgruntled globes, be
sure to snatch up all the smily-faced coins, which are worth a whopping ten points each. Speaking of
points, on Thursday it was decreed that Attack of the Marblemen wasn't giving out enough points. As a
result, you now get four NPs for every point scored in the game. Not bad...
On Wednesday, our latest sponsor game, Lilo & Stitch: Hawaiian Rollercoaster, made its debut. Based
on Disney's popular film Lilo & Stitch, Hawaiian Rollercoaster is a whirlwind adventure
featuring that wacky alien Stitch, as he roars through ripcurls and picks up bonuses (which earn you
extra NP). However, be sure to help Stitch keep an eye out for rocks, tin cans, and other debris that
might turn up in the water and cause him to wipe out. Oh, and don't forget to add some special moves
by visiting the Lilo & Stitch site. These extra moves allow Stitch to do tricks and pick up way more
points, so be sure to add them to your arsenal before paddling out to sea.
On Tuesday, Neopia's stamp collectors received quite a treat, as the first set of NeoQuest stamps
were unveiled. These stamps, which carry depictions of Jahbal, The NeoQuest hero and NeoQuest logo,
all came with rarities of ninety-eight, which makes them nearly impossible to find, and probably puts
them well beyond the price range of your typical collector. However, collectors on a budget shouldn't
fret, because on Friday three more NeoQuest stamps were made available. Featuring Rotting Skeleton,
Mist Kougra, and Plains Aisha designs, these stamps, unlike Tuesday's releases, come with rarities of
fifty, sixty, and seventy, and can be picked up for around two-thousand, nine thousand, and twelve
thousand NP's each.
Ever since making its debut more than three weeks ago, the Tax Beast has quickly catapulted in status to
become one of the most despised characters in all Neopia. Notorious for swooping in and snatching your
hard-earned NP, the Tax Beast has joined sinister swindlers like the Pant Devil and Bug Brothers as the
object of many a Neopians' wrath. Now, those who've felt the sting of the Tax Beast have gotten an
opportunity to exact some revenge, as this grubby little thief became the latest challenger to enter
the Battledome. However, don't expect the Tax Beast to join the Pant Devil and Chia Clown within the ranks
of Battledome patsies. On the contrary; sporting ninety HP's and its vicious B-308 tax form, we assure you
that this is one opponent who shouldn't be taken lightly!
On the merchandising front, a couple of big announcements came out towards the end of the week. The first
is a follow-up on those large white Kougra plushies that we mentioned two weeks ago. On Friday, it was
revealed that 10" white Kougra plushies were scheduled to arrive at Limited Too on Friday the 29th of
November. However, we've already heard that they've started to pop up in a handful of stores, so it might
be a good idea to call and see if any have turned up at your local LTD2. Stores will be receiving
approximately twenty-four white Kougras each, and after those have been sold, then that's it, so be sure
to get yours while you can!
For all those Neopians in and around Singapore, on Friday it was announced that, because things went so well
last weekend, all three Isetan locations will be carrying Harris, Kacheek, and a limited number of Kadoatie
plushies. Judging from the overwhelming response to our first two visits to to Singapore, you might want to
act fast, because supplies probably won't last very long. Additionally, NeoPets merchandise will also be
available at the Junction 8 mall, and a Lupe, Chia and Scorchio will be on hand to play games with those
who show up. That should be lots of fun...
Now, the time has come to take a closer look at the headlines coming from the world of finance. After weeks
of losses, the Big Board was able to turn it around last week and post a modest twelve point gain. This
week investors received a pleasant surprise, as the Neodaq rallied to post a huge gain. Leading the way,
once more, was The Neopian Auction House, which had stumbled badly in previous weeks. The company doubled
in value, picking up an incredible forty-six NPs a share.
Another company posting a major gain, but not bringing much delight to investors, is Virtupets, which
followed up last week's twenty-point gain with another twenty-seven point climb. With Virtupets
now ranking as the second richest company in Neopia, it seems like all those conspiracy theories
surrounding Dr. Sloth and the war in Meridell have started to gain currency. Could it really be that
Sloth is involved with this evil empire? If so, then what is his role? Is Sloth spearheading the campaign,
or perhaps just funding the evil citadel in their efforts? Or maybe it's just a coincidence that, the
closer that Meridell gets to war, the better Virtupets' shares perform?
In somewhat better news, thanks to this latest economic upturn, a whopping six companies were able to get
their act together and resume trading. Leading the way among these companies was the Chia Actor's Guild,
which stunned a number of analysts by rising up to post a nine point gain. However, this good news was
slightly dampended by the fact that two more companies fell under the dreaded fifteen NP mark, bringing the
total number of stocks that are currently out of commission to twenty-nine (out of forty-five). It's
amazing to think that, despite the recent revival in the economy, the fact is that nearly 2/3rds of the
economy is still sitting on the sidelines, unable to trade. Hopefully, as the economy continues to
recuperate, more and more companies will be able to return to action....
Double Kyrii Handful: Part Two Heilley's jaw muscles tightened, and she stared
at Spectre, wondering whether to call his bluff or not. If he was cheating,
she'd be home free.
This week's lead story is the latest development in our ongoing "Champions of Meridell" storyline. On
Wednesday, a floating citadel was spotted just north of Meridell, creating quite a stir among the
citizenry. Looking to protect his loyal subjects, King Skarl sent out a squadron of top scouts to learn
more about this mysterious castle in the sky. However, the king's envoys have yet to return from their
mission, and the populace of Meridell have begun fearing for the worst. Then, on Friday evening, a
report surfaced, claiming that winged beasts had left the citadel, and were on their way to Meridell,
making the prospect of a war between Meridell and the enigmatic empire seem imminent...
Thursday saw the release of Neopia's coolest new game, Attack of the Marblemen! Last night, before
going to bed, Barry the baby Shoyru was playing Marbles in his bedroom. However, once he was done
playing, Barry forgot to put his marbles away... what a mistake! As a result, the marbles are now
extremely angry! Your mission is to help Barry round up those marbles and put them back in his toybox,
before they get loose and run rampant through Neopia. While gathering those disgruntled globes, be
sure to snatch up all the smily-faced coins, which are worth a whopping ten points each. Speaking of
points, on Thursday it was decreed that Attack of the Marblemen wasn't giving out enough points. As a
result, you now get four NPs for every point scored in the game. Not bad...
On Wednesday, our latest sponsor game, Lilo & Stitch: Hawaiian Rollercoaster, made its debut. Based
on Disney's popular film Lilo & Stitch, Hawaiian Rollercoaster is a whirlwind adventure
featuring that wacky alien Stitch, as he roars through ripcurls and picks up bonuses (which earn you
extra NP). However, be sure to help Stitch keep an eye out for rocks, tin cans, and other debris that
might turn up in the water and cause him to wipe out. Oh, and don't forget to add some special moves
by visiting the Lilo & Stitch site. These extra moves allow Stitch to do tricks and pick up way more
points, so be sure to add them to your arsenal before paddling out to sea.
On Tuesday, Neopia's stamp collectors received quite a treat, as the first set of NeoQuest stamps
were unveiled. These stamps, which carry depictions of Jahbal, The NeoQuest hero and NeoQuest logo,
all came with rarities of ninety-eight, which makes them nearly impossible to find, and probably puts
them well beyond the price range of your typical collector. However, collectors on a budget shouldn't
fret, because on Friday three more NeoQuest stamps were made available. Featuring Rotting Skeleton,
Mist Kougra, and Plains Aisha designs, these stamps, unlike Tuesday's releases, come with rarities of
fifty, sixty, and seventy, and can be picked up for around two-thousand, nine thousand, and twelve
thousand NP's each.
Ever since making its debut more than three weeks ago, the Tax Beast has quickly catapulted in status to
become one of the most despised characters in all Neopia. Notorious for swooping in and snatching your
hard-earned NP, the Tax Beast has joined sinister swindlers like the Pant Devil and Bug Brothers as the
object of many a Neopians' wrath. Now, those who've felt the sting of the Tax Beast have gotten an
opportunity to exact some revenge, as this grubby little thief became the latest challenger to enter
the Battledome. However, don't expect the Tax Beast to join the Pant Devil and Chia Clown within the ranks
of Battledome patsies. On the contrary; sporting ninety HP's and its vicious B-308 tax form, we assure you
that this is one opponent who shouldn't be taken lightly!
On the merchandising front, a couple of big announcements came out towards the end of the week. The first
is a follow-up on those large white Kougra plushies that we mentioned two weeks ago. On Friday, it was
revealed that 10" white Kougra plushies were scheduled to arrive at Limited Too on Friday the 29th of
November. However, we've already heard that they've started to pop up in a handful of stores, so it might
be a good idea to call and see if any have turned up at your local LTD2. Stores will be receiving
approximately twenty-four white Kougras each, and after those have been sold, then that's it, so be sure
to get yours while you can!
For all those Neopians in and around Singapore, on Friday it was announced that, because things went so well
last weekend, all three Isetan locations will be carrying Harris, Kacheek, and a limited number of Kadoatie
plushies. Judging from the overwhelming response to our first two visits to to Singapore, you might want to
act fast, because supplies probably won't last very long. Additionally, NeoPets merchandise will also be
available at the Junction 8 mall, and a Lupe, Chia and Scorchio will be on hand to play games with those
who show up. That should be lots of fun...
Now, the time has come to take a closer look at the headlines coming from the world of finance. After weeks
of losses, the Big Board was able to turn it around last week and post a modest twelve point gain. This
week investors received a pleasant surprise, as the Neodaq rallied to post a huge gain. Leading the way,
once more, was The Neopian Auction House, which had stumbled badly in previous weeks. The company doubled
in value, picking up an incredible forty-six NPs a share.
Another company posting a major gain, but not bringing much delight to investors, is Virtupets, which
followed up last week's twenty-point gain with another twenty-seven point climb. With Virtupets
now ranking as the second richest company in Neopia, it seems like all those conspiracy theories
surrounding Dr. Sloth and the war in Meridell have started to gain currency. Could it really be that
Sloth is involved with this evil empire? If so, then what is his role? Is Sloth spearheading the campaign,
or perhaps just funding the evil citadel in their efforts? Or maybe it's just a coincidence that, the
closer that Meridell gets to war, the better Virtupets' shares perform?
In somewhat better news, thanks to this latest economic upturn, a whopping six companies were able to get
their act together and resume trading. Leading the way among these companies was the Chia Actor's Guild,
which stunned a number of analysts by rising up to post a nine point gain. However, this good news was
slightly dampended by the fact that two more companies fell under the dreaded fifteen NP mark, bringing the
total number of stocks that are currently out of commission to twenty-nine (out of forty-five). It's
amazing to think that, despite the recent revival in the economy, the fact is that nearly 2/3rds of the
economy is still sitting on the sidelines, unable to trade. Hopefully, as the economy continues to
recuperate, more and more companies will be able to return to action....
