Meridell or Brightvale?

My own Neopet Clopina has come across this same issue herself. With Faerieland being out of the question, the wraith Ixi eagerly pleaded me to show her the differences between these seemingly similar lands. For this very reason, I’ve decided to teach Clopina and everyone reading at home about Brightvale and Meridell. Hopefully by the end, anyone considering moving to either land can gain knowledge before making any decisions.

Kings:

Let’s cover the most important difference first. The Kings of Brightvale and Meridell. If you decide to live and build a neohome in either of these lands, you will have to obey the rules and regulations set forth by the land’s rulers. In this case, both Brightvale and Meridell are kingdoms. The ruling Kings of both lands are in fact brothers. Yet their personalities and opinions on how to run a kingdom are vastly different.

King Skarl - If you decide towards Meridell, you’ll be under the rule of King Skarl. Be ready to tolerate the pungent smell of fattening foods, the grumpy ramblings of an old muttering King, numerous jokes, and the constant reenactments of the battle against Darigan Citadel. Don’t let this have you running for the hills! Living under the rule of King Skarl also has its benefits. Despite his obsessive love for food and grumpy demeanor, King Skarl is a fierce defender of his lands and of the Neopets under his rule. He succeeded in defeating Darigan Citadel not once but twice! He is the type of King that would make a Neopet feel safe and secure living in his Kingdom. Skarl is also a fair and just King regardless of his other flaws.

King Hagan - The brother of King Skarl, King Hagan is certainly regarded as much wiser, polished, and less prone to grumpy ramblings than his sibling. The King of Brightvale is very concerned with being knowledgeable. If you seek to live under his rule, you would do best to follow his example and hit the books! For those Neopets who feel that the mere idea of reading a long book bores them to sleep would do best to reconsider building their neohome anywhere near Brightvale or King Hagan.

Neopets considering living in either land will have to decide what kind of King they would like to be ruled under. A smart, wise, polished king who would use his wits in times of trouble because he has no experience of hardship nor battle? Or a grumpy, fat, unpolished Skeith whose multiple triumphs in battle have proven his competence to protect the Neopets in his lands?

Activities:

Another important aspect when deciding where to settle down is what kinds of activities are available to you. Every great land has different places and shops where Neopets can go for pleasurable sight-seeing. Brightvale and Meridell are renowned for very different things. Not all of their activities will appeal to everyone.

Brightvale - One of the biggest activities to do for every Neopet who lives here is the Brightvale Castle. Apart from admiring one of the biggest libraries in Neopia, the castle provides Neopets an opportunity to meet King Hagan and offer him words of advice once a day. If the King feels like you have shared a great piece of wisdom with him, he’ll be glad to reward you.

Living in Brightvale also offers you the chance to spin The Wheel Of Knowledge. Being able to spin a wheel daily is a fun activity that most Neopets enjoy gratefully when they realize not all lands have wheels to spin and other Neopets travel from all over the globe just to be able to spin the wheel and gain knowledge.

If castles and spinning wheels are not of your interest, perhaps windows, fruits, and motes are. This land is known for its beautifully crafted stained glass windows, which can be found in the Brightvale Glaziers shop. The art on the windows can depict anything from neggs, to omelettes, or even the Brightvale flags for those Neopets who are very patriotic.

The Fruits of Brightvale is a shop where all of the land’s home-grown fruits can be found. Just browsing through the shop can make a Neopet consider building their neohome right next to all of the brightly colored fruits. The shop also carries fruits that cannot be found anywhere else in Neopia!

If nothing has impressed you yet, Motes must be the answer. The Brightvale Motery sells every kind imaginable. Water motes, lava motes, mud motes, they have them all. If you or a Neopet you know is very interested in the Battledome, settling somewhere near the Motery could be a convenient move.

Meridell - Much like Hagan’s neighboring land, Meridell’s Castle is open to visitors. Once inside the castle, visitors and inhabitants alike can try their comedy on the grumpy King Skarl. If you’re lucky enough to get a chuckle out of him, a fabulous prize could be all yours. The castle also houses a place for Neopets who are not done testing their luck to continue to do so at Double or Nothing. In fact, Meridell provides several avenues for those of us who like to play games of luck and chance. Round Table Poker, Kiss the Mortog, and Turdle Racing are all risky games that daring Neopets will love to have close by if they decide to move into Meridell.

Questing is an ancient activity for the residents of Meridell. This land is unique in that it offers the residents a daily questing opportunity just a short walk away over at Illusen’s Glade. Residents of Meridell are a part of the select few who get daily close encounters with the Earth Faerie Illusen and some might even be lucky enough to have her as a neighbor!

Regardless if you don’t consider yourself comedic enough to joke with the King or daring enough to risk your Neopoints during a game of Round Table Poker, none of the Neopets who pass and go through Meridell can resist entering the Ye Olde PetPet shop without having a splendid time. One of the best activities in Meridell can be holding a Ukali for the first time or walking past and seeing them stare at you longingly as you make your way each day.

Climate & Temperature:

The climate of a land is crucial when choosing a place to settle with your neohome. If you or a Neopet you know can’t handle frosty tundra climates and temperatures, don’t build your neohome in the middle of the Ice Caves in Terror Mountain! Luckily for those Neopets, neither Meridell nor Brightvale’s climates are that extreme. Choosing Meridell as your final location means dealing with hills and forests, with rain and sunshine throughout the year to look forward to. Brightvale is temperate with some of the greatest farmland accompanied by rocky hills.

Negatives:

Part of coming to conclusions about which land is best for you or a Neopet you know is being honest about the negative parts of each land and deciding if they are deal breakers for you. Here I’ll take a brief moment to point out possible deal breakers about each land. You will have to decide for yourself if it’s worth it or if your search for the perfect place for your neohome will continue elsewhere.

Meridell - One of the biggest deal breakers for most Neopets is being so close to the Darigan Citadel. When we remember the two wars that have already been fought, it doesn’t seem ridiculous to fear a possible third uprising. The citadel floats overhead like a dark malicious cloud that hovers over the outskirts of Meridell and can make some Neopets too uncomfortable to ever live peacefully in Meridell.

Another negative deal breaker for Neopets, especially those who love their petpets deeply, can be Turmaculus. Nothing can send a Neopet packing faster than the thought that their beloved petpet could be Turmy’s next lunch.

Brightvale - While knowledge and education is seen as a positive by many Neopets, the overly polished style of Brightvale might be too much for some pets. Pets who enjoy a more laid back and relaxed atmosphere might feel that Brightvale carries a certain sense of snobbery that is not for their taste. King Hagan’s expectations on ruling over an educated and wise group of Neopets might be too much of a commitment for some pets that would rather turn their attention elsewhere. Of course, turning your attention elsewhere in a land such as Brightvale where there are certainly less poker games and kissing Mortogs than in Meridell can make finding something else to do difficult. Low accessibility to pleasurable activities that don’t require the strict brand of Brightvale knowledge is major deal breaker for some Neopets.

Are you still here? Still reading? If you’ve made it past the negative deal breakers of each land, you should have a better understanding of both Meridell and Brightvale. The differences between each land should make your decision easier to make. Perhaps you’ve decided Meridell? Or perhaps Brightvale? You might have decided that neither of them are a good match for you and that you’d better start looking elsewhere!

I wonder, which land will Clopina choose?