Tour De Neopia: Mystery Edition

Tour De Neopia: Mystery Edition!

(Thanks amarettoball for helping me come up with the title!)

LAND: Altador

MYSTERY: Psellia’s Absence. When the kingdom of Altador fell under the Darkest Faerie’s curse all but one of its inhabitants were trapped in the time bubble: the Air Faerie council member Psellia. Before the Darkest Faerie awoke from her petrifaction, allowing the other council members to awaken, Psellia had helped Meridell during the second Meridell-Darigan war. How did Psellia escape the Darkest Faerie’s curse and why has she not taken back her spot on the Altador council?

INVESTIGATION: To solve this mystery there’s clearly only one being I need to ask: Psellia herself. Luckily it was not hard to get in contact with her as she’s been helping with reconstructing Faerieland. Here is her story:

"Oh, the story behind that is like a nightmare; the memories still frighten me. I had been flying high above Altador when dark clouds surrounded it. I sensed foul magic from it and followed it to its source, and to my dismay it was the Darkest Faerie. I told her to stop but she laughed and mocked me; she knew I was not powerful enough to stop her. I had two choices, fly back to Altador to warn the council or fly away to Faerieland to seek Queen Fyora’s help. With a heavy heart, I flew away to Faerieland thinking that I’d just be trapped by the Darkest Faerie’s spell had I gone back. As it turned out Jerdana had known of the Darkest Faerie’s betrayal and gave Fyora a magical orb to seal her away. I still feel guilty for running away instead of trying to help; it’s why I have not taken back my position as a council member though King Altador had offered."

ANSWER: Psellia was outside of the city of Altador when the Darkest Faerie casted her spell. Psellia was unable to stop her and fled to Faerieland to get Queen Fyora’s help, not realizing Queen Fyora already had a plan in place thanks to Jerdana. For not flying back to the city Psellia feels she does not deserve to be on the Altador council despite it being offered back to her.

LAND: Brightvale

MYSTERY: Didn’t Aid Meridell. Everyone knows about the two fierce wars that happened between Meridell and the Darigan Citadel. But despite their kings being brothers, Brightvale did not provide any aid to Meridell be it in soldiers or supplies. Would the sibling rivalry between King Skarl and King Hagan really make King Hagan not help his brother’s kingdom in its most dire times?

INVESTIGATION: I sent a request to Brightvale Castle for an official statement and what I got back was a letter stamped with King Hagan’s personal seal. The letter reads:

"Dear Neopian Times reporter, though King Hagan is too busy to answer your question himself he has prepared a statement in advance having answered this questions multiple times. Contrary to outside observations, Brightvale had tried helping during both wars; but only politically. A kingdom of peace, Brightvale tried serving as a mediator between Meridell and the Darigan Citadel during the first war. But alas, Lord Darigan didn’t trust the brother of his enemy and King Skarl was angry that Brightvale refused to provide war assets. During the second war, by the time Brightvale had heard what was happening, Meridell was planning its counterattack and Lord Kass was not responding to our requests. While we tried to help both Meridell and the Darigan Citadel to achieve peace as best we could, please understand our first concern was with the safety of the Brightvale and her citizens. Brightvale believes in peace and in peaceful solutions. Thank you for your inquiry and I hope this provided a satisfactory answer."

ANSWER: While Brightvale did not provide war support to Meridell it instead tried helping both sides by trying to resolve the war peacefully. However due to either mistrust or refusal to respond these peace efforts were for naught.

LAND: Darigan Citadel

MYSTERY: Ownership of the Golden Orb. According to Darigan historical records, before the Meridell knights stole the Golden Orb, the Darigan Citadel was a bright and healthy kingdom which had never known war or plague all thanks to the Golden Orb’s protection. But being there are legends about the Golden Orb causing kingdoms to rise and fall, how did the Darigan Citadel obtain the Golden Orb in the first place?

INVESTIGATION: This one is tricky as there are no records of the Darigan Citadel’s early history and it’s been several generations since its founding. Following a hunch, I had gotten permission to explore the deepest catacombs of the citadel hoping to find some forgotten history. As I went deeper down brickwork gave way to cave walls, some with primitive drawings on them. I took note of the drawings as I went deeper and deeper and I believed I was beginning to see a story unfold. But just when I was getting to an answer I had to stop; I had reached the very bottom of the citadel. It looks like the Darigan Citadel had left some its history behind when it lifted itself up into the air.

ANSWER: From what I got from the cave glyphs, the Darigan Citadel started out as a makeshift fortress meant to be a safe haven for those fleeing warring kingdoms. Over time these refugees settled down, built stronger walls, houses, and eventually a castle until it became a kingdom in its own right. One of the eventual leaders was a Korbat, possibly Lord Darigan’s ancestor. However this is all I got; somehow between the construction of the Darigan kingdom and appearance of Lord Darigan’s possible ancestor the Golden Orb was obtained. Previous leaders, including Lord Darigan’s possible ancestor, are holding a yellow ball that’s presumably the Golden Orb. I’ve submitted the glyphs to The Seekers to see what they could make of it but with them busy fighting at the Battlegrounds this mystery remains unsolved for right now.

LAND: Faerieland

MYSTERY: The Discarded Magical Blue Grundo Plushie of Prosperity. Or TDMBGPOP for short, nothing is known about this rather sad looking Grundo Plushie. Having appeared out of nowhere one day, Neopets have just decided to visit it and occasionally would find other plushies, NP, or suddenly just feel a lot better. Whether it’s magical or if these "gifts" are just coincidence is still up for debate, but the mystery I’m going to look into is something not often thought about it: where did it come from?

INVESTIGATION: Many had become very protective of TDMBGPOP to the extent of having Queen Fyora declare it a national symbol not to be tampered with. Anyone is allowed to go see it but not to touch it. This makes inspecting it difficult but I did so nonetheless, looking around it from the branch it hangs off from. I spot what looks to be remnants of a torn tag; only strands of it left. I thought that if it had a tag that must mean it was sold in a shop so I went to all major toy and Plushie shops to see if maybe one of them could have been where it originated. That’s when I made an unlikely discovery in an unlikely place.

ANSWER: Now nothing is for certain but I came across an interesting story about Grundo Plushies from Kreludor. Krelufun Industries, best known for its portrayal in the game Freaky Factory, used to have a Plushie department. However one day a few controls got mixed up and had the Plushies come out looking depressed. Thinking stores wouldn’t want to sell depressed Plushies and being too costly to fix, Krelufun decided to shut down that department. So what happened to the plushies? Like all Kreludor garbage they were scheduled to be launched into the sun. However upon launch a small asteroid struck one of the canisters filled with the plushies causing them to spill out into space. Could it be that maybe the TDMBGPOP is one of these plushies? I had asked Krelufun Industries if there was any truth to this but they declined to answer and so the mystery remains.

LAND: Haunted Woods

MYSTERY: The Beast that Lurks Behind the Tree. A Wocky named Samantha had once investigated a story concerning a creature that The Brain Tree keeps at bay. Her description of the beast was that of a giant shadow with glowing red eyes peering from deep within. Since that story similar creatures have appeared such as the Shadow monsters that attacked Gilly during the Tale of Woe and the Wraiths during the Faeries’ Ruin. Are the Shadows and Wraiths somehow related to the beast?

INVESTIGATION: Looking for the beast is considered unwise, so instead I did the next best thing and asked the one who guards us against it: The Brain Tree:

"ANOTHER ONE?! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU WITLESS FOOLS NOT TO SEEK OUT THE BEAST! (I calmly explain to The Brain Tree I’m not and told him my theory) Hmph, well at least you’re not searching for the beast. Still, you’re a FOOL for even investigating it! But I’ll indulge you if it keeps you from searching further. The answer is NO, or at least not yes. The beast is a primordial being having existed since the dawn of Neopia and will so until the end. It represents the very wickedness of not only the Haunted Woods but all of Neopia. At best the Shadows and Wraiths may have come forth from it but their evil pales in comparison to what the beast would be capable of if I failed to keep it back. Now unless you’re here to do one of mine quests, GET OUT!"

ANSWER: So the beast remains a mystery. The Brain Tree is very protective of the subject and I feel he’s not telling the whole story. But he answered my question and I have no reason to believe he’s lying (also I don’t want to be spending the next few hours picking out splinters). The beast, Shadows, and Wraith remain unrelated; at least directly.

LAND: Jelly World

MYSTERY: Rumors of its Existence. Jelly World, a city made of jelly surrounded by mountains also made of jelly. Does it exist? Does it not? I don’t know; to me that’s a wild Tomamu chase. Whether it exists or not, what I’m investigating is where the rumor came from.

INVESTIGATION: Where to start? Well after asking around many said they or a friend first heard about Jelly World from one of the Darigan Citadell’s Cellblock game opponent: Number Five. After getting through the first four opponents I was allowed to play against the raving Lupe... and got nowhere. He gladly talked about Jelly World, a lot, but not how he heard of it or if he’s been there. I left with no lead to follow so I tried a different approach. With all the items and games surely one of them could lead me to or is the source of the rumors. While there were a few Jelly World items they were all too recent to be the source so I looked through the games. I came across a game called "Bouncy Supreme" based on a Jelly Blumaroo who bounced through the Tyrannian mountains. I wonder why a Jelly Blumaroo would be bouncing through the Tyrannian mountains so I went to the mountains when I made an interesting discovery.

ANSWER: Where did the rumors come from? Is Jelly World real? What did I find in the Tyrannian mountains? I can answer all those questions with three words: I don’t know. Sorry, I tried my best but I couldn’t come up with anything. In the Tyrannian mountains I came across a cave that walls were made of a colorful, wobbly, and sticky material. Could it have possibly been jelly? I easily took off a chunk and was about to taste it when I heard a growl in front of me: a Pteradactyl Beast! It looks to have made its nest in the cave. I immediately ran away, having dropped both the glob of the cave wall and this mystery.

LAND: Kiko Lake

MYSTERY: Kiko bandages. Not much of a land mystery but a species one, still if there was any time to address it might as well be now. Why do many Kikos wear bandages on the side of their head body? I think it’s about time we found out and what better place to ask than the lake which Kikos calls their own.

INVESTIGATION: I went all around Kiko Lake asking any Kiko who would give me a minute of their time what the bandage was for. To my surprise I was either told they didn’t know or I got an entire list of theories. An old clan mark, an ancient seal of protection, a style choice to make Kikos stand out more, and a wild one about it being a symbol from prehistoric times when the Kikos’ ancestors would deflate if they ever got a hole they didn’t bandage. Whatever I was told I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to get my answer from a random Kiko. So I changed my focus from the Kikos to the bandages themselves. I decided to investigate where Kikos get their bandages. My search took me to the Neopia Central’s Pharmacy where I discovered a little known secret to Kikos.

ANSWER: Somewhere in the back of the Neopian Pharmacy, a room you need to asked to be shown, is a display of Kiko bandages throughout the ages. For a long time Kikos have been putting on bandages for various reasons and purposes. There seems to be not one real reason, it just seems Kikos like bandages. The Kiko’s biology even accommodates for the bandages, their skin being so smooth the bandages can be easily stuck on and off but also reacts to the bandage’s adhesion that they can’t come off accidently. So whatever the reason is, it looks like Kikos were just made to wear bandages.

LAND: Krawk Island

MYSTERY: The Krawken’s sudden appearance. The Krawken tearing apart Krawk Island probably had to be the biggest event Krawk Island had experienced since its construction. Thanks to the now Krawk Island governor Gavril McGill and Neopians from all over, Krawk Island was put back together. But where did the Krawken come from? And why did it suddenly decide to attack Krawk Island?

INVESTIGATION: It was thanks to Governor McGill that Neopia figured out what was going on and a little history about Krawk Island’s formation. I figured he would maybe know something but he declined my request for an interview, saying he told us everything he knew during the event and has no idea where the Krawken came from or why it attacked. I still had a feeling the Krawken had something to do with Krawk Island’s history so I began fishing for information. To get information in Krawk Island you don’t need a book but rather a sharp ear and a tale to tell. In a tavern I told anyone who would listen what I was researching. Though the patrons I talked to had nothing to say, I listened around as others who eavesdropped began talking about the Krawken with their fellow mates. They mostly talked about their experience during the event but then I heard this conversation:

Elderly Pirate Kyrii: Did ye pups know de Krawken was one o’ Dread Pirate Sherman’s pets?

Pirate Lupe: Ye don’t say. And how did ye come across that certain bit of trivia?

Kyrii: Tales of Sherman had be’n passed down through me family fer generations. Sherman used de Krawken and other gnarly beasts ta terrorize de islands which became Krawk Island.

Pirate Gelert: Assumin’ that be true, why did it decide to resurface from where it hid now? Sherman would be long dead by now.

Kyrii: Each o’ Sherman’s pets had be’n train to respond to a certain signal. An echoin’ bell chime, a faint candle light flicker, the most peculiar o’ smells; whenever de islanders heard, saw, or smelled that they knew Sharman was summonin’ his pets fer an attack.

Lupe: So what, some fool accidentally discovered one of these signals?

Kyrii: It be no accident! Whoever signals Sherman’s pets tells ‘em what ta do. Someone summoned de Krawken ta tear apart Krawk Island. And I know who.

Lupe: Let me guess.

Gelert: Is this goin’ to turn into one of your Gavril rants?

Kyrii: *bangs table* GAVRIL MCGILL SUMMONED THE KRAWKEN. *Other patrons hushed and told him to quiet down* It be true! Gavril discovered how ta summon the Krawken, tore Krawk Island apart, remade it in his own vision, and declared himself king.

Gelert: King? He’s the governor ye old coot!

Kyrii: That just be a title. No one elected him in, Krawk Island never needed a governor before, and I heard no word on next elections. He says he be governor but he acts like a king!

Lupe: If all this is true ye sure ye want to be blabbing about it?

Kyrii: Oh Gavril knows, but he ain’t going ta do a thing about it. He knows if he pays me any mind it would prove me right and reveal his scheme. Gavril’s deviousness is matched by de size o’ his ego.

After that his crew changed the subject and I heard nothing else interesting. As everyone was leaving for closing time I went up to the Kyrii and asked if he knew more. While glad someone listened to his tale, he regrettable said he got nothing else. Before leaving he tells me that it’s likely Gavril has more info about Sherman than he’s letting on, possibly even something like Sherman’s journal. However I’m not about to try sneaking into Gavril’s mansion so I decided what I heard is enough.

ANSWER: While a very intriguing story and conspiracy, without any solid proof that’s sadly all it is. While I’m inclined to believe the old Kyrii, well except for the part about Gavril orchestrating this whole thing (if that’s true than why does he need us to fire cannonballs at it?), take what "answer" I’m about to give with a grain of salt. According to old tales the Krawken was a pet of Dread Pirate Sherman, the pirate captain who was the reason Krawk Island came together so they could defend themselves against him. Assumingly the Krawken had been in hiding this whole time, waiting for one day to get its signal to come back. But who sent out the signal and for what reason if it’s not an accident? I’m sad to say this is as much time I was able to spend on this mystery before I had to move on.

LAND: Kreludor

MYSTERY: Reason for the Grundo Civil War. During the Return of Sloth plot we found out the Orange and Purple Grundos on Kreludor were amidst of a civil war. Zorlix rallied the Purple Grundos to wage war against his brother Xarthab and the Orange Grundos. It was later revealed that both brothers were being manipulated by Dr. Sloth to keep them distracted from his mining operation, but that doesn’t explain why they went along with the plan. What happened between the two brothers that ignited a civil war?

INVESTIGATION: While both brothers have written books about what happened from their own perspective, I wanted something more cohesive. So I asked if I could interview both brothers together and after some complicated scheduling I got the chance to do so:

Xarthab: As you might have read up on, it all started when our father passed away and ownership of the mines was given to me being the older brother.

Zorlix: Even though father intended me to inherit the mines! He had said so many times but never put it in his will.

Xarthab: Father said no such thing! You just assumed that because father was a Purple Grundo. You see, mother was an Orange Grundo and before our parents marriage the Purple and Orange Grundos owned a majority of the mines on their respective side of Kreludor. When our parents married all the mines were united under one family so we owned a majority of all the mines on Kreludor. I believe father wanted us to co-own the mines but he suddenly became sick and passed away, so automatically ownership of all the mines went to me.

Zorlix: Maybe so, but you weren’t so quick to hand part ownership to me, now were you?

Xarthab: I keep telling you Zorlix that I was planning to but several things came up which I now believe were Sloth’s doing. He distracted me with problems and pushed you to declaring war.

Zorlix: How easy to have a common enemy to push our blame on, hm? But I will take the blame of being tricked to starting the civil war. What’s important now is that both of us are now running the mines as co-owners. I stand by what I know father said, but for mother’s sake I do now believe co-ownership is the best option for both sides.

ANSWER: While it was known the Grundo Civil War was a family affair the exact details were scarce; until now! Xarthab’s and Zorlix’s father never named who would own the mines their family owned in his passing so ownership went to Xarthab since he was the oldest. But Zorlix swore their father said he would own the mine and, with Xarthab taking a long time to declare co-ownership, Dr. Sloth was able to trick them into a civil war. Thankfully it looks like everything has been resolved and now both brothers co-own the mines; though it seems like they still don’t quite see eye-to-eye on the details.

LAND: Sakhmet

MYSTERY: Desert Scarabs still being thieves. With the end of the Lost Desert Plot it seemed that the Desert Scarabs had maybe turned a new leaf after having helped save Sakhmet. However the Desert Diplomacy event revealed that the Desert Scarabs were still operating as thieves. So what happened? Why are the Desert Scarabs still thieves despite having helped save Sakhmet? Did they not get rewarded or helped?

INVESTIGATION: Asking around Sakhmet I learned an interesting thing about the Desert Scarabs: they’re not one group. "Desert Scarab" is actually a title any group of street rats or thieves can use to represent themselves. Groups calling themselves "Desert Scarabs" come and go and they don’t really interact with one another. After getting permission to use Sakhmet Palace’s Royal Library, I looked up the history of the group and learned there was an original group who called themselves the Desert Scarabs but they mysteriously vanished many years ago and since then the name has been used by any unorganized group of thieves and street rats to get their activities known.

So I then wondered if that was the case, what happened to the Desert Scarab group which Tomos and Nabile were a part of? Obviously Nabile moved onto being Queen of Qasala and Tomos now works for Princess Amira as an underground agent, but what about the others they ran with like Horace and Zina? Well it didn’t take me long to find what happened to them and put this mystery to rest.

ANSWER: The group we knew as the Desert Scarabs no longer exists. The group that Tomos and Nabile were a part of was a group made up of street rats who felt they were abandoned by the city of Sakhmet. Though never malicious, they stole what they needed to survive and caused mischief as a form of rebellion. When the Lost Desert Plot happened and this group of Desert Scarabs helped saved Sakhmet the Sakhmet government took notice to their plight. While Nabile moved onto being Queen of Qasala, Princess Amira helped Tomos, Horace, Zina, and any remaining members of their group to open a shelter for Sakhmet’s orphans, poor, and elderly. Tomos and other members also working as an underground information network for the Sakhmet government to help keep it funded. The Desert Scarabs who participated in the Desert Diplomacy event were a different group who probably also now have disbanded.

LAND: Qasala

MYSTERY: Details of Emperor Razul’s curse. For 200 years Qasala was under a curse casted by their own king, Emperor Razul. At first it seemed the clause of the curse was that when the prince of Qasala, Jazan, marries a Sakhmet Princess it’ll be broken. But after Jazan married Nabile the curse not only remained but Emperor Razul returned to destroy Sakhmet. It wasn’t until Emperor Razul was defeated that the curse over Qasala was finally lifted. So what exactly was the curse that Emperor Razul casted on Qasala?

INVESTIGATION: No one knows what curse Emperor Razul used, so it was once again time to hit the books. Ever since Qasala was brought back to Neopia an ongoing project has been going on to translate all the tablets into modern Neopian. Though doable, it’s a bit of a process as Qasalan is easier to translate into modern Neopian by first being translated into Sakhmetian. So while Qasala has been back for a while that doesn’t mean all its tablets, especially their historical records, have been translated yet. Worst yet is that many records around the time Qasala was cursed has been lost. With limited time I decided to abandon my search in the historical records and instead try looking through Qasalan spell tomes. While I did not find the exact spell Emperor Razul used, I did discover at least the answer I was looking for.

ANSWER: In a tome explaining about tiers of magic, I found a passage about various immortality spells. One spell, or rather a curse, involved placing the spellcaster and the area around them into an alternate dimension where the life force of all those trapped is drained to prolong the spellcaster’s life span. However the spellcaster will remain in a suspended sleep until a counterspell is used to bring back the surrounding area from the alternate dimension. Finally if the spellcaster was to ever be vanquished after awakening all the drained life force would return to those who it was drained from as long as they had remained in the alternate dimension before it was freed. This sounds very likely to be the spell Emperor Razul used, or at least part of it. Though some questions remain, I’ve run out of time but I leave satisfied with the answer I found.

LAND: Lutari Island

MYSTERY: The storm surrounding Lutari Island. Ever since its discovery, Lutari Island has been surrounded by a fierce and rather unnatural lightning storm. Not only does the storm follow where the free floating island goes, but it also creates whirlpools and water spouts making travelling to Lutari Island almost impossible. What is this storm that seems to exist to keep everyone away from Lutari Island... or maybe to keep the inhabitants from getting out?

INVESTIGATION: There are a few people who claim to have visited Lutari Island but their explanation "how" seemed odd. They explain they got teleported their using some sort of technology but insist it’s not Virtupets (the Virtupets Space Station have tried teleporting Neopians into Lutari Island but the electrically charged storm messed with the signals making them unable to teleport). But however they got in they still had no explanation for the storm and neither did any Lutari I asked. Researching on what little information there was on Lutari Island I learned it had a resident Air Faerie that gave out quests. An Air Faerie would certainly have the power to create such a storm around Lutari Island. I tried finding more information about this Air Faerie, Briana, but anything I found was considered classified information. With no other lead and without being able to visit Lutari Island, I reached a dead end.

ANSWER: I sadly have none. Much like the island itself, the storm around Lutari Island remains a mystery. If I could go to Lutari Island I might have been able to find more information, but honestly if I could get to Lutari Island I might have found another mystery to look into. My only interest in the storm is why it’s keeping Neopians from going in or getting out of Lutari Island, and I guess the reason why is just another mystery the storm is preventing from getting out.

LAND: Maraqua

MYSTERY: Old Maraqua’s destructor. Everyone knows who destroyed Old Maraqua; Captain Scarblade. Or did he? Before it was revealed Captain Scarblade was responsible another infamous pirate captain was thought to have done it; the Skeleton Kiko, Captain Dread. If Captain Scarblade was indeed the one who destroyed Maraqua than how did Captain Dread get named as the original suspect?

INVESTIGATION: The most obvious person to ask would be King Kelpbeard, however he has been known time and again to change what happened (leading to this mystery in the first place). He claims he doesn’t have amnesia but it was such a hectic time he may have forgotten details. What he has remembered was during this time many pirates were fighting over Maraqua and both Dread and Scarblade visited him that day. However he says he knows it was Scarblade who destroyed Old Maraqua for sure. He said Scarblade visited him after Dread, claiming to have taken ownership of the waters Maraqua resided in from Dread.

Still with doubts, not against King Kelpbeard but rather with Scarblade’s claims, I decided that the second best place to go was the Old Maraqua ruins. Maybe something leftover there would hint towards the real culprit. Exploring the Old Maraqua ruins felt haunting with all the wreckage, especially when you’re looking through it. I was looking for something that didn’t belong; something that looked like it belonged to a pirate. After searching for a while I decided to swim up to get a better view of the surroundings, and that’s when I saw it.

ANSWER: Among the wreckage of Old Maraqua laid large planks of wood scattered all over. I’ve looked under some of these planks but it wasn’t until I saw them all that I thought to gather them together. Upon doing so I noticed some had paint on them and after matching the paint strokes it spelled out a world: REVENGE. "Revenge" is the name of Captain Scarblade’s ship, and considering how old and battered the wood is I’d say it’s highly likely these planks were pulled off Scarblade’s ship during the whirlpool. So with solid evidence I now believe that Scarblade is the one who destroyed Old Maraqua.

LAND: Meridell

MYSTERY: The Castle Defender’s identity. Within the walls of Meridell Castle rests a giant spirit of a Kougra knight simply known as the "Castle Defender". Whenever Meridell Castle is in critical danger the Castle Defender can be released to defend it against whoever is threatening it. But who is (or rather was) this Kougra knight? How did his spirit get to be so big? And why are his concerns just with Meridell Castle and not Meridell as a whole?

INVESTIGATION: In Meridell’s library there are old knight registration books with details about those who were knights going back a few hundred years. I took out the oldest ones I could find and started looking up names of knights who were Kougra. After finding a Kougra’s name I tried to see if I could find any history about them. After hours of research I had dozens of names who had no other history connected to them. Obviously I wasn’t getting anywhere this way.

I decided to read any books they had about spirits, in particular channeling them. It’s considered a taboo topic so there weren’t that many, but from it I then found a more interesting trail to follow.

ANSWER: Unfortunately the identity of the Castle Defender remains a mystery. There’s just too many Kougra knights who history have been lost to time. However I did then come up with an alternate theory. When researching about spirits I came across a few passages about constructs. Constructs are spirit-like creatures made to do a certain task; but they were never a living being. A construct can take many forms with each form having a meaning. A Kougra represents courage and protection while a knight represents strength and dedication. So it could be the Castle Protector is actually a construct made specifically to defend the castle, which would also explain how it’s so big.

LAND: Moltara

MYSTERY: Magma Neopets’ ancestors leaving Moltara City. The Magma Neopets didn’t use to inhabit the Moltara Caves; their ancestors lived in Moltara City and looked like a common City Moltaran. It’s known it was due to differences that the Magma Neopets’ ancestors left, but what were these differences that would make a group of Neopians decide living among magma is a better option?

INVESTIGATION: The exact details remain sketchy as no one alive was there when the separation occurred. Depending on who you speak to they have a different theory which they were told from their parents or grandparents. Some say it was a difference in ways to do things; the Magma Neopets’ ancestors wanting to use magma as a power source instead of steam. Others say it was a difference in foreign interactions; the Magma Neopets’ ancestors thought it would be better to remain reclusive from the outside world. I wasn’t getting anywhere so I thought maybe asking Igneot could put me in the right direction. Like others, Igneot didn’t know the exact reason but he agreed to look into the coals for me. While all I saw was fire, he told me the coals are giving him a vision of a giant metal gate: the surface entrance to Moltara City.

Looking carefully around the entrance I found a faint trail which led me to what looked like an old campsite hidden deep in the surrounding jungle. There wasn’t much to look through, mostly an old bonfire spot and wooden tent poles lying on the floor. I looked through the debris when I uncovered something that gave me a possible answer.

ANSWER: I found a journal written by who I believe may have been a Magma Neopets’ ancestor. From what I could make out from the journal, those who founded Moltara were made up of many groups who left their home land for various reasons. While most got along, the second largest group who the journal writer was a member of felt the largest group didn’t care about their interests or concerns. The largest group had garnered the support of most of the smaller groups furthering outnumbering the author’s group. One of the last entries mentions that if they ever find a place to settle their group may continue on if they kept being ignored. With that I closed the journal, able to piece together the rest.

LAND: Mystery Island

MYSTERY: Geraptiku’s abandonment. Deep in the jungles of Mystery Island there’s an abandoned city known as Geraptiku. Not much is known about it and it’s now only a place those looking for treasure (or a cute Petpet) go. So what happened to Geraptiku, a city said to be biggest settlement in ancient Mystery Island?

INVESTIGATION: No Mystey Island local likes to talk about Geraptiku. They believe the city to have been cursed, struck down in a single night because of their own pride. If I was going to get to the bottom of this mystery I would have to go to Geraptiku and investigate there myself. In Geraptiku it feels empty; you can just sense no one lives there anymore. While most go straight inside the temple to find treasure I decided to look around the temple; I’ve been inside the temple plenty of times and know it holds no answers. All around the temple there are marks and drawings, some meant for decoration but others seemingly graffiti. I was more interested in the graffiti as maybe one was drawn during Geraptiku’s fall. Some of the old graffiti looked to be drawn in a rush; maybe these were the drawings I was looking for? I sketched all the graffiti that grabbed my eye but I couldn’t make sense of any individual drawing. However when I was done I then looked at all the sketches together and I think I got a clearer picture.

ANSWER: Alone the drawings don’t make much sense, but when looked at together they create a picture of utter chaos. When scattered around on a piece of paper you see a story of Geraptiku citizens panicking and running away from giant tiki heads. The tiki heads remind me of a rumored creature on Mystery Island named Potgatkerchi. Stranger yet, it looks like there are some Potgatkerchi fighting each other. Potgatkerchi is said to be a protector of Geraptiku, yet from this image it looks like that may be true for only some of them. It’s said that Geraptiku was abandoned in one night; I suppose it being invaded by giant tiki heads would do it.

LAND: Neopia Central

MYSTERY: Lutari escaping the Pound. The Pound is looked upon many Neopets as a sad place. It’s where owners can go and abandon a Neopet. Once abandoned the Neopet stays in the pound hoping one day they’ll be adaopted by another owner. That is unless you’re a Lutari. Some way, somehow, Lutari escape from the Pound and are never seen again; rumors say they return back to Lutari Island. While a mystery of itself, right now I’m more interested how all Lutari are able to escape when all other species can’t.

INVESTIGATION: The abandoning process of the Pound is run by a mad scientist-looking Techo named Dr. Death. I’d question if that’s his real name or a nickname by the pound Neopets but he’s a rather grumpy fellow. I explain to him why I’m at the Pound and he just gives me a glare and grumbles. He says he’s not responsible and they don’t know how Lutari do it. He says I’m allowed to look through empty rooms if I think I can find anything. I searched through about a dozen rooms but it’s as Dr. Death said, I can’t find any way Lutari are able to escape.

So I thought that if the Lutari aren’t escaping from the inside, maybe they’re escaping with outside help. I looked around the Pound, especially at windows, but couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. With no other ideas I was about to give up when I heard that, while I was looking around the Pound, someone had abandoned a Lutari! With permission from Dr. Death, I stayed over the night in the room right next to the Lutari’s. The Lutari’s room had no windows to the outside and as far as anyone knew was completely secured. I stayed up all night listening to what happened in the other room. Tomorrow morning the Lutari would be allowed to be adopted so he would have to escape tonight. A cold breeze blew through the rooms and hallway which caused me to shiver until it went away. But as the wind stopped so did any sounds from the Lutari’s room. I called over Dr. Death who begrudgingly opened the door. To my amazement, the Lutari was gone without a trace! Dr. Death just sighed and shook his head before returning to his post. I too made my leave to figure out what just happened.

ANSWER: I have no answer and very little to show. The Lutari was in his room one moment, a strong gust of wind picked up and went away, and he was gone the next. It was as if the wind came for the Lutari and took him away. Is this what happens to all abandoned Lutari? Thinking back to my research on Lutari Island I noted the island had a resident Air Faerie named Briana. Could the storm around Lutari Island and the wind that takes away Lutari be connected to this Air Faerie? Sadly, that’s a mystery I ran into a roadblock with already so I think it’s best to move on.

LAND: Roo Island

MYSTERY: King Roothless’s identity. During Daily Dare Y10, the hosts AAA and Abigail were kidnapped by a sinister Blumaroo named King Roothless who believes he’s the greatest gamer. Thankfully AAA and Abigail were able to escape, but we never found out much else about King Roothless. Who is King Roothless? Where is his kingdom or at least his castle? And does he have any relation with Roo Island’s king, King Roo?

INVESTIGATION: Roo Island’s historical records are much harder to find than other kingdoms so I sent in a request for more information. To my surprise I received a letter written by Roo Island’s advisor, Advisor Broo, explaining Roo Island’s royal lineage.

"Dear inquisitive Neopian Times writer, the relation between our beloved King Roo and the loathsome King Roothless is a complicated issue. It pains me to say they are related; at least that’s what King Roothless claims. In a decree he wrote to us he believes himself to be the rightful ruler of Roo Island, sending us a family tree pointing out he’s the grandson of the brother of King Roo’s great grandfather; making him King Roo’s second cousin once removed. He says once he proves to be the superior gamer he’ll come to claim the throne. I’d assume that’s why he kidnapped the Avinroo siblings years ago but thankfully he was thwarted and the Avinroos came back safely. As for where his castle is, for he has no kingdom, we don’t know. It’s thought to be somewhere in the Haunted Woods based on some very old property documents but we’re not about to send our soldiers into dangerous woodlands on a guess. I hope this answers your curiosity on something that’s rather trivial and of no concern. - Advisor Broo of Roo Island"

ANSWER: Geez, what a grouch. But Advisor Broo did answer all my questions. King Roothless is King Roo’s second cousin once removed who wants to claim the Roo Island throne though his game playing skills. However until he does his whereabouts remain unknown, theorized to be in the Haunted Woods but that’s as good as being invisible.

LAND: Shenkuu

MYSTERY: Bonju’s Magical Vessel. What does it do? It’s been years since we’ve been introduced to the world of Shenkuu and one of its attractions: Bonju’s Magical Vessel. At first it looked like it would work similarly to Jhuidah’s Cooking Pot on Mystery Island. However no matter how many "recipes" are tried no one has gotten a result that didn’t backfire. So what’s the deal? Is there any recipe that works?

INVESTIGATION: Asking Bonju is out of the question; despite thousands of failures and just as many demands for an answer he says a good chef never reveals his secrets. Bonju is (or was) a crew member of the Cyodrake’s Gaze where he was head (and only) chef. I thought maybe one of Bonju’s crew mates would know something. However not even they know what we’re supposed to do; a few saying that Bonju is just trying to attract attention. Bonju won’t allow me to examine the vessel so instead I tried looking up Shenkuu magical enchantments. I didn’t get much from it, there are several ways to enchant something in Shenkuu but without being able to examine the vessel I can’t figure out which one Bonju used if any. I looked up Shenkuu cooking to see if maybe there is some mysticism involved but any time it’s mentioned it has to do with how certain foods, herbs, and spices mix together for spiritual purposes for both body and mind.

ANSWER: I got nothing. I spent an entire day running around Shenkuu learning about magic and cooking but I’m no closer to an answer as when I started. At this point I would dare say that the mystery of Bonju’s Magical Vessel is that there is no mystery! It’s just a plain old cooking pot. No more, no less. Why Bonju insists it’s magical and spends his time asking people to create a recipe in it I have no idea. Maybe THAT’S the mystery I should have been trying to figure out! But I spent enough time on this as is; we still have a few more to get through.

LAND: Terror Mountain

MYSTERY: Bringer of Night’s appearance. During the Hannah and the Ice Caves plot we’re introduced to a Moehog demi-god called the Bringer of Night. It was because of him that the Bori civilization was literally frozen in time as it tried to get to the Heart of the Mountain, a giant red crystal deep within Terror Mountain the Bori hold sacred. But how did the Bringer, a being from the Lost Desert, learn about the Heart of the Mountain?

INVESTIGATION: Not even the Bori Leader, a wise old Bori only known as the Keeper of Time, knows exactly why the Bringer of Night came after the Heart of the Mountain. He just suddenly appeared and was so unstoppable they had to take drastic measures to keep themselves and the Heart safe. The desert tomb the Bringer rested in doesn’t provide anymore hints, the hieroglyphs on the walls explains it to be some kind of ancient Lost Desert war deity and that it had gone to Terror Mountain to retrieve the Heart but failed, not much else after that. Maybe some of the relics in its tomb would have given me a clue but it was cleared out by the Thieves Guild. Using some connections, I sent a message to a Thieves Guild member who was said to be involved with the transport of the relics. I got a message back telling me to check out a specific display in the Lost Desert section of Brightvale’s Museum of Neopian History. In the museum I went to the directed display and inside was a few Lost Desert relics. The plaque said the relics were believed to bestow mystical powers. Confused why I was sent here, I took a closer look at the relics and think I may have an answer.

ANSWER: The relics were different objects with little to do with one another but there was some matching themes. They were made of gold with red and blue paint details much like many Lost Desert item, but they also had a piece of a red gem prominently placed on them. Could these gems possibly be connected to the Heart of the Mountain? It’s said these relics bestowed mystical powers, was it because of the gems and that’s why the Bringer sought to get more? Without being able to take the relic to the Heart of the Mountain to see if they would react to the Heart my investigation had to stop here for now.

LAND: Tyrannia

MYSTERY: War of the Obelisk Non-Participants. The appearance of the Obelisk in Tyrannia was a sudden event which resulted in a sudden war. The factions involved in the war were all private organizations, oddly no world government got involved in the war, not even Tyrannia! So why didn’t the world governments get involved, especially Tyrannia’s?

INVESTIGATION: I figured the first government I should ask would be Tyrannia’s Council of Elders. Little did I know they were the only ones I needed to ask. Meeting with the Tyrannia’s Council of Elders is rather straight forward and I was taken to talk with the grand elder, Kyruggi. For convenience to the reader I translated what Kyruggi said from Tyrannian to modern Neopian.

"The Obelisk is a bad omen! When it first appeared I looked for a mention of it on the Wall of Prophecy. I had to go far back into the cave before finding a mural of a black obelisk. Anyone who got near the obelisk was shined upon by a beam of light and then gone. Our ancestors buried the obelisk fearing it would destroy us all but knew such power would one day come back. And they were right! I was too late to stop Neopians from digging the Obelisk up, so I ordered guards to keep everyone away as I called for a meeting to plan on burying it again. Then the war happened. I warned each of these factions the Obelisk would destroy them but they refused to listen. FOOLS! If they wish to destroy themselves so be it! However when the other governments contacted me about sending their armies to help I forbade them getting involved and asked them to respect our treaties. They tried convincing us otherwise but thankfully the world governments saw reason and agreed to leave the Obelisk to us Tyrannians. I do not trust this Oracle and her Obelisk. Tyrannia has chosen to stay away from the conflict and we will keep doing so. In the meantime, we will be ready to bury it once the factions either have been destroyed by it or lose interest and leave."

ANSWER: Not only did the Tyrannia’s Council of Elders decide to keep out of the conflict but also kept the other world’s governments from getting involved too. They think the Obelisk and the Oracle is something bad and wants to re-bury them. Considering the Oracle has set up the Battlegrounds and is testing the factions weekly I don’t think that’ll be happening any time soon.

LAND: Virtupets Space Station

MYSTERY: Loyalty to Sloth. Doctor Frank Sloth is considered by many to be Neopia’s #1 villain. He alone is responsible for so much misery and pain. Many residents of the Virtupets Space Station were former slaves to the world conqueror before the entire space station was liberated. Yet many Virtupets Space Station citizens remain loyal to Sloth. Why would those who were affected the most by Sloth’s cruelty still support him?

INVESTIGATION: I spent the entire day talking with residents of the Virtupets Space Station about this and got all sorts of answers. Many of the older folk believe it’s just teen rebellion trying to stir things up. Some younger Neopians think many are supporters as a joke pointing out it’s been years since Sloth’s last appearance so there’s no consequence. However the most interesting answer I got was from those who were directly affected by Sloth’s rule. They say that, while Sloth was cruel and egotistical, he did have an eye for talent and those he personally recruited he treated well. Sloth wasn’t picky either; there are just as many cases where he promoted slaves to prestigious positions as he did with volunteers. It’s them who remain loyal to Sloth as they believe it’s only a matter of time before he finally conquers Neopia. They’ve already decided who the winning side is, and its colored green.

ANSWER: So is it from a rebellious attitude? A joke? Or those who Sloth had personally picked to serve as his elite? After going through dozens of opinions I think I may actually know why so many are loyal to Sloth, and it’s not for any of the reason I was told. I believe the reason Sloth has so many loyal supporters is that he’s very charismatic. Yeah, you heard that right. Sloth has the intelligence and charisma to make thousands follow him and lend them their power just on his words alone. He gives them a purpose, a promise of being part of something big, and gives them power over others to make them feel empowered. He manipulates every one of his followers, giving them very little but does so with an encouraging smile. Either that or mind control potions he puts in their food.

After going around all over Neopia this ride has finally come to an end. But boy what a ride it was! While I may not have solved all the mysteries I set out to solve, I did get some cleared up and for those I didn’t maybe I opened the way for someone else to solve it. But I haven’t even scratched the surface of all the mysteries Neopia has to offer. But don’t take my word for it, explore the worlds for yourself and experience wonders and mysteries you’ll come across. Who knows, maybe you’ll find and figure things out that I didn’t.