Hello and thank you for joining us as we present this week's edition of The Neopian News Brief, your one-stop guide to all the latest headlines making news in the world of Neopia, from the harmonious hamlets of Meridell to the creepy confines of the Deserted Fairgrounds. We've got plenty of new topics to cover today, so let's jump right in, shall we?
 Our top story this week is the final installment of the Darigan plot. As we rejoin our adventure, Lord Darigan lays defeated, surrounded by those who lead the effort to derail his plan for global domination. A burst of crimson light flares from the Orb, causing Darigan's ultimate demise, and ridding Neopia of the warlord and his wicked scheme. While the mighty sphere hangs in midair, jealousy and greed set in once again, as both King Skarl and Master Vex insist on inheriting the Orb and its powers. However, rather than initiating another round of hostilities, a second blinding flash settles the debate once and for all, as the Orb is split into equal halves. Does this mean that the Orb is broken, and neither side shall possess its might? Or are we to believe that each side received an equal share? Hmm...
 Also causing quite a stir this past week was the latest Defenders of Neopia challenge. After receiving some bizarre reports from Mystery Island (which included mentions of a "magic mind control stick" that seemed kinda dubious at the time) Zeirn the electric Kougra and The Marvellous Stretchy Chia headed into the jungle to take a look for themselves. At first they didn't find much to back up the claims they'd gotten, but that's when a funny thing happened... over by a cave, Stretchy noticed a strange looking staff. Zeirn charged in to investigate further, while Stretchy remained on guard.
 Upon getting a closer look at the staff, Zeirn recognised it as the one Judge Hog had mentioned during their pre-mission briefing. However, just as he'd made this crucial discovery, Tekkitu the Witch Doctor seized upon the electric Kougra, casting him under a deep, deep spell. When Zeirn emerged from the cave, Stretchy was stunned to find that his Kougra friend and fellow Defender had turned against him... now, it's up to you to defeat Tekkitu, and free Zeirn from from the clutches of the wicked witch doctor. Do you have what it takes to be a Defender of Neopia?
 Change has certainly been in the air these past few weeks, as a number of Neopians have received recent makeovers. Last week we reported that Unis had begun the transition to a new look, and in this latest installment we're happy to report that the switch is all but completed. In other major makeover news, Thursday brought the announcement that Grundos would be the next recipients of a sleek new design.
 Beginning with blue, then adding green and purple on Friday, the Grundo species should see their styles make a swift transition, just like the Unis. In our last tidbit of makeover madness, it was also revealed that Edna the witch, through a curious set of circumstances, also got herself a new look. Details are still sketchy, but apparently Edna took an accidental spill into her cauldron. When she emerged, the Edna we all know and *cough* love had been transformed into an adorable green Zafara.
 During the past few weeks, there's been a string of great new NeoHome releases, particularly in the area of NeoGardens. However, this time around, it looks like the Furniture Shop is moving its focus more towards interior decoration. This latest wave of fancy furnishings began on Wednesday, with the unveiling of five pieces specially designed in the electric style.
 There's nothing to put a little spark in your room like a new electric sofa, rug, dresser, coffee table, or desk. If that's not your style, then perhaps you might fancy something from our latest collection of Kougra print accessories, which includes Kougra chairs, rugs and sofas. Snazzy!
 As this week drew to a close, there were plenty of reasons to be in good spirits, as the highly-anticipated celebration of Lupe Day arrived. Quite a hubbub was raised as Neopians took to the streets, eagerly showing their appreciation for Neopia's fourth most popular pet. This year's haul of Lupe goodies were particularly plentiful, far exceeding the basic assortment of books, baked treats, and Battledome accessories. Also in tow were: three new paint brush styles (plushie, glowing, and brown), a fresh batch of Fun Images, a whole heap of Lupe NeoGreetings, and a two page exhibit in the Art Gallery. Lupes were also featured in the latest versions of the Poetry Contest and Pet Spotlight. Hurray for Lupes!
 It's now time to take a closer look at today's financial headlines. After last week's fifty-three point resurgence, many analysts thought that the economy might finally be starting to emerge from its recent deep freeze. However, it now appears as though expectations for a renewed rally might have been premature, as the Neodaq took a whopping forty-eight point plunge, falling all the way back to 908. Despite the overall loss, however, this week's winners were led by a rising star in the economy, Skeith Bodyguards. SKBD surprised everyone by doubling their share value, rising thirty-three points to close out the week at sixty-seven NPs.
 Another hot stock that caught everyone by surprise was Balthazar's Faerie Bottling, who posted the second-largest gain for the week when their shares leaped an impressive twenty-seven points, taking their stocks all the way up to sixty NPs. On the other hand, it was the Big Board's two most valuable companies that took the biggest losses for the week. Peophin Water Parks led the way among the losers, as the volatile stock followed last week's nineteen point gain with a disastrous forty point bellyflop. Also taking the plunge was Shop Wizard N-Commerce, which was unable to build upon their nineteen point rise from last week, instead falling twenty-three points, all the way to 105 NPs.
 Despite these declines, PEOP and SWNC still remain the most valuable companies on the Big Board. However, the recent showing by Skeith Bodyguards and Balthazar's Faerie Bottling indicate that a changing of the guard may be in the works. Will they stand the test of time and rise to the top, or will they flop and be exposed as mere pretenders to the throne? We'll just have to wait and see....
|
