The Void Within Episode One: A Retrospective

     Given the prolonged pause of The Void Within, we thought it prudent to give a summary of some of the most memorable stories from the plot thus far. We hope it will serve to help you remember the plot’s highlights and story beats, now that it has resumed.

     1. King Altador’s Legs

     In what has been hailed by the Altadorian Council as a “bold move”, King Altador has been signed to the elusive modelling agency, Sumptuous Smiles.

     “From the moment I saw his legs, I knew I HAD to have him,” casually stated Chadrick Woolsworth Tuffington IV, currently using the business alias Smile Withme. He brought his paws together pointedly. “He and his mighty legs were the subject of so much interest, intrigue, and dare I say attraction when the footage of the Council of Neopian Nations meeting was released on Neovision+… I’d have been a fool NOT to offer him a big contract! I might be the king of smiles, but that King has legs for miles.” He flashed one of his charismatic, award winning grins.

     During an official press conference, King Altador fielded questions about his newfound success, including his secret to mythical legs. “I NEVER skip leg day,” he confirmed in his bellowing baritone. “When the Darkest Faerie wreaked havoc on Altador? Leg day. When we were trapped in a time bubble? Leg day. Evil Fuzzles Virus outbreak and isolating? Leg day. Half the city destroyed by pro-Meridell Altador Cup protestors a couple years ago? That's right. Leg. Day.” He grinned and ran a paw down his legs. “And of course, keep the fur nicely shaven, just a little fuzz is key.”

     Understandably, many Neopians were disappointed when later clips from the “Countdown to Council” Neovision+ semi-live docuseries attempted to hide or even doctor the splendour of King Altador's legs. An aide close to Fyora, speaking under conditions of anonymity, revealed, “You see, Luxinia (the leader of New Faerieland) prides herself on being the most beautiful leader in the Council (of Neopian Nations), and even SHE was jealous of (King Altador’s) legs. It got really nasty. Tensions boiled over – you know, they've been brewing for some time, Faerieland vs. New Faerieland and Fyora seeing the latter as part of her dominion – leading to a big diplomatic spat between the faerie nations.” They shook their heads. “But Fyora needed Luxinia's special abilities, what with Nyx there, and to advance the plot. So to keep Luxinia from walking out, Fyora scolded Altador and begged him to put on his tasset. In retaliation, the Altadorian Council expelled a few Faerieland diplomats. But… can you blame them, really? Fyora really did just tell King Altador to keep THOSE LEGS under wraps!?”

     Relations between Faerieland and the Yooyuball Kingdom have since normalized.

     “Oh, certainly, I’ve always known him to have awesome, toned legs,” Jerdana chittered. “He excelled at everything when it came to using his legs. High jumping, long-kicking Yooyus – red card infractions mind you but he did it anyway, to show off – and dancing.” She sighed, tinged with nostalgia. “Ooh, he loved to show off at Finneus's club parties. The best parties ‘round Altador. I still remember the King's scintillating bar routine, pure gymnastics it was. I called him ‘Your Leggcellence’ on multiple occasions.”

     “I may be Grey,” the famous fashion designer, drag artist, and full-time slayqueen Ellia commented on the record, “but I still know fabulous when I see it. And King Altador has FABOO legs.” The queen hired King Altador to model a new line of stockings and fishnets that were released at Unis Clothing.

     Besides finding himself on the runway, King Altador was in a number of Neovision+ advertisements, gave his image to various celebrity endorsements, and has been remixed countless times on TikiHead. He rode to a memetic high, with his legs truly reaching L-E-G-endary status.

     2. Virtupets Delivery Co. Gets Geraptiku Contract, Juni Selected as Fleet Training Instructor

     The revelation of Nyx and her Petpet Juni as employees of the Virtupets Delivery Company forced Virtupets, Inc. (NEODAQ: VPTS) to reveal details of their hitherto largely clandestine delivery business. Concomitant with this announcement by Virtupets was the news of a fleet pilot and maintenance training school for Petpets. Juni, Nyx’s senior, has accepted a full-time teaching position at the Petpet training institution starting whenever the events of the plot conclude.

     “With our new plans to expand into Neopia proper, Virtupets Delivery Co. hopes to have a role in mitigating some of the supply chain issues on Neopia by offering ‘fast delivery at competitive prices’,” said Esterhazy – Dr. Sloth’s HR Neopet, army commander, unofficial fashion consultant, and general right-hand Grundo – to reporters gathered at an official press conference hosted in the Virtupets Space Station. “Most of the Neopian deliveries sector still runs on Weewoos … Which isn’t a bad thing! We just need to give Petpets the proper resources to succeed. Hence our new training school, which we hope will become a reliable way to increase your Petpet’s level and to earn you a few Neopoints for each delivery.”

     Geraptiku, the on-line bookstore turned mega marketplace and currently a subsidiary of Shop Wizard N-Commerce (NEODAQ: SWNC), recently announced that they would be switching their deliveries to use the Virtupets delivery technology “as soon as is feasibly possible”. The Shop Wizard, CFO of Geraptiku and CEO of SWNC, said in a statement, “This move will allow Geraptiku to bring our wide selection of goods to the consumer more than 3 times faster!”

     “This is a big move for Neopian deliveries. Traditional brick and mortar retailers are DEAD, and VPTS stock is going to SKYROCKET faster than one of those delivery ships can travel across Neopia,” exclaimed Nigel the Chia on his hit NeoVision+ live show, “Nutty Neopoints with Nigel the Chia”. “That’s right, I’m issuing a STRONG BUY. STRONG BUY, PEOPLE!” He proceeded to make a “KAU KAU KAAUUU” sound with an airhorn.

     Understandably, given Dr. Sloth’s previous attempts to take over Neopia, Neopians are mixed about Virtupets technology becoming part of the everyday fabric of Neopian commerce. Furthermore, the PPL has expressed concerns about the mass integration of Petpets into the workforce. Yet, seemingly providing the general consensus of everyday Neopians, Ms. Tiffany, a Hissi whom we met on the busy streets of Neopia Central’s bazaar, had this to say about the matter: “My Kazeriu having a part-time job could really help our NeoHome finances, and I’m willing to let Dr. Sloth conquer our world economically, so to speak, as long as I can get same- or next-day delivery on my online shopping purchases. I’d love to buy little Floatsi new collars whenever I feel like it!”

     Floatsi the Kazeriu did not respond to our request for comment.

     3. The Ballad of Orion and Seshatia

     This year’s twin Faerie Festivals ran tangential to The Void Within. Jhudora and Illusen, once again, competed to see who could best encourage Neopians to donate their gently used hordes of omelettes and other Safety Deposit Box junk in return for points toward purchasing soiree-unique exclusives. Although Illusen once again proved victorious, the more noteworthy part of this year’s activities were the visions and actions of the dubiously musical though generally accepted clairvoyant Orion O. Ophiuchus.

     The Ogrin revealed that Queen Fyora had taken time from her busy Council work to demand Illudora to arrange their respective festivals, with the aim of drawing large crowds to Faerieland in the hopes that Orion would receive additional and helpful premonitions – as he did during the Altador Cup. However, the Queen’s plan seemed to work too well: not only did Orion receive visions, he was outright possessed by the spirit stuck inside his lyre. He even managed to charm Illusen and Jhudora into singing a musical theatre-style duet, a feat which in and of itself implies that Orion is a high-level magic user or at least beholden to one.

     Although Fyora’s plan for involving Orion was ultimately successful, the full implications of Orion’s visions – including Illusen and Jhudora fighting “shades” alongside one another – have yet to be realized.

     However, Orion’s possessed outbursts had the positive side effect of showcasing Seshatia’s use of “library-fu” to contain the rogue Ogrin. Seshatia, the library faerie and host of the popular podcast “Why Grammar Isn’t Just for the Comma Faerie”, has since opened a training school based out of the Faerieland Library; in exchange for a requested book, she teaches Neopets her self-honed method of self-defence with blunt book-shaped objects. Emboldened by her success and the encouragement of Neopians, Seshatia went on to enter and win silver in the Faerieland Women’s Heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts Y26 Championship, losing only to Queen Fyora’s favourite inner circle faerie, Aethia.

     “Oh my, yes she is SUPER strong,” admired Orion as he stood nearby Seshatia during the medal awards ceremony. “Strong physically, mentally, and especially in the face of adversity. And she goes on to win (a silver medal)? Just wow! Not only did she save my life, she showed me that getting hit can be a great time.” He smiled and gave a faraway look.

     At our request for comment about her success and subsequent media appearances, Seshatia refused, saying that she hoped to be able to have “a more relaxed time outside of the limelight, especially during the plot break and Christmas season.”

     During this year’s Advent Calendar, Orion detailed how the musical cylinders were actually keys that unlocked a stone tablet amongst megaliths deep in Terror Mountain. However, in trying to communicate with the seeming spirit in his lyre, he fell unconscious and had to be rescued by Seshatia. In an aMUSing attempt to revive him, he is currently being played music by Fyora’s best doctors.

     4. Tavi Investigated for Illegal Item Inflation

     Tensions between Nyx and Baelia, self-described champions of self-loathing, boiled over around the group’s makeshift campfire in the Haunted Woods one late Month of Collecting evening. While Baelia opened up about her possible dissociative and dysphoric tendencies, Nyx was unable to cope with the group’s idleness when all the Aisha wished to do was to comfort and rescue Ozzy, her long-separated brother and Vira’s current plaything. Their travelling companion Tavi – explorer, lovable androgyne, registered psychotherapist (obtaining her M.A. from BVU in Y12), tea connoisseur, and hardcore parkourist turned disability rights advocate – handily leapt into action with her own sob story.

     The Kyrii revealed that, despite spending hours earlier that day scouring the group’s thicket of the woods to fetch supplies for camp, she was short on ingredients to make the exotic teas that would undoubtedly calm her fellow campers. Tavi therefore reQUESTed the assistance of interested passersby, asking if they would find what she sought in exchange for a grand suite of prizes: a few meagre points for use in the plot’s prize shop, and the possibility of an exclusive avatar.

     Many items from the pool of ingredients she requested immediately increased in price in user shops. “I never saw anything like it,” breathed the Shop Wizard. “And I’m no stranger to witnessing inflation – one of SWNC's main revenue streams is tracking that sort of thing. But the haste and scale was almost unprecedented. Some 50 NP cupcakes increased to almost 850k NP in only a couple hours. That's like a 1,696,969% increase!” He shook his big head in disbelief.

     “I vehemently deny the allegations that I am working with and receiving a kickback from the inflators,” Tavi crossly declared to reporters during an unofficial press conference around the campfire later that evening. “I just wanted to make tea for my friends, and Nyx, and give out some nice prizes as rewards,” she added. “I’m a psychologist, not an economist, and I am sorry to have played my part in destabilizing our fragile economy. I will try to think more about the potential consequences of my actions going forward.”

     Yet, the Economic Wing of the Council of Neopian Nations was not convinced by Tavi’s denial and supposed display of ignorance. Facing pressure from the Wing’s Competition Bureau, Tavi slightly expanded the pool of ingredients she requested. Yet, a handful of items remained vastly overinflated.

     “Tavi was always the quiet MC,” opined an observer who wished to remain anonymous. “Humble, never boisterous. Don’t get me wrong, I love her and her story of triumph over loss. But come on girl, first you make a campfire gold trophy impossible to obtain, and now you ask me for an inflated 400k NP tea set? I know you would be happy enough with literally the cheapest thing the Coffee Cave has in stock at the moment.”

     5. Vira Gets Honoured

     In a surprise move, Vira was announced as a last-minute headliner for last season’s AnimeNC – Neopia Central’s premier convention celebrating specifically Shenkuuvian culture, counterculture, characters, and cosplaying – which happened in the bottom floor of the Neolodge over the Neopets Birthday weekend.

     “Oh, she is just a perfect fit,” said Ms. Anna, a rainbow Cybunny currently living in New Faerieland; Anna supervised the AnimeNC Artist Alley while cosplaying as Hannah the Usul. “Not only did Vira have this rocking goth persona long before it was cool – and in so doing helped bring Gothic Lolita into the mainstream – she is just this strong female character. Although she let her essence become corrupted in her search for conventional beauty, she got over it and redefined it into her OWN sense of beauty, showing that beauty comes from within. That’s powerful. In terms of the depression and adversity she’s managed to overcome in her life thus far, she’s like… maybe only behind Tavi (among the main characters of the plot).”

     Given the Acara’s then newfound popularity, Usuki, Inc. announced a special convention-themed re-release of their Vira Usuki Doll and a new line of Vira-themed Usuki accessories. The Vira Usuki can now be fitted with new gothic dresses, different styles of boots and heels, and an accessory of Ozzy on a leash for the Vira Usuki to hold.

     Our reporters caught up to Vira on her way to the Neolodge to ask her thoughts of being featured. “Let’s (redacted) gooo!” she exclaimed. “I always knew that one day there would be some Neopets who would see the world the way I do, that I’d finally get my long-deserved recognition. I want to thank all my adoring fans, new and old, and the Anime Convention Awards Committee.”

     When we asked about her status in the Gallery of Evil, Vira scoffed and curled her lip into a wry grin. “I never called myself evil. Society called me evil. And I hated society at that time, because society also called me ugly, so I wore the label of evil with a sick sense of pride. But I’m way over caring about what society thinks now. Here I am, literally just a girl trying to inject a bit of fun and sobering reality into Neopia at large. So, sure, I might be in the Gallery of Evil, but evil is the last thing I’d call myself. I mean, Jhudora’s in the Gallery of Evil, too. There really needs to be a Gallery of Chaotic Neutral.”

     6. NC Mall News

     But wait, there’s MORE! The NC Mall celebrated its 17th birthday during the Month of Swimming by releasing three cakes and confections of various edibility. To support Neopians engaged in active combat during the Voidling Wars and to pander to new and old Battledomers alike, consuming one of these cakes leads to a tidy strength stat boost.

     The NC mall also released a new “x2 points” fortune cookie in collaboration with Noda. Regarding the cookie, Mr. Scorchopoly, the NC Mall mascot, stated, “We hope to cater to the busy, filthy casual Neopian who might not have time to collect essence or volunteer every day, but who still wants to fast-track afford that Wand of Dark Faerie.” While the release has proved controversial due to its perceived “pay to win” quality, with everyday celebrities like Mx. Shelley of the GNPO speaking out against them, the cookies have been celebrated by some while most Neopians generally tolerate the cookies’ existence. It should be noted that the cookie cannot again be activated until “episode 2” starts.

     Several void- and grey-themed items were additionally set for sale. Neopets can now adorn themselves in the pink-purple-black swirling fractal noise aesthetic characteristic of Voidcore or really sport their sads. Cosplay outfits were also released, to allow Neopets to dress as their favourite The Void Within main characters.

     Among the cuter wearables were a series of Void Petpet companions – including a Warf, Weewoo, Meowclops, Slorg, and Kadoatie – allowing Neopians to complete their Nyx cosplays and/or to have their own painfully corrupted void pal so to flaunt their affluence to their friends. A representative from Virtupets said that void-corrupted Petpets may receive preferential acceptance into the Virtupets Delivery Co. Petpet Training School, in accordance with various affirmative action initiatives set forth by Virtupets, Inc. and in partnership with the NC Mall.

     “These void wearables and especially the Petpets are just all so cute, I want to collect them all!” squealed Ms. Staph, a Bruce from Terror Mountain. Her face turned a dark shade of Voidcore. “And trust me, I will.”

     ---

     Like many others across Neopia – weary from daily war and travelling to seek void essences, and struggling to collect Tavi’s asks in an inanely timely fashion, but excited for more lore and backstory – we hope this plot reprieve has allowed the main actors to regroup and that the plot will come back with streamlined activities, strengthened visuals and narratives, and an overall more engaging and edifying experience. We all want to see The Void Within: Episode 2 be the best plot arc it can be!

     We hope we have contextualized the major story beats of the plot thus far, and we look forward to reporting on more The Void Within content!