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Places To Visit On Neopets' Birthday!


by pikachu315111

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It's Neopets' Birthday and all of Neopia is celebrating! Every world has its own way of celebrating that you may not know even where to start to celebrate yourself. Which place could I go where I can get the most goodies? Which world celebrates the most interesting way? Which worlds should I be wary of? Well, fear not, as I have made a list of places you may want to visit (or avoid) on Neopets' Birthday for the maximum amount of birthday celebration fun!

For Goodies:

What is a birthday celebration without some gifts and treats? Many places usually have something special to offer. Here are some of these places that in the past were worth going to:

New Features: Probably the first place you should go, the New Features will tell you everything that's happening on Neopets' Birthday! While including many if not all the places I'm going to suggest going to, it'll also tell you about any special things going on. But it gets even better! And if you're an Avatar collector and missing the "Happy Birthday!" Avatar the New Features might have a clue on how to get it.

The Bakery: Cake and birthdays are as synonymous as Plumpy and bacon, and the Kacheek Shopkeeper running The Bakery in Neopia Central knows that full well. On Neopets' Birthday he always tries to make some kind of sweet treat to celebrate this most special of occasions, mainly cakes but sometimes other pastries like cupcakes. However, he has a very busy schedule so sadly sometimes he's unable to make new baked goods, but he still sells plenty of other cakes and pastries to fill that classic birthday fixture! If you're curious if he has made any new cakes or pastries, just check the New Features.

Toy Shop: If you want birthday goodies, check a Birthday Goodie Bag! Every Neopets' Birthday the Lupe Shopkeeper who runs the Toy Shop releases a Birthday Goodie Bag. Goodie bags are toys that, when played with, open up and give out more items! Each year the items they give change so there's no way to predict what you'll get or how many. In addition they can be already existing items or newly created ones just made for that year's Birthday Goodie Bag. However, it could be worth trying to get one as sometimes the items they give out can be worth quite a bit of NP. Sometimes the Birthday Goodie Bag itself can be sold for a lot of NP if some of the items it gives are highly sought after. So if you want to see if you can snag a Birthday Goodie Bag, then swing by the Toy Shop. And even if you don't get a Goodie Bag you may see another toy you want to consider getting. Hint: The New Features will show you what the Birthday Goodie Bag that year will look like.

The Money Tree: If there's any being who understands the power of giving, it's the Money Tree. For most of the year the Money Tree accepts donations from kind Neopians and gives them out to anyone who comes seeking some charity. But a few times on Neopets' Birthday those who went to the Money Tree found that slices of cakes were being handed out seemingly by the Money Tree itself! Just like any item at the Money Tree the cakes are quick to go so if there are any being given out you'll need to be fast to get them. And while you're trying to grab a slice of cake or another donated item, it would be a very nice thing for you to do to maybe donate spare NP you have or an item you don't need. Even if it's not a lot of NP or the item doesn't cost much, the Money Tree will make sure it'll be given to someone looking for some charity.

Games Room: Over on Roo Island (or the top bar), around Neopets' Birthday there's a Scores Galore which increases the amount of times you can send score up to 10 for more than a week! That's a lot of potential NP to be made (and the NC Mall usually releases a whole batch of Games Fortune Cookies too)! If you're not a big game player so don't know what games to play, the Games board on the Neoboards will help point you to several games so that you can make the most NP and don't waste your time. You can also look through the games yourself and pick out any that looking interesting, you may just discover a new favorite.

Cap'n Threelegs' Swashbuckling Academy: Even though all of Neopia is celebrating that doesn't mean you can't train your Neopets a bit. Over on Krawk Island, out of Cap'n Threelegs' hospitality (and wanting to attract more customers) he opens up his Swashbuckling Academy to ALL species for a day of free training on Neopets' Birthday! This can sort of be looked at being an extension of him offering free training for a species on their Pet Day. Even if you don't train your Neopets normally it wouldn't be a bad idea to start making them Battledome able if you ever do decide to one day start training them.

NC Mall: If you have NC, then head down to the NC Mall as it'll no doubt be throwing its own party for Neopets' Birthday. While the size of the celebration differs each year, they do try to at least release a new Birthday Commemorative Mystery Capsule. In addition to being awarded random NC items worth at least 200 NC, all of them also can potentially give away a bonus limited edition Birthday-themed NC item. Like the gift bag's items, that bonus limited edition item changes each year but they're usually something that references events that have happened throughout that year. And as mentioned before, there's also a surplus batch of Games Fortune Cookies freshly made and ready to be bought for the Birthday Scores Galore!

To Visit:

But Neopets' Birthday just isn't about trying to get as any goodies as you can. It's a time of celebration and all of Neopia have their own way of celebrating. Here are the top 5 worlds you may want to go visit during Neopets' Birthday to see how they celebrate this grand occasion:

Roo Island: Party central! There's no party like a Roo Island party, and Neopets' Birthday is one of their biggest parties! Parades, shows, contests, if you can think of it being at a celebration somewhere on Roo Island you can find it. Everything is bright and colorful; it's a sight to behold on its own. But don't think you can remain as an observer for long, Roo Island makes sure that everyone gets a chance to participate and gets their time in the spotlight to show what they can do. And remember Roo Island is the world where the Games Room is located so there will be at least something you can find there that you can do.

Shenkuu: While during the day Shenkuu keeps their celebrating to a minimum, it's at night when things come to life. The lanterns hanging all around are lit up basking every place with a warm glow as the skies are lit up with a spectacular fireworks display! Everyone also wears marvelous robes; the women's are beautifully detailed, the men's are emblazoned with symbols and imagery of strength and power, and the children's are simple but colorful. Finally there are plenty of performances and games to watch and play, many rooted in deep Shenkuu tradition and history.

Faerieland: It's not only Neopets celebrating, Faeries are also having a huge party filled with magic and intrigue! While in the past the Faeries let loose with their magic to entertain guests and make life a bit easier, post fall of Faerieland means they now need to reserve as much magic as they can. That's not to say there won't be any magic, since the fall of Faerieland the faeries have used some of their magic to create an illusion of Faerieland being back in the skies on Neopets' Birthday. The dirt floors are covered with a layer or pastel clouds as rainbow smoky wisps cover the cliffs and trees, painting over them with the colors of the sky. While many worry they're using too much magic to do this, the Faeries assure that it's a simple spell which takes little to no magic.

Mystery Island: LUAU TIME! Mystery Island prepares one of their gigantic luau's complete with a grand feast. The festivities start with the lighting of a big bonfire during the afternoon and the party goes on until the bonfire burns out, usually sometime around the early morning of the next day. But during the time it burns the entirety of Mystery Island is celebrating with plenty of eating, dancing, and music. And being you're on Mystery Island you can then spend the next day relaxing off the excitement on the beach.

Haunted Woods: Any celebration that the Haunted Woods throws usually turns into something you'll see at a Halloween party. Candy and treats aplenty while everyone dresses up in costumes to participate in the spooks and scares. Even the Deserted Fairgrounds becomes less deserted as the amusement park is treated with a rare sight of being filled up. The rides even all get turned on somehow and are in full working order! It's a fun time to be sure, but when they make the announcement for everyone to leave I highly suggest you listen and follow the crowd. This is still the Haunted Woods after all.

To Avoid:

All worlds celebrate Neopets' Birthday in different ways, but some are more welcoming to foreigners than others. Be it the location of the world or its culture, there is just something about some worlds which makes celebrating with the denizens a bit difficult. Now while there are Neopets who may be intrigued by some of these worlds' celebration style, for everyone else you may want to think of skipping over them:

Brightvale: A world filled with scholars, their definition of fun would only be agreed to being the same by other scholars. While they do hold a festival, many of the merchants are selling books and all the performances are historical reenactments, some of events which may not be that entertaining. The museums in Brightvale also waive the fee for children and elders as well as cut the adult fees in half for the day. Also don't be surprised if you see plenty of clubs holding meetings and trying to recruit new members, be they a simple book club or The Seekers. Now that's not to say there isn't anything for non-scholars, but if that's what you're looking for there are better worlds to visit.

Maraqua: Now there's nothing odd about the way Maraqua celebrates Neopets' Birthday, but if you're not an aquatic Neopet you may feel a bit excluded. Maraqua is one of the worlds where its location is the main problem. There are other worlds with location problems such as Moltara where is very hot or Terror Mountain where it's very cold, but out of all of them Maraqua has the biggest since its entirety is underwater. An average Neopian can still traverse around Moltara and Terror Mountain, but in Maraqua being an aquatic species or painted a water-based Colour is almost a requirement to join in all the festivities. If you are than Maraqua is a great place to celebrate, but if you're not maybe you should look for a place that's on dryer land.

Darigan Citadel: Due to their transformation Darigans have a twisted way of doing things, and celebrating Neopets' Birthday is no exception. While the majority of Neopia worlds are holding festivals and playing games the Darigan Citadel holds a colosseum fight where the citadel's strongest dual till only one stands. Don't worry, no one gets hurt, Lord Darigan watches over the proceedings and at the end of every match the loser begs Lord Darigan to spare him (which he of course does, after all this is just the way Darigans have their fun). And don't think you're safe just because you're not in the arena, rumbles outside the ring happen just as often as matches if not more. And if it's not fighting then many of the more mischievous Darigans are pulling pranks throughout the day, their favorite targets being foreign visitors. And some of these aren't just little innocent pranks, let's leave it at that. Unless that sounds like your type of "celebrating", it's highly suggested to stay clear.

Krawk Island: Similar to Darigan Citadel, if you're not the type of Neopet who usually hangs out on Krawk Island then look elsewhere to party. The way Krawk Islanders celebrate is actually a bit somber, many residents go to their favorite tavern to merrily drink grog and tell yarns of their adventures. Games of chance are played, sea shanties are sung, and even a fight or two may break out. If you're looking for fun activities and high excitement this isn't the place, but if you're looking for a place you can pass around tall tales, try to avoid scurvy, and maybe get into a scuffle then Krawk Island is your world.

Haunted Woods: What? But didn't I say previously the Haunted Woods is a place you should visit? Well, yes, but at the same time this is the Haunted Woods we're talking about. Just as I warned at the end of the last time I talked about the Haunted Woods, while the main parts of the woods are "safe", the other parts not so much. Neopets' Birthday is said to be a high time for magic, and so many dark things are rumored to happen in the Haunted Woods during this time. Not only that, but when I say the main parts are "safe", I mean it comparatively and only because it's happening on Neopets' Birthday. Really, I mean it, don't stay in the Deserted Fairgrounds after midnight; you might just never leave...

Wherever you decide to go, just remember to enjoy yourself. It's Neopets' Birthday so all of Neopia is celebrating; don't be afraid to join in the fun, take in the sights, and get as many goodies as you can. It only happens once a year, so make the most of it while you can!

 
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