T. K. Arispe

This past week, Neopets held a creative contest on their social media channels, and I decided to join in on the fun! It was like four mini Random Contests! Now that the contest is over, I wanted to share my entries:

Day 1: Create your own trophy!

"It's earned by doing something to serve and/or protect Neopia, such as fighting for the good guys in a war plot (although we haven't had one of those in a while, so maybe it's retroactive?), donating a lot to the Charity Corner, or even being helpful on the Neoboards.

(In-universe, you probably get this trophy for being a super cool hero in any capacity, including great deeds of kindness and charity!)"

Because do-gooders deserve recognition!

Day 2: Create your own Neopian land!

"Tucked into a valley in the mountains between Shenkuu and the Haunted Woods, the Fae Refuge is inaccessible to land-bound creatures due to the steep cliffs surrounding it, and copious amounts of magic laced throughout the place to make sure no one would ever find it. It is unknown even to Fyora.

As for the origins of the Fae Refuge, thousands of years ago, before Fyora's ascent to the throne, there were multiple faerie wars that devastated Neopia. Those faeries who did not wish to fight, or grew tired of the wars, sequestered themselves in this valley, cutting off all contact with their sisters and with Neopets, and there they remain to this day... unless adventurers discover them."

I wanted to branch out from the "base a land off of a historical culture/motif" thing, and think about what kind of areas would make sense in Neopia as a whole (especially working from my headcanon, hehe). Annnddd of course now I actually want to write about this place... what have I done. :)

Day 3: Create your own Neopet species!

"Okay, so, as a paleontology nerd, Grarrls kinda drive me bananas with how they only vaguely resemble actual theropods. So for #MyNeopet, I decided to give Neopia the scientifically accurate saurian species it needs! Complete with fluffy feathers! :)

Dromaeuses hail from the Tyrannian highlands, where they live in their own tight-knit civilization. They are very clever Neopets who are always inventing things and making the most of Tyrannian-level technology. They use the big claws on their feet for additional dexterity in manipulating objects, essentially giving them three hands (or four, if they're sitting down and have both feet free). They use the feathers on their head and tail to signal to one another, and the positioning of a Dromaeus's feathers is the most helpful indicator of their mood.

Like Xweetoks, Dromaeuses are usually primarily one base color, while it is their accent color that changes when they are painted with a paint brush. For example, this is a red Dromaeus."

Seriously though, Grarrls look like a child's drawing of a T. rex from the 50's and it kinda makes me cringe. That, and how... ungainly Chombies look made me yearn for a sleeker, more modern saurian Neopet species.

Also, proof positive that dromaeosaurs can be cute. :) Take that, Jurassic Park!

Day 4: Create your own Neopian food!

"#MyNeoFood is Meridellian Forest Roast--truly a feast for any Neopet!

Long ago, a Meridellian princess who was fond of Petpets decided she did not want to eat the roasts placed on her family's table every night. The palace cooks had no alternative recipe ideas, so they traveled to Illusen's Glade to ask the help of the earth faerie and her followers. Illusen showed them a wondrous plant that was just as hearty and satisfying as meat, instructed them on how to cook it, and gave them sprouts of herbs that would complement it well. Now, this roast is a staple at every Meridellian royal feast so there will be something for everyone. :)

I used a cauliflower steak recipe found here: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239042/roasted-cauliflower-steaks with a garnish of spinach, chives, and cilantro.

And oh look, one of my Neopets is ready to dig in! :)"

I was already planning on making this for lunch, so when I saw that the day's contest was about creating a food, I decided to dress up my meal and have some fun with it. I also couldn't resist adding a little paper cutout of Blynn.

Well, that was fun! I hope this is something Neopets does again in the future. I think it's great when they interact with their users via social media like this--many players are quite creative and I think they must enjoy these activities as much as I do.