The Neopia You Never Knew

     Think you know everything there is to know about Neopia? Think again! While there are many known kingdoms, cities, towns, and villages, there are far more areas that have populations that have yet to introduce themselves, opened to the public, or even be explored! We’ll take a trip now around Neopia to places both familiar and unfamiliar!

     The North Pole: The peak of Terror Mountain isn’t just the highest mountain in the world, it also marks the geographic and magnetic North Pole! The North Star is also directly above it. You can also see beautiful auroras from the mountain.

     Straits of Terror: Running just south of Terror Mountain and north of the main Neopian continent, these Straits are not that bad other than the herds of icebergs, blinding fogs, and freezing mists.

     Thunder Tundra: A wide area to the north of Neopia Central bordering on the Straits of Terror. This area tends to be cold most of the year and has permafrost, plains, and taigas. Despite the name, the area is not particularly stormy. The ‘thunder’ refers to the sound of hooves belonging to tribes of Unis in this area who follow raindorf herds in their colorful mobile yurts. Near Kiko Lake are a number of hot springs suitable for bathing, though further out there are a number of geysers, including one called Old Reliable for its regular spouting.

     The Backbone Mountains: The mountain range that bisects the main Neopian continent and home of the Vandagyre. It’s not all mountains, though. Within is the Greatest Lake. This body of fresh water connects to almost all the other lakes and rivers on the continent! Its bottom looks like an immense geode with numerous multicolored crystals. There are also numerous fertile valleys with crystal outcroppings. The Vandagyre seem reluctant to open up their home to the public, though.

     While Shenkuu is well-known, most people don’t realize the mountainous area has a set of freshwater lakes called The Loch of Three Tears—so named because the lake resembles three teardrops. The empire of Shenkuu also extends south to include the Forest of the Ancients and west to the Legendary Sea (which also boarders Moltara and Altador), including the Plum Blossom Peninsula. On the fifth of Awakening there is a Plum Blossom Festival held throughout Shenkuu, celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of a new year. People who can journey to the Plum Blossom Peninsula to see all the blossoms. The area is noted for Mount Ume which stands alone there.

     The southern border of Shenkuu is marked by the northern branch of the Blue Moon River, which flows from Blue Moon Lake (located next to the Backbone Mountains and fed by the Greatest Lake). Monsoon Bay is also within Shenkuu’s territory (bordering the south of the Plum Blossom Peninsula). The whole area (except near Monsoon Bay) is temperate, though even in summer and winter temperatures tend to be pleasant. The Monsoon Bay area tends to get an extreme amount of storms and rain during summer and the whole area between the Bay and Forest of the Ancients is full of rice paddies.

     South of Shenkuu are the Steppes of Legend. This wide area of grasslands has tribes of wandering Neopians living on it. The Blue Moon River forms its eastern border, beyond which is the Mythwood which cradles the Backbone Mountains. Tribes of Neopets also live within the Mythwood, and both it and the territory around it is not considered part of Altador. It’s unclear whether the tribes of the Steppes and Mythwood are affiliated or not, though there are connections in designs and art that suggest the two at least trade.

     East from Shenkuu and the Steppes of Legend is the Emerald Archipelago on which Moltara is located. This Archipelago has the Northern Neopian Ocean to the north, the Legendary Sea to the east, the Southern Neopian Ocean to the south, and the Sapphire Sea to the west. The temperatures here are always tropical with it generally being rainy and warm. There are several mountains and a number of rain forests and jungles across the Archipelago. While there are no known occupants of the Archipelago (other than the folks in Moltara), they seem too large to be truly uninhabited and now and then reports of seeing someone in the dense growth come back.

     The Blue Moon River breaks into multiple branches as it reaches the Florinian Delta. As might be guessed by the name, this area is the furthest north that the country of Altador reaches. The Florinian Delta has the richest soil in all of Neopia and is home to most of Altador’s farmers. This area, as well as the valley Altador City is in was once known as Schrommos and had an unfortunate monster problem despite its beautiful pastoral appearance.

     Altador City lies in a fertile valley surrounded by mountains, the tallest of which is Mount Maximus the second tallest mountain in the world after Terror Mountain.

     The Grand Vortex: South-west of Altador, this incredible vortex seems to have no bottom. It’s unclear what happens to the water (or anything else) that goes into the Vortex, though there is a Waterspout located exactly opposite of it on the other side of Neopia.

     The Lost Gulf: A curving gulf south-east of Altador (just past the spur of the Backbone Mountains) and marking the western shore of the Lost Desert. The waters here are generally peaceful and clear and there are a number of tiny tropical islands.

     The Lonely Lands: An area of Lost Desert north of the Lost Gulf and south of the Backbone Mountains. There are quite a number of cliffs in the area, and despite the name, there is a kingdom of Neopets here who dwell in villages carved into these cliffs.

     The Seeral River: This is the main river of the Lost Desert, nearly bisecting it. Sakhmet is on one side of the river and Qasala is a bit further south and west (about half a day’s walk). Sahhmet also boarders on the Bay of Splendors to the east. Much like the Lost Gulf, this region is an ideal trading and fishing area, and its waters harbor a number of colorful coral reefs.

     The Lost Desert in general has many other areas and regions that few have heard of: Khamtef (part of the Upper Mentu Region) and the Lower Mentu Region were known from Princess Sankara, the last legitimate ruler and heir of the Khonsu Dynasty, and King Heksas who invaded to control the entire Mentu Region. The whole of the Mentu Region is a savanna. Somewhere lays Khaef where King Cotzan III battled and killed a vicious sand hydra. To the east there is the Petrified Peninsula which makes up the southern boarder of the Bay of Splendors. The Peninsula is so named for the number of petrified trees located there, as well as a number of beautiful crystal outcroppings.

     To the south of Lost Desert there are the Icecap Mountains which bisect the southernmost area of the main continent and somewhere among them is the South Pole. To the west of the Icecaps is the Scragglewood and to the east is the Frostbite Forest. Both of these woodlands are taigas consisting mostly of sturdy pines. Even further south of these are the Frozen Fields, which (like the Icecap Mountains) no one has ever successfully explored.

     To the north of the Lost Desert is the River of Les. This river flows out of Lake Neovia (just north-west of Neovia and within the Backbone Mountains). The river is named after the Moors of Les which make up the southern boarder of the Haunted Woods. There’s no actual physical barrier to the Haunted Woods on it’s eastern end—it just seems to stop as if there’s an invisible barrier. Just on the outskirts of the Haunted Woods to the north-east is the village of Berkshire Glen. To the north of the Gypsy Camp is the Werelupe Woods located ironically close to the Lake of Wishes.

     Due east of the Lake of Wishes is Central Forest which more or less surrounds Neopia Central.

     More forested regions are along the eastern coast, consisting of South Greenwood Forest (though much of this is now occupied by Faerieland), North Greenwood Forest, and Meriwood Forest (home of the famous Robin Lupe). Brightvale is just west of the Meriwood Forest and it marks one of Brightvale’s boarders. The woods stretch to meet the coast and the Alabriss Stream (a waterway known for its swift currents that aid trading ships).

     Next to the Meriwood Forest is the Cogham Steppe home of the Ixi Raiders. Just north of this area is the town of Cogham located on the Drackon Ridge. Near Illusen's Glade is the Lightwater Forest and Lightwater River. Further north-east is the Shadowglen Woods an area tainted by the influence of the Darigan Citadel’s curse. Far to the north is the Bogshot Swamp and Bogshot Village.

     The Isle of Fay and Lil Fey are on the east side of the Alabriss Stream and a bit south of Meridell and Brightvale. Both have forests and Isle of Fey also has some highlands near its center. According to rumors the Isle of Fey is where the parents of Roberta (niece to Skarl and Hagan) lives.

     To the south of the Isle of Fey is the Waterspout appropriately located within the Sea of Mysteries. This stretch of ocean does not just harbor Mystery Island, Krawk Island, and Maraqua but has more than its fair share of strange things happening—including ships that are afloat with their cargo intact but their crews mysteriously vanished. Some of these ships were last seen near the Grand Vortex leading to wild speculation about how they end up where they’re found and what happens to the crews.

     Within the Sea of Mysteries lies the Maraquan Circle on three points of which are Mystery Island, Krawk Island, and Maraqua. Sometimes considered to be the sea equivalent of the Haunted Woods for the number of odd storms, mysterious vanishings, loss of navigational abilities, and other strange occurrences within it. Of course, some less superstitious folks attribute the vanishings to the nearby Scurvy Island and it’s town Scurville—known to harbor the more ruthless pirates who moved out of Krawk Island as it became more of a tourist destination.

     Though the eastern side of Kreludor is known for it’s population of Orange Grundos, the western side has the Purple Grundos, with most other colours living in-between in an area known as Doran. This area is on the far side of Kreludor, which always faces away from Neopia. Oddly enough there are no structures on the near side.

     The Five Seas of Neopia

     Mentioned often, but rarely named, they are the Sea of Mystery, Legendary Sea, Paleo Sea (located off the coast of Tyrannia), Sapphire Sea (located between the Emerald Archipelago and Mystery Island), and the Sea of Maraqua (the area of water directly above the Great Maraquan Basin. These areas of water are considered separate from the Northern and Southern Neopian Oceans.

     Is that everything? Of course not! Neopia is a wide world, with many mysteries and unexplored areas. Even relatively known places can turn up a surprise! There are still many places to discover—will you be the one to find them?