Flooding the Maraquan Myth

“It is very difficult for non-Maraquan pets to travel to Maraqua because they can’t breathe underwater.”

“Neopets that live on land can’t travel into the sea’s depths.”

“I never vacation in Maraqua because Kaus and water simply do not mix.”

Everywhere I went, from Sakhmet City to Terror Mountain, every species, gender, and age group of Neopet held tightly to the stubborn notion that not all pets can travel to the mesmerizing lands of Maraqua. However, Dr. Marvin Gelophop, a local physician in Neopia Central, claims, “All Neopets, whether they are painted Desert or made of sponge, can safely travel to Maraqua.” Dr. Gelophop, an experienced green Gelert who owns one of the oldest and most-respected hospitals in Neopia Central, reassures me that Neopia is a land of magic and that anything is possible. Dr. Gelophop asks, “If faeries can grant your pets incredible abilities, if a prehistoric culture can exist right alongside a futuristic one, if a Dubloon-O-Matic can give you change, then why shouldn’t your pets be able to travel underwater?”

In Mystery Island, the Techo Master concludes that, “It is only a state of mind that keeps the pets of Neopia away from the blue waters of Maraqua.”

In Faerieland, a light faerie assures me that, “The faeries, and all the magical creatures in the world, allow wondrous things to happen. Anyone is free to go to Maraqua and not be harmed. I wonder why anyone would start a myth like that in the first place.”

The light faerie brings up a good question. Why do so many pets believe that they cannot venture into Maraqua?

“It’s only logical,” one member of Meridell royalty told me. “If you can’t live underwater, then you certainly can’t live or vacation in Maraqua.”

Dr. Gelophop answers this assumption with ease: “Things do not need to be logical in order to be true. For instance, how does a biscuit fight in a Battledome? And yet Chombies, Kougras, Rukis, and Yurbles are doing it every day. Think about the sensation of traveling to Kreludor. Gravity and breathable air is only a fraction of what it is in Neopia, and yet every Neopet’s body is able to manage.”

Therefore, if logic, as we all know, has no place in Neopia, where did the belief that Maraqua is meant for a select few take shape?

It is startling that we have the belief embedded in popular culture. There is the game Jubble Bubble, in which we see Maraquan Jubjubs falling to their doom because they can’t survive in the underwater atmosphere. The game is given a difficulty of medium, inviting both newbies and experienced players alike to give it a go. It also gives you one-hundred percent of the points you make, and anyone who has played it knows that the graphics offer an awe-inspiring rendition of the Maraquan landscape. The game gets tens of thousands of game plays a day, spreading its erroneous message to thousands of Neopian households by the hour. “We have never had a single case of drifting Maraquan Jubjubs getting hurt, regardless of whether they had a Maraquan Shoyru around to help,” a Maraquan resident stated. “If Neopets living above water think that this is what it’s like down here, I can see why we don’t see that many tourists.”

In Faerieland, the same light faerie as earlier states, “Though most Maraquan and underwater pets are better-suited for life in Maraqua, magical creatures use their powers to keep all pets safe. The things you see in Jubble Bubble would never happen is the real Maraqua. Oh, and not that many feathers and dubloons float around down there either.”

The question remains as to who spreads these unfavorable rumors. “The only creatures that would stir up these untruths would be the ones that wish to benefit the most from them,” the Techo Master coolly states.

This is why we must turn our heads to the rulers of Maraqua and its most well-off residents.

As you may know, Maraqua is a brightly-colored, unique world well beneath the water’s surface. It is home to some of the most exotic pets in all of Neopia and contains some of the most expensive neohomes the world around. Its only food source is an extremely exclusive, gourmet restaurant, with appetizers and cocktails alone costing about 30,000 neopoints. The local stores are more often than not sold out, and many of the items are coveted and sold for immeasurable amounts on land. Its main tourism is in the Maraquan Ruins, where many a visitor has taken a wrong turn and ended up assaulted by a giant sea creature. This creature shouts a disastrous message that Maraqua’s best residents take to heart: “GO AWAY!”

“If our economy and reputation are to prosper, then we can’t be bothered with pesky commoners swimming about all over the place,” Sir Wentchester Richardson tells me. “It’s best that only a select few travel about Maraqua: those rich enough, and those brave enough to take the risk.” The King, in fact, found it necessary to keep his lands secret for many years before revealing New Maraqua to the world. In an exclusive interview, he stated, “Danger is eminent in all the lands. I do whatever I can to keep Maraqua safe.”

However, are King Kelpbeard’s methods of safety too harsh? Maraqua is currently the only monarchy in Neopia that does not have a castle housing its royalty that is readily available to the public. In fact, many of the residents do not know where some of the land’s most influential and powerful leaders reside. It is obvious that the land of Maraqua wishes desperately to stay undetected by the Neopian radar. The rest of the world is invited to fish rubbish and giant undersea creatures out of their waters, and then urged to promptly leave or wait patiently until they can catch something again.

From glimpses and games, we can see that Maraqua is a pristine, prospering world. A Maraquan paintbrush costs at least 1.2 million neopoints, a Maraquan neohome costs 11 thousand neopoints, and a single meal can take about 75 thousand neopoints out of your bank account, and that’s only if your name is on the reservation list. Neopian residents are encouraged to stay away from the lands, and instead play the games showcasing just how dangerous it is in Maraqua.

However, for the select few lucky enough to laugh and enjoy a world beneath the choppy waves, amid the swarming schools of undersea life and unique architecture, they enjoy a reclusive life that will not be threatened... unless, of course, all the Neopets get wind that they too can venture into these privileged waters.