I.L.L.U.S.E.N.

     Dear diary,

     I am sorry for neglecting you these past months, as the training has been hard and strenuous here at the Glade. The last time I updated you, I was about to embark on my journey as a trainee in “Illusen’s Legion of Legendary Undercover Spies and Eavesdropping Network” or I.L.L.U.S.E.N. for short, the secret network of spies formed by the famous Earth Faerie herself, Illusen. I am happy to announce that I have been successful and I have become a trusted Green Sentinel. All that training paid off and I feel even closer to Illusen.

     Green Sentinels, as we call ourselves, are all the triumphant spies who emerge after the difficult courses and tutoring. We have proven our devotion to combat evil and guard the realms of Meridell and beyond. We become the eyes and ears of Illusen throughout Neopia, and in extension of the Queen. We are always vigilant and we never question our orders. Given that the Green Sentinels might be a mouthful, we sometimes refer to ourselves simply as the Sentinels or the Greens; it’s really open to one’s preference. At the end of the day, there is no official name as we formally don’t exist.

     Our mission is simple, yet effective. Most of the Green Sentinels return back to their daily Neopian life, as if they were the same bakers, coffee makers, wizards, or whatever other occupation they held before the training. However, we all share the same goal. Through our day to day activities as your typical next door Neopian, we aim to gather as much information as we can and report anything suspicious back to the Glade. You can’t begin to imagine the amount of malicious information one can stumble upon while preparing someone else’s coffee behind the counter. As the evil-doers go on about their conversations, none the wiser, we pay constant attention and note down anything of interest while stirring the coffee to mix it with the warm milk or as we sell them that potion they were interested in.

     Most Green Sentinels are stationed in and around Meridell, Darigan Citadel and Faerieland. The Sentinels in Meridell help the Faerie honour her promise of keeping the land safe and preventing further intruders. As she is the resident guardian of Meridell, we play a big part in maintaining the peace and prosperity of the land, even if its inhabitants are unaware of our existence. The Sentinels in Darigan Citadel keep a close eye on Lord Darigan. We have Sentinels lurking everywhere, even some found in his conference room, where discussions about future plans take place behind closed doors. You can never be too safe, especially given past events. Due to the Invasion of Meridell, Illusen sent many Sentinels to silently observe and report any questionable activity coming from the malevolent Korbat. Lastly, the third biggest number of Sentinels is stationed in Faerieland. These spies aim to keep watch on Jhudora, our leader’s most prominent nemesis. Some take on Jhudora’s Quests to keep her engaged while others lurk soundlessly around her Bluff. Although we live through a very peaceful time, we like to think that it’s partly because of our restless efforts of constant vigilance and loyalty to Illusen.

     The further you move away from Meridell, Darigan Citadel or Faerieland, the less Sentinels you will encounter - not that you will actually encounter any spies, tacitly working both in the shadows as well as in plain sight. That is not to imply that we don’t cover the whole of Neopia. In fact, there are Sentinels stationed near every castle, near every lair and near every Space Station - well there’s only one - where evil might lurk. Covering all the vantage points allows us to ensure the peace and tranquillity of the whole of Neopia and provide advanced warnings to Illusen, who may then escalate the matter to Queen Fyora herself depending on the level of suspicious activity.

     Having referred to suspicious activity, we actually use our own scale of threat. Each land has its own code names to facilitate faster communication. For example, in Meridell the scale ranges from petty activities, referred to as Mortog’s Burps up to serious catastrophic events which are called Exploded Pumpkins. Likewise, in Faerieland the scale ranges from a Wing Flap to Xandra’s Revenge and in Roo Island it goes from Roo Bounce to Jester Crash. These are only a few examples per land and they refer to the origin of the threat, even if it might expand to the whole of Neopia. I thoroughly enjoyed learning these as I found them quite ingenious.

     Another faction of the Sentinels roams Neopia in search of the items required by Illusen. These Green Sentinels are few though, as many kind Neopians have stepped up throughout the years to help in Illusen’s Quests and pay their respect for everything the Earth Faerie has accomplished for Neopia. This faction, which is the one that mostly prefers to call themselves the Greens, only goes on their quests to fetch items when it is of grave importance, when it is a very valuable item or when time is of the essence. The rest of the time they work under the safety of the Glade, where they forge a myriad of Illusen’s Blades and Staffs, prepare Honey Potions and Mud Mixtures and cook all the Rose Shakes and Leaf Tacos. These items are obviously given as rewards to all the generous Neopians who gather the sought-after items requested by our leader. The Greens are also the first line of defence against intruders at the Glade, although this period of calm has allowed the Glade to grow and prosper naturally.

     In the course of these past months I spent in training, I’ve learnt so many invaluable skills that are incredibly important for all the Green Sentinels. All training was performed by Illusen and her most trusted Sentinels, with the leader being Vadellen. The blue Kyrii has been her most loyal follower ever since he witnessed first-hand the threats uttered by Jhudora towards Illusen all those years ago. Ever since, he vowed to help and follow Illusen every step of the way, gaining courage, becoming the first ever Green Sentinel and now leading her I.L.L.U.S.E.N. training sessions.

     The courses were exhausting at times, however once you got the hang of it, you could recognise that feeling of accomplishment and excitement. I have two favourite training classes which I profoundly enjoyed and never once felt like giving up - unlike my most hated class which made me rethink whether I had made the right choice.

     All the names of the classes followed the standard convention of including the colour green in their names, not necessarily because the subject matter was green, but to remind us what we were working towards. The first class was called “Green Camouflage”. “Green Camouflage” taught us how to efficiently camouflage our bodies out in the field in order to not be perceived by our potential eavesdropped target. There are countless creative ways to use leaf foliage, wooden sticks or mud, among other natural and earthly ingredients, to hide one’s features and body parts and seamlessly blend into the surroundings. As Sentinels, we can never predict the terrain in which we will be operating. Proper camouflage can ensure that we remain safe and undetected while we carry out our espionage duties.

     An important aspect of the training concentrated on teaching us the importance of field investigation. That is, understanding the given limitations due to difficult terrain or scarce resources, as well as advantages provided by specific terrain coverage. It is obvious that you would hide in a bush, if it was available, accessible and of adequate size. And in hindsight, it is! However, during one of my tests in one of the sessions, I had failed to recognise the substantial coverage offered by a shrub and opted to hide behind some rocks, while also covering myself in mud and grass. During my review session, Vadellen had pointed out that, even though my camouflage was impressive, I could have made the exercise easier by taking into account the bush. Making the best use of the provided terrain, as well as the available natural resources to our advantage, always leads to a safe and prepared Sentinel.

     The second class I enjoyed immensely was called “Green Communication”. Believe it or not, you can use a single wooden stick alongside a sturdy stone to communicate! The first part of the class took place in the field, where we were taught how to use the stick and stone in unison. Hitting them together, in a very specific way, you can create vibrations which resonate through the earth and reach the receiver, which would be a fellow Sentinel. The stick is used as the striking element, while the stone is used as the transmitter and the receiver. Placing the stone on the earth and striking the stone releases vibrations, which couple with the earth and transmit subterraneously. There is so much theory behind this form of communication, but I was successful in using my set to transmit some information to another trainee, a few metres away.

     The second part of the class took place in Brightvale Library. We were all provided with copies of the book “The Green Alphabet”, written by Illusen. Despite its very obvious name and its availability in Brightvale Library, the existence of the Green Sentinels still remains an urban legend in the minds of the Neopians. The book was filled with information on how to decipher the received vibrations, or rather how to properly send meaningful vibrations using “Green Communication”. We were tasked to learn a whole new vibrations alphabet, both on how to transmit those resonances as well as deciphering them on the receiving side. It is impressive how many evil Neopians like Jhudora or Hubrid Nox have their own set of vibrations to signify their name. This experience felt like learning a whole new language which made me fall in love with that class even more.

     I am at the stage where I need to decide what role I want to play in all of this, and I am still undecided. All I know for certain is my undoubted loyalty to my leader. Given the fact that I enjoyed those two specific classes above, and less the forging and cooking classes, I don’t see myself working inside the Glade as a quester to become one of the Greens. I see myself outside, in the fields, camouflaging myself in between bushes while sending encoded messages to my fellow spies.

     I will be making my decision soon and I hope to update you as well. This is all the news from me, I hope to visit you again soon dear diary.

     Until next time,

     Sammy

     The End.