Recounting the Battle for Meridell

     Almost two decades after one of the most eventful and gruelling battles in Neopian history, as a society, we still recall the Battle for Meridell with perfect clarity. We remember its villains with great apprehension: General Kass, the Three, Morguss, the Court Dancer, and the myriad of Skeith soldiers and Eyrie guards. Not to mention the giant spyders and zombie Petpets.

     Woefully, the list goes on. (Thoughts on the Zafara Double Agent, anyone? We may never know where her loyalty lies!)

     After all, despite today’s firm truce, all Meridell citizens know to be on high alert as a general rule of thumb - no matter what.

     On the bright side, we also remember its heroes with deep appreciation and awe: Sir Jeran, King Skarl, Lisha, Morris, and Psellia. We even remember the most unlikely of heroes, such as Lord Darigan, founder of the Citadel and leader of establishing the truce between the two lands.

     But what we do not discuss enough is the role Meridell citizens played during this dark time infamous in Meridell’s otherwise pristine history of heroes and legends.

     The below article contains firsthand accounts of how Meridell citizens participated and what creative action they took to fight for their beloved home.

     Snargan the Castle Treasurer

     Funds were critical to obtaining the resources needed to win the Battle for Meridell. Known for running the mildly questionable game of Double or Nothing, Snargan stepped up in his role of castle treasure during the war and used the funds from defeating Neopians to funding the efforts of Meridell. As an added bonus, he even continued to run the game for only Darigan troops and, unbeknownst to them, rigged the game in his favour to earn additional funds.

     In a recent interview, he boasted of the following: “No one has ever been able to resist a good ol game of double or nothing, including the Darigan armies. Especially since the game was pretty new back then. We funded this war on Darigan’s dime!! Those Neopoints went on to pay for Sir Jeran’s armour itself, among other important items!”

      Kiss the Mortog, Ye Olde Petpets Shopkeeper, Attack of the Slorgs & Turmaculus:

     Since Darigan Citadel’s strategy involved unleashing Petpets directed to attack, it was only natural for Meridell to adopt a similar approach. A brief interview with the Ye Olde Petpets Shopkeeper revealed that at the time, she allocated all of the Meridillian Petpet stock towards the battle as opposed to sales.

     “Sir Jeran hoped to turn the tide of the battle by utilising Petpets too,” she stated. “In fact, the need for reinforcements was so dire, he recruited Mortogs of Kiss the Mortog as well!”

     The Paper Crown Mortog confirmed this as well:

     “Exploding Mortogs are useful in more than one setting. Most of us like the gambling appeal of Kiss the Mortog, but during the Battle for Meridell, my Mortog army hopped towards the Citadel exploding along the way to create chaos, confusion, and block Darigan Citadel’s visibility of the battle.”

     The creative use of Petpets continued with the Slorgs of the game Attack of the Slorgs. Notorious for invading farms and eating crops, normally these Slorgs hassle the local Yurble farmer. But even these hungry, goofy Petpets have a moral compass. During the battle, they marched to Darigan’s crops instead, leaving a sticky, slimy trail in their wake that trapped unsuspecting approaching Darigan troops. This was particularly effective since it served the dual purpose of limiting Darigan’s food supply and slowing Darigan troops down.

     And finally, we cannot forget our local king of Petpets Turmaculus. While known for his dedication to napping, he is also known for his gigantic appetite. During the battle, like many, Turmaculus did not sleep. Instead, he dedicated his appetite to the zombie Petpets Darigan sent over the border. Turmaculus is personally responsible for eliminating several.

     Amidst all the threats of the giant spyders and zombie Petpets, the Petpets of Meridell were not as noticed, but undoubtedly played an integral role in protecting Meridell. We are grateful to our local Petpets for dedicating their services during this critical time and applying creative thinking to contributing to the battle.

     Ultimate Bullseye & Cheese Roller:

     On the ammunition front, much was needed as well.

     We stopped by the target practice area, and the lead Turtum shared that all the thousands of arrows in supply were gathered and donated to the Knights of Meridell.

     “Our Knights are excellent with a bow and arrow, and we were more than happy to provide the supplies. Speaking of which - imagine if we had a Lord Kass balloon in our Ultimate Bullseye game. I bet all players would be motivated to hit the bullseye, eh?”

     In addition to traditional weaponry, the citizens of Meridell proved to be most resourceful. The Cheese Roller Techo reportedly launched all types of cheese down the local hill directed toward Meridell’s enemies.

     “I spared no expense!” The Cheese Maker shared. “Even my Licorice Cheeses and Darkberry Cheeses were rolled in the battle at almost 5,000 Neopoints per cheese wheel. My favourites to use included: the Tyrannian Dung Cheese, the Very Stinky Cheese, and the Rotten Cheese. Serves that pesky Darigan army right for threatening my home!”

     When it comes to the Battle of Meridell, many of us remember knights on mounted Unis with powerful swords. It wasn’t too far of a stretch for the Ultimate Bullseye arrows to be used as weapons too. But using cheese as a weapon is certainly outside the box and not something many of us realised!

     Once again, we are impressed with the thoughtfulness and grit of all who live in this triumphant land.

     Merifoods & Meri Acre Farms

     As expected, food was perhaps the most demanded resource during this time. Since the battle raged on for over three months, keeping Meridell fueled and energised was of utmost importance.

     Merifood’s Shopkeeper was more than happy to shed some light on how Meridell achieved this:

     “Profit is not always the most important thing! Similar to several other local businesses, we shared our shop stock with all. I am proud to have supplied our knights with the sustenance they needed to defeat Darigan. Bag of Peas and Sludge Pies for all!”

     Similarly, the Meri Acres Farm donated their food supply as well. Naturally, the Gelert of Pick Your Own supplied countless berries, and the Kacheek farmer supplied potatoes. With one small caveat:

      “I specifically ensured that ½ of my potatoes be used to throw at our enemies!” The Kacheek shared. “You should have seen the battlefield…truly a modern-day extreme Potato Counter if I’m being honest. I had plenty of potatoes to go around, and this was as good use for them as eating them…maybe even better!”

     Kayla’s Potion Shop and Illusen’s Glade:

     Last but not least, sometimes the missing ingredient is magic. Kayla spent tireless hours developing magical brews designed to enhance the strength and endurance of Meridell’s knights.

     “Bubbling Fungus, in particular, was a stroke of genius if I do say so myself!” Kayla shared with a bright smile. “My potions combined with Illusen’s caring protection certainly helped!”

     Known for providing aid in Meridell’s time of need, she and Psellia represented the faerie council and supported Meridell with deep devotion.

     In conclusion, more were involved in this historic battle than most of us realise, and all remain proud of their contributions to this day! Today, they are happy to share their memories and what role they played in the famous Battle of Meridell and welcome all to their safe and protected land.