Underground Treasures: A Guide to the Symol Hole

     We will begin with a rundown of the basics for readers who are unfamiliar with the Symol Hole. Although much of its workings are shrouded in mystery, it seems to be some kind of burrow, occupied by Symols. Leading experts believe it is likely that the Symols dug the hole themselves. It is accessed through an unassuming hole in the ground, leading to a dark tunnel. This is all that can be seen from the surface, though there have been many reports of lights, strange noises and even music coming from the Symol Hole. All of this would only be of interest to the most dedicated of Petpetologists, were it not for the Symol Hole’s most intriguing property: it contains a fortune so vast that even the Snowager would be jealous. Want to know how you can nab some of these treasures for yourself? Keep reading.

     Step 1: Grab a Petpet

     The Symol Hole is small. So small, in fact, that only Petpets can fit inside. Is your Baby Aisha about the same size as a Petpet? Is your Ghost Nimmo able to walk through walls? It doesn’t matter. If they’re not a Petpet, they’re not going in. Can Petpetpets fit into the Symol Hole? Yes. Are they strong enough to drag treasure up to the surface? No, so don’t bother.

     If you don’t have a Petpet yet, you could always stop off at Ye Olde Petpets on your way to the Symol Hole. From time to time, they even stock Symols, though there is no evidence that Symols themselves are any better at finding prizes in the Symol Hole than the average Petpet.

     Step 2: Locate the Symol Hole

     The Symol Hole can be found in Meridell, though its location is not marked on any maps. We strongly recommend asking a local for precise directions, because it is of vital importance that you do not miss the Symol Hole and keep walking past it. If you do, you might come face-to-face with the Turmaculus. And if you have brought a beloved Petpet with you… Well, let’s just say the outcome could be very bad. (Although if you’re in this for the avatar, you might find a silver lining in the situation.)

     Step 3: Time it right

     You can send your Petpet off in search of treasure every hour. But each hour, there is only a short window when treasure is actually available. No one really knows why. Perhaps it takes the Symols most of an hour to gather together all the prizes required. Perhaps your Petpets aren’t being awarded prizes, but are in fact stealing treasure, and it takes almost an hour of Petpets throwing themselves down the hole to break through the Symols’ defences. All we know for sure is that most of the time, your Petpet is all but guaranteed to come back empty-handed.

     The prize window seems to change from day to day. If you want to find it without a lot of trial and error, we recommend asking around, maybe on the Neoboards. Someone is bound to know.

     Step 4: Choose your method of entry

     From climbing down carefully to belly-flopping right in, your Petpet can enter the Symol Hole in a variety of ways. This has no bearing on treasure hunting, but it may have an impact on how much fun your Petpet has. You should assess your Petpet’s species, temperament and spelunking experience before deciding on the most appropriate method.

     Step 5: Hope for a prize

     Even if you time it perfectly, more often than not your Petpet will still come back with nothing. But if you’re lucky, they might just bring you some amazing treasure. Below, we have collated a list of the prizes we keep our fingers crossed for.

     The Avatar: Perhaps the most well-known prize, this avatar really is a thing of beauty. It features a lovely blue background and a Symol with an adorable smile. Consider this a souvenir to remind you of all the fun times spent with your Petpet at the Symol Hole.

     Fancy Petpet Food: All that burrowing underground and climbing back out must be exhausting. There is no better way to reward your hard-working Petpet than with this fancy treat.

     Underground Tunnel Background: We are particularly interested in this one because it might give us an insight into what the Symol Hole looks like. Of course, we don’t know whether this background is an accurate representation of the underground tunnels we keep sending our Petpets into. (And if it is, we are rather concerned about the skull in the bottom right corner.) But either way, this background is a lovely way for Petpets to share the Symol Hole experience with their Neopets.

     Photo of a Castle: This is not an uncommon prize to receive, but it is by far the most intriguing. The castle in this photograph is not from Meridell or Brightvale. In fact, no such castle has ever been discovered in Neopia. Members of the Symol Hole Appreciation Society have whiled away many an hour discussing what this castle could possibly be. Leading theories include a highly detailed model built for a Symol tabletop roleplaying game; a photorealistic drawing by a Symol architect; and a real castle from the centre of a secret underground Petpet kingdom called Symoland. If you receive one of these yourself, we encourage you to join the speculation!

     Dirt Symol: Top of our wishlist for Symol Hole prizes is a Dirt Symol. Just look at them - they’re so stinking cute. You’ll have to be exceptionally lucky to get your paws on one though: they are so rare that none were available in the Marketplace, the Trading Post or the Auction House at the time of writing. This also means they would fetch a fair few Neopoints if you decided to find them a new home. But of course, you would never rehome your Petpet’s new friend, would you?

     And there you have it, folks: everything you need to know about the Mysterious Symol Hole. We hope this has removed some of the mystery, and you now feel more confident sending your Petpets to investigate this underground world. Good luck with your treasure hunting!