Posted by Herdy on June 17, 2024, 10:24 am NST
Today is the day! The Void Within, the new plot, has finally begun! A new
hub page has gone live, along with the
first chapter of the story. You will also find a
rewards page where you can view possible plot prizes and the tasks to complete in order to earn them.
If you click on the redemption button underneath the first comic page, you will recieve a new item:
Doing so will earn you 1 point in the rewards tab, and qualify you for the first of the plot trophies which will appear on your userlookup (it will be upgraded as you earn more points):
You can also click on the background on the hub page to witness a gathering of world leaders to discuss the mysterious tears in space. Note that presently the dialog is a little messed up, so it will show characters speaking the lines of other characters. (
UPDATE ~12:00pm NST: this dialog seems to have been disabled.)
A new
FAQ has also been released, which gives some more insight into what will be happening:
How often will new content be released?
There will typically be new content of some kind appearing weekly! However, since many Neopians live busy lives, you won’t be penalized for not visiting every single day new content is released.
Content will be released in the form of Chapters spread over three-week periods, during which everyone can still catch up on content and collect full rewards! It’s only after each chapter ends that you will lose out on exclusive prizes. So you’ll want to make sure you are all caught up on the last day of every chapter!
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Do I have to participate in the Battledome Challenges?
Heavens no! Some of us are pacifists, born without a violent bone in our body, better suited to helping than hurting. This is why all Battledome challenges will also be accompanied by the option to instead have your pets donate their time to the Neopian Hospital’s efforts to treat those injured in the ongoing scuffles. You can learn more about the details of donating your pet’s time to the Neopian Hospital.
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Can I catch up on Chapters I may have missed after the three-week period during which they were playable?
Yes! Even if you miss multiple chapters, you can always jump back in and catch up with the rest of Neopia. Whether they may have contained minigames or Battledome challenges, you can still participate in all of the fun that comes along with a plot. You might miss out on some exclusive prizes, but you will still be rewarded for your efforts in other ways.
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What if I accidentally skip through dialogue or am confused about where to go next?
No need to fret! If you missed dialogue or forgot an important detail, you can always access the handy-dandy story tab of the plot hubpage to review previous scenes or chapters.
If you are still having trouble figuring out where to go next, check the plot hubpage! Characters and hints there might help point you in the right direction. Dialogue will often appear on the hubpage, but sometimes you might need to travel somewhere specific in Neopia first before it starts!
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The above doesn't seem to apply for the dialog with today's update. There is not presently a way to rewatch it.
How long does the plot last?
Following the greying out prelude, the plot officially began on June 17th 2024 when Meridell was greyed out overnight. Some seers have predicted it will end around a year later 2025, but no one really knows for certain!
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TNT Aesop suggested in the
March 2024 AMA that it will run for "at least around 10 months."
How do I earn plot prizes?
You can earn prizes in a number of different ways!
1 - Chapter rewards are given out for actively following the story along with the rest of Neopia during the three-week time period over which each chapter is released.
2 - Some prizes are earned by playing and advancing through specific minigames or Battledome challenges (or donating your time to the Neopian Hospital)
3 - Hidden trophies or fearless deeds that can be acquired through acts of valour going above and beyond that of ordinary Neopets.
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Will there be any trigger warnings for sensitive content?
We understand that certain themes may be triggering for some individuals, and never want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. For this reason, we want to preemptively highlight that this plot will involve some potential triggering topics. Instead of shying away from them, we have chosen to let our own experiences with these themes steer us in incorporating what we feel are meaningful and important topics into this plot and the larger Neopian world. For your awareness and personal curation, we’d like to inform you that some of the themes The Void Within will explore include: mental health, abandonment, identity, community, family, and exclusion/inclusion.
Although some of these topics can be difficult to address, our team feels it is crucial that our stories and characters come from real places and real people. This is how truly powerful stories latch onto each of us. Why they linger with us. How they connect us. We’ve done our utmost to approach these themes thoughtfully and responsibly through a Neopian lens while focusing on telling a captivating tale that everyone can relate to in some way. This story is born of our shared values and experiences, and it relentlessly chases after our longstanding goal of ensuring that Neopia is a place where everyone feels seen and represented.
As we delve deeper into the void throughout the course of this plot, there may be some dark corners waiting around the winding path to come. Please remember that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and keep in mind Neopia is a place of passion and hope. This is a digital world built on Neofriends and Guilds that spawned a sometimes chaotic yet always beautiful sanctuary of both escape and belonging for a vast community. We hope you will stick around with us to the very end of our tale, as we will need every person who has ever called this world home to band together if we are to truly restore Neopia to its former colourful glory!
This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are the products of the narrative team’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
POTENTIAL TRIGGERS: Mental Health, Abandonment, Identity, Community, Family, Exclusion
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