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Altador Revealed


by susankidwell

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Altador seems like your ordinary, everyday magical city. But have you actually gotten a good look at this place? It’s overridden with strange-shaped buildings, more than enough water to quench its citizens’ thirst, and weird statues supposedly commemorating famous Neopians. Now do you really think it’s so ordinary?

First off, there are two ways to get there. The first way is the normal way that can get you anywhere: selecting it on the Explore map. The second way is a little more... unusual. If you ever happen to be in Faerieland, take a look at the towers behind the Employment Agency. One of the tallest towers has what looks to be a hazy fog coming out of the window. If, by chance, you ever decide to explore up inside the tower, you will find yourself surrounded by the hazy fog. After about a minute, you will find yourself in Altador. Why Faerieland? Why a magical portal? The closest I can get to an answer is this: Altador is not normal.

Once in Altador, you have free rein of the city. You are surrounded by a stone wall, which, by the way, has no apparent entrance/exit. To keep visitors out, I ask, or to keep secrets in? In the southern part of the city, you may notice some strange buildings. The one that stands out the most is a building shaped exactly like a giant green potion. It’s a small building, barely big enough to be called a house, although that’s what it appears to be. Why one would want a house shaped like a potion is beyond me, although it may have to do with living in Altador, which, as I may have mentioned before, is not normal. The other building is shaped like some green and white berry. Again, it looks like a house, although living in a berry is a foolish idea.

Altador also has a strange obsession with water. It is surrounded by a stone wall, which is also used as a waterway. Then, more wall/waterways come in, dividing the city into four sections. Each waterway runs into the Hall of Heroes, which results in a small waterfall coming out the front of the building. There are little rivers and ponds in random spots, and many, many fountains scattered about the place. Why does Altador have so much water? Are they possibly hiding something? If so, what could they be hiding?

Another strange aspect of Altador is that it contains numerous statues. Take the Hall of Heroes, for example. In the center, directly in your line of view, are twelve statues. They each represent a hero of Altador, from a petpet-loving Acara to the brave King Altador. There are also a few statues in the outdoors, mostly of Aishas. There’s a yellow Aisha that looks suspiciously like Lisha, although what Lisha has to do with Altador I have no clue. In the very back of the city is a statue of a yellow Aisha, just... being a statue. There is also a statue of an unidentifiable species sitting in a chair. This statue, in my opinion, is the strangest of them all, as it appears to be hovering in the air. Apparently, strange statues are only one of Altador’s many... distinctions.

Let’s take a look at the Altadorian Archives, shall we? Once you enter the building, which hardly resembles an enclosed space from the outside, you see there are three options. You may go forward and look at the advertisements on the bulletin board, say hello to the archivist, or possibly take a peek into the storage room. Since the latter is usually closed to the public, I’ll tell you about it. Basically, it is a giant maze of rooms, each holding thousands of books. However safe this place may sound, it is actually quite the opposite. For some odd reason, the architects of this building decided to add some spice to their building plans. One wrong turn, one wrong door opened, and you could be falling to the dark depths of who-knows-where. Not normal, to reiterate. The bulletin board is pretty normal, other than the fact that there are a few Quiggles with jealousy problems advertising their clubs on it. Does this place sound like your normal archive? I certainly hope not!

If you should ever stop in to say hello to the archivist, I recommend you take a look around his office. It seems to be a mess, but could it also be hiding a secret? After all, if you have completed the Darkest Faerie plot (which is another Altadorian oddity, but I won’t tell you about it because I don’t want to spoil it for those who are working on it now) you will learn that Altador hasn’t had the brightest past. At first glance, it looks normal. But then, you start to notice the little details of the office. Off to the right is a green and white sock, which bears a striking resemblance to that which makes up a Plushie Slorg’s body. It couldn’t be... could it? Is our friend the archivist hiding some secrets of his own? Also, I have to mention his attachment to that beat-up old Meepit plushie--aren’t Meepits supposed to be evil? Is anyone else seeing the connection?

Last, but certainly not least, is Altador’s connection with the stars. Stars are everywhere in Altador... mosaics on floors, pillars, and even stained glass windows all feature Altador’s well-known star design. Even a certain Altadorian plot is solved by looking for constellations in the skies above Altador, constellations that can be revealed by looking at patterns is certain places in Altador. Have you ever found a constellation in Neopia Central? The Lost Desert? Of course not--Altador seems to be the star capital of Neopia. Stars may sound like they’re on the good side. But think about it--when do you see stars? At night. And what is the sky like at night? Dark. What is a synonym for dark? Sinister. And what does sinister mean? Evil. Is Altador-*gasp*-evil? I mean, it does have ties with the Darkest Faerie and all...

So what could Altador’s obsession with water, stars, and strange things mean? I’m not all that sure, although of course I get the impression that it’s not for the good of Neopia. King Altador makes his kingdom look good, but I don’t go around believing just anybody, especially when their city is as suspicious as this one. I’m not normally one to be dramatic, but I feel I have to say this: Neopia, we might have a problem. Gather your friends, go on a trip to Altador, but watch your back--who knows what’s lurking behind every star-shrouded corner?

Disclaimer: If you are currently living in Altador and are not evil, I meant no offence.

 
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