Lost Desert Plot

	This page is under construction
	Participation and prizes sections still to be completed.

"One thing about Sakhmet, you can guarantee that it's never a dull place..."

The Lost Desert Plot was a plot that started on the 30 August 2005 and concluded on 29 November. Prizes were released on 30 January 2006.

The plot introduced Qasala, a cursed kingdom of the Lost Desert that has lain in ruins since it was destroyed in a sandstorm 200 years ago. Prince Jazan sought to undo the curse on Qasala by marrying Princess Amira of Sakhmet, and held her city hostage when she refused his proposal. The plot also featured Nabile and Tomos, thieves with the Desert Scarabs who would uncover the truth about the curse.

Alongside the story, users joined in in solving an enormous and complicated puzzle. After its completion, The Neopets Team would describe it as "biggest plot puzzle we've ever done". It was the first time Neopets implemented a plot which required people to actively participate if they wanted to progress. The players were set very difficult tasks, including exploring and mapping the extensive Temple of 1,000 Tombs, the layout of which was unique to each user; and unburying, excavating, and furnishing the Scroll Repository. They were also faced with numerous red herrings.

Initially, Chapter 14 was portrayed as being the end of the plot - the story of Amira, Jazan, and Nabile appeared to be concluded, but the puzzle remained incomplete. The plot continued with the return and defeat of Jazan's father, Razul, which tied in the end of the puzzle.

Discussion of the puzzles on the Neoboards lead to the coining of the acronym OLDPD, for Obsessive Lost Desert Plot Disorder. Discussion boards tagged with OLDPD would continue for many future plots - The Neopets Team congratulated them on passing 5000 threads during the Disappearance of Krawk Island event.

Several characters introduced in this story would return in future plots: Prince Jazan and Nabile would appear in The Faeries' Ruin, and Nabile, Tomos, and Amira would feature in Desert Diplomacy. The Foreman, who the player encountered during the puzzle, would return in the Altador Plot as the janitor in the Hall of Heroes, and similar, angry Yurbles would appear in The Tale of Woe and The Faeries' Ruin.

Synopsis

Over two hundred years ago, the sorcerer Razul laid a curse on his city, Qasala, its people, and his son Jazan, trapping them in a torturous, undead existence so that he might cheat death. A prophecy stated that the curse would be lifted when Prince Jazan married a Princess of Sakhmet. In order to save his people, Prince Jazan tried to take Princess Amira's hand in marriage, who had ascended to the throne of Sakhmet after her father's death. Princess Amira refused, and so to try and coerce her, Jazan used magic to transport the city away from the Lost Desert and trap it in a world of the undead.

Taking refuge in the Qasalan ruins, Nabile and Tomos discovered the history of Qasala and realised the curse would only be broken if Jazan and the princess loved each other. Returning to Sakhmet using the enchanted Ring of the Lost, Nabile managed to stop the wedding. Amira's adviser Enarka realised Nabile was the descendent of a disinherited line of the royal family, and was of royal blood herself. Nabile confessed her love for Jazan, having read of his tragic past in Qasala, and they agreed to get married instead.

This completed the prophecy, and undid the curse, but in doing so, returned Razul to life - his plan all along. Jazan battled Razul and was able to defeat him.

Story

"The most magnificent thing in all of Sakhmet is the Royal Palace."

Deep in the Lost Desert, the exotic city of Sakhmet was a hive of activity. From the grand Royal Palace, Princess Amira could look out over her city and its busy streets.

A mysterious noble rode into the city on the back of a Uni. After bribing his way past the palace guards, he arrived in the Great Hall as the Princess was holding court. Introducing himself as Prince Jazan IV of Qasala, he announced his intention to marry Amira, and produced a scroll claiming that she was already promised to him. Princess Amira was unimpressed, and order her guards to expel the "fraudster" from the city.

Princess Amira ordered her advisers to see if they could corroborate Prince Jazan's claims. Enarka discovered a historical record pertaining to the city of Qasala - although once thriving with a respected royal family, it was destroyed in a sandstorm over 200 years ago. Prince Jazan must be a fraud.

Nabile and Tomos, street urchins with the Desert Scarabs, had watched Jazan enter and leave the city. At Tomos' suggestion, they tailed him, hoping he might have treasure they could steal. Rather than finding a palace or a city, they followed his Uni's tracks all the way to a sprawling ruin. Unable to find the Jazan or any treasure to be had amongst the dust, they were forced to return to Sakhmet empty handed.

Prince Jazan was not ready to give up on marriage yet, and some time later he returned to Sakhmet, resolute. Seeing his arrival, Nabile and Tomos decided that this time they would wait outside the city for him to leave, and then ambush him.

Princess Amria was preparing to make an announcement to her people when Jazan interrupted, suggesting she was going to publicly acknowledge him as her husband-to-be. Amira refused again, and Jazan's disguise magically dispelled. His Uni reared up as the terrifying Nightsteed, and magic lightning crackled in the air as Jazan gave the Princess another chance to marry him and fulfil the prophecy.

Jazan makes an ultimatum.

She refused a third time, and Jazan's spell whisked the city of Sakhmet and all its inhabitants away into an alternate dimension - Jazan's world, full of terrible undead monsters. Nabile and Tomos, still outside the city waiting to ambush Jazan, watched on unable to help as the city faded away.

Jazan gave the Princess one week to change her mind and marry him, or he would let the monsters roaming the streets destroy the city. Her court appealed for her to accept, but she did not want to be part of whatever evil Jazan had planned. While most Sakhmetian residents barricaded themselves indoors, General Dacon made his way to the edge of the city. Outside, the inhospitable landscape was fraught with violent sandstorms: there was no hope of escape or reinforcement.

With nowhere else to go, Nabile and Tomos sought shelter in the Qasalan ruins they had discovered earlier. However, they found them no safer than the desert - they were chased by Nightsteed until they fell into one of the city's traps. Surviving the long fall and escaping a water trap, they discovered part of the city that was still intact. While Tomos explored the armoury, Nabile began translating some inscriptions in the library. Jazan and his city, the histories revealed, had been cursed to live a monstrous existence until he married the Princess of Sakhmet. "When true love unites, Qasala will live again."

Horace and the Desert Scarabs remaining in the city barricaded themselves in with the Lost Desert Foods shopkeeper. They worked out that the Qasalan monsters had very poor eyesight - if they stayed still, they would walk right past. They also found blunt weapons to the effective. Together, they made their way to the palace to inform the General of what they had learnt. The guards and the Scarabs were able to make their way to families isolated in the city and bring them back to the palace. Jazan set Scordrax, the twin-headed Scorchio, on the city to try and force Amira's hand. He offered her an enchanted wedding ring that would lift the curse on his people and free her city.

In Qasala, Nabile and Tomos discovered some other enchanted rings. After escaping from the Spirit of the Ruins, Tomos tried on the Ring of the Lost, which transported him and Nabile home - to Sakhmet. Jazan ordered them arrested and commanded Amira's servants to prepare the wedding. In fear for their lives and wishing for an end to their torment, they did as he said.

Nabile explained to her guard, a Qasalan Pteri handmaiden, that she knew about the history of Qasala and that Amira would have to love Jazan for the prophecy to work. The handmaiden agreed to take her to the wedding so she could talk to the prince. She told him she knew he used to be a kind prince, and that she thought his wickedness was part of the curse - she was in love with him. Enarka pointed out a portrait on the wall - Nabile was the spitting image of Princess Neera, who was disinherited a long time ago for marrying a peasant. As Neera's descendant, Nabile was Amira's distant cousin and of royal blood. She, too, was a princess of Sakhmet, and could complete the prophecy by marrying Jazan. Nabile took Amira's place, and Sakhmet was returned to the Lost Desert. Nabile and her husband returned to Qasala to begin rebuilding it.

Razul returns.

As time went on, Jazan became troubled that his people were still monsters and his city in ruins, even though he completed the prophecy. He sent Nabile back to Sakhmet. He became miserable and forlorn without her, but while Qasala remained a land of the dead, it was no place for the living. Princess Nabile spent her time in Sakhmet researching the curse. The prophecy had promised that when the curse was lifted, Jazan wouldn't be the only thing returned to life.

One day, while Princesses Amira and Nabile were taking tea together, an unnatural storm appeared in the skies above Sakhmet. Fulfilling the prophecy had resurrected Jazan's father - Razul, a great sorcerer who had been imprisoned long ago by the people of Sakhmet. He began to lay waste to the city, impervious to the weapons of the Desert Scarabs and General Dacon's guard. He moved on to the palace, determined to eliminate the princesses.

Sensing that Nabile was in danger, Jazan returned to the city for a third time to do battle with his father. Weakened by his time away from Nabile, he was outmatched. When Nabile took a magical blow meant for Jazan, it enraged him enough to overwhelm Razul and defeat him once and for all.

Participation

	This page is under construction
	Incomplete - see official solution for now

Official Solution

Mysterious Tablet

To complete the tablet, users had to find parchments revealing the location of each tablet piece. To receive the third parchment, participants had to bet and feed a Poogle in Poogle Racing. To find the parchment that revealed the location of the 11th tablet piece, users had to lose a game of Fetch!.

Battledome

Opponent		Difficulty
Spirit of the Ruins		50
Scordrax		150
Razul		100000

While it was a puzzle plot, the Battledome was used as part of the puzzle solving.

Red herrings

The Neopets Team left several red herrings throughout the plot to confuse players. On the 26 August, they announced through the New Features page that several scrolls had been released. Three players revealed on the Neoboards that they had them - these included duke_of_mildew and buffoonery. They were in fact members of staff mascaraing as normal players. Although these would form part of the puzzle, these were never actually released to players. They would eventually become available nine years later through the Desert Diplomacy event.

Another scroll, Pyramid Painting Vol. 7: Faux Finishes (refering to the gold-painted Scroll Repository) had been given out in Lenny Conundrum #132. Although this scroll appeared in the Temple of 1,000 library art, it was another red herring.

The Fortune Teller .swf file originally contained some left-over art, including of Sophie and a sketch of the Fortune Teller. This was noticed by players who thought they were clues. After The Neopets Team noticed this, they replaced the left-over art with a picture of a spinning Sand Cuisine for Elephantes scroll.

Only one column on each Mysterious Tablet piece clue was relevant - the rooms described in the other columns were red herrings.

Prizes

On 30 January 2006, players were awarded points depending on how quickly and how much of the puzzle they had completed. Players received a site theme and one of the following trophies when they visited the Gift Shop of 1,000 Souvenirs - rebranded the Gift Shop of 1,000 Rewards.

Trophies
Sand Mite	Furniture Merchant	Desert Scarab	Dune Explorer	Scroll Specialist	Qasalan Archaeologist	Aegis of Sakhmet
(1000-? points)	(4,000-6,450 points)	(12,850-22,800 points)	(23,800-62,800 points)	(134,300-164,300 points)	(179,300-194,300 points)	(199,300-229,300 points)

Top scoring sand and block movers.
	Top Sand Movers		Top Block Movers
1.	lordjetro	73	sinisten	14
2.	majacal_daze	70	sunshinebubbles	14
3.	jenlynng	68	soerenl	13
4.	princess_peace001	64	indisguise	13
5.	rosebud2554	64	kimik000	13
6.	parkerchempro	62	takumi0830	13
7.	pretiful	62	tracy17901	13
8.	marigoldd	62	barrymanglow	13
9.	samniann	62	bassexe_04	13
10.	devingl	62	—

The list of the top scoring sand and block movers were released on 31 January.

The list of the top scorers in all of Neopia was released on 1 February. First place was parkersc with 229,300 points, tied for second place with 214,300 points were dolphinling and dragon_cleric, and tied for third place with 204,300 were cran_b, sum41girl2k, and ub3r_g00b3r.

Players could see how much of puzzle they themselves had completed, how many handfuls of sand they had carried, and how many blocks they had moved, by clicking the trophy on their user look-up. Furniture mover statistics were said to have been "stolen". The scores for handfuls of sand, blocks moved, and furniture placed did not contribute to a player's overall score.

Players could chose their own prizes by 'spending' their points in the shop. There were twelve possible hieroglyphic keyrings, but each player could only buy the one bearing the symbol from their Statue of Nuria.

Handful of Sand - 50 points Its indescribable! Heiroglyphic Keyring - 1,000 points This handy and stylish trinket is perfect for holding your keys! E-Z® See Crystal Ball - 1,000 points Please insert 100 Neopoints to see the next three minutes of your future. Nuria Statue Bobblehead - 1,000 points STOP THAT! Spike Pit Play Set - 1,000 points Made from 100% recycled spikes. Contains the real bones of unfortunate adventurers! Useful Crystal - 1,000 points Great for jimmying the locks on ancient tombs. Gelatinous Non-Cube Plushie - 1,000 points Filled with real jelly. WARNING: Do not eat this plushie.

Nabile Plushie - 10,000 points It even has a tiny Desert Scarab tattoo! Stylish Scroll Rack - 15,000 points Adds an air of sophistication to any room. Foreman Cudgel - 20,000 points Keep your workers in line with this authentic replica cudgel. Signed by the Foreman himself! Handy Spike Pit - 25,000 points Thwart those pesky thieves with this handy spike pit! Includes stain remover. The Annals of Insanity - 30,000 points HAHAHAHAHA LENS FLARE OMG Secrets of Dirigible Construction - 30,000 points How to build lighter-than-air flying machines? Yeah right! How to Play the Viola - 30,000 points The only guide in Neopia that can teach you to play the viola in a week flat. Now if only there were any violas to play in Neopia...

Snarkie Answers to Stupid Questions - 30,000 points Yeah, right. Like anyone finds this book useful. Foreman Plushie - 40,000 points Double-stitched to prevent the seams from splitting when you throw it against the wall in frustration! Razul Plushie with Real Fire Action! - 50,000 points DANGER: Not for children, adults, pets, or anyone at all, really. Anubis Toxicology Reports (Abridged) - 60,000 points Everything you ever wanted to know about what can make an Anubis ill. And lots more you never cared about. Lost Desert Paint Brush - 70,000 points Transform your Neopet with this super-rare Lost Desert Paint Brush. Royal Wedding Ring - 100,000 points A powerful, hypnotic artifact. Be careful, or you might end up cursed... Ring of the Lost - 150,000 points It takes you where you need to go.

Trivia

The city vanished.

• The sixth Neopets TCG expansion, Lost Desert, was released in conjunction with this plot.
• When Jazan transported Sakhmet to another reality, the city and most of the shops and games in the Lost Desert disappeared from the site.
• The stolen Scroll Repository furniture would be recovered as one of the prizes for The Faeries' Ruin plot.

External links

• Plot Info: Lost Desert Plot
• Prize Redemption: Gift Shop of 1,000 Rewards
• Caption Competition: #621, #625, #639