🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by HeartofEnder. Enjoy!

Heart here! Now when I wrote my Popspiracy on the Baron’s backstory, I wasn’t planning on doing a part two to the theory. However, Red October and the reveal of the Red Queen brought new lore with even more questions, so here we are. Reminder: This is all guesswork gathered from what we know — it’s not canon to Poptropica (yet?).

The Seven Systems, the Resistance, and Astro Knights?

Let’s start with the seven systems. The dark knights guarding the airship mention that the great Red Queen conquered the seven systems, but what even are they? From the Queen’s own words, they seem to be planets in outer space.

But why is there a resistance in the first place? Maybe the seven planets didn’t want to be conquered by the Queen. While conquest can introduce new languages, tools, and culture, it can also destroy the old cultures of the area being conquered. Overall, not a great thing.

Now we move onto the fun stuff — the mention of everyone’s favorite lost island, Astro-Knights. The Red Queen believes that whoever freed Rumpelstiltskin is affiliated with the Astro Knights, suggesting that she has some problems with them. Maybe the Astro Knights are defending the seven systems from being conquered. However, there’s one key piece of info worth remembering.

In Astro-Knights Island, after we gather the three “Astro Knights” (which back then were simply known as the Knights of Arturus) at the Crystal Gate, it’s revealed that the player is the fourth knight.

We also happened to be the ones who freed Rumpel in Fairytale Island. Perhaps sealing away Rumpel was the key to the Queen’s conquest of the seven systems, but since we, the player and potentially the last of the Astro Knights, freed Rumpel, that may mess with the Queen’s plans. This leads to the next question…

Why did the Queen trap Rumpel in the first place?

In my previous Popspiracy, I guessed that the Queen trapped Rumpel because he was causing trouble, but could there be another reason?

Perhaps Rumpel has some hidden power the Queen wants to use. The royal family doesn’t seem to have any sort of magic, so the Red Queen could have trapped Rumpel on Fairytale Island not for the safety of Poptropica, but for personal gain.

So why was Rumpel stealing happy endings, kidnapping a king, and possessing a sky pirate? For the first two, it could purely be for revenge. Rumpel is angry the Queen sealed him away, so he gives her family a taste of what happens when you take magical beings for personal gain.

However, kidnapping the Baron could be something different. The Red Queen clearly doesn’t care about the Baron, in fact seeing her as an obstacle. The Baron could be resisting the Queen’s ways. Maybe Rumpel went through a lot of trouble to kidnap the Baron with the hopes of gaining information and possibly working together to stop the Queen.

Last time I theorized that the Baron simply didn’t like being royalty. But if the Baron resisted the Queen’s ways, that could be a reason for why she’s not royalty anymore. Maybe the Queen disowned the Baron, simply for resisting conquest. Maybe the King and the Prince of Fairytale started fearing the Queen because of such events.

What does the future hold for Fairytale Island?

With all this new info, it seems possible Fairytale Island is connected to Astro-Knights in one way or another. I theorize that as the last of the Astro Knights, the player heads to the seven systems to assist the planets in fighting back against the Queen, with potential assistance from the Baron and Rumpel. We might even get more references to this classic island… anyway, if there’s another fight in space, I’m all up for it.

When I first started playing Poptropica, the Baron was only an antagonistic character that appeared once on Monkey Wrench and was never seen again. It makes me happy to see characters like her get more of a spotlight. For now, we can only sit back, relax, and prepare for whatever the Pop Creators are up to next…

I hope that you enjoyed this follow-up to my theory on the Baron!

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by HeartofEnder. If you did, you might also enjoy her fanfiction series, The Witch’s Heart.

The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you!

Guest Posts

Pop Puzzles: What’s Missing? Round 4 Answers 🔑

October 10, 2022October 10, 2022 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Dizzy Feather. Enjoy!

Tree Topped: You won’t be-leaf where this tree is growing.

Hello everyone, Dizzy Feather here with the answers to round four of “What’s Missing?”, a Pop puzzle where I obscured items from in-game scenes for you to guess “what’s missing.” If you missed it, play the game on the original post before scrolling down for spoilers!

Shout-out to Smart Icicle, Young Rider, and LilysInMay for getting the majority correct! Anyway, here are the answers:

Hope you enjoyed this PoptropiCon, Ep. 1 edition of the game! Stay tuned for the next one — it’ll be based on episode 2!

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Dizzy Feather. If you did, you might also enjoy previous rounds of “What’s Missing?”: Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3.

The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you!

Baron's Airship, Fairy Tale Island, Home Island

Red Queen looking for a Green Fiend 😈

October 7, 2022October 8, 2022 Purple Paw

Red October is upon us! Board the Baron’s airship ~~unless you want the Queen of Fairytale Island herself on your case~~ — ahem, if you’d like to partake in some Halloween shopping. You know, casual.

That’s right. The infamous Red Queen, the very one mentioned time and again throughout this Fairytale Island extended story, has arrived at last, guarded by dark knights and cats. And she’s on a mission!

Things aren’t looking too good for the green weasel in question. Rumpelstiltskin escaped the airship before the Queen arrived — possibly taking the Baron and her faithful monkey Ack with him, but neither of their whereabouts are known. No Baron’s Crusade this time!

There’s also an interesting bit of dialogue from the Queen that mentions Astro Knights. Could this beloved lost island be reentering the plot?

In response to our question, “Where are you returning from?”

With these new revelations, we’re left with more questions than before. What are the 7 systems the Red Queen speaks of conquering? How exactly does she plan to defeat Rumpel with that hammer (and do we want to know)? Where’s Rumpel hiding? Is the Queen planning to save her daughter the Baron, or is she after Rumpel for personal gain alone?

It also makes us wonder if Rumpel may not have been Fairytale’s true villain all along. With the introduction of the Red Queen, he’s no longer a menacing shapeshifter but a victim on the run. Will we as the player end up helping him? Whose side are we on?

On a lighter note, the Baron’s absence isn’t hindering her shop’s success: as announced, six new fan-made costumes (one designed by yours truly) are now available in-game for free! Personally, I’m pleased with how my “Jellyfish” was interpreted. The other five look fabulous as well!

You might find these pieces useful for your entry in the PHB’s Halloween costume contest, which is open till October 29. Besides the Red Queen and green fiend, don’t forget to pop in a bit of blue as well. Good luck!

Besides the costumes, you can also pick up two styles of jack-o-lanterns for 50 credits each, and a Rumpel-ized Baron Plushie for 200.

By the way, while Ack is nowhere to be seen, you can still earn credits by playing the Clear the Skies mini-game on the airship, which has been refreshed with a new skin to match the Red October mood!

Meanwhile, Amelia is no longer dangling under the clutches of Baronstiltskin, but back down on Home Island operating an autumnal sale of her own. She makes no mention of what she went through, but you can pop by Adventure Outfitters for hoodies and Halloween decor!

Whew! It’s certainly been an eventful day. There are many different directions the story of the royal family could take, all of them equally intriguing. I’d love to read your thoughts and theories — drop ’em in the comments below! Happy Red October, everyone. 🎃

*The Queen’s Batman-like cats are watching…*

~💜

Thanks to Dizzy Feather for contributing to this post.

Monthly Costume Contests, Sneak Peeks, Uncategorized

Halloween Habiliments and Homepage 🎃

October 6, 2022October 6, 2022 Agent Bubbles

(Hey, I used a big word!)

Hello Poptropicans! Following up on the earlier Halloween costume peeks, we’re now bringing you the final four of the six September costume contest winners. Plus, stick around for more October chaos!

For our winners we have: Candle Cat by White Moon, Flowy Man by Happy Chicken, Jellyfish by the PHB’s own Purple Paw, and Zombie Redcoat by Magic Poptropican. Purple Paw tells us their design was submitted many months ago and Poptropica must be digging into their archives — but hey, as long as we’re getting some good ones!

Anyway, congratulations to the winners! Soon others will be wearing your designs across the game.

Perhaps these costumes will give you inspiration or even parts for yours! There’s still plenty of time to enter the PHB’s Halloween costume contest, open till Oct 29. Alas, I wish I could take part, but Smart Bubbles is currently in the middle of a fight with Dr. Hare. 😛

“Zombie Redcoat” seems to share similarities with this revolutionary from PoptropiCon… great minds think alike?

Poptropica is entering fully into spooky season now, and we even have a new background for the login screen! I have to admit, I’m digging those reds… reminds me of Vampire’s Curse Island.

If you’re an artist looking for ideas for your own work, check out Poptober, our daily drawing prompts for the month of October! Even if you’re starting late, it’s okay to go at your own pace, or picking whatever prompts inspire you.

Happy creating!

Castori honorem ~ Maryann/Smart Bubbles

Fanfiction, PHB Series, The Villain Saga, Uncategorized

“The Villain Saga” – Episode 5, Part 1

October 5, 2022October 5, 2022 Agent Bubbles

(Table of contents) (See previous)

FADE IN.

We open on a wide shot displaying Erewhon Prison. It’s a rare non-stormy day, where bits of sunlight can actually be seen through the fog. The island is in perpetual shadow, but you can just barely tell it’s afternoon.

CUT TO inside the prison, on the first floor near the doors. Only a couple guards are stationed there, one sleeping and the other playing a game of solitaire on a work computer.

The camera heads to the elevator, then speeds up the building. We at last arrive at Floor 13, where a guard is leading DR. HARE into the medical and testing side. The doors to JUPITER’S strange machinery remain closed and locked.

Continue reading →