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As you know, most plots are now followed by a TCG expansion pack and this plot is no different. Inside the Haunted Woods Spooky one hundred card expansion pack you will find not only cards originating from the Haunted Woods but also from Maraqua, Kreludor and Krawk Island to name a few. Be warned, there are possible (however unlikely) spoilers to the Haunted Woods Plot below. So let's get started with the Haunted Woods Plot:

Our two main heroes include a new hero species: Bruno the gelert and our normal dosage of Lupe, Reginald. They are both dressed in somewhat Victorian attire so I think we can expect Neovia (such an original name) to be based on that era. The card Creeping Shadows suggests that Neovia wasn't always as creepy as it currently looks due to the flavour text: 'Neovia used to be such a happy place'. Bruno seems to be the main hero where as Reginald, the intellectual is playing second fiddle. However, they both look like characters with potential.

Cue the problem, a curse is transforming all the residents of Neovia into brutish, monstrous and overall rather hideous forms of themselves. The Touch of Von Roo card suggests Count Von Roo is to blame for the curse, however I don't think its going to be a villain we already know that is going to be responsible for this. Compare the card Bruno to Ugly Bruno and you will have evidence that the curse, while affecting their physical appearance, does NOT affect their physical abilities. Moreover, it makes them smarter and more magically able. The card Curing the Plague introduces either the villain who created the curse, or a mysterious figure who cures it. There is, however, a strong possibility that it is instead part of the 'Sophie' sub-plot.

Roll out the villains! Here are the suggested villains who may have a hand in the curse Neovia has befallen. Archos, whose shadow 'is the darkest of all'. Arguments against it are that he is wearing armour more commonly found in Meridell. Second is the Neopets equivalent of 'Poison Ivy' from Batman, Ilere of the Woods who is 'deadly as she is beautiful.' She seems to be an earth faerie gone wrong who would have no trouble cursing an entire village. It is to be suggested, although unlikely, that Archos is Ilere's pawn due to the fact that Archos is green. Lastly there is Mr. Krawley who is 'well-known for his hostile take-overs'. Supporting evidence is that Bruno's transformation has a definite Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde nature to it and Mr. Krawley looks to be a scientist if his complicated briefcase is to be noted.

There are four related cards that didn't fit into any other category that I'd like to bring up. Hallowe'en suggests that Hallowe'en itself is related and provides the possibility that we'll have to wait until October for this plot. Evil Trees provides more evidence that Ilere of the woods is behind it. Creeping Shadows, as mentioned above, points out the fact that Neovia wasn't always haunted and is an interesting shot of Reginald without his face in a book. Hide-and -Seek shows that not only do Reginald and Bruno know each other, they have other friends who may fall victim to the curse or help them out, and that either Bruno and Reginald may possibly own the mansion together suggesting that they are related.

Sub-Plots
There are four sub-plots I have formed that also have cards in this expansion set that are worth pointing out.

Sophie and the Plague
You may recognize this Ixi although significantly younger than the version we now know, Sophie the Swamp Witch was young too once. It appears she had to prove herself to Bogshot (or Neovia) before settling into her position. The thing about this sub-plot is that it is entirely possible that it ties into the Haunted Woods plot very easily as Sophie may be able to help cure the curse or plague.

Meow
Two cards in this expansion pack, Followers of Meow and Golden Scratching Post feature a tribe of Meowclops spending their lives serving Meow - supposedly the first petpet ever. They may have their own secluded area of the Haunted Woods, but I doubt we will be seeing them during the plot.

NeoQuest
Certain characters from NeoQuest are also featured in this expansion, a feature I didn't expect to see in the TCG. The two featured below contain Xantan, the main villain from NeoQuest One and Anubits of the Lost Desert portion of NeoQuest. Random fact: the binary at the bottom of Anubits' card reads 'RAWR'.

Altador
While not technically a sub-plot, a few Altador cards were thrown into this expansion pack including Sasha, the Dancer, The Hall of Heroes and The Taint.

Credit:
This guide has been written exclusively for NeoLodge.com by Joey

21/06/06