Not sure how you as a retired staffer feel about answering lore questions/giving your slant, but I just remembered something that I used to think about. I’m not sure when the Base Set for the Neopets TCG was conceived, but one of the cards is Lord Darigan.

http://images.neopets.com/tcg/c/0021_HV24.gif

Now, some cards have what might be called “misprints” here and there, but the flavor text for this card reads “If there is a source of all evil in Neopia, it isn’t far from Darigan’s heart.” Champs of Meridell, toward the end of 2002, flipped the script on us and was basically like “Darigan’s not a villain, he’s just a little grumpy because he’s trying to get his Orb back.” But this flavor text seems to imply that yes, Darigan is some level of sinister. And because it’s printed in 2003, I’m led to believe this card was written after Champs wrapped up.

And this got me thinking. Is this meant to imply that Lord Darigan isn’t entirely innocent? Because I think it could be possible. Did Meridell steal the Orb? Okay. But where/how did Lord Darigan get the Orb? And why? What is the Orb? Is it a product of some dark magic that Darigan dabbles in? Does he scheme of forbidden dark arts and stuff? Maybe Darigan came by the Orb in some sinister way.

Or even if that’s not confirmed, if I’m Skarl, and there’s a nation that I know deals in dark arts, I’m thinking “It’s only a matter of time before they hurt someone. If they’re dealing in dark arts, they can’t be trusted with any Orb, they should disarm. Meridell can be trusted with the Orb, we have a history of enforcing peace and fighting evil. Also we need it.”

TL;DR: What, if anything, does “A source of all evil in Neopia isn’t far from Darigan’s heart” mean?