Part two: The role-playing game. Also known as: The story's finally begun! Yay!

"You may notice that your perception of the world has changed," said the Lady.

"This would be our fault.

"Once you wake, you will be able to see the different alliances. I will not tell you what alliances there are. Some animals, as well as important plants and fungi (there is a reason we are including species besides the dragons, humans, elves, urgals, werecats, and dwarves), will have an… aura of a certain color, which represents their alliance. I leave you to discover what each color means. The majority of animals, however, will look mostly normal, with no color surrounding them. They are neutral. An important note is that betrayal is still allowed, as well as spying, but temporarily disguising one's alliance will put a strain on one's magic, which naturally means that all spies must be at least mediocre at spellcasting.

"Besides the alliance colors, you will also notice three bars to the left of each individual, including those neutral: one purple, one black, one red. The purple shows the individual's magical strength, the black its mental strength, and the red its physical. I will provide fair warning to you all: physical strength is considerably weaker than the other two, since it mostly focuses on melee fighting. It is suggested that those with a high red bar and low purple and black bars train in archery or other ranged forms of combat, or at least be slightly intelligent."

"Ooh, cool! Do we get levels too?" That would be Dusk.

"Fortunately, no. A level system would be grossly unfair and would result in most of Alagaesia being dead within the week.

"This information is only being passed on to leaders and high-ranking members of each alliance. Likewise, only these people will be capable of seeing the alliances and bars. However, leaders are able to give the ability to other members in their alliance. You will be able to discover how on your own.

"To see your own bars and alliance, you need merely wish to see it, and the bars and a square of your alliance's color will appear before you.

"Ranks, too, are displayed, although crudely. Leaders will have a golden crown symbol, high-ranking members will have a silver crown, and those who have been given the ability to all this by their leaders will have a bronze crown. Crowns can be hidden in the same way as the alliance colors.

"This is a role-playing game. I am one of three gamemasters. From this point onward, all of you share an objective, although you may ignore it in favor of your own goals. Your objective is to end the game. To end the game, you must disable the gamemasters. If you somehow manage to figure out how to kill us, then do so. I look forward to it. Please note that the three of us are immortal and invincible, hence the lack of a time limit on the game. Each of us also has a ridiculously elaborate and destructive plot of our own going on, and while I do not know about my fellows, I can say quite confidently that none of my followers know my own plans; they simply carry them out. If you manage to figure out any of our plans, then I commend your efforts and wish you luck in stopping us.

"Every individual who manages to take down a gamemaster will be granted a reward of one wish, and the gamemasters will also stop meddling in your affairs for a good while, the exact duration of time to be determined later."

"How do we identify you if we meet?" That would be Shruikan.

The Lady couldn't help smiling. It wasn't a very nice smile. "You will certainly be able to tell us apart from normal alliance leaders. I guarantee it.

"Now, I do not care whether you understand all this or not. I do not care if I have made this unclear in any way. I will not take questions. I will not say who exactly I am, nor will I disclose my location (although some of you already know).

"There are those of you will be unwilling to participate. Allow me to give you an incentive: I was responsible for both the fall and rise of the dragon riders, and so, indirectly, for the destruction they caused during their reign." She paused. "Not entirely. Quite a bit of it - the fall, that is, and the destruction - was the riders' own fault. I merely nudged them in the right — or wrong, depending on how you look at it — direction.

"You may begin."

Known alliances:

None

Known gold crowns:

None

Known silver crowns:

None

Known bronze crowns:

None