I’ve put this off long enough, you think. It’s time to take action.

The woman had mentioned three crucial tasks one must undertake to slay the dragon: Define, Capture, and Engage. The marketing brochure had listed these, as well as a fourth strategy: Impress. You reason the books must have to do with defining, the sketchpad with capturing, and the wooden ball with engaging, as its literally engraved with the word ENGAGE. Impress must mean to, well, impress the creature.

You grab the fantasy encyclopedia first, and look up to see the dragon just a few feet away, staring down at you with a quizzical expression. It wants to see what you’re going to do.

First, you read it the definition of “dragon”.

The creature snorts, but does not attack. It waits.

Nervously, you put down the encyclopedia and pick up the sketchpad. You’re not much of an artist, but you do your best to draw a likeness of the creature. Soon a drawing of the beast before you is sketched on the page. You hold it out to the dragon, who inspects it thoughtfully.

You set down the sketchbook and pick up the ball.

“Now,” you say, “to be engaged!” You’re not exactly sure what this means, so you juggle it from hand to hand, with as much flair as possible. Then, you think back to the marketing brochure and realize that engaging means interaction, not just putting on a show. You kneel down and roll the grapefruit-sized ball to the dragon’s left claw. It stops the ball, examines it, and rolls it back to you.

“And now,” you conclude, “to be impressed!” This is the area you’re least sure about, so you do the first thing that pops into your head—an impromptu tap dance. The dragon seems incredibly amused at your Fred Astaire impression, and you attempt a mighty finish, dropping to your knees with a jazz hands flourish.

I’ve done it, you think. I made it through all four steps!

You close your eyes briefly in smug satisfaction.

When you open them, all you see is teeth and a throat.

 

T H E  E N D

 

So close! You indeed found some tools, but didn’t quite understand all four steps.

You can:

Play again.

Or:

Visit the website of AE: Adventures in New Media, and learn about all the tools you need for a successful campaign.