Andrew: Oh, thank you for coming so quickly!

Alison: Not at all, we came as soon as we got your request. My crack squad of genius programmers here (gestures at audience) is ready to fix whatever problem you're having.

Elizabeth: Oh thank heavens!

Alison: What seems to be the trouble?

Andrew: As you know, we here at Fantasy Games Overloaded develop the best test adventure games on the market. Our heroes are the mightiest, our monsters are the scariest, our dangers are the perilousest...

Elizabeth: Which is sort of the problem, you see.

Andrew: Yes, lately there's been...

Alison: Well, out with it.

Andrew: You see, our chief programmer Cody Pumbleton disappeared and only left behind this new game, "The Search for the Crystal Prince." It's a labyrinth filled with strange puzzles and riddles...

Elizabeth: And since then, there have been noises from the basements...and we found what we think was a griffin skeleton down there...

Andrew: And we're worried the game is becoming a bit...too real-- and that Cody may have been trying to stop it when he vanished.

Elizabeth: At any rate, we think that if we can find the crystal prince within the game and rescue him it will help us find Cody in real life.

Alison: Right then, why don't my chaps and I take a look at it. We'll let you know what we find, all right? Don't worry a bit.

Elizabeth: And there's just one other thing. Watch out for the dragon!

Andrew: (who may stop looking frightened if he likes) This year's puzzlehunt takes the form of a labyrinth text adventure. We'll help you get the game running on your computers, and there are instructions for navigating the text adventure at the beginning of the game itself. Within the game you'll find URLs leading to puzzles on our hunt website. You start with eight Round 1 puzzles and you'll be able to find and unlock Round 2 puzzles as the game continues. We'd like you to call us at the numbers on the blackboard when you solve a puzzle . Answers will take the form of short phrases or instructions, so "BASILISK" or "CAPTURE A UNICORN AND BRING IT TO HQ" might be answers (in the second case you'd better bring us a unicorn), but "HELP HELP I'M TRAPPED IN THE LABYRINTH" would not be. Good luck finding the crystal prince, defeating the dragon, and saving Cody Pumbleton!