Prologue
or
You Can't Trust Tetrahedrons
Our tale begins inside one particular urban tree. A library, to be exact. Yes, a tree that is a library; pay attention, will you? Inside this particular librartree, on a particularly nondescript table sat a not so nondescript... thing. This... thing was so far removed from nondescript that if descriptiveness was measured by a signed integer, it would wrap right back around to being extremely nondescript. However, such an abstraction is ridiculous.
The thing was basically a tetrahedron. It was covered in exotic runes and grooves, as well, but compared to the percentage of the object was a tetrahedron, the percentage of it that was exotic runes and grooves was relatively insignificant. Stood by the table was a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, who we, even as omniscient viewers of this scene, can only assume is the current owner of the treebrary (yes this librartreebrary was owned by a small, horned horse. Deal with it.)
Twilight Sparkle examined the strange contraption from several angles. She was almost certain she had deciphered the runes adorning its edges correctly, but she still wasn't sure what it actually did. Something about claiming the "ultimate reward" and "meteors fall, everyone dies". There's also a spirograph crudely carved on one of the sides, and the symbols "eb+ag" surrounded by a heart on another.
Oh, by the way, you are the small unicorn. It's you. Just thought I'd let you know what I'm doing with your fragile mind here.
Anyway, you were- Hmm? Who am I? Well, let's just say I'm a four-sided three-dimensional object covered in scratches. I'm trying to tell you how you got here. Now if you don't mind?
You were fairly certain that these runes didn't have anything to do with anything. You figured they were probably acts of vandalism, actually. And you were right. You also figured that this object was some sort of recreational device, meant to entertain. After all, several others apparently found it harmless enough to carve strange symbols into it talking about games. And you weren't exceptionally wrong.
In fact, you wanted to test it out yourself. It was at the moment that you decided to go ahead and try to activate it that you heard a knock on your front door. Opening the door revealed two of your good friends: Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
After some inane chatter about something inconsequential to my interests, you managed to convince them to help you. If you understood this device correctly, it would allow the three of you to play an interesting kind of virtual game. Rainbow Dash was obviously excited at the prospect of competition, but Fluttershy was hesitant. You assured her it was harmless and she caved to peer pressure. Good job.
All three of you proceeded to put your hooves on m- I mean the incredibly descript... thing that happened to be a tetrahedron. By Celestia, though, was it a handsome tetrahedron. Such a tetrahedron wouldn't be amiss atop an elaborate royal scepter, if you ask me. It's a wonder that this tetrahedron did not have more beings questioning their sexuality.
Anyway, you put your hooves on the thing, and then you zapped it with your little horn, and then you passed out. I feel the need to remind you of this because passing out can have detrimental effects on your recent memory. Now that you are up to speed...
Are you ready to play?