Welcome to the world of Epic Fantasy! In this game each person, except one, will control an imaginary character. These people are the players. The story of what their character says, where they go, and what they do is theirs to tell. There can be any number of players, but I recommend an upper limit of six players and one Master Story Teller for a starting group. The Master Storyteller describes the world, prepares challenges and obstacles, and controls the other people and creatures inhabiting the world. If you look at the difference between the two tasks it should seem at first that the Master Storyteller has the more difficult of the two jobs. First glances can be deceiving.
The task of the player is to control the actions of their own character and tell their story. Many players will focus on advancing their character's skills as the purpose of the game. This is rarely a true motive of people. Do you go to Law School to learn the law, or to become a lawyer? Is it for the prestige, money, or challenge? Imaginary characters need motive and personality to make the game a story because they are the most important part of the story. The story, you see, is told from their perspective. The Master Story Teller runs the game from outside the narrative perspective. The game is about the player's characters. A Storyteller can make a great game, but it takes great players to have a great game.
The first step for a player is to create an interesting character. This character doesn't need to be the fastest, strongest, or the most powerful to be interesting. In fact, many of the most compelling stories are about ordinary interesting people meeting challenges. As a fantasy game, your character might be any kind of creature in the world you are playing. Some worlds will have Elves, Cat-people, Dragons, and some won't. The Story Master will provide you with the choices available for the world you are entering.
