Sawa - a game of the Drow Nation
Game:
The goal of the game is to capture the opponent's Matron. To do so, both sides ("Blue" and "Red" - in the original game the sides are designated by the traditional temperature colors: one side is "hot", the other is "cold" - to be easily distinguished in Drow infrared vision ("infravision" spell). For clarity, they are represented here by the colors of temperatures) are equipped with small power pieces that move around the board by different rules. The sides take turns moving the pieces, with the player playing for the Reds starting the game. The board is made in the form of a stylized spider's web and the pieces move from one thread weave to another on the strands of the web. The element of randomness in the game is embedded in the form of "Spider Dice."
Charts are used to explain the notation system, please see the page below under "Explanations.
Players choose colors by casting "Spider Dice" - the first one to get "two spiders" (see page 4) receives red pieces.
The arrangement of the pieces at the beginning of the game is as follows:
Figures and their movement options on the board:
Each player has: one Matron, one Priestess, one Warlock, one Knight and eight Orcs.
Matron - moves one step in any direction along any row or file/file.
Priestess - moves any number of steps along a continuous, free (unobstructed) row or file/file.
Enchanter - moves three simultaneous steps in any direction, can change the direction of movement, oncoming pieces do not pose an obstacle for him (can walk through them).
Knight - makes two connected steps in one turn. The Knight can capture enemy pieces on one or both steps of his turn.
Orc - moves one step in any direction along any row or file/file, but only if the move brings him closer to an enemy piece in the same row or file/file and there are no intervening friendly pieces.
All pieces capture enemy pieces by positional substitution/substitution.
(Scheme 2)
Enchanter and Matron:
The Blue Charmer on C2 can make a move and capture any of the Red Orcs on the board, including the piece on AB2 (the Charmer neglects the counter piece on B2). The Red Orcs have marked all of the moves the Enchanter can make. He cannot move to DC3 through CD2 and D2 (or CD3 and D3), because the three pieces he crosses (in three steps of one move) must be connected.
The Red Matron on G2 may move to GH2 (capturing the blue Orc), G1, G3, or FG2.
Knight and Orc:
A blue Knight may capture an Orc on B3 and a Warlock on BC3, or an Orc on A2. He may also capture an Orc on B3 and move to AB3. However, he cannot capture the Orc on C2 because the blue Orc blocks the path. He also cannot capture the Priestess because the presence of two blue Orcs on AB1 and BC1 makes it impossible for him to make this move.
The Blue Orc on E2 can move to E3 because that move will bring him closer to the enemy piece on A2. He can also move to EF2, because that will bring him closer to the Orc on C2. However, he cannot move to F1 because there is no enemy piece in that direction; also he cannot move to FG2 because the Blue piece on H2 blocks his path to the Orc on A2.
(Scheme 3)
Priestess:
The Red Priestess can capture the Orc on G1, but cannot capture the Orc on B1, because there the path is blocked by the red Knight. Blue Priestess can capture Knight in spite of Blue Orc blocking her on F2, because she can go through GA2, A2 and AB2.
Dice (Dice):
The chaotic nature/element of randomness of Drow society is expressed in the game of Sawa in the form of Spider Dice. Before making his turn in his turn, the player can instead roll two special octagonal dice. Each dice has four facets empty and four with the image of a spider. If the player rolls "two spiders", i.e. both dice fall so that they have spiders on their upper edges then he can move one of his opponent's pieces as if this "renegade" piece were one of his own. However, the player cannot capture the opponent's Matron with a "renegade" piece, since the Matrons are too aware of betrayal in their own ranks to be caught unawares by such a gambit. However, the Matron herself can be chosen as a renegade piece.
After the player has made a move with an enemy renegade piece, the turn passes to his/her opponent again. The opponent cannot immediately move his renegade piece to its former position, although the renegade may be moved to another position during this move.
If any combination other than the "double spider" occurs, the player loses the right to move and the turn passes to his/her opponent.
Since there is only a one in four chance to roll two spiders on the dice, many players avoid using this method until an urgent need arises (such as moving or capturing a piece that controls Matron). Nevertheless, good players recognize that it is better to use dice when a potentially missed move won't cost them too much - at the beginning or middle of the game - than at the end of the game - in a panic, when everything is at stake. And also at the beginning and middle of the game, when more pieces are present on the field, there are more opportunities to devastate enemy ranks.
There is no limit to when and how many times a player can roll the dice instead of making a move, but it is considered rude to resort to dice before at least two moves are made; and the limit of stupidity is to simply roll the dice every time, hoping for a fluke. The Drow may honor the chaotic ways of the deity Lols, but they know that the Spider Queen is more likely to help those who rely on themselves than those who rely on luck. However, a player who never rolls the dice might be seen as somewhat irreverent; so it is considered good form to make at least one roll per game.
Rebirth:
If the Orc manages to move across the board to the opposite defender side (a block of nine "stands" containing the bulk of the opponent's starting position - for Red: A1, A2, A3, AB1, AB2, AB3, B1, B2, B3; for Blue: E1, E2, E3, EF1, EF2, EF3, F1, F2, F3), it may be withdrawn from play and replaced by any piece previously captured by the opponent. If none of the main pieces have been captured by the opponent, no replacement takes place. If, after the Orc has reached the enemy camp/base, one of the main pieces is captured, the Orc must move to another square within the base to accept the replacement.
Strategy and Tactics:
The Priestess is probably the strongest piece in the game (being properly placed she can attack more than 40% of the board from one position), but in the early stages of the game she is hindered by Orcs, which limit her ability to attack around the board. For this reason, many players choose to either keep the Priestess in reserve until later in the game, when most Orcs have been captured, or sacrifice distant Orcs to make room for the Priestess and allow her to attack early in the game.
As in life, when dealing with Enchanters, you must think several moves ahead. Their ability to jump and move long distances makes them dangerous, but they do not have the ability to attack at close range; they must be strategically placed to maximize their talents. The enchanter is great for maneuvers that require a turn. About 70% of the grabs in the final game of Sawa are made by Enchanters.
The Knight is in his element when surrounded by opponents, as this is the position in which his unique double move manifests itself most effectively. The Knight is often the first major piece to fight the enemy and is often lost in the final confrontation. However, since the Knight can often remove two pieces from the board in one move before being captured, it is worth it, especially if the maneuver results in capturing the enemy Priestess.
Matron rarely has a chance to capture anything during the game. Her low movement speed makes her very vulnerable and she must be protected from attack by more mobile pieces. Matrona can be easily blocked by her own pieces, so she should be moved as soon as possible from her starting position - this maneuver is not easy, since it requires removing at least two Orcs from the flanks and can take up to eight turns. The threat of an enemy Enchantress also prompts the player to open up space around Matron at the start of the game to prevent her from being blocked by friendly pieces when the Enchantress attacks. If the enemy Enchanter is captured early in the game, then an effective tactic is to re-encircle Matrona with friendly pieces to make it difficult for the remaining enemy forces to successfully attack.
Orcs are weak, so a cunning opponent can use the special rule "must move toward the enemy" to direct their movements and even paralyze them completely. However, they are more numerous than other figures, provide excellent defense and can be used in combination with a Warlock or Knight to apply death grip tactics to the opponent's Matron. They can also make a significant impact when they occupy at least two of the four center stands.
The uneasy feat of capturing Matrona by an Orc is regarded as a very skillful play. Usually it is due to an opponent's blunder, and for that reason the winner (and numerous observers) will taunt the loser, mock his ineptitude/lessness, and occasionally pummel him slightly.
Designation System:
The board is divided into three rows (1, 2 and 3) and four files/sectors (A-F, B-E, C-H, D-G). There are also four "invisible" files/sectors (AB, BC, CD, DE, EF, FG and GH). "Stands" of figures are named by their sector/file designation and then by their row designation - as shown below; the exception is the four central stands, which are named by the two overlapping files/sectors (HA, BC, DE and FG).
The figures have the following abbreviations:
Matron - M;
Priestess - R;
Sorcerer - Wz;
Squire - Wm;
Orc - no abbreviation;
Moves are shown in the following format: (Figure) (Destination), so PFG3 means the player has moved his Priestess to parking lot FG3. The exception is the Orc, which is indicated as (Original Stand)(Destination), for example: D3ED means that the Orc on D3 was moved to ED. This eliminates confusion in case more than one Orc can be moved to the same staging area.
The capture of a piece is shown as "x"; thus WzH2x means a Warlock moved to P2 and capturing an enemy piece there. In the Knight's case the capture in the middle of the double move is shown with an "x" before the destination of the piece; thus WmxAB2 means that the Knight was moved to park AB2 and captured the piece standing in his way (presumably he was initially on A1, then the captured piece was on A2). Double capturing by the Knight is shown as WmxAB2x (the Knight moves to the square AB2, capturing an oncoming figure and a piece on AB2).
An Orc who has infiltrated the enemy camp, advanced into the reward zone and is to be replaced by a major piece according to the rebirth rule (see above: p.4) is denoted by the formula: (Orc's turn) (Reborn Major Figure), so the formula FG2F2Wm means an Orc who has reached the reward zone and is reborn as a Knight.
If the player decides to roll Spider Dice, this is shown by an asterisk. If the dice roll a skip move, then only an asterisk is entered into the notation; but if the player rolls "two spiders" and makes a move with an enemy piece, this information is entered after the asterisk, e.g: *D2D3x shows that the player with the "two spiders" moved an enemy piece from D2 to D3 and captured an enemy piece on D3.
Examples of games in formula format:
Game #1.
1. DE2D2 A3AG;
2. WzG3 HA2H2;
3. FG2G2 H2GH2
4. E3DE WzC1
5. WmDE3 BC2C2
6. WmCD3 B3BC
7. G2GH2x PB2
8. DEBCx*
9. GH2H2 C2C3
10. *WmB2x C3CD3x
11. H2HA2 GHCD
12. WzHA3 WmAB3
13. WzAB2 A1A2
14. WzAB1x
Game#2
1. E3DE WzC3
2. WmEF3 WzCD1
3. F3FG3 HA1H1
4. WzGH2 HA2H2
5. WzGH3 PB2
6. WmFG A3GA
7. WmxA3 WmxGA
8. *BC2C2
9. FG2G2 WmC3
10. FG1G1 C2CD2
11. F1F2 B3BC
12. F2F3 BCDE
WzA3* 13.
14. WzAB1x
Game #3
1. F3FG HA2H2
2. WzG3 H2GH2
3. A3GA E3DE
4. WmEF3 WzA3
5. *WzGH3
6. *BC1C1
7. PF2 WzFG2x
8. PFG2x *WzEF3x
9. PGH2x C1CD1
10. WzD3 B3BC
11. CDBCx PB2
12. FGHAx CD1D1
13. PG2 BC2C2
14. WzBC3*
15. PD3 WmHA3
16. HAA3 WmAB3
17. PFG WmxBC3x
18. DE1D1x WmCD3
D1CD1 WmDE3 19.
20. DE2D2 PE2
21. *C2CD2
22. E1E2x WmE2x
23. ME1 WmxDE1
Variations of the game:
In Banre Sawa, popular in Menzoberranzan, if a Priestess is captured, Matron gains her qualities - the ability to move around the board. This makes it unreasonable to capture an enemy Priestess in any case except in very specific circumstances. This variation of the game got its name not because it was invented or even played by House Banre, but because the inhabitants of Menzoberranzan directly associated with the First House the need to avoid the aggravation caused by the absence of a Priestess in the game.
Chad Nazed Sawa is not a variant of the game with a piece being reborn, but rather reborn and upgraded; the rule is that orcs that reach the upgrade area can be reborn into more status figures, even if the player already has a similar major piece on the board at that time, allowing several Enchanters, Knights or Priestesses to be involved in the game.
Champion Sawa is a popular variant of the game that adds an additional piece, the Sacred Champion (C) - in moving around the playing board combining the abilities of both Enchanter and Priestess combined. The Champion starts the game from the first line of the starting formation: AB3 for Blue and EF3 for Red. Despite such extensive move options, the Sacred Champion is not allowed to capture enemy pieces and cannot be captured by them himself, so he is only useful for blocking enemy attacks.
In Lols's Sawa Champion, the Sacred Champion is allowed to capture enemy pieces and be captured by them himself, but only when all three main friendly pieces have already been eliminated from the game. This variation of the game is still sometimes used as a religious sacrament.
In the Great Wheel of Sac, the game takes place on a large board with an extra area (24 stands) around the circumference, two additional Orcs are added to the pieces and each of the main pieces is duplicated. In the center of the playing board an additional space is formed - designated as the Nodal Sector / "Hub" - linking the sectors HA, BC, DE and FG. For both sides the Nodal Sector is an area that increases the status of the pieces. The Great Savage Wheel game is regarded as a novelty and most Drow do not play it seriously.
In Dice/Wheel Sawa a player is entitled to make a standard move with an enemy piece "defector" if he gets at least one spider on his dice. And if double spiders are rolled, the player has the right to completely remove one of the enemy pieces (except Matrona).
History of the game:
The origins of the game of Sawa are mysterious. According to popular legend, it was given to the Ilithyri race by the goddess Lols to teach them the principles of Drow society - treachery, lottery, guile, and careful planning. However, most historiographers of the game date its appearance shortly after the Dispersion period, around - 3000 DR, as there seems to be no evidence of its existence before that time. As the Drow began to lead a less expansive and (comparatively!) quieter urban lifestyle, the increasing leisure time of the nobility led to the development of the game of Sawa as a pastime. Because it was and still is believed to teach many useful lessons about survival to the Drow, the Matron Elders of most clans gave their tacit approval to the game, and some even encouraged it among their wards. The game was considered a vital part of any troop leader's education, and for some time it was performed as a rite of passage in the Church of the Lols in Shamath/Shamath.
In recent centuries the popularity of the game of Sawa among the nobility has declined, partly because of the increase in the number of players from the lower classes. Because all it takes to play Sawa well is intelligence and a degree of learning, many Drow of the lower classes who were able to master the game became capable of defeating members of noble houses. This intolerable state of affairs was conspicuously noted by the Archimage of Gromph Banre, who, when defeated in a Sawa tournament by a humble foot soldier, calmly stated that: "...losing to you (in the game of Sawa) will not diminish my greatness among the Drow. But this loss, however, has made me very, very angry."
After which he turned the ill-fated victor into a mushroom:(
As a result of its versatility, Sawa has become less common in the halls of nobility, but this decline in popularity is more than compensated for by its spread throughout the rest of Drow society. There are even a few players who are not of the Drow race - the wizard Elminster is known as a competent player. But few, if any, non-Drow race players have ever sat down at a gaming table with a competent Drow master. This is partly due to the general reclusiveness of the Drow race, but it is mostly due to the fact that the dark elves are fiercely protective of their traditional game and tend to skin and/or gut members of any other species they find playing Sawa.
In any case, it can be said that Sawa is completely ingrained in Drow culture and no non-Drow can even hope to fully understand the subtle aspects of the game. The game of Sawa is a vital pillar of the world of the dark elves. Though they will never admit it, the fact that Sawa is accessible to all - rich and poor - makes it a unifying factor in a highly stratified society. It has been said that the world of the Drow is a world of chaos, betrayal, and disorder. Ironically, the game that codifies these concepts may well be part of the glue that binds the parts of the world together.
And yes, a female MC with life experience sounds ~*amazing*~.
Ah, yes! Field Marshall Fuseblower, or is that Feldmarschall Sicherungsprenger? 
