Pillars
Popularized by the priest-kingdom of Brontha but played in academic, scholarly and mystical circles, Pillars is a game of strategy designed as a meditation on the cycle of life. Played by two players on intricately carved boards, the game of Pillars has an important cultural role. It's meant to be played while enjoying a hot beverage and engaging in deep, often philosophical conversation, in temple squares and noble parlors.
History
The Game of Pillars likely stems from older versions of cross-and-circle racing games. The Bronthans believe that Kalor the Prophet brought it with him from his desert wanderings, divinely inspired by Zeilar himself.
Acolytes of the faith are required to play the game, often with their superiors or mentors as well as each other, and thus strategies, philosophies and schools of thought about how the game ought to be played flourish, as do vigorous debates about said philosophies.
Components and tools
Pillars Boards are usually carved from wood, by hand, stained and sealed. They are almost always considered art objects, and great crafters of pillars boards are highly regarded. Some have ivory, mother-of-pearl, or even precious stone inlay, others feature elaborate patterns and designs within the gameplay area or in the spaces around them.
The board features two tracks--an inner circle and an outer circle--and four triangular channels leading between the two tracks. This is recognizable to any acolyte as the symbol of The Cycle, often used as Zeilar's holy symbol--a circle, within a four-pointed star, within a circle. Stretching out on either side are two small trays incorporated into the board, used by each player to hold their pieces. Between the tracks are eight indentations, used to place stones once they've completed the objective (see below)
The tracks are carved into the board with ridges, as the game is played with colored marbles, stones, or similar oval tokens. Each token is painted or crafted to resemble a different time of day--dawn, day, dusk, and darkness.
Observance
The object of the game is to move all four of your pieces along the track, touching each point of the outer circle. Once a piece has completed this journey, it's placed into one of the eight indentations between the two tracks. Games end when one player has cycled all four of their pieces, or when an allotted time runs out (at which point the player with the most pieces cycled wins). Each piece (Dawn, Day, Dusk and Darkness) is governed by separate rules determining how far they can move on your turn, and how they interact with the other player's pieces should they meet. Strategy lies in choices about which pieces to move in which order. The inner track can be accessed and used to reposition along the board, helpful if you want to avoid an enemy's pieces, but with fewer spaces on the inner track it can become risky.
Strategies range from aggressively hunting along the inner track and leaping from it to sabotage the other player's pieces, to carefully moving your pieces in supporting patterns, claiming territory and securing each other against capture. When a piece is captured it returns to its owner's side of the board and must begin its journey anew.
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