The Gates Special Edition Chess Set
The Gates Special Edition Chess Set is a rather special and expensive looking chess set found in the Spirit World, particularly the Spiritual Travelers purchased a set in the hobby shop "Star Curtain Gaming" in The Night City of Dorchar.
The box shows an impressive use of different graphics to showcase each different "Gate" and the balance between them. It includes three boards: An ordinary 8x8 chess board with what appear to be solid white square tiles, a hexagon-shaped board with triangular tiles which are similarly solid white, and a bizarre circular board with space for up to 10 players. The square board is ideal for traditional chess and can accommodate up to 2 players. The Hexagonal board is similar in design to a real world Harmegedo board and can accommodate 2-6 players which could play on teams or play a free-for-all. The "circular" board looks incredibly complicated and, as mentioned, has space for 2-10 players in what appears to be an uncomfortable configuration of pieces.
There are rules included for all variants of the game. Thankfully, the 1v1 version is identical to Taranel Chess and the 6-player chess doesn't appear to be terribly difficult to figure out.
In-Game chess can take two different forms. The group could either play a full game and keep track of pieces while making contested rolls, defenses and so forth or it could be simplified to the following:
Rather than a simple box filled with black and white pieces, this box has 10 different unique sets to choose from. Each set has a brief description about the Gate involved.
Packaged with this group of pieces is a slip of paper with some information on the related Gate. "As a Cycle ends another begins. Beyond the Dying Gate lies a land of mystery. One is not meant to go there while still living, and the spirits and fae find it...uncomfortable to be so near the River Misery. The Landscape is one of sand and darkness, with the only known landmark being the River Misery, filled with souls and memories. The Gate itself lies within the The Dead Village of Tullenur, and the Caretakers there are known to be helpful to any travelers that happen by."
The bit of paper included with these pieces says the following: "In the land of Rot there are many dangers. Bacteria, fungal spores, an unstable landscape made of the rotten animals and plants that the new life grows from only to begin dying again. Though...nothing ever really dies here. From what I can gather, your body may die, and your body may rot, but you will not die and you will not rot. Anyone hoping to enter this gate should find themselves a way to guard against the foul odors and airborne toxins as well as the veritable poisonous plants and animals."
The piece of paper folded up with this set says the following: "Coiling, Spiraling, Twisting, Convoluted, it has many names but they all mean basically the same thing. Those that have gone here to find information have never returned. The legend behind it goes that there is no escape and, really, you don't remember the entrance, the exit, the reason you were there. There's so little information about this Gate by design, and the mental state required to find it often doesn't lend itself to one of, well, stability."
The paper included with this set says the following: "Far to the North is the Empty Village, the only denizens are the snowflakes that drift to the ground and any travelers who might be seeking shelter in the perpetual snowfall. Those under mental duress find the area serene and perfect for meditation, though the ominous village does cause concern in some. The Gate is located somewhere in the village, and the terrain within this realm is cold beyond reason with frozen caves, endless tundra, and the constant feeling that you are being emptied. Creatures like sentient ice, unseen spirits, various animals and even monks of some ancient order wander this land. The Village and its Gate can be useful, but spending too much time there could lead to what is considered undesirable to some or unattainable to others.
The sheet of paper included with this set says the following: "Far to the east is The Endless City of Greed. Within its walls is a massive palace which holds The Burning Gate. Firestokers tend to the fires of this gate and are amongst the higher ranking members of The Citizens of Greed. Igniren, The Dragon Phoenix, rules over this land and is the most active of potential Gate Spirits. We know the most about them and their gate due to the Citizens of Greed traveling the land and selling wares. Igniren's Vault exists both within their Gate and in the Palace. The Gate itself is supposedly a massive Volcano overlooking a desert. The sands of this Gate are completely covered in different cataloged material goods that have been collected by Igniren and their citizens."
The note included with this set has the following to say: "The Untethered Gate is something of Freedom. True freedom detached from material goods or even the world. It floats somewhere out there, constantly moving, and the world that exists within it is free of any ground or attachments. Certain spirits frequent this place along with the mortals that found a way to remove all attachments and find themselves in this place. It can be incredibly lonely, having nothing to hold you down."
The paper included with this set says the following: "The Sturdy Gate is just that: Sturdy. It is hidden within a mountain range that is constantly moving, or sometimes not moving at all, but when it parts a path to Ulunor's Cliff and The Sturdy Gate are revealed. It is just North of The Empty Village and the mountain range is full of all manner of creature ranging. Mountain Goats, Cave Spiders, Long-Limbed Boulders are just a few of them and some of them will surround the Gate at times. The land within this Gate is supposedly just made of some incredibly durable, stable stone-like material with little room for air. A way to dig through the stuff to see if there is a surface anywhere would be essential for exploration."
The sheet of paper included mentions this: "The Torrential Gate seems to be a source of psychic energy which is beneficial for not only psychics but also detectives and hunters. The rushing water seems to translate into rushing emotions which can change in an instant, or that can flow into or from other people. A flow between all living things, even. The Gate, from those that have explored it, seems to affect the emotions of those that enter, and it is a realm of constantly moving water. If there is anywhere to stand that isn't at risk of damaging bones or lungs it would require a lot more effort to find."
The usual paper says the things "The Resonating Gate, a place of pure sound where vibrations affect reality in sometimes catastrophic ways. The Resonance Hags that dwell within are each connected to a bell somewhere in the world. Legend has it that these Bells were used long ago to help an ancient race of Mortals bring an entire City into The Gates, though how they came to create these hags is unknown. This Gate also has a host of other monsters that can be found in different places in The Gates like Resonating Wolf Spiders. The Gate itself is said to feature a reality very similar to our own, though our true selves are seen as if through an incredibly powerful lens."
And the note inside this one "The Manufactured Gate. It's weird, there's a distinct feeling I have when thinking about this Gate and doing the research involved for this project. It is definitely the Newest Gate as far as I can tell. It didn't always exist, but, in a different way, it always existed. It's so confusing. I know I remember a time when this Gate wasn't there, long long ago, and others have commented on it as well. When the skies were still young, it came so much later than the others, but then when I think about it it was always there. Agh. Anyways, as the name suggests, this Gate is entirely crafted, manufactured, iron, other metals. The surrounding area is starting to turn metal as well from its influence, and the poles in the badlands that lead to it are always moving. It's a strange one, and the inside is very peculiar. It's like a crafted version of some other world. Artificers, craftsman, mechanics, all sorts of folk strive to make it there someday, I reckon. That is to say if they ever even know about its existence. The fruit trees have canned fruit, vegetables come out of the ground in cans as well, and everything is so ...indusrial. This Gate also has a connection to Time due to mechanics often being Clockwork and timing being important. Though time is consistent between this layer and The Gates, almost like a point of pride it is VERY consistent unlike other layers, there's a constant ticking. A reminder that another second has passed and another has begun."
Rules
Simple Rules using 2 Players
Two players each compete, making opposed skill checks. The first player to succeed on three checks wins the game. Players can choose to make one of three different skill checks to play a round of chess (picking in secret before revealing simultaneously) – an Intelligence check (with proficiency if reasonable based on backstory), a Deception check, or an Insight check. Players reveal which check they're making only to the DM, who then calls for rolls as the check selected requires. Failing a check in a "round" will result in disadvantage during the next round as you are at a disadvantageous position. Winning in the next round with disadvantage results in the next check being normal again as a comeback. An Intelligence check represents the character playing the game normally, using wit, strategy, and foresight to attempt to outplay their opponent with sheer game skill. A Deception check represents the character playing deceptively, feigning weakness or incompetence to try and trick their opponent into making mistakes. An Insight check represents the character playing by reading their opponent, searching for clues to their plans or their general confidence in their body language and nonverbal cues. Characters add only half their proficiency bonus (rounded down) to Deeeption or Insight checks, rather than their full bonus unless they would reasonably add full proficiency from a history of playing chess or work that involves similar chess-like strategy and skills. Should each player choose the same type of check, they roll normally. Should one player choose Intelligence and the other Deception, the player checking Deception rolls with advantage – they’ve successfully hoodwinked their opponent and gained an edge in the game. Should one player choose Deception and the other Insight, the player checking Insight rolls with advantage. The insightful player catches on to the deceiver’s tricks and through shrewd play, turns their trickery around on them. Should one player choose Insight and the other choose Intelligence, the player checking Intelligence rolls with advantage – their solid, skillful play leaves no hidden motives for their opponent to pick up on and twist to advantage.More Complicated Rules
More complicated rules exist out there, and I have access to them. If people would be serious about sitting around and playing chess in-game, then we could give it a try, but it could get tedious for other players quickly.10 Different Sets
The Dying Gate
The base of these chess pieces are circular and are rimmed with a glowing white material. The pieces themselves are made up of robed figures, though their feet never touch the base that they are placed over. They instead float magically in the air slightly above it. The pieces are made of some dark grey material with sand dropping from their robes and towards the circular light before disappearing from existence. The "King" of this set is robed like all the rest with a bone-colored crown and a gentle pose with a hand facing upward and extended to just below its hip as if reaching out to someone to lend a hand. The "Queen" appears to be a humanoid woman and the only one without a robe. Her skin is tinted blue and her posture and arms are constantly stretching out towards the King but never reaching it. She has a mask strapped to her hip. The rooks are a pair of pillars topped with rings that glow similar to the bases that they float above. The Bishops are a pair of skeletal figures, still dressed in robes, sand dripping to the ring below. They are carrying abacuses and ledgers. The Knights are a pair of small drakes floating just over the rings with bits of cloth hanging from them and similarly dripping sand towards the glowing light below. The drakes have a rider, and each rider is carrying a large hourglass in their hands attached to a chain and handle. The pawns are easily recognizable based on how numerous they are, simple small-statured and robed figure each with a lantern. They are heavily obscured and it is hard to tell what is beneath the robe, only their faces are visible, and these faces are each just flesh pulled tight over a skull.Packaged with this group of pieces is a slip of paper with some information on the related Gate. "As a Cycle ends another begins. Beyond the Dying Gate lies a land of mystery. One is not meant to go there while still living, and the spirits and fae find it...uncomfortable to be so near the River Misery. The Landscape is one of sand and darkness, with the only known landmark being the River Misery, filled with souls and memories. The Gate itself lies within the The Dead Village of Tullenur, and the Caretakers there are known to be helpful to any travelers that happen by."
The Rotting Gate
The base of these chess pieces are filled with tiny holes and the bottoms stick to the chess board in a most unpleasant way. As they are lifted to move to the next position they often create a rather grotesque squelching noise, and a similar noise is heard as they are placed down. The pieces themselves carry a theme of rot, death and corruption. The "King" piece represents a severely bloated humanoid figure with what might've once been pointed ears that are full of holes and rotting away. They are dressed in a black robe with incredibly pale, blue-green skin with immense pressure building up beneath the surface. Their figure is quite large, heavyset due to this rot. The "Queen" piece in this set is another black-robed and bloated figure. It is almost impossible to see the feminine form through the rot and heavy garments and multiple arms rise out from beneath her robe holding different religious items including a book, a staff, and a mask. This is likely Božena, The Rotting Heirophant. The Rooks are a pair of stone towers covered in moss and sinking into the "ground" of the base. They seem to be slowly falling apart as the game progresses. The Bishops are a pair of liches. Their arms reaching forward, rotten fingers stretching out and pointing toward the enemy. They each carry a chalice with some bubbling fluid held within. The Knights are flowers wrapping around different corpse parts with vines growing around their bases. The Pawns are all zombies.The bit of paper included with these pieces says the following: "In the land of Rot there are many dangers. Bacteria, fungal spores, an unstable landscape made of the rotten animals and plants that the new life grows from only to begin dying again. Though...nothing ever really dies here. From what I can gather, your body may die, and your body may rot, but you will not die and you will not rot. Anyone hoping to enter this gate should find themselves a way to guard against the foul odors and airborne toxins as well as the veritable poisonous plants and animals."
The Coiling Gate
The base of these chess pieces are constantly starting to form a spiral but never really getting there. The bases constantly move away from and around the pieces that are supposed to be resting on top of them, and they will sometimes end up on top of the pieces instead. The pieces themselves don't really fit much of a theme besides some mental anguish in certain pieces. The "King" of this set is a vague semblance of a face but ..."wrong" and made up of spiraling shapes. Behind this "face" is another spiral that it is superimposed over. This larger spiral is segmented into different broken up lengths, sometimes overlapping and sometimes separate, the only consistency appears to be the spikes that line either side of it. The "Queen" of this set is more solid and "humanoid", though that might make the least amount of sense. There doesn't appear to be a gender for this piece, androgynous to a point but also sharing characteristics of neither and both. Between, on both sides of and outside of the gender spectrum... They are dressed in some sort of heavy and ornate armor with horns coming from the chest piece and their own head. In their left hand is a horned mask at the end of a stick, and in their right hand is a glaive. This is likely The Oni's true/original form or perhaps just one that they use often. One of the rooks of this set is an empty base, the other is a stone tower with a carving of a centipede curling up and around its exterior. The Bishops are a pair of ordinary bishops. Weird. The Knights are tree stumps with their rings floating gently away from them. The Pawns are normal looking humanoid creatures though they are all collapsed and grasping their heads in pain or some other anguish. They all have different expressions ranging from incredibly depressed to hysterically euphoric.The piece of paper folded up with this set says the following: "Coiling, Spiraling, Twisting, Convoluted, it has many names but they all mean basically the same thing. Those that have gone here to find information have never returned. The legend behind it goes that there is no escape and, really, you don't remember the entrance, the exit, the reason you were there. There's so little information about this Gate by design, and the mental state required to find it often doesn't lend itself to one of, well, stability."
The Freezing Gate
The bases for this set are each a unique snowflake while the pieces are all cold to the touch. All of the pieces are hollow, and the emptiness is on display as the delicate shapes that swoop up and form into unusual representations of each chess pieces provide a clear view of the interior. This ornamental, swooping and looping design features different spirals, vines, all on the exterior and appearing to be flimsy, however, they are all incredibly stable. The shapes that are formed somewhat resemble monks in different meditative poses. The "King" of this set is, aside from the rooks, the least humanoid amongst them. Instead the "King" piece appears to just be a representation of snow falling to the ground, the base is otherwise completely empty. The "Queen" of this set is what appears to be a masculine figure on his knees, hands gently folded together, head bowed and deep in meditation. He has a mask covering his face. The Rooks are empty journals with talisman draped over each side. The Bishops are a pair of monks meditating in a seated position atop a pillar of crystals. The Knights are dismounted riders walking alongside their steeds. The Pawns are all just more monk-like figures meditating in different positions directly on the base. Some are seated, some kneeling, some standing.The paper included with this set says the following: "Far to the North is the Empty Village, the only denizens are the snowflakes that drift to the ground and any travelers who might be seeking shelter in the perpetual snowfall. Those under mental duress find the area serene and perfect for meditation, though the ominous village does cause concern in some. The Gate is located somewhere in the village, and the terrain within this realm is cold beyond reason with frozen caves, endless tundra, and the constant feeling that you are being emptied. Creatures like sentient ice, unseen spirits, various animals and even monks of some ancient order wander this land. The Village and its Gate can be useful, but spending too much time there could lead to what is considered undesirable to some or unattainable to others.
The Burning Gate
The bases of these chess pieces are wreathed in carved flames and the pieces themselves appear to be made of wax. The chess pieces are warm to the touch and almost look like intricate carvings made from candles complete with a wick at the top. The "King" of this set is a rather interesting creature with the body, arms, legs, lower jaw and horns of a dragon along with the head and tail of a phoenix. It has a pair of wings that seem to be a combination of dragon and phoenix with patchy feathers over leathery/scaly dragon wings and trimming the edges. It also has a set of purely draconic and purely phoenix looking wings positioned above and below the initially mentioned wings. It has a pile of gold at its feat with a bottle sitting at the top. The craftsmanship and detail is impressive considering the medium to the point that the unlabeled bottle appears to be more accuracy than laziness. The only discerning feature on it are the leaves of an agave plant that seem to make up the lid. A far fainter agave design can also be seen on the front. The "Queen" of this set is an archaically well-dressed individual with a box strapped to their back. They have a mask sticking out of this storage and are carrying even more luggage in both their hands. They're a bit chubby and a sporting an outrageously bushy mustache. Their ears are showing beneath a simple wool cap and are pointed. The Rooks of this set are shops. One is a bookstore and the other just says "GENERAL". Their architecture looks to be completely different from any style seen in the modern world of Taranel, though the closest comparison would be the towers seen above the underground palaces of Ulktorov's Keep. The Bishops are half-dragons dressed in robes and carrying fire stokers. The Knights are humanoid figures with burn marks and other such blemishes riding on carts. These humanoids are dressed similar to the Pawn pieces of this same set. The Pawns are what appear to be salesmen dressed in simple suits with pants, rolled up buttoned shirts with vests. Some wear hats, some have pocket watches and other accessories.The sheet of paper included with this set says the following: "Far to the east is The Endless City of Greed. Within its walls is a massive palace which holds The Burning Gate. Firestokers tend to the fires of this gate and are amongst the higher ranking members of The Citizens of Greed. Igniren, The Dragon Phoenix, rules over this land and is the most active of potential Gate Spirits. We know the most about them and their gate due to the Citizens of Greed traveling the land and selling wares. Igniren's Vault exists both within their Gate and in the Palace. The Gate itself is supposedly a massive Volcano overlooking a desert. The sands of this Gate are completely covered in different cataloged material goods that have been collected by Igniren and their citizens."
The Untethered Gate
These chess pieces seem to have no base and instead just have a light beige-pink mist that curls around the pieces as they float just above the board. The pieces are incredibly light and, were it not for them having some tactile sensation when interacted with, it would almost seem like they are just illusions as they seem to have no mass at all. They seem to be carved from some unknown material that shifts between an off-white grey, off-white pinkish grey and off-white blueish grey. The "King" seems tall, stretched out just looking at the proportions. Their clothes and hair is loose, flowing, and almost seems to be a part of the surrounding air/mist. They are unaffected by the lack of ground below, mid stride and confident. They have ears which are far more severely pointed and long than any elven ear seen. The "Queen" for this set looks to be just a little bit shorter than the "King", their clothing is ill-fitting and damaged, not the same flowing and misty clothing seen on the "King", but rather more like a peasant or vagabond type outfit. They have ropes holding some of it together and supporting pieces that would otherwise fall off, and they have a bindle slung over their shoulder hanging from a pole. They're grinning, please with themselves, and sporting some hip hand gesture whose meaning is surely lost to time. A mask is strapped to the side of their head. The Rooks are each several wings connected at the joint (where they would normally be attached to a bird) in a circle. No obvious perceptive organs are included or any sign of a source of intelligence. Just a bunch of wings connected together in a circle. The Bishops are each facing away from their opponent(s), even when manually rotated they freely turn away. One of their feet is raised up the other about midway while their arms are resting at their sides with their hands just slightly turned upward, striking a meditative pose. They have more traditional monk-like attire with beads, ropes, and a simple pair of pants and a tunic. The Knights are scruffy-looking vagabonds riding strange birds of impressive size. These birds have features similar to doves, though their tail feathers are longer with large eyes at the end similar to peacocks. The Pawns are all wanderers from different walks of life and eras. Businessmen that had enough, monks that found true freedom, prisoners that escaped their chains, and so on.The note included with this set has the following to say: "The Untethered Gate is something of Freedom. True freedom detached from material goods or even the world. It floats somewhere out there, constantly moving, and the world that exists within it is free of any ground or attachments. Certain spirits frequent this place along with the mortals that found a way to remove all attachments and find themselves in this place. It can be incredibly lonely, having nothing to hold you down."
The Sturdy Gate
The bases and pieces for this set are all rather perfectly ratioed. The bases are rectangular, which is unfortunate for the square and triangular designs on the boards, and the pieces themselves fit within rectangles of the same ratio. Each carved piece seems to be lacking most of its detail, and the reason behind this is revealed as a piece is lifted. It seems that they are made of an incredibly dense mineral, lifting one up took an immense amount of effort. The "King" of this set is carved to vaguely resemble a mountain. The "Queen" of this set is a masked, vaguely humanoid, knightly figure. It seems to be holding a shield and is bracing the shield in front of itself. No weapons are visible. The Rooks are carved to somewhat resemble traditional chess towers with turrets and so forth. The Bishops are carved into octahedrons standing on their points. The least "sturdy looking" of the pieces, though the contact point seems to be of little import as the piece is still very dense and the hedron is unmoving. The Knights are spiders with stalagmites and even cave entrances on their backs. The Pawns are Guards holding shields and miscellaneous weaponry like spears and swords.The paper included with this set says the following: "The Sturdy Gate is just that: Sturdy. It is hidden within a mountain range that is constantly moving, or sometimes not moving at all, but when it parts a path to Ulunor's Cliff and The Sturdy Gate are revealed. It is just North of The Empty Village and the mountain range is full of all manner of creature ranging. Mountain Goats, Cave Spiders, Long-Limbed Boulders are just a few of them and some of them will surround the Gate at times. The land within this Gate is supposedly just made of some incredibly durable, stable stone-like material with little room for air. A way to dig through the stuff to see if there is a surface anywhere would be essential for exploration."
The Torrential Gate
The bases for this set appear to be made of water which has been suspended in a circular shape and is constantly moving, rushing from one side to the other. It is solid enough on the outside to hold the rest of the piece up, and it can be poked to experience an unusual watery sensation. The pieces themselves are crafted from very smooth riverstones. The "King" resembles anthropomorphized, rushing, water with features remeniscent of merfolk including fins and a tail. They are carrying a book, the cover of which has some of the same symbols tattooed onto the "Queen". The "Queen" is a feminine figure dressed in a long gown, loose segments of long fabric are draped over her arms and she even has tattoos carved in which feature eyes, alchemical symbols for water, and hands. Her eyes are closed, but a tattoo of an open eye on her forehead almost feels like it is looking at you. She's holding a mask with both of her hands that shares this same third eye, and she is carved while in the midst of raising this mask up to her face. The Rooks of this set are waterfalls. The Bishops are what appear to be traveling psychics each carrying a deck of cards and holding one up near their face, inspecting it. The Knights are detectives, dressed in some nice-looking sleuthing clothes complete with a trench coat and fedora. They're carrying notebooks and walking alongside bicycles. The Pawns are water nymphs, scantily clad, of course, and in various action poses involving the watery bases they are standing on.The sheet of paper included mentions this: "The Torrential Gate seems to be a source of psychic energy which is beneficial for not only psychics but also detectives and hunters. The rushing water seems to translate into rushing emotions which can change in an instant, or that can flow into or from other people. A flow between all living things, even. The Gate, from those that have explored it, seems to affect the emotions of those that enter, and it is a realm of constantly moving water. If there is anywhere to stand that isn't at risk of damaging bones or lungs it would require a lot more effort to find."
The Resonating Gate
The bases for these pieces are made of some common metal, however, their method of holding the pieces is quite intricate. The actual base is a loop of metal which rests firmly on the board. Rising from this metal loop is a small pole connecting to a second, wider, metal loop. Hanging from this loop are several incredibly thin wires, which seem to be made of glass, leading to a loop of more thin glass cables. From this loop are even more cables leading up to the second metal loop and running through several holes up to another loop of thin glass cables somewhere above that. Each chess piece is suspended in the two loops of glass cables, the tension caused by the weight of the piece pulling on the cables causing the second loop above it to remain stationary and apply only the necessary amount of force to keep it from falling over. Each chess piece is carved from incredibly clear, and likely crystal, glass. Each piece emits an incredibly beautiful ringing sound like a glass harp or glass armonica playing a sustained note. They're all different notes in a gorgeous song, though you seem to only be able to hear portions at a time as the song is only audible when a piece is being touched and only that piece's part is heard. The "King" of this set is a trio of glass bells, held together with an incredibly thin kite of the same glass material. The resonance heard from these three bells when the piece is held is incredibly beautiful, something that you'd wish you could hear forever, it sounds like some hidden meaning of the universe is finally being revealed to you, though it is through a medium that is unintelligible. The "Queen" of this set is a traditionally beautiful woman, similar in design to the bishops though with an even more fancy dress, jewelery, and a crown featuring three slightly distorted kite-shaped 'gems'. She has a mask attached to a rope hanging around her neck. She's held up with the same shaped piece of glass as the "King", and, looking through this glass, you see that she takes on a far more hag-like appearance. The Rooks are triangles suspended by a slightly more complicated base. The Bishops are a pair of traditionally beautiful and seemingly almost regal women, posed with their hands folded in front of them and heads bowed gently. Their gowns are long and to their knees, everything is pristine. They are suspended with the aid of incredibly thin, diamond-shaped glass behind them. Looking through the glass from the otherside, these women appear to be hags instead. The Knights are pieces of string weaving in and out of a kite-shaped and incredibly thin piece of glass to hold it up. The Pawns are kite shaped octahedrons, smaller than the other pieces.The usual paper says the things "The Resonating Gate, a place of pure sound where vibrations affect reality in sometimes catastrophic ways. The Resonance Hags that dwell within are each connected to a bell somewhere in the world. Legend has it that these Bells were used long ago to help an ancient race of Mortals bring an entire City into The Gates, though how they came to create these hags is unknown. This Gate also has a host of other monsters that can be found in different places in The Gates like Resonating Wolf Spiders. The Gate itself is said to feature a reality very similar to our own, though our true selves are seen as if through an incredibly powerful lens."
The Manufactured Gate
The bases for these pieces are all gears. Some are just a single gear while others might have more intricate, interlocking gears. The pieces themselves are crafted from iron and other metals. Some of the pieces can even be wound up to perform a simple action. The "King" of this set is particularly special. It begins the game as an empty base, just a bunch of interconnected gears forming a stylish circular base. As the game progresses it begins to build itself as the gears from the base lift up into the air and start to form a floating set of seemingly purposeless machinery. Metal starts to form around it as the game continues and it builds a mechanical body which resembles a dragon of some kind by the end of the game. The "Queen" of this set is an androgynous humanoid with pointed ears, long and thick lab coat, a mechanical hand with entiretly too many tiny fingers, spikey hair, sashes filled with different tools and catalysts, and other artificer stuff. They're holding a pair of goggles in one hand while their other hand looks to be reaching for a wrench. They have a mask on their face. The Rooks are coiled up metal tubing with a large orb at the top emiting some electricity. The Bishops look like artificers holding wrenches and other tools. These bishops are still crafted from metal, though they look like they're supposed to represent organic life with some mechanical enhancements. One bishop has a pocket watch and the other has a wrist watch. The Knights look like robot jousters on mechanical horses. The Pawns of this set are all robot humanoids. Some look like farmers, mechanics, and other walks of life.And the note inside this one "The Manufactured Gate. It's weird, there's a distinct feeling I have when thinking about this Gate and doing the research involved for this project. It is definitely the Newest Gate as far as I can tell. It didn't always exist, but, in a different way, it always existed. It's so confusing. I know I remember a time when this Gate wasn't there, long long ago, and others have commented on it as well. When the skies were still young, it came so much later than the others, but then when I think about it it was always there. Agh. Anyways, as the name suggests, this Gate is entirely crafted, manufactured, iron, other metals. The surrounding area is starting to turn metal as well from its influence, and the poles in the badlands that lead to it are always moving. It's a strange one, and the inside is very peculiar. It's like a crafted version of some other world. Artificers, craftsman, mechanics, all sorts of folk strive to make it there someday, I reckon. That is to say if they ever even know about its existence. The fruit trees have canned fruit, vegetables come out of the ground in cans as well, and everything is so ...indusrial. This Gate also has a connection to Time due to mechanics often being Clockwork and timing being important. Though time is consistent between this layer and The Gates, almost like a point of pride it is VERY consistent unlike other layers, there's a constant ticking. A reminder that another second has passed and another has begun."
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