Most people know a little something about chess. Even those who don’t actually understand the seemingly complex rules of the game know enough to pick out the pieces, even in cases where they’ve been carved into less distinct shapes. Seraphina had seen boards where the horse-headed knights were replaced by coiled serpents, the pawns by snarling hounds, and the kings and queens by tall Ethereals with their wings neatly curved behind their backs.
Huh, in retrospect perhaps the artist’s biases were showing.
Regardless, there was quite a lot of literature on the symbolism of chess. It was a game of strategy, not fickle luck, and anyone could learn to out-think their opponent if they tried hard enough. Each of the pieces had a part to play, and each one had a unique set of moves that allowed
