Chess City

The destination. Chess City is well-to-do, prosperous, and deliberately difficult to reach. You cannot simply move there – you have to earn your way in.

Notable Features

• Located across the sea from Checker Town
• Entry requires winning chess tournaments; there is no other way in (without money)
• Visitors and workers must pass through security checkpoints and be Tagged with a symbol upon each visit
• Family and friends of Checker Town residents often live here, creating a painful separation for those left behind

Who Lives Here

The Rival’s entire family lives in Chess City. This is the central wound of his character – and the engine behind everything he does. Nate works here for a time, and his Uncle lives there, as well.

Role in the Story

Chess City is the prize, the promise, and the obstacle. It represents a better life – but one that has to be fought for, and one that comes with its own costs once you arrive.

The Whisper

Not everyone believes Chess City is paradise. There is a belief among some – the wary, the burned, the pessimists – that the city is no prize at all, but a place inhabited by evil chess pieces: pieces with mouths and eyes, watching from behind the gates, smiling the way a trap smiles. Most dismiss it as the talk of people who never made it across the sea. One person does not. (See Jerry Murphy, and the game that bears his name.)

Art

Map or illustration coming soon.