Chess Pieces/original
From Marpedia
The Chess Pieces (チェスの兵隊, Chesu no Koma) is a fictional organization in the anime and manga series MÄR: Märchen Awakens Romance, by the author Nobuyuki Anzai. The army is the main antagonist factor of the series.
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[edit] About
The Chess Pieces is a military faction which, over the 10 years it was in existence, has established supremacy over the rest of its rebellious kind in MÄR-Heaven; its notoriety for being the predominantly antagonist organization enjoys a prestige of such the name of Chess Pieces has become a taboo for generations to come. This organization's home to people from a melange of backgrounds with a melange of motives: discarded humans seeking a refuge, victims of social injustice wishing to avenge themselves upon their antagonists, radicals aiming to 'cleanse' the current MÄR-Heaven, etc... or simply lusters of wealth, power, women, ÄRMs or war; all united under the same goal: to conquer the world. However, not all of them have these intentions. A few value peace. Some members are so optimistic they may have joined Chess for possible pure intenions.
[edit] History
The foundation for the Chess Pieces was first laid 10 years prior to the current storyline by two exiled Caldians, Diana and Phantom as they traveled across MÄR-Heaven. After Diana got selected into Lestava's Royal Family as the new queen it was Phantom and his counsellor, Peta, who constructed the rest of the incomplete system, journeying through the land to collect efficient candidates. In 4 years' time their efforts came to fruition: the Chess Pieces, ferociously and ruthlessly, savaged the whole of MÄR-Heaven with the 1st Great War. However in the following War Game in which it faced up against the world defender Cross Guard, though able to claim the life of many opponents, even the Cross Guard leader Danna Toramizu himself; the Chess was itself devastated with a staggering loss of members and Phantom's death, and was forced to retreat into darkness.
For the next 6 years under the leadership of deputy chief Knight Peta, the Chess slowly moved toward reconstruction, restoring its former grandeur and with Phantom's resurrection, returned to the world's knowledge with a 2nd Great War, which exceeded its predecessor in magnitude. In addition, some times prior to that, Queen Diana herself had come into the open, stealthily staged a coup d'état in Lestava and headquartered the entire Chess inside its castle, the news of which only known when Lestava's princess Snow eluded her grasp. However, despite this time's bettered manoeuvre, organization and force, in the 2nd War Game the tides of events still turned to the Chess' adversary's, Team MÄR's advantage and led them to triumph. This fiasco is followed in the manga by the death of Phantom, Diana and lastly the King himself, which would throw the Chess into anarchy and eventual disbandment. The anime laid out its destruction from the War Game's aftermath to Phantom's abdication of his position and following death in a similar manner, with the deaths and desertions of many members. However the alleged manga Chess misintegration was replaced by the elimination of its (almost every) member, ordered by Diana and executed by its very King for their purpose of conquering MÄR-Heaven and Earth. In the end, with the King dead, the murdered Chess Pieces were revived, and the disbandment would then take place as was plotted.
[edit] Hierarchy & Methods of operation
The Chess ranks are based on the pieces in the game of chess with rank going from king down to queen, knights, rooks and pawns, separating the hierarchy into two parts. Its top is governed by the command force of one King and one Queen, which lurks in darkness most of the time the identity of its two members privy almost to none outside the Chess Pieces; headed by the Queen Diana. Second to it is the combat force consisted of echeloned Knights (elite fighters, leading operation executors), Bishops, Rooks and Pawns (foot soldiers); headed by the no.1 Knight Phantom. Chess members from Rook ranks upward is permitted the possession of class earrings, individual masks, and/or hooded robes. Although the rudimentary rule for ranking one is based on their power (proved by mastery of ARMs or in less usual cases, impressive feats), it's also noted that soldiers of lower ranks can be stronger than their superiors [1].
In operation, Chess Pieces usually carry with them a card with the organization's emblem on it, and leave it at the target site each time they're done with havocking and along with it, their trademark announcement of victory 'checkmate' (which is also seldomly recited by some Chess after winning a fight).
The Chess combat force employs draconian regimentations: subordinates, from Knights to Pawns, must comply to every order from the chief Knight, Phantom and any Chess Piece responsible for actions of disobedience will be punished - occasionally not by physical means, but mental means: one's most precious is to be disciplined in one's stead and that way, rather than having a Chess Piece of enormous potentiality ruined, they will earn an exponentially strengthened (rage-fueled) member [2].
[edit] Membership
The membership of the Chess Pieces are based off a chess piece:
[edit] King
[edit] Queen
[edit] Knights
- Phantom
- Halloween
- Peta
- Chimera
- Rolan
- Vidar
- Ian
- Magical Lou
- Galian
- Ash
- Candice
- Pinocchio
- Rapunzel
- Kouga
