Pieces
| Pieces | |
|---|---|
| Type | Game |
| World of Origin | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
Pieces is a guessing game played on Roshar.[1]
Gameplay[edit]
The game involves a player taking the role of the "mink" and arranging ten unique tiles or tokens such that nine of them are placed face down in a triangle, with the tenth piece placed face up and referred to as the "seed". The other players attempt to duplicate the mink's hidden arrangement by asking questions, peeking, and guessing. Certain rules can force the mink to reveal information about the placement of the hidden tokens. The players place bets on who will make the closest match. When a player "calls", the round ends and the pattern is revealed. The mink and the player with the most correct matches split the pot; the mink's share is determined by several factors including the length of the round.[1]
Culture[edit]
Pieces is one of the few wagering games allowed by the Vorin church since there is no randomization that would lead to players attempting to "guess the future". Pieces is often played by Alethi soldiers, and at least one version of the game uses the ten Alethi Highprinces as the ten tokens.[1]
History[edit]
While in Urithiru, Veil found Shallan's men—Vathah, Gaz, Red and Shob—playing pieces in the Sebarial barracks common room. The round began with Vathah playing as the mink, but Shob called for the finish after only a few rounds, frustrating Gaz and Red. Vathah was amazed when Veil was able to discern the exact layout with minimal effort. Gaz ran out of spheres and the men switched to playing for ends instead.[1]