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Sava is a game created by the drow. Resembling chess, it involves the moving and capture of pieces that represent soldiers on a battlefield. While the gameplay itself is merely hinted at in the several books it is mentioned in, again, a chess-like game can be inferred. This is the game Lolth and Eilistraee are seen playing in the Lady Penitent series, with the board representing the entire plane of existence.
The Pieces
The pieces in sava are labeled Warrior, Slave, Priest(ess) and Mage. Certain adaptations are allowed, especially in a deity-played game. In the case of the Lolth versus Eilistraee match, specific pieces known as Champions and Mothers were put into play. The Mother piece represented each goddess specifically in these matches, and it was implied that capturing this piece not only ended the game, but the losing goddess would be slain and absorbed by the winner. In the case of Lolth, her Champion was the demi-god Selvetarm, who was later slain.
Gameplay
No specific mention of how the game itself is played. It is mentioned that each player can move a single piece per turn, and each piece has a set axis of motion, much like a bishop in chess can only move diagonally.
The Random Dice
In order to inject a bit of chaos into their game, the drow have a pair of eight-sided dice ready for a sava game. Each player is allowed a single roll of the dice in a game. Nothing cited actually explains what the different rolls mean or cause, but it was taken as an extremely good result when Lolth rolled double ones in her match against Eilistraee, at least the result was good for Lolth. Eilistraee's earlier roll of double ones also caused a great strategic victory for Eilistraee, which turned out to be planned by Lolth all along.
Eilistraee mentions a sixty-three to one chance that the dice work. Rolling two ones on two eight-sided dice are a one in sixty-four chance, and thus, assuming the dice do indeed have the same number of sides, the dice can be inferred as being octahedral.
In the War of the Spider Queen series Sava is mentioned quite a bit. When the player rolls double spiders (double ones) you are allowed to move one of your opponent's pieces (within its given range of motion) to attack one of your opponent's pieces; a fair representation of drow doing in one of their comrades for personal achievements even when houses are warring against eachother.
External Links
– the Game of the Drow (possible ruleset)
– the Game of the Drow (possible Combat ruleset)
References
War of the Spider Queen: Dissolution