Roles and Their Purposes

NOTE: Kings, Queens, Jacks, Bishops and Rooks are all known as members of a Kingdom's Court. The Court consists of a Kingdom's most valuable and powerful members, and hold the highest ranks in the Kingdom.

Kings: The very heart and soul of every Kingdom, without the King living and breathing, the Essence within the kingdom shall cease to function and give any member power. If it so happens that the King perishes before the next King is chosen by the Essence, all members of a Kingdom will lose their connection to their Realm of Essence, and their powers will disappear until the next King takes their rightful place. If a King fails to produce an heir before their death, the Essence shall provide one for the Kingdom using the soul of a random newborn baby. It is quite critical that a King provides an heir, for if this happens it can cause extreme panic in efforts to find this child.
ONE King is allowed per Kingdom.

Queens: The single strongest member of any kingdom: the Queen is to be feared and respected. Not only does the Queen oversee all of its kingdom's military operations, it is the King's protector, and is the only member of the kingdom to use raw Essence in battle, rather than having it transformed into reflexes or magics. Queens are not meant to be fought one-on-one, and can take on multiple opponents at a time. Queens, though married to their respective King, often have no romantic relation with their counterpart, for their destiny as Queen was predetermined, and not chosen. The roles of King and Queen cannot be made singular by gender, but rather, by role and power. The Essence cares not of gender when it selects a new King, or new Queen.
ONE Queen will be allowed per Kingdom.

Jacks: The personal adviser to their respective King and Queen, Jacks are often underestimated as useful. Mostly they are assigned to mountains of paperwork, and serve as the diplomatic head of their kingdom in relations and trade. Jacks are also trained in combat, though they are not incredibly skilled in it, and the majority of their Essence is channeled into a mental superiority and great intelligence.
ONE Jack will be allowed per Kingdom.

Knights: It is rare to see any King or Queen without one of their Knights in accompaniment. These fierce warriors are trained for battle from a very young age. Their Essence is channeled into giving them incredible reflexes and considerable amounts of physical strength. Though, their physical strength still does not rival that of a Rook's. The Knight's forte is agility and swordplay, and they are the personal guards of their royalty.
TWO Knights will be allowed per Kingdom.

Rooks: Rooks are known stereotypically for their stone-cold demeanor, but inside their mind is incredible clockwork. From a young age not only are they trained in combat, but heavily in battle strategy as well. While the Queen is absolute head of military, Rooks act as the Queen's military generals, and are often made into border-guards. They have the greatest physical strength of any kingdom member, but lack great agility. Rooks are usually assigned their own personal battalion of Pawn troops to command, and those Pawns looking to join in the war effort always approach a Rook first.
TWO Rooks will be allowed per Kingdom.

Bishops: A good way to describe a Bishop is liken to a court mage. Bishops channel their Essence into magical ability, and can be quite a fierce advantage on the battlefield. Though, majority of the time Bishops are assigned to libraries and mountains of research, delving into new concoctions and potions to brew, medicines to create, and poisons to divulge in hopes of gaining the largest advantage possible over rivaling kingdoms. They also act as diplomats, often aiding the kingdom's Jack in any political and trade matters. Bishops are often a wildcard, for they can easily switch between a simple researcher, librarian and diplomat, to an incredible warrior and deadly battle-asset. While their intelligence is quite great, it still does not beat that of a Jack.
TWO Bishops will be allowed per Kingdom.

Aces: These are the sacred guardians of the four portals of Essence, and are revered with the utmost respect by every kingdom member. For centuries, Aces have taken a solemn vow of pacifism, were any war to arise, as they believe their only duty is to guard their respective Realm of Essence, and determine the placements of newborn babies. Many Aces live for hundreds of years, as their constant exposure to the portal of raw Essence keeps them youthful for incredible periods of time. Though, not every Ace in history has been a wise pacifist, and there is always a wildcard: a newborn Ace.
ONE Ace will be allowed per Kingdom.

Jokers: These beings are seen as myth, and the common folk of the four kingdoms do not truly believe they exist. Though, Jokers are very much alive, and are incredible wildcards in any war or political scheme. It is fabled that sometimes, the perverse abominations that are The Unmarked still retain the power of Essence after their dipping ceremony, and are still able to use Essence abilities, even without a specific allegiance. Jokers are usually residents of Drokka, the village where misfits thrive. Often, Jokers shall take it upon themselves to repel any possible threat to their village sanctuary (decimate any search parties that bear allegiance to any kingdom), and are seen as Drokka’s protectors. Not every Joker has had the opportunity to flee to Drokka, though, and live within fear in one of the four kingdom’s boundaries, simply wishing for a life of their own without prosecution and judgement.  
TWO Jokers will be allowed in-total.

Pawns: Pawns make up the main population of each and every kingdom, and are by far the most common sign received upon any child’s belly during their dipping ceremony. Pawns can choose nearly any profession attainable within their specific societies, including the role of a soldier. Usually, these soldiers will be placed in specific platoons, under the direct command of a specific Rook. While Pawns do not have any direct connection to Essence, unlike the other roles, Essence does build within their being, overtime. Essence Shards will slowly form in their bodies with the deeds they perform, and if a Pawn enacts enough good deeds (that are true to their heart), the Essence may offer them an immediate second chance at life upon their death. It is incredibly rare to happen, but ancient legend states that if a Pawn achieves a high enough level of pure Essence Shards within their body, upon their death, they will almost immediately respawn into a role higher. For example, a Pawn could become a Knight, Bishop, Rook, Jack, and in the most rare and fabled of cases, a second Queen. There can only be one King at a time, though.
An INFINITE amount of Pawns will be allowed.


The only exception to the number of roles increasing will be if a Pawn ascends.