dk4vision on Oct 4, 2015 wrote:

I needed a title that would grasp your attention :) It means 'gears of chess' in Latin.
Alert- the following reveals spoilers for the Aragon Skyway and higher, and takes the chess references as far as they can possibly go, so read at your own risk. Please note any flaws in a comment if you find any.
Hey everybody! I wanted to take the chess theme of the Armada to the next level, and made notes on the various members of Kane's courts relations to chess. So, here we go...
The Weaklings- We all know these guys. The various musketeers and warriors that aren't part of anything special but an army of loyal foot soldiers. The word 'pawn' comes from the Old French word paon, meaning 'foot soldier.They are the pawns of the game, in chess terms. However, pawns can be 'promoted' to either a knight, a bishop, a rook (castle), or a queen. So, could one or more of these insignificant little guys be employed and upgraded to be a new member of Kane's court?
Deacon- The first member of the Big Six we see, a deacon in some variants of chess is a bishop+knight combination, and can also be called a chancellor. However, there was a British chess master named Frederick Deacon, but I don't see this rusting heap of gears in a broken down mine in Cool Ranch as a master. ;)
Bishop- Clearly, he is the bishop! Bishop, in English, can be translated into many languages as messanger, or runner. Bishop is Kane's courier, and escapes our grasp a few times to deliver messenges to Kane.
Rooke- The castle, or rook, is a major piece in chess, along with the queen, and can be used easily to checkmate an opponent at the risk of an endgame, also called a draw or a stalemate. The word translated into most languages as 'tower', symbolizing its power. But in Persian, where the game was made, it means chariot. Am I the only one who wants to see Rooke zooming down Mirage (Persia-based world) in a chariot? :D
Derilictus Feurat Cayne- Again with the Latin, this woman 'left of Kane', is the enigmatic member of the Armada, but since she is the only supposed female of the group, she shall be noted as the queen. The queen is the most powerful piece in chess, and can flawlessly checkmate an enemy in two moves (more on that later). It can be interpreted as fierce in French, the assumed language of Valencia, the Armada's home.
Kane- The king, or ruler, of the Armada (as far as we know), Kane is the most vulnerable and most important. He can switch places with his castle- Rooke- but he is a crucial piece and usually lasts until an endgame. The most important pieces that can be used to gaurd him are the queen and the rook, the major pieces,as noted before.
Phule- The 'fool's mate' is the fastest way to win a game of chess. It consists of two moves, and usually leaves the defeated opposition stunned. Could Phule 'checkmate' us when we first confront Kane? Phule may not be a chess piece at all, however. Maybe he is one of the players...
The Toymaker...

Thanks for reading, and comment if you want!
DDQ

CdeWinter on Oct 5, 2015 wrote:

Very nice reasoning, but there is one thing I don't understand how you thought of it.
When you say Queen can be interpreted as Fierce in French, I'm not sure how you got that. The only usable French translation of Queen in this case is Reine, which simply means Queen. Really it's the feminine version of Rein, which is King.

There are some other derogatory translations that I won't post here, but I don't know how you got Fierce.
Also, from the names used by Valencian characters in game, as well as architecture, and the fact that all Armada troops names are in Latin, suggest that the Valencia is based largely on Italy, with maybe a few Spanish influences. Therefore Valencia's language would be Italian.

Besides that I just wanted to suggest something.
Everyone assumes that the female Elite is the Queen because she is female. But, does her apparent gender really mean that she must be the Queen? Could she not really occupy a position similar to a knight? Is it impossible that Kane, who is supposed to be the fastest, strongest, and smartest being in the Spiral occupy the positions of both King and Queen? Or, does there even HAVE to be a Queen in the Armada court?

dk4vision on Oct 7, 2015 wrote:

Interesting ideas I agree, Phule could be the true commander of the Armada. However, I did not mean to send the message that I thought the elites were a royal court. I fully support the military organization thought. Plus, a note to Cdewinter, I got the Old French translation to fierce from Wikipedia, not the most trustworthy website in many people's opinions, including mine. Please acknowledge this, or just ignore the whole fierce section .