Pith tiles

Pith tiles (Phyrean: thágr pith) are game tiles used in various Phyrean games, most prominently pith and little pith. They are used in a similar vein to playing cards, and form part of a family of card sets common around the Orddonach, originating from ancient bahlian playing tokens.

History

Pith tiles in their modern form can be traced back to the early 1500s. The game was already popular in much of Hearn and coastal Phyrea since the 200s BNB, being introduced by the Namunians through trade. Before the introduction of tiles, long cards usually made of wood were preferred, reminiscent of their Bahlian origins. The size and thickness of these cards varied significantly from region to region, as there was a trend to make smaller sets to save on materials and time, and to make them less unwieldy and easier to transport. The earliest pith tile set made to something close to modern standards originates from the 1520s. These were commissioned by a noble family from a now unknown artist. They are in the most popular format at the time in the area (near Brith, in coastal Amrhyl), thus 3.3x2.4x1.3 eff (roughly 2.4x1.8x1 cm), and were made of ceramic instead of wood. This format is now the most prolific worldwide.

Modern sets are commonly mass produced and made in plastic. More expensive, handmade sets are usually made of wood or ceramic.

Contents

Full set

		Numbers								Great Tiles			Moon
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	D	Ll	H
Suits	Hearts
	Daffodils
	Mice
	Foxes

A complete set of standard pith tiles includes 4 copies of each suit and 4 moons, adding up to a total of 180 tiles.

Ranked tiles

Ranked tiles (Phyrean: thágr myddedol "numbered tiles") are tiles that are ranked (numbered) from one to eight.

Suit of Hearts

The heart suit (Phyrean: hedr "hearts") is represented by a series of heart shapes. The 6, 7 and 8 of hearts are represented by flower-like shapes, sometimes referred to as a poppies (Phyrean: hollydr (sg. hollyd)).

Suit of Daffodils

The daffodil suit (Phyrean: ceddfordae "daffodils") is represented by daffodil petals that gradually go on to form a full flower.

Suit of Mice

The mouse suit (Phyrean: canynwr "mice") is represented by stylised mice. The 6, 7 and 8 of mice are represented by stylised representations of rat kings. They are also frequently called clovers (Phyrean: mudwr).

Suit of Foxes

The fox suit (Phyrean: ceddynwr "foxes") is represented by stylised foxes. The 6 and 7 of foxes are represented by circles, standing in for fox den entrances.

Great tiles

The great tiles (Phyrean: thágr mód "great tiles") are tiles that are not explicitly ranked, but form part of suits.

Wanderers

The wanderers (Phyrean: danarthwr) are all represented by star shapes corresponding to the colours of each suit. They are the lowest kind of great tile, following the 8s and preceding the seasons.

Seasons

The seasons (Phyrean: llwnwy) represent the four seasons. They are the second most important of the great tiles, following the wanderers and preceding the high kings.

The four season tiles are:

• Summer (Phyrean: chrawd), represented by a bee-eater and a jasmine flower, pertaining to the suit of hearts.
• Autumn (Phyrean: pán), represented by a perched waxwing and a yellowed oak leaf, pertaining to the suit of daffodils.
• Spring (Phyrean: mawb), represented by a perched nightingale, an apple blossom next to it, pertaining to the suit of mice.
• Winter (Phyrean: jan), represented by a goldfinch and a snowdrop, and pertaining to the suit of foxes.

High Kings

The high kings (Phyrean: hiaharthwr holl) are represented by flowers. They are the highest of the great tiles, following the seasons and preceding the moon.

The four high king tiles are:

• Carnation (Phyrean: ewfford), of the suit of hearts.
• Daffodil (Phyrean: ceddford mód "big daffodil"), of the suit of daffodils.
• Clover (Phyrean: mudwr (had) "clover (flower)"), of the suit of mice.
• Cornflower (Phyrean: llysnwyd), of the suit of foxes.

The Moon

The moon (Phyrean: mnalyd) is the only unsuited and unranked tile, represented by three nuns praying or performing a procession under the moon. Sometimes, this tile may only be represented by a blue dot. It is the highest tile in the set. There are four moon tiles in a complete set, matching the number of suits.

Games

Following is a list of games using the standard pith set:

• Pith
• Little pith
• WIP