Baelethian Tiles

Baelethian Tiles is a game of chance and strategy, in which a set of triangular tiles are laid on the table according to particular restrictions. The object of the game is to get as many points as possible through clever tile placement and luck. 
The game is played across Bealethian society, by all ages and social groups. It is particularly popular among the gentry, where it has become a common component to parties, social events and even courtships.

Components

The game is played using a set of 56 triangular tiles made from ceramics or wood. Each tile has a decorated side called the Face, and a blank back. On the Face, there is a symbol in each corner belonging to one of the six suits of the game. The symbols are distributed across the set of tiles in such a way that no two tiles have the same combination of symbols and all possible combinations of symbols occur. 
There is only one tile per suit that contains three of the same symbol and these tiles are referred to as the suit's Harmony or a suit's Full. 
Traditionally Baelethian tiles are made of ceramics, which are lacquered on the Face side and painted with the symbols of the Suits in the corners. However, ceramic tiles are prone to chipping or cracking, especially during enthusiastic game-play. As such, maintaining an intact high-quality set of tiles can be a costly affair and is considered a status symbol among wealthy young people.  Outside of the gentry, however, wooden sets which are cheaper and more durable are equally as common, with ceramic sets sometimes being reserved for special occasions. The simplest wooden sets will feature corners that have simply been dipped in the color corresponding to each suit with no imagery. Additionally, more expensive sets are more likely to use silver and gold paint for the two highest value suits while less expensive ones are more likely to use grey and yellow respective.
In addition to the tiles, writing implements are usually used for score-keeping.

Sequence of Play

At the start of a round, all the tiles are placed Face down on a table and shuffles. Each player then draws five tiles which they look at but don't reveal to the other players. The other tiles are pushed into smaller piles called Stocks, which are placed between the players for easy access.
The player with the highest value Harmony (see Suits) begins by placing that tile in the center of the table. If no one draws a Harmony at the beginning of the round, the players go around drawing tiles until someone gets one, and then play begins.
The game proceeds sunwise from player to player. On a players turn, they can either place a tile or draw from one of the Stocks. Tiles must be placed such that the suits on two, or all three, corners of the tile match those tiles it is placed next to. No tile may be placed with only one corner touching another tile, nor on top of another tile.
If you cannot place a tile appropriately, you draw one from the Stocks. If you still cannot place one, the turn is passed to the next player.
During the game, points are scored for certain tile placements. The round ends when one player places their last tile. The round winner is awarded bonus points, and a new round is prepared until one player reaches the winning score.

Scoring

There are two types of tile placements score you points, Bridges and Fills. A Bridge consists of matching two corners on your tile with two corners on two separate tiles on the board, linking them and creating an empty space in the middle. A Fill consists of placing a tile such that all three corners match the adjacent tiles, either by filling in the gap between two adjacent tiles or by filling in the hole created by a Bridge placement. 
A Bridge is worth 50 points and a Fill is worth 100 points. In addition, whoever has the highest value Harmony and thus begins the game gets an additional 10 points. Finally, the player who places their last tile first scores points based on the value of the tiles the other players still have (see Suits). For example, a tile with two Fans and a Blossom is worth 7 points.
Games are usually played until one player reaches 300 (short), 600 (medium) or 900 (long) points, but it can be played to any score the participants agree on.

Suits

There are six suits in Bealethian tiles, each corresponding to a particular symbol and color and each having a fixed point value. In addition, each suit has a set of concepts associated with it (see Tile Reading).
Circles - Light Blue - 0 points Blossoms - Pink - 1 point Sails - Dark Blue - 2 points Fans - Plum or Red - 3 points Swords - Silver or Grey - 4 points Suns or Crowns - Gold or Yellow - 5 points
The symbols for the suits are either painted onto the corners of the tiles, or else carved and then painted.

Tile Reading

A less common but still wide-spread practice associated with the game is the practice of tile reading, wherein the shape that the tiles form as the game is played is interpreted to foretell something about the players. Sometimes the reading is carried out throughout the game, with each changing shape contributing to the overall interpretation, and sometimes only the final shape once the round has been played out is considered relevant. Usually whoever wins a particular round is considered to be the topic of the reading of that round, but some consider the sum total of the readings of all the rounds to belong to the overall winner of the game.
There are a number of archetypal shapes associated with Bealethian Tiles, such as the Star, the Bridge and the Snake though some prefer to associate the shapes more freely in their interpretation.
Although the shape is the primary thing to be interpreted, some other things also influence the readings. For example, the distribution of the suits across the final shape affects the interpretation, as can the placement of gaps. Each suit is also associated with various concepts and ideals, which in turn influence the interpretation.
Circles are associated with children and innocents, and with feelings in a general sense and a person's emotional core. Blossoms are associated with farmers, craftspeople and others with practical professions, and with possessions, stability and the physical world.  Sails are associated with merchants and explorers, and with discovery, change, risk-taking and prosperity. Fans are associated with artists and artisans of all kinds, and with creativity, expression and the unbridled spirit. Swords are associated with faith and the clergy, and with spirituality, fate and higher powers. Suns or Crowns are associated with royalty and the gentry, and with power, authority and wealth. 
So, for example, the Bridge shape is commonly associated with transitional periods and tying the present to the future. A Bridge shape where Sails are dominant in its foundation might be read to mean that discovery and risk-taking will be essential for shaping the future the target of the read wants, while a Bridge with an abundance of Swords might instead be taken as emphasizing the importance of spiritual reflection in the upcoming transitional period.
The degree to which tile reading is utilized varies greatly between tables, where some are deadly serious about the practice while others consider it just a bit of fun, and others still don't practice it at all. In fact, in some circles tile reading is considered quite silly, and associated with vapid, young aristocrats or lovesick teenagers.

Regional Variations

There is some regional variation in various parts of the game. This can involve the scoring, sequence of play, design of the tiles and more. 
Scoring varies a little in different parts of Bealeth, with some scoring systems giving more weight to the placement of the tiles over the points scored by closing out a round or vice versa. Additionally, some do not award any points for beginning a round. Scoring rules are a common source of conflict in games with players from different parts of the region. 
In some areas, particularly inland, a different drawing practice is used where instead of drawing five tiles in the beginning of the round, the players go around a draw until someone draws a Full after which the game is played as normal. This means that rounds are usually shorter but more of them are required to reach a winning score. 
The prevalence of tile reading and the degree to which it's taken serious also varies between regions.
In terms of design, the most common variation is between using Suns and Crowns for the highest value suit. Crowns are much more commonly used among the gentry as well as across social classes in the capital, while Suns are more common elsewhere.