Tholuri

Tholuri is a strategic card game developed and distributed by the Dwarven House of Lurragon.

Tholuri is played across Astor and in parts of Dragha and Elicyn. It is often played in taverns and inns in one-on-one matches, where stakes may be placed by the competing players or spectators. Cards themselves are often wagered on matches by the players.

Occasional tournament-style meetups are organized, generally by nobles, where players may pay an entry fee to compete for prizes. Rare cards, money and, in exceptional circumstances, land titles may be distributed to the winning players. Nobles, business operators and other members of the upper classes often attend and take advantage of the social opportunities provided, whereas other players compete with the intention of winning prizes.

History
The first cards were created by Luran Muharragon, First Advisor to King Thactorus the Saviour near the end of the War of Three Hundred Years as a means of occupying idle soldiers. The game experienced immediate popularity. At the end of the war, Luran stopped producing cards as he saw little use in a tabletop game during peacetime. After his death, his niece Karaun Lurragon began to produce the cards again, and steadily built an enormous business that brought a fortune for her and her House. The original cards produced during the war are sold for large fortunes as collector's items.

The current Tholuri Production Committee, headed by Karaun's first son Kan, releases one expansion of 32 cards each year. Each expansion is centered around a theme, often scientifically or historically based, such as astronomy, botany or architecture. The cards may be purchased directly from the House of Lurragon or purchased on the secondary market.

Setting Up and How to Play
Tholuri is played on a three-by-three (3x3) grid of blank space where the cards will be placed. Each card has four numbers placed on each side of the card. The numbers range from one to ten with the letter A representing ten.

In a basic game each player has five cards and keeps them unrevealed until played. A coin-flip decides who begins. The player who wins the coin toss may choose a card to play anywhere on the grid. After the first card is played the opponent may play a card on any unoccupied space on the board. The game continues with players' turns alternating.

Winning
To win, a majority of the total ten cards played (including the one card that is not placed on the board) must be of the player's card colour. To do this, the player must convert cards by placing a card adjacent to an opponent's card whereupon the numbers of the sides where the cards touch will be compared. If the number of the opponent's card is higher than the player's card, the player's card will be converted into the opponent's colour. If the player's number is higher, the opponent's card will be converted and changed into the player's colour instead. Converting can only occur during the player's turn and no other opponent can capture a card during said turn.

A draw occurs if the player and the opponent possess equal numbers of cards in their colour on the board. Depending on alternate game rules, this can be defined by a sudden death scenario.

Special Rules
Variants of the game are played in every region. Types of rules are as follows:

Trade Rules
There are standard trading rules in order to encourage fair play however players are able to decide on their own stakes if they so desire.