Government[]
South of Meneluinin lies a country much like it in terms of its people, but quite different in its governance.
Solitaire is ruled by the Council of Nine, made up of the most powerful mage in each school of magic, and a single strong divine caster, who is supposed to represent everyone in the country who is not an arcanist, including mundanes, divine casters and casters who aren't "proper" arcanists. The definition of "proper" has liberalized over the years and now includes sorcerors and warlocks, though it was once limited solely to wizards. Positions on the Council can be achieved by various means, including blackmail, bribery and assassination, but the most popular way to get ahead in Solitaire is through dueling.
Customs[]
Dueling in Solitaire is a relatively simple thing, with combat taking place one-on-one, witnessed by a second on each side and generally, a Judge who can and occasionally does stop combat for a number of reasons. The Judge is the final arbiter of victory, and must be agreed upon in advance by both duelists. The judge can also call a halt if one or both parties is too grievously wounded to carry on, or if a distraction has entered the field of play, or to assess a penalty.
Duels are seldom fatal, but can leave losers (and sometimes winners) in uncomfortable positions, such as living the rest of one's life as a newt.
Magic duels are taken extremely seriously in Solitaire, and cheating is generally political suicide, as it often ends in exile for the wrongdoer. Judges who take bribes or can be blackmailed are also drummed out very quickly, and it is very, very rare indeed for such acts to occur. The Judge's word is law, and there is no appeal.
Plural marriages are common in Solitaire, with groups each being married to each of the others. Couples are still the most common form of marriage, but groups of 3-4 are extremely common, with larger groups up to 12-15 being quite rare.
"Mundane" is one of the worst insults a Solitary can offer to another person, but it is also considered the "correct" terminology for someone who can't cast spells. The ruder word is the abbreviation "mun," or, alternatively, "normie," an abbreviation for "normal." Either of those is considered grounds for a duel in Solitaire.
Education[]
Solitaries (as people from Solitaire are, confusingly, called) are some of the best-educated people in the world, and even the mundanes, who form the lower class, are likely to have a wide array of knowledge on just about every topic imaginable. They're less likely to be able to use their knowledge in any meaningful way, but nobody's perfect.
Cities[]
Intrigue: Despite its name, Intrigue, located on the far west side of Solitaire, is primarily known as a military outpost. Intrigue is smaller than Solitaire's other cities, and less ornately-styled, being laid out and designed primarily for security rather than beauty. Its position near the border with Tarkishi makes for less internal political wrangling and a great deal more attention directed out--toward that perilous border.
Tableau: Located in the far eastern central portion of Solitaire, Tableau is the second-largest city in the nation of Solitaire and its largest stationary city, in a manner of speaking--Tableau, not to be outdone by Talon, relocated most of its buildings to rest on massive floating tablets on the river. As such, the city shifts slightly in a thunderstorm. It is Solitaire's artistic hub, home to some of the best sculptors, writers, illusionists and singers in the world, most of whom are augmented in one way or another via magic. Because of its location on the river, Tableau is regrettably prone to flooding.
Talon: Solitaire's capitol, a floating city, Talon's location changes throughout the year, though it can generally be found more or less in the middle of the country. Talon is said to be a city of wonders, magic far beyond that which an ordinary person could hope to see in a lifetime. Though outsiders generally believe mundanes are not permitted in Talon, this is actually not the case, and many mundanes live and work there, generally as servants or third-class citizens.
The People[]
Gnomes, humans and elves are the most common races in Solitaire, but people with more exotic backgrounds (dragonblooded, aasimar, tieflings and genasi) are more common there than in Meneluinin.
Common, Elven, and Draconic are commonly spoken in Solitaire, along with Auran, Ignan, Terran and Aquan.