A Telling Ellipsis…”

Lexeme

A game of notes and connections by Rick Cockram

v0.3.1 Spring 2026©️

Introduction

Lexeme is an emergent storytelling game of finding meaning in connection for one or more players. It tells stories about characters and how they change over time, how they connect to each other, to things and to places. It is about how the stories of the small interactions that build on each other to drive us and create the narrative pattern of our lives.

In Lexeme the world and its characters are represented by cards which are a combination of character sheet and notes. Cards are organised into Decks, the World deck is the responsibility of the Diviner and individual decks which are the responsibility of particular Readers with some cards being shared between them. Readers can keep cards in their individual decks which they have particular interest in as a reminder to others to ask permission before invoking them.

As you play, cards from decks are played as tableaux to show what is active in a scene, and hands for active cards hidden from others. The Diviner describes a scene or situation as they reveal cards from their hands. When the scene is complete the other Readers describe and act out what their characters do in the scene, what they investigate, who they talk to and a ny other impact they wish to effect. They use the cards in their tableau as a guide not a limit until the group come to a moment of uncertainty in the outcome of an action, when that happens cards are read and dice are rolled to invoke the Wyrd and divine an outcome. When a scene is over the Diviner scoops up any cards they have left in play and lays out a new scene for the readers to explore.

Rules

Cards

The core mechanical component of Lexeme is the Card. Cards are how readers describe the world and how they remember it between sessions, they represent anything important enough to remember, big or small. In play cards are arranged into decks, tableaux and hands. They can be evoked as spreads to represent or interact with the world. Every time anything is added to the world of the game create a new card, give it at least a title but also jot down a description, and it’s core connections to help you remember what it was and then keep notes from there. Use the templates later in this text as a guide.

Core Modules

The most important aspect of cards is that they are notes about things in the world. They describe an element of the world, what it is, how it connects to the world at large, what it can do, and how it may change.

Title

The title of the card is its name, a word or short phrase which is either a proper noun or sums up the reference of the card.

Description

The description is a few sentences or a short paragraph which sums up the nature of the reference of the card.

Scale

An indication of the card’s position in the broader hierarchy to help understand how it fits into the scheme of the world.

Connections

The connections listed on the card show how it connects to the world. The core connections of a card is its connection to the hierarchy. Each card sits at a particular level in the hierarchy of scale. Items have owners, people live in settlements and belong to factions, settlements are in countries, countries in continents, continents in worlds. These relationships between things can change and develop but help situate cards and their relationship to each other.

A card may have secondary connections. An item may list a connection to the place it was discovered, or the person who gifted it. Countries may have enemies or alliances. List these secondary connections as they become relevant and include a descriptor to explain the connection.

Notes

Under notes you can list anything important that you need to know about the reference of the card which is not itself another card in the connections. Start with this space blank and let it fill over time as things become important.

Active Modules

Active modules are interactive elements of cards which come into play during extended actions and help to track how cards are used and change.

Moves

Cards may have moves associated with them. Moves will list the number which must be placed on the card to trigger the move and the impact that taking the move will have on the world. A card may have a move which triggers if a 6 is placed on it to allow a special effect or a tool may break if a 1 is placed on it. There are no limits to the number of moves a card can have but each number can only be referenced once. For example you may have a bad effect on a 1-3, a moderate effect on a 4-5 and a special effect on a 6.

Tracks

Tracks can be used to provide the card with a memory. Tracks are commonly 4, 6, or 8 segments long and will allow the card to be modified if the are completed or emptied. Tracks may start full and count down, they may start empty and fill up, they may even start in the middle and be pulled in both directions. Uses of tracks might be:

Growth and change

Growth and change in Lexeme are represented by cards and their relationships. When things in the story change the truth of a card, make sure that it is updated to reflect that. It could be as simple as updating the notes or connections. Sometimes modules will need to be added, updated, or removed. If something happens to make a card redundant remove it from play, that could be anything from an illness being cured, or an item breaking, to a city being destroyed. Similarly if something in the fiction necessitates a new card, create one. Every time a card is created, modified or destroyed create a relationship between it and and whatever caused the change. For minor relationships make a note on each card reflecting the change as a reminder. For major relationships or bonds the group would like to focus on create it as a new card. If the relationship becomes more important later you can always create the card then.

Setting a scene

Scenes are set by the diviner, they describe a starting point to the group and as they are doing so they will form a tableaux of cards in front of them from their hand and deck as they see fit. This tableaux will contain the various details of the location and the characters present, it may not be the full picture, there may be details which aren’t immediately obvious to the Readers. Once the scene is set the Diviner then

Making a change in the world

In the majority of cases in order to make a change in the world it is enough for the Reader to describe the change and the Diviner to explain how the change manifests. When there is uncertainty in the outcome of an action or the best direction for the story then you should consult the cards. A Spread of Cards may be read by the Diviner to determine likely outcomes of a Reader’s intended action. If the reader does not wish to accept the outcomes presented they may invoke the Wyrd and cast dice upon the cards. While it may be that the winds of the Wyrd don’t favour them and the outcomes come to pass regardless, Readers can manipulate the Wyrd and choose where the dice are placed protecting their cards or powering their moves to change the outcome.

The scale of the change

The scale of the cards used in a spread has a major influence on the impact the Reader’s are able to have on a situation.

Spreads

Before casting the Reader should describe the impact they wish to have on the world and put forward the cards they would use as leverage in a Spread. The Diviner will respond by describing the likely outcomes and adds cards to the Spread which support their claim. Neither Reader nor Diviner needs to be the owner of the cards they put forward though they should seek consent from the owner before invoking someone else’s cards. If a reader invokes cards from another Reader their character runs the risk of facing consequences.

Casting

Casting is the ritual of understanding the impact of actions in the story using spreads of cards representing a querent’s leverage and a pool of six sided dice to invoke the Wyrd.

Oracle Spread

An Oracle Spread is a tool which allows The Diviner to defer to the Wyrd when considering Readers are not directly involved or when outcomes are uncertain. Start by determining the identity of the querent, this is the active party who will be the subject of the casting. Select each card which has a bearing on the situation from all available tableaux. For each card which will help the querent add one die to the pool. For each card which stands in their way remove a die from the pool. If the pool is 0 or lower roll two dice and take the lowest result, otherwise roll all the dice and identify the highest.

Action Spread

The Action Spread is the primary way that Readers have to access the Wyrd. To resolve an Action Spread the reader starts by describing impact they wish to have. The Diviner will then help them select a card to represent this goal in the Casting. This will be the first card in the spread. The Reader will then add up to three cards to the spread representing the leverage they have to bring about the impact they desire. The Diviner will then add up to three cards to the spread in representing impairments, complications, consequences.

If at this point all parties involved are in agreement that the outcome is clear it manifests and play returns to the back and forth of the conversation. If not then the Reader may invoke the Wyrd. For each card in the spread add one die to a pool and roll the whole pool of dice. Assign each of the die to a card in the spread. High numbers favour the Reader, they indicate positive influences actualising, opportunities taken and negative influences suppressed. Low numbers work against the Reader, they indicate threats coming to pass, opportunities missed, or complications manifesting. The die assigned to the Goal Card determines whether the Wyrd favours the Reader. If the Goal card has a track then update it:

If the goal card has an Outcome Module or a move directly related to the impact reference it. The Diviner and the Reader work together to infer the meaning of the cards in the Spread. For each card with a Move which matches the number on it activate that move and work it into the interpretation. For each card with a track increase it if there is a 6 on it or decrease it if there is a 1 and work the change into the narration. Consequence cards have negative effect, unless they are blocked. For each card with no Active Module determine if a consequence or perk related to the action requires that one be added; If it does create a relevant Active Module for the card and incorporate it’s creation into the narration of the impact. When updating cards remember to make a relationship as a reminder of the cause of the change.

Decks and Tableaux

Collections of cards are called decks and tableaux. Decks are the sets of cards that form the world more broadly where not every card will be in play. Tableaux are the sets of cards which are available to be called upon during a scene. The cards in a tableau will not always be visible to all players, if one player has cards which they don’t wish the others to know about they are considered to be in their hand. The most common use of a hand is when the Diviner has cards which they would like to use to surprise the Readers for dramatic effect.

Procedures

Creating a character

  1. Create a card for the character with a physical description of them and complete the people template
  2. For each filled in blank in the description which does not have an existing card create one.
  3. Assign each card to the character’s personal deck or the world deck as appropriate.

Creating a world

  1. Start with any template that inspires you.
  2. Fill out the template.
  3. Create a new card for each blank in the template with just the title.
  4. Take one of the cards with just a title and fill out a new template based on the type of card it will be.
  5. Go back to step two and keep going until you’re ready to stop.

Creating a Scenario

  1. Take an existing location or create one.
  2. Identify or create at least one group who are operating in the location
  3. Consider why the Reader’s character are at the location and create a goal card if the readers don’t have one.
  4. Create cards for any obstacles between the Reader’s characters and their goals.
  5. Create cards with the titles of any blanks in any templates.
  6. Keep adding detail to cards until you feel comfortable you have the information you need. You don’t need all the answers up front, leave space for things to come up in play but try to have at least a title for things which will likely be relevant.
  7. Create a scenario deck with all your new cards and any relevant cards from the world deck.

Example Card Templates

Meta Cards

Module Templates

Objectives

[person/group] are going to [desire] by [action]

Conditions

I was [cause] and it [effect].

Relationships

[person] is my [Descriptor]

Places

Description

[Name] is a [size] sized [Descriptor], it is [Descriptor] with [Descriptor] which makes [Descriptor]. People have lived here for [duration], they are [Descriptor] and [Descriptor], they think of themselves as [belief]. [Group] are the main [Descriptor] in the area.

[Name] is governed by [person/group] who [goa]. They are based in [place] and people think of them as [belief].

Travel around [place] is [Blank] because [Blank]. It means that [Blank].

Vignettes

Short sensory images which convey the feel of the settlement

  1. [Vignette]
  2. [Vignette]
  3. [Vignette]

Settlements

Description

[Name] is a [size] sized [Descriptor] which has been standing for [duration]. The roads leading in are [Descriptor] and [Descriptor]. The first thing you notice as you approach is [feature/landmark].

In the past it was known for [Belief] and now [belief].

The residents are [Descriptor] and [Descriptor], they think of themselves as [belief].

Vignettes

Short sensory images which convey the feel of the settlement

  1. [Vignette]
  2. [Vignette]
  3. [Vignette]

Districts

Description

[Name] is a [descriptor] district where there are [descriptor/group].

In the past [Descriptor] but now [Descriptor].

The residents are [Descriptor] and [Descriptor], they think of themselves as [Belief].

The streets are [Descriptor] & [Descriptor] with [Descriptor] buildings which [Descriptor].

Vignettes

Short sensory images which convey the feel of the settlement

  1. [Vignette]
  2. [Vignette]
  3. [Vignette]

Landmarks

Description

[name] is [descriptor]. It is unique because [descriptor].

It is located [place] and people find it by [blank].

The residents think of it as [belief]. It used to be [condition] and they use it to [use].

When you first arrive at [Name] you see/smell/taste [descriptor]. Not many people know that [secret] and if someone were to [action] then they might learn about [secret].

Groups

Description

[Name] are a group of [job/affiliation] based in [place]. They exist to [goal], and at the moment they are trying to [goal]. Their long term goal is [goal] which is [descriptor] and/but some people [belief].

The group is lead by [person] who is/are [belief] by the other members of the group.

People

[Name] is a [Job] who lives in [Place]. They have [Descriptor], [Descriptor] features and a [Descriptor] look. They appear to be [Descriptor] and dress [Descriptor]. They speak with a [Descriptor] and you can hear [Descriptor] in their tone.

They know [Secret] about [Person/Group/Place] and do/don’t want to talk about it. Not many people know that [Secret] and if someone were to [Action] then they might learn about [Secret].

They obviously carry [item] and they also have [item].

Right now they need [goal] and in the future they hope to [goal].

They are a member of [Group] and can often be found with [Person]. They don’t get on with [Person] because [Belief].

Bonds

[Person/Group] is/was [Reason/Goal/Belief] and I feel [Bond] towards them.

Items

[This item] is a [Category] which belongs to [Person]. It is [Descriptor] and [Descriptor] so it can [Ability].

Beliefs

[Person/Group] believes that [Subject] is [Belief] because [Reason]