November 9, 2025
Glossary
Work in Progress
This documentation is still being expanded and refined. Features, screenshots, and descriptions may change until Talescape's public release. If something is unclear or you need help, please ask on the official Talescape Discord. We're happy to clarify or update pages as needed.
Core Roles & Concepts
- Bard – A creator who writes, designs, and publishes stories using the Talescape Editor.
- Dreamer – A player who experiences stories through the Talescape Player app.
- Dream Type – The tonal category of a story (Daydream, Nightmare, Vision, or Echo). Defines emotional tone, not genre.
- Story – A complete interactive work composed of chapters, scenes, and logic.
- Editor – The application used by Bards to create and test stories.
- Player – The application used by Dreamers to play published stories.
- Marketplace – The public catalog where published stories are listed and distributed.
- Contest – A themed event where Bards submit stories for prizes or recognition.
Story Structure
- Chapter – A structural unit grouping several scenes. Used for story organization and flow control.
- Scene – A playable segment containing dialogue, media, and logic.
- Dialogue – A sequence of lines and options representing a conversation or narration.
- Dialogue Line – A single spoken or narrated line within a dialogue.
- Dialogue Option – A player choice that leads to another line, branch, or scene.
- Character – A named entity with a portrait, optional voice, and dialogue lines.
- Background – The image or video used as the backdrop of a scene.
- Media – Any asset (image, audio, or video) used in a story.
- Item – A collectible or usable object available in a story’s inventory.
- Recipe – A combination of items that produces another item.
- Achievement – A player milestone or reward unlocked by meeting specific conditions.
Logic & Systems
- Variable – A stored value (flag, string, or number) used to track story state.
- Condition – A rule that checks variables, items, or achievements to decide what happens next.
- Action – An operation triggered by events (e.g., show text, play sound, move to scene).
- Event – A trigger that starts actions (e.g., on scene start, on dialogue end).
- Timer – A countdown or repeating trigger based on elapsed time.
- Check – An automatic validation that detects configuration or logic issues.
- Check Severity – The importance level of a check result: Info, Warning, or Error.
Publishing & Management
- Release – A published version of a story available to Dreamers.
- Draft – A story version still in development and not yet public.
- Content Warning – A disclosure tag for sensitive material such as violence or trauma.
- Metadata – Descriptive story information such as title, language, tags, and summary.
- Moderation – The review process ensuring compliance with Talescape’s content guidelines.
- Appeal – A request for review of a moderation decision.
- Revenue Split – The percentage distribution of story earnings between Bard, platform, and store.