15 instances, 3 groups
Ranks provide the standard 1-15 ordering. This appears as a number, a glyph and the rank rail.
Ranks provide ordering, comparison, and the standard deck feel. Tau extends the usual 1-13 pattern to 1-15 so the deck can host extra roles, wilds, and special mappings.
Each rank appears as a number, a glyph, and a decorative rail. Ranks have unique colors within three bands—orange, teal, and purple—providing a secondary coloring for the cards.
Map ranks to familiar playing cards: 1 can act as ace, 11–13 as face cards, and 14–15 as wild or special cards.
Use rank for comparison, progression, thresholds, tempo, or card power. The glyphs and decorative rails offer visual recognition and memory cues. The rail’s inverted value, from -14 to 0, can support reversal, debt, polarity, or dual scoring.
Ranks interact with suits as primary identity. Ranks also have themes relating to the words, creating a loose story arc, and reinforcing the glyphs.
