Sandbox
Lexicon of Revelation
Effect: This ritual taps into powerful linguistic forces to translate text from any language, code, or cipher into a form the caster can understand. The complexity required depends on two factors: how alien the source language is, and the volume of text to be translated—take the higher value to determine the final complexity. The ritual may also be prepared in advance by creating a specialized ritual object keyed to a particular text sample, allowing for on-demand translation (with associated increases in complexity).
Complexity Tiers
| Alienness | Volume | Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| Neighboring Living Language | Single Inscription | 2 |
| Neighboring Dead Language | Page or Wall | 3 |
| Planar Language | Book | 4 |
| Faraway Language (Dead/Alive) | Bookshelf | 5 |
| Alien Worlds | Library | 6 |
- Take the higher category from the Alienness column and the Volume column to find the base complexity.
- If the text is encoded or ciphered, add **+1** or **+2** to reflect the difficulty of the code.
- If the ritual is prepared in advance (by crafting a Ritual Object), add **+1** to the required complexity for each additional tier of volume you wish to handle instantly upon activation.
Ritual Object (Optional Preparation):
- You may create a special focus (e.g., a magically treated scroll, a gemstone lens, or a quill bound with the text sample) that stores the ritual’s power.
- The creation of this object increases the complexity by **+1** for each additional tier of volume you want to handle at once. For example, if you wish for the ritual object to instantly translate any text up to “Book” volume, but your base complexity is 3, you add **+1** to cover that range (assuming your base covers only “Page or Wall” volume).
- You must have a sample of the text on hand when crafting the ritual object.
Requirements:
- If the ritual’s total complexity exceeds 4, you must invest 1 coin for every 2 stress above 4 in rare inks or pigments (e.g., complexity 5 requires 1 coin, complexity 6 requires 2 coin, etc.).
- A focus item tied to knowledge or language (e.g., a scholar’s quill, an ancient scribe’s eyeglasses).
- 2 hours of focused chanting and scribing per complexity tier.
Cost:
- The caster takes stress equal to the final complexity tier.
- For example, deciphering a Faraway Language (5) in an entire Library (6) with no code or special prep uses complexity 6, costing 6 stress. If that text is also heavily encoded, it could add +1 or +2 more complexity (thus 7 or 8 total).
Consequences of Failure or Inaccuracy:
- Garbled Text: The translated script becomes partially incorrect or warped by the caster’s assumptions, leading to major misunderstandings.
- Revelatory Backlash: Especially with alien or forbidden languages, the caster risks psychic backlash, gaining unsettling insights or corrupting their own mind.
- Inadvertent Trigger: Certain magical texts or ciphers may have built-in wards that activate when translated, endangering the caster or corrupting the text.
Weird Aspect: As the ritual proceeds, luminous runes and letters swirl through the air, coiling around the text to be read. The caster might hear echoes of voices from the text’s original authors, or see apparitions replaying the circumstances in which the words were first written.
Notes:
- When performed successfully, the text is fully understood and can be recorded in a language of the caster’s choice.
- Hazardous or secret tomes may impose further limitations (e.g., wards that blind unauthorized readers, planar energy that warps the mind).
Lexicon of Revelation
Effect: This ritual dips deep into the astral plane to uncover the meaning of a text, translating it from any language, code, or cipher into a form you can understand. The ritual’s complexity depends on two factors: how alien the source language is and the volume of text—sum the two values to find the final complexity. The translation is magically recorded on a physical medium you supply.
Alienness & Volume Table
| Rating | Alienness | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neighboring living language | Single inscription |
| 2 | Neighboring dead language | Page or wall |
| 3 | Planar language | Book (a codex or several scrolls) |
| 4 | Faraway language (dead or alive) | Bookshelf |
| 5 | Language from alien worlds | Library |
- To determine base complexity, choose the relevant rating from the Alienness column and the Volume column, then sum those ratings (minimum total complexity is 2, maximum is 10).
- Any illustrations or graphics will be included in the appropriate places, but artistic value or magical effect is lost.
- If the text is in several languages, use the highest alienness complexity and add one.
- If the text is coded or ciphered, add +1 (or more, for very advanced encryption) to the final complexity.
- You can prepare this ritual in advance by creating a Ritual Object, a piece of text in the relevant language. You trigger the Ritual Object on site and the ritual activates. This doubles the Volume factor when calculating complexity.
Cost:
- You take stress equal to the final complexity rating.
- You must provide sufficient pages to record the translated text. This can be quite expensive and hard to transport for large volumes of text.
- The ritual triggers any trap, curse, or other harmful effect, as if you opened and read each text.
Consequences of Failure or Inaccuracy:
- Garbled Translation: You may misinterpret the text, leading to dangerous misunderstandings or false information.
- Revelatory Backlash: Particularly alien or forbidden texts might unleash psychic shock, haunting your dreams or warping your perceptions.
Weird Aspect: As you perform the ritual, illuminated runes spiral around the text, and faint echoes of the original authors’ voices are heard. You might glimpse visions of the circumstances in which the words were first penned, leaving you disoriented and unable to understand your mother tounge.
This ritual may be impossible for texts that are Artifacts with a destiny or other plot effects.