Sandbox
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 in the text are included in appropriate places, but lose any artistic or magical properties.
- If the text is in several languages, use the highest alienness complexity and add 1.
- 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 the text in the relevant language). When you trigger this Ritual Object on site, the Volume factor is doubled when calculating complexity.
Cost:
- You take stress equal to the final complexity rating.
- You must provide sufficient pages or surfaces to record the translated text. This can be quite expensive and difficult to transport for large volumes.
- The ritual triggers any trap, curse, or other harmful effect in the text, as though you opened and read it manually.
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 can be heard. You might glimpse visions of the circumstances in which the words were first penned, leaving you temporarily disoriented and unable to understand your mother tongue.
Note: This ritual may be impossible to use on texts that are Artifacts with a destiny or other critical plot effects.