Revelation

This mechanic tracks how much a character has been influenced by either the Eldritch Truth or the Divine Lie (known to the players as the Eldritch Influence and the Queen’s Presence)  

Principles

“Revelation” is added as a statistic on a player’s sheet. It generally would start at 0 and go up or down depending on certain actions taken. In Trandrafia, all humanoid characters begin at -2 Revelation due to the influence of the Red Queen’s church, but that starting score can change depending on race, backgrounds and backstory.
 

Grenwald and Sioban are two characters in Trandrafia, therefore starting at -2 Revelation each. Grenwald is a Human Fighter with a background as a soldier, and as such no changes are made to his Revelation unless through backstory reasons. Sioban is a half-elf warlock of Seraph Sarilana who has a background of an Acolyte, this gives her multiple increases, one for being a warlock of the Queen and one for studying as an acolyte, making her score -4.

  Revelation is determined by the actions a character makes, is witness to, or is part of. These actions can be as simple as reading a passage from a questionable text to performing a ritual, but each action that this system accounts for moves the character in one direction or the other, further into eldritch influence or divine calling; closer to the Eldritch or the Red Queen.
  Each player keeps track of their character’s Revelation, changing it in accordance to how the DM rules various interactions. They aren’t told the max/min or what gaining on either side grants them, but they will find out in time through various interactions.
 

Example Actions

• Read a passage from an eldritch tome aloud. -- +1 (+2 if done knowingly and willingly) /day
• Study an eldritch text or carving. -- +3 /week
• Use a blessed or sanguine weapon or artifact. -- -3/day
• Perform a sacrifice to a "Great One". -- +5
• Cast a sanguimancy spell of level 1 or higher. -- -1 (-2 if performed as a warlock or cleric of the Red Queen) (max of -3/-6 per day)
• Foil a major eldritch ritual. -- -10

 

"Eldritch Influence"

Those who move along the Revelation scale toward eldritch influence play with powers they don’t understand. Their minds become warped by the influences they invite, the knowledge they seek, and the rituals they perform. It is said that the eldritch opens the eyes of those who seek it, showing the world in a different light, or even grant power. Some may even questionably call this the “Eldritch Truth”, but is it truth or the product of a broken mind?  

"Divine Calling"

Those who devote themselves to the faith of the Red Queen are able to stave off the influence of eldritch horrors that would plague the thoughts of the population. This allows you to see the world through the lens of the divine: radiating power of the divine, the glorious visages of the seraphs and their followers, the true form of enemies of the Queen. But there are always those who question the protective, empowering embrace of the Queen. What more can you expect from those whose minds have been twisted?  

Rules & Limits

• There are thresholds for both sides of this scale. These thresholds, depending on how deep into them a character gets, can grant boons, but always come with a cost, though this cost may not always be stated immediately.
• Increasing either side may also change how a character sees different interactions, or even creatures.
• Some changes are accompanied by actions by monsters, saving throws or skill checks, but most are dependent on narrative-driven events.