Thanks for the feedback!
I originally had rules using 2d6 and resolution similar to PBtA, but I wanted something a little more visceral that gave players something to hang on to, so I went with cards. In a more produced version the cards would be more thematic, with the Aces being fire, the tens being some sort of shadowy monster bone chilling representing "The Dark". The other cards would be stylized books.
Or something along that line :)