Yes, I'm agreed that can feel weird to sacrifise life but you don't have a max life and there is several heart in your way that bring up you life.
i think the little text at the beginning say "Take hearts, don't hesitate to falling in your journey" if you say yes to more info.
About life normally : 0 life lose at 1 to 2 tile upward. 1less life is little fail (from 3 to 4 include). 2 less life for 5+ tile fall.
you might found an bug thank.
I use a counter that count the tile you pass before you finish fall. that counter should be reset when you finish the fall but might have forget case so the counter stay incremented i guess :s
One thing i feel "antipattern" is : you have to find all the orbs for the first and second improvement. But, you have to get more for the third in your way but not require all orbs (maybe it will help some, still get orbs because if you don't have enought you'll be block)
I always try to use pulp for other thing then RPG because pulp script well use can make really good prototype.