Announcing The Sanctuary!

"I would have never believed a word from the mouths of the Cult of the Blue Circle ordinarily, but now I have confirmed it with my own eyes - The Sanctuary, the ancient tomb complex of Sharifa legend and source of endless archaeological mysteries, has indeed risen from the sands, like a giant from its slumber."

"In the short time since its emergence, an entire settlement has sprung up nearby - at a safe distance, as if to stay clear of any curses. They call it the Sanctum Bazaar, and it is already a buzzing hive of opportunists, entrepreneurs, traders, and fanatics. I must admit I've become rather fond of it in my few days since arriving. And in that time I have managed to form a small group with whom I intend to brave the Sanctuary's labyrinthine hallways."

"Sabrina el-Haddad, an ex-mercenary of the Civil War in the northern countries, is our dedicated combat specialist. The folk of the Bazaar have confirmed that malevolent entities lurk the halls of the Sanctuary, and as such fighters like Sabrina are in high demand. Of course, even if there weren't, I would want some form of protection in case our fellow 'explorers' decided to cut down their competition."

"Sabrina is unquestionably capable, as a pub scuffle against five other women showed me, but I must admit she is a touch unstable. I believe the war changed her very thoroughly..."

"Yousra (more ceremoniously known by her royal name, Azraq XIII Yousra) is our primary financier and one of the most noteworthy people to have made their way to the Bazaar. The royal family - as ineffectual as they are in modern Sharifa lands - has officially vowed neutrality in the scramble for the Sanctuary, but Yousra has broken with them, risking being disowned in the process. She sees this as necessary, however, as the royal line descends from the Pharaohs of old, who built the Sanctuary and are interred within it."

"Yousra has the entitled arrogance of a noble, but she makes up for it with strong personal conviction that does not shy away from doing something risky if she believes it must be done. I do wish she would pull her own weight some more, however..."

"Lastly, there is myself, Professor Fayruz Seyhan. As some of you may guess by my name, I am not Sharifa - I hail from the neighboring rival state of Rakoul. This does draw some leery looks on occasion, but by and large the people of the Sanctum Bazaar care only how much you are willing to pay them for their goods and services, not from where you come."

"I consider myself a bit of a polymath, but my truest passion is history - hence my presence here. To say this is a momentous point in time is to wildly understate its importance, and the presence of treasure hunters ensures that much of this incredible discovery will be tragically lost. But I hope that by arriving quickly and risking everything in the Sanctuary's depths, I may be able to preserve a picture of this moment in history, and moments in history long, long before now."

"I am not a believer in superstition, but before our first expedition tomorrow I will say a prayer to the Pharaohs of old - Do not be wrathful at my trespass; I simply want to know more about the world you once ruled over."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Announcing The Sanctuary, my next Patreon/Discord project! Similarly to Darkwisp, The Sanctuary will be updated over time, with each update adding significant new content! I have not finalized my plans on Darkwisp itself yet, but I will be revisiting it after The Sanctuary gets a few updates.

NOTE: The Sanctuary is not currently available to play.

Along with Darkwisp, The Sanctuary's betas will be available to patrons of Star Patron tier ($5 USD) or higher when it's available. At that tier you also get access to the LiveDev streaming channel and the ability to submit requests for the game that me and the community are making together there and for the stream itself!

I do not have a release date set for the first beta, or an estimate, but progress is coming along nicely, so please keep an eye on your notifications! And of course, join the Discord if you haven't already!