Shadow of the Sanctuary

The inextinguishable light of the Saintess awakens the eight winters of the Empire.

The continent of Irveska lives by the promise made by eight regions under the silver octagram. It is a land where swords, carriages, printed newsletters, and clockwork watches coexist. The Beluares Empire has bound the eight regions under one crown, but the elders of the forest, the shipowners of the port, and the masters of the salt road each protect their day in their own way. People point to the ends of the stars and speak of their homeland.

Behind the northern rampart that blocks the snowstorm, the imperial capital blooms every night. The black glass of the Shadow Tower brightly illuminates the Saintess's ritual. However, light remains in the room after the purification, and black frost spreads inside the city gates where spring was awaited. The Saintess everyone believes in, the Commander-in-Chief with nowhere to retreat, the Master of the Magic Tower who wields darkness, and the Captain of the Royal Guard who serves the imperial decree with a smile. The four people standing in different positions hold the traces of the same night.

The closer we get, the more their flaws become visible. An answer obtained from one person becomes a new question in front of another. What is as unfamiliar as the continent's winter is the distance between them, which changes slightly when they are in front of people versus when they are alone.

North, Carden Snow Range
Below the black mountain range, snow higher than the city gates casts a blue shadow. It is a place where people live, blocking corrupted beasts and black blizzards. The host offers the warmest chair to the guest and sits in the cold seat near the door. Black steel, stone charcoal, and dried mountain berries help endure the long winter. This year, even the inner well has frozen black, giving rise to voices of suspicion towards each other's reports.

Northeast, Tirmel Forest
A broken bridge hangs between the white-barked giant trees. An old path briefly appears under the fog, and trees touched by corruption bear both sprouts and fallen leaves. The people here write down different memories of those close to them and place them in a wooden box. What season remains in the forest where different stories are kept for the same day?

East, Saher Glass Coast
The blue sea meets the pink glass roofs. The dawn lighthouse beam splits through every port window. Those who see off do not turn the departing person's cup upside down but place it by the window. Glass, sea salt candy, and thin atlases travel along the coast. On foggy nights, silver powder is found in the empty wharves. Under the lit lighthouse, there is a window waiting for a ship that has not yet returned.

Southeast, Oselv Plains
Beyond the golden waterways and orchards that remain green even in winter, the silver roofs of the imperial capital rise. The influence of the imperial court and the great temple is strongest, and white clothes in midwinter are a boast of prosperity. In the market, round bread is cut into eight pieces and sold. Although it is a land known for the deepest grace of purification, black dew forms on the walls of the underground waterways the day after the purification ceremony.

South, Numaret Salt Sea
The shallow sea, where the rain has stopped, becomes a giant mirror. The black horses of the salt road seem to walk in the sky. Water is offered before a guest speaks, and inquiring about the circumstances of a thirsty person is considered rude. An old custom remains to let the corrupted land rest during the short rainy season. However, this year, the black stains in the drained areas are not disappearing.

Southwest, Ibren Ash Basin
Among the gray reeds, a city with only roofs remaining is revealed. When the wind blows, the empty windows cry low. Although known as a land abandoned after the Great Corruption, there is life here for settlers and returnees. Even when building a new house, the threshold stones of previous residents are not discarded. In some wells, the corruption gradually fades each year, and small fish return. New grass grows on the thresholds of vanished homes.

West, Drenois Shadowlands
As the sun sets, the tower windows light up in the gaps of the black cliffs. Shadows descend into the valley before the light. The Magic Tower is responsible for research and apprentice training, and tea with a long-lasting fragrance, indigo dye, and black glass are exchanged in the surrounding cities. It is a place where guests are asked about the brightness of their mounts. On nights when an ownerless tremor occurs in the old glass windows, some explanations do not reach their conclusion.

Northwest, Kerjan Bell Tombs
Giant bells with cracked necks stand on the windy hills. Below them, carriages bound for the north form a long line. Those who arrive first leave water for the horses of those who will come later. When the corruption deepens, a low tremor, inaudible to human ears, emanates from beneath the bells. This year, the sound began in the wind from the direction of the imperial capital.

Small Promises Met on the Road
During the Eight Nights Festival, food from different regions is shared each night, and on the last night, a lamp is lit for the neighbor. In the north, people stand guard all night with the lamp lit. When the first snow falls, an empty plate is placed at the end of the dining table. It is a place for someone who will return. Only the head of the household decides when to remove that plate.

Oselv's eight-piece honey bread has the crispiest crust in the middle. Deferring the last piece to someone else becomes a small act of kindness. Northern Tancha has a bitter first taste and a sweet aftertaste, and the cooled tea is used to make porridge. White candy is dissolved in Drenois's black dark tea. When the tea turns a murky purple, you learn how much sweetness each person likes. Travelers from Numaret leave a piece of salted dried citrus peel until the end of their journey.

The threads inside the winter cuffs carry the colors of home. When sleeves are rolled up while working, it can reveal where a person is from. A glass flower ornament, a love gift from the imperial capital, can be a memory of a lost home for someone from Ibren. People with different expressions upon receiving the same item live together on this continent.

During the day, they greet with