I hope for your sake that you are reading this entry as a precaution, and not as a reactionary measure. I also know the type of person that makes the journey to The Sanctuary, and am aware that this hope would be a waste of time.

I'm going to assume that you're currently standing in the centre of the circle, overcome with the intense and drowning sensation that you've done something wrong. After a moment of turning paper and flashing words, you've found this page and are hoping you can read fast enough to save your life. Slow down. Speed is not a priority here. Your sanity is. If you would like to hold onto it, I suggest you take your time and read the rest of this entry at your own pace.

Allow me to introduce you to the curse in which you have landed yourself. This circle of ruins is known as The Ka, a weapon of The Sanctuary that is theorized to have been designed after the realm's first contact with ancient Egyptian travellers. While fascinating, I will not burden you with a lesson on the culture's beliefs or mythology, as this is obviously not of concern to you at this moment. On the rare chance you are truly curious, do not worry. We'll inevitably get to the concept of Ka soon enough.

Take a look around you. You have the time. As with many elements of The Sanctuary, there is a breathtaking beauty that conceals the dangers of its being. This is an opportune moment to appreciate that mystifying complexity that drew you here. Feel free to walk around the crumbling stone groundwork, to marvel at the raw power of the design. But do not try to leave the circle and do not touch anything.

The Ka is made up of seven grand monoliths, built out of cracked marble that has weathered over time. Around the bases of each, you will notice several statues that appear to span millennia in appearance and design. While they are horrifyingly enthralling to look at, do not stare at them for too long. They do not like to be studied. And watching them will not prepare you for what is to come. Focus instead on the bigger picture, on the towering structures that surround you. They hold the true power.

I am now going to speak on the topic of the monoliths, and the threatening majesty contained in each one. While you read, you may feel tempted to touch the cold marble of one such structure. At the risk of sounding redundant, I will warn you again: do not touch anything. For a fleeting moment, you are in control of your surroundings. I would not throw this opportunity away.

Now that you have been properly informed of your situation, I trust you will finish reading this entry before testing yourself against The Sanctuary's might. The information I am about to share will be crucial in making your upcoming decision, and may ultimately decide your hopes of survival. So please, pay attention.

The Sun Pillar: The tallest monument amongst the ruins, it is thought to embody the spirit of the ancient Egyptian god Amun-Ra, and you can distinguish it based on the positioning of the sun itself. I do not need to tell you that time functions differently in The Sanctuary, and you likely noticed upon entering The Ka that the world spun on its axis, the sun shifting to a sudden new position. This is because of the Sun Pillar. From any point in the circle, it cuts through the silhouette of the star, splitting the fiery celestial body in half. Do not be intimidated by its dramatic and potentially threatening presentation: the Sun Pillar is perhaps the most fair amongst all of the structures of The Ka. Upon touching it, you will find yourself in a sandy desert, completely void of civilization and life. In your hand will weigh a sword of light, a glowing and fatal weapon that can slice through reality itself, should you be so careless. While mobility is difficult given the landscape, your enemy will struggle too, and the longsword should be plenty capable of dominating in the battle that will follow... so long as you are strong enough to wield it.

The Pillar of War: To the left of Ra's monolith, you will find a slightly darker marble block, with a red stain across the top, and a list of names along one side. Do not mistake this for a memorial; consider it more of a catalogue. In death, your name is automatically surrendered to the world that kills you, returning to the elements like every atom in your body. This is not a conclusive list of the victims of The Sanctuary; that would be a much longer collection. The names before you are only those that chose poorly, and met their demise against The Ka. I trust you will do better. Touching the Pillar of War will transport you to the trenches of combat, with only a rifle in your hand. While this weapon is likely the most promising of the selection, do not move forward without precaution. Ammunition is limited, and if you cannot find more inside the illusion of your own mind, you will not make it out alive.

The Sky Pillar: The pristine white sheet of rock is known as Horus's monolith, a tribute to the ancient Egyptian god of the sky. It is also significant due to one small fact: if you approach the structure and look carefully, you will see that it is not touching the ground but rather hovering an inch or so above it. Tempting as it may be to the curious mind, checking this information by reaching into the gap it leaves would be a bad idea. If you value your place on solid ground, do not attempt this. Choosing to trigger the ritual from the Sky Pillar will place you in the clouds themselves, an ornate bow in your hands and a quiver of sharp arrows over your shoulder. For those with experience, this challenge may seem easy: you will not fall to your death, and the enemies do not have long range weapons as such. But you must beware of weather conditions. The Sky Pillar's battleground has been known to shift against the fighter, interfering with the trajectory of one's arrows, and posing further potential threats to general safety. There does not seem to be a discernable pattern or signal for this change, and you must only hope that you can eliminate the oncoming army before it happens. You do not want to be caught in the birthplace of lightning.

The Earth Pillar: The trial of the Earth Pillar is only for those with an abundance of outdoor experience. Based on your very existence in this plane, you either meet that criteria, or are the direct opposite. I hope you know yourself well enough to decide. This monolith overshadows the only living thing (besides yourself, an imposter) within The Ka, a singular flower at its base. The use of this psychological pathway will leave you in a field, up to your knees in grass. An axe will be clutched in your grip, and while the enemies may be slowed by the landscape, an inexperienced fighter may be strongly overwhelmed. If you do happen to choose this simulation, I have but one piece of warning for you: stay away from the forest. It will not provide you cover, and I can say with absolute certainty that the horrors it contains will ensure you meet a gruesome demise well before the army reaches your mutilated corpse.

The Night Pillar: There is a specific subset of travellers who find themselves most comfortable in the dark. They are the hunters, the scavengers, those who have pasts as deep and mysterious as the night. If this is not you, do not touch the scorch marks of the Night Pillar. In the pitch black of moonless slumber, those who opt for this choice find themselves with only a flashlight and a small collection of throwing knives. This may seem completely hopeless at first glance, but I have personally known some to survive this challenge. Be cautious of where you direct your light; you do not want to wake things you cannot see.

The Sanctuary is nothing if not just in its games. While it certainly aims to kill those who dare impose on its balance, we as travellers are its only company, its only friends. In any of the aforementioned simulations of the mind, there is a notable chance you will survive the impending onslaught, provided you make the right choice. And yet this world is not designed for the weak. It has no interest in the selfish or self-obsessed. It also is not in the business of forcing travellers to stay against their will. Do not misinterpret my words: The Sanctuary will not offer you a doorway home, but it can instead offer a different sense of eternal release. With these two facts in mind, we have arrived at the remaining monoliths, and the two that are, perhaps, the most tragically beautiful of them all.

The Pillar of Knowledge: This pillar is the vice of the world's fools, the voice that calls out to so many, but is only heard by a select few. The monolith features words in a text unknown to humanity, wrapping around the large piece of stone with seeming malintent. Some would say that knowledge is a curse, but it is, in reality, much worse than that. Unlike the imaginary war fields of the first five monuments, this one has a different battle, and it is the worst kind of all. Touching the cold rock would show you things you do not want to see, fill your mind with information that is enough to tear apart the human soul. You will intimately know every detail of the universe, and it will drive you absolutely insane. I urge you, whatever you do, do not pick this one. Any alternative is better than the secret terrors of reality taking refuge in your mind.

The Pillar of Death: This is your way out, should you choose to take it. Many strong souls have returned to The Ka after years of aimless wandering, longing for the firm embrace of Anubis. If this is your wish, it is the pillar with the design of a scale carved into its hopeful marble. I wish you only the most peaceful of eternities, and I do hope that you found what you were looking for in The Sanctuary.

Since you are still reading this, I am going to operate off of the assumption that you have chosen a fight with one of the five primary pillars. And thus we return to the Ka.

You may recall that, in first disclosing to you the severity of this dilemma in which you have trapped yourself, I mentioned your sanity hanging in the balance. The Sanctuary is not one to shy away from physical attacks, but a violent, sudden death is not rewarding to its conscience. There is always something deeper, and something karmic that dwells beneath the surface of every trap, every creature, and every move it makes. With the following information, I would like to stress the importance of thinking carefully about your decision, knowing the full consequences of what could befall you in the wrong situation.

The ancient Egyptians believed the human body to be made of multiple components of the soul. The Ba represented the soul's mobility after death, and according to some, the personality of an individual, travelling between worlds to link one's body to the afterlife. The Akh was the radiant spirit, the brilliance of humanity that transcends all laws of realms and worlds to rest amongst the stars and the gods. And the Ka, the protective double of the deceased, watching over its former body and sustaining itself on food and drink. It is also said that the Ka could inhabit statues in its likeness.

I trust you realized the true nature of the statues long ago, on your own accord. On the chance that you are processing the complicated structure of this situation, allow me to clarify: the immortalized portraits of humanity that surround you, frozen in stone and time, are past victims of The Ka. They fought against the powers of The Sanctuary, and lost. And as their souls live on, they suffer eternally in an endless cycle of conflict and the dreadful phenomenon that is immortality. They die in combat, again and again, as a relentless stream of travellers do what they could not, and yet outside the psyche of the living, they remain unharmed, for as long as this world remains. It is with this that I ask you again to reconsider the choice you are about to make: if you lose, you join them. And you certainly do not want that.

I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that you make the right choice, so that I may not see you encased in rock in the near future.