Seventh Sanctum
|
Type of site
|
Randomizer |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | Steven Savage |
| Website | SeventhSanctum.com |
| Alexa rank |
 145,698 (April 2014[update]) |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | No |
Seventh Sanctum (sometimes just The Sanctum) is a website run by Steven Savage (also known as XWayfarer, or simply X). It is a collection of generators for creating random names, items, and even full descriptions of characters. There are generators for everything from spells and pirate ship names, to entire story plots and characters. Many of the generators are oriented towards science fiction, fantasy and anime, and are directed towards artists, writers, and role-playing gamers. It is arguably one of the largest collections of random generators on the internet focused on (mostly) serious creativity enhancement.
Writer's Digest named Seventh Sanctum one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2006. [1].
The site is referenced in the book 'Multi-Media Magic' ( ) by occult writer Taylor Ellwood, as an example of a William S. Burroughs style cut-up tool for inspiration or even occult concepts.
1999 - Site created as subsite of domain. Incorporated past JavaScript generator for Superhero Names, and one for anime attacks. Initially spawned after commentary that attacks in anime often sounded randomly generated. Site expanded continuously.
2000-2001: The site moved from JavaScript to PHP.
2004 - Site moved to top-level of domain.
2005 - First random contest started.
There are over a hundred and forty generators which fall into the following seventeen categories. There are also examples from each category.
Originally the Sanctum was written in JavaScript, but moved to PHP in 2001 as more complex generators were introduced. Examples of current and former code are available at the site. The site author encourages other generator developers to use the code available.
It is almost entirely graphics-free, using only regular web pages and CSS for presentation.
Part of the Sanctum, as it is known to users (or "sanctumites"), centres on the forum, where users of the generators gather to talk. Most of the users are of a creative bent, be they poets, writers or artists. A great deal of users are also players of role-playing games. The forum even has a running joke, and refers on a semi-regular basis to demonic stuffed felines or DSFs. These are small, cute but evil cats with brilliant green eyes and black or navy blue fur. They supposedly constrict one's writing ability with the aid of a Writer's Block.
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