There is more to it.
Santuary is a way for a quick kill. It is quite ingenious.
Balance is set so that you need to have santuary to fight. Else you HP's drop to fast. For example, try fighting a Invocker without santuary and see.
When your opponent (or your) sanctuary falls it creates an opportunity to finish the fight quickly. If i was on a warrior i would bash him once to prevent re-quaff and wait him to flee so that i could follow with a charge.
(I dont play warriors, so this might not work well.)
If anything in the sanctuary balance, more short form of sanctuary should be available at high levels. Not the way we have now where you can get Pinacle "item" and have 12 hours of 50 sant with a lot of charges.
If you wish to discuss this (Sant) please create a new thread to avoid this thread derailment.
Back on the Desert portal. How is the FL desert ?
Mountains, plain desert like shara, and how is the portal ? Stone with runes, square hovering mirror in air.