Runic Sentinel Server 1.0.0

Runic Sentinel Server is the authority-only Raven's Gate package for a dedicated server or a listen host. It verifies and signs the approved mod policy, challenges each connecting player, enforces admission and bans, accepts authenticated remote-administrator requests, creates bounded reports, and coordinates verified transition backups.

This binary contains no client profile reporter, native client-handshake resume path, administrator window, cursor control, or player-input patch. When accidentally installed in a non-authoritative client profile it watches Valheim's role selection and remains inert. Install Runic Sentinel Client there instead.

Setup

1. Install this package and Runic Safety on the server. Do not install the full Runic Sentinel package alongside it; the two authority packages are intentionally incompatible.

2. Start with Remote Admission > Policy = Optional.

3. At the authoritative console, run:

   runic_sentinel bootstrap steam <your SteamID64>

4. Have players install Runic Sentinel Client. A remote administrator may use the full Sentinel package for its F3 panel; every request is still re-authorized by this server.

5. Review and sign the client profile, confirm runic_sentinel status, then restart with Required admission when ready.

The managed private key remains under BepInEx/config/RunicSentinel/server-private/RunicSentinel.private.key. Never distribute or package that directory. Existing full-Sentinel policy, signature, public-key, history, report, and backup paths are retained so switching authority packages does not fork server security state.

Required mode withholds native admission until a fresh, bounded report from the exact direct connection passes the signed server policy. A missing responder, malformed report, stale challenge, banned identity, or policy mismatch reaches a finite denial. Client-reported DLL information remains compatibility evidence from a client-controlled process, not unforgeable anti-cheat proof.

Authority preparation begins at Valheim's earliest server-role selection and binds to the exact server network instance when it is created. If authority startup fails while Required mode is selected, permanent safety gates block world loading and native client admission instead of silently running an unprotected server. Restart after correcting the logged startup error.

Questions and logs: Runic Mods Discord

Changelog

1.0.0 - 2026-09-09

• Added a distinct gold-and-ember authority icon with a fortified server-network badge.
• Added a distinct authority-only Sentinel package for dedicated servers and listen hosts.
• Reused the full Sentinel policy, admission, enforcement, identity, backup, reporting, and administrator-backend source at compile time without adding a shared runtime DLL.
• Compiled out client profile reporting, client challenge/decision handling, native client-handshake resume, the F3 administrator GUI, cursor control, and player-input patches.
• Added earliest-role preparation, exact authoritative-network lifetime tracking, and permanent Required-mode world-load and native-admission gates for authority-start failures; accidental player-only installations remain inert.
• Kept the v2 direct admission wire name compatible with Runic Sentinel Client and full Sentinel.
• Made the server-only and full authority packages mutually incompatible.