Okay, I finally have enough energy to leave my comment!
So, I cannot emphasise how much I ADORED this demo!! Gosh!!!!!! This was so good I want to scream!!!!!!!!!
I really appreciated the nuances and colours of the characters: Mudhik, despite being a rather light-hearted and well-meaning character, still enforces oppressive norms on his daughters. If Sher sacrifices herself for her sister, it does have a cost and she feels it way too much. I could go on, but Talisman of Dawn connects allonorms (and therefore the struggles of being aroace), toxic masculinity and women's misfortune in patriarchal societies, while staying nuanced and profoundly human. Indeed, all the characters are seen as human beings, with their own vision of the world, their own personal struggles, interrogations and integrated norms, and such things are pointed at as "problematic" only when they do endanger others' freedom and well-being. For example, although Duna doesn't understand how her older sister, Sher, could satisfy herself with a life of doing chores, when she is burning with dreams of being a painter. Per usual in Len's work, the characters are deeply human, touching in their individuality, and their thoughts wonderfully put into words thanks to a poetic and very sensitive writing.
I also appreciated a lot the relationship which has started to form between the two leads, Sher and Shariar. Not only Sherazade telling stories to avoid what others call her "marital duties" is an amazing idea for an ace-rewriting of the Arabian Nights (a genius one even in my opinion), I really appreciate how both, deep down, don't care much about such obligations (for example, when Shariar sees Sher all dressed-up, his first thought is to wonder if she's going to sleep in this outfit because it would be uncomfortable, rather than to desire her, as anyone else expected to) and manage to create their own relationship by being themselves (Shariar, by embracing his side which loves stories; Sher, by being a story-teller who doesn't try to play the part of a perfect wife), and this felt very touching and authentic. Once again, the writing feels very human, but also, very sweet. It does help that both characters are very great, and I want to insist on this: they are amazing characters, and Sher clearly is a strong contender for Dulari in the "my favourite female protag" contest.
The art was also great, I loved how you worked around my GUI to integrate it better (the marble background), and how you rendered the backgrounds and the CGs. It really was fairy tale-like, and playing this game felt like reading a storybook. You completely nailed this feel!
Long story short, it really was amazing: touching, marvellous, sweet, bittersweet, and deeply rooted in humanity, in authenticity. You painted so many genuine, complicated feelings that moved me so much, and, just like Shariar, I'm looking forward to the rest of the tale.