The Sanctum of Penitence is one of five Witch of Wisdom sanctums scattered across the Hernand region in Crimson Desert. It sits in the southeastern part of the map, and cleansing it involves a short combat encounter followed by a physics-based puzzle that uses Kliff's Axiom Force ability. The whole thing takes only a few minutes once you know where to look.
Quick answer: Kill all Antumbra worshippers at the ruins, find the missing cube in a rubble pile on the south side of the main ruin, drag it back to the broken pillar with Axiom Force, then climb up and use a jumping Force Palm to lock it into place.
Defeat the Antumbra worshippers first
Before the puzzle activates, you need to eliminate every Antumbra worshipper around the sanctum ruins. Several of these enemies are airborne, which makes standard melee attacks awkward. Ranged or homing skills work well here — the Crowcaller sword's ability fires projectiles that track flying targets, and Kliff's Nature's Retribution or Focused Shot skills are also effective choices. Once every enemy is down, the sanctum puzzle unlocks.
Find the missing pillar piece
Look at the central structure of the sanctum. Four pillars surround it, but one is missing the cube that should sit on top. The missing piece shows up on your minimap, so open it and look for the marker deeper inside the main ruin on the south side.
Step 1: Head up the stairs leading into the main ruin. Continue climbing through the stonework toward the upper levels. You can also use the flight ability to get there faster.
Step 2: At the top of the ruin, look for a broken room on the south side. The cube is embedded in a pile of rubble inside that room. It requires a firm pull with Axiom Force to dislodge it — a light tug won't do.
Axiom Force controls for moving the cube
Axiom Force is the telekinetic grab that lets Kliff pull, push, move, and rotate objects in the world. You'll need it to extract the cube from the rubble and carry it back to the broken pillar. Here's the full control reference across all platforms.
| Action | PlayStation | Xbox | PC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aim Axiom Force | Hold L3 | Hold left stick | Hold TAB |
| Pull object | L2 | LT | LMB |
| Push object | R2 | RT | RMB |
| Move object | Right analog stick | Right analog stick | Mouse |
| Rotate object | D-Pad directions | D-Pad directions | Scroll wheel; CTRL + Scroll |
| Seal (Iron Pot) | Triangle | Y | R |
| Exit Axiom Force | Circle | B | TAB or E |
Place and secure the cube on the broken pillar
Step 1: With Axiom Force active, grab the cube and drag it back across the ruin to the broken pillar. Position it so it hovers just above the empty spot on top of the pillar. Don't try to force it down while still in Axiom Force mode — that won't work.
Step 2: Exit Axiom Force completely. The cube will stay floating in place where you left it.
Step 3: Climb up to the top of the pillar so you're standing above the hovering cube. From there, perform a jumping Force Palm. This slams the piece downward and locks it into position on the pillar.
Once the cube snaps into place, the pillar restores, and the Sanctum of Penitence is cleansed. Elowen the witch will appear and share some history about the location, and you'll gain access to kuku weapon blueprints as a reward.
Where the Sanctum of Penitence fits in the bigger picture
The Sanctum of Penitence is one of four sanctums you can cleanse across Hernand as part of the Witch of Wisdom questline. The ability to cleanse sanctums unlocks after meeting the witch of the Witchwoods and gaining the power to slot abyssal gears. The other three sanctums — Temperance, Benediction, and Absolution — each have their own puzzle variations, though they all follow a similar pattern of finding missing pieces and using Axiom Force plus Force Palm to restore structures. The Sanctum of Absolution is notably harder because it requires defeating a boss called Antumbra's Sword before the puzzle becomes available.
After all four sanctums are cleansed, you can return to the Witchwoods to speak with Elowen. She'll point you toward a reward waiting in Labyrinth Grove, though accessing it requires having met all witches in the game.