Sanctum of Penitence Puzzle Solution

Sanctum of Penitence Puzzle Solution

Witch: Elowen — Witch of Wisdom

Region: Hernand — Paradise Altar Plateau, between The Ironwood and Unicorn Cliff

Prerequisite: Complete Chapter 5 and speak with Elowen.

Rewards: Kuku Pack blueprint, Blackwing Leather Gloves, Core of Penitence

LOCATION

The Sanctum of Penitence is on the eastern side of Hernand, at the Paradise Altar Plateau. On the map, look south of the area between The Ironwood and Unicorn Cliff. This is one of four Sanctums in Elowen's Witch of Wisdom faction line.

Image credit: GamerSky.com

Image credit: GamerSky.com

LIBERATION

Before you can interact with the puzzle, defeat the Umbra Order forces occupying the area. A liberation progress bar appears on the left side of the screen — kill enemies until it reaches zero. A short cutscene confirms the Sanctum is freed.

Tip: Use Blinding Flash to reflect light at flying enemies. It's far more efficient than arrows or Aerial Force Palm for airborne targets.

PUZZLE SOLUTION

The Ancient Machine has four rectangular pillars at each corner. One pillar is missing a cube-shaped block. You need to find and install it.

Image credit: GamerSky.com

LOCATING THE BLOCK

Stand on the stone slab in front of the domed machine, facing the ruined buildings ahead.

Image credit: GamerSky.com

Head toward the broken stone wall at the back of the ruins. Climb up and continue toward the higher levels.

Image credit: GamerSky.com

Walk to the staircase ahead and look down — the missing block is visible in the rubble below.

Image credit: GamerSky.com

RETRIEVING THE BLOCK

Use Axiom Force to grab the block. There's a known grab detection issue here — you may need to try from multiple angles before it locks on. If you can't grab it from the stairs, descend and stand close to the block before activating Axiom Force.

Once grabbed, seal it in your Kuku Pot for easier transport. If Axiom Force disconnects during transport, simply reconnect and continue.

INSTALLING THE BLOCK

Bring the block back to the pillar with the missing piece. Rotate it so the protruding section faces downward, then align it with the gap. When you see green leaf particle effects, the alignment is correct — release.

Image credit: GamerSky.com

Climb on top of the block, then jump and use Aerial Force Palm to slam it into place. The Sanctum is now cleansed.

SECRET PUZZLE

After cleansing the Sanctum, an optional puzzle becomes available at the front of the machine. Look for the blue crystal mounted on the ground near the base of the Ancient Machine.

Image credit: GamerSky.com

STEP 1 — ACTIVATE THE DIAL

Stand in front of the blue crystal and activate Blinding Flash (default: hold Focus mode, then press the Flash input). Direct the beam of light into the crystal. This triggers a circular dial mechanism to start rotating — you'll see small gem-like stones embedded around its outer rim, separated by empty gaps.

STEP 2 — HIT THE GEMS, AVOID THE GAPS

While the dial rotates, continue using Blinding Flash to direct light at the crystal stones on the outer rim. You must time each flash to hit when a gem passes through the marker at the top of the dial.

• Hit a gem → you hear a metallic clang (like metal struck by a sword) and the gem lights up
• Hit a gap → the dial resets completely and you must start over
• Timing tip: watch the rotation speed for a few seconds before attempting. The rhythm is consistent — get used to the cadence, then start flashing in sync

STEP 3 — COMPLETE THE ROTATION

Successfully light up all the gems around the full rotation of the dial. When the last gem is hit, the mechanism releases the Core of Penitence.

Use Axiom Force to pick up the Core and store it in your inventory.

Keybind Warning: If you've rebound Blinding Flash to a single custom key, the puzzle may not register inputs correctly. Reset to default keybinds if you're having trouble.

Reward: Core of Penitence — bring it to Grimnir at the Kilnden Workshop to upgrade your Kuku Pot with new crafting recipes.

HIDDEN TREASURE

After grabbing the Fusion Reactor Core from the rubble, head back up the staircase. Instead of returning to the machine, drop down into the open-roofed ruins area surrounded by pillars on the south side.

Walk toward the edge of this section — look for a structurally weakened floor tile near the four small columns that overlook the main puzzle mechanism. Stand on it and wait. The floor will collapse beneath Kliff's feet, dropping you into a hidden underground chamber.

The red arrow in the image below marks the drop point:

Image credit: GameRant

The treasure chest is directly in front of you at the bottom.

Image credit: GameRant

Reward: Blackwing Leather Gloves (Blackwing Set — Defense +3, Attack +13, Critical +2, Lightning Resistance)