To cleanse all four Sanctums in Crimson Desert and complete the Witch of Kindness questline, you need to find Bari first, then visit the Sanctum of Exaltation, Sanctum of Atonement, Sanctum of Deliverance, and finally the Sanctum of Solace. Each one requires clearing out the Antumbra Order zealots, activating a reactor with an energy cube and a column top, and then solving a sunlight beam puzzle to collect a Core for your Kuku Pot crafting recipes. I will walk you through all four step by step, including the hidden chests and secret rooms you should not miss along the way. If you find Crimson Desert puzzles challenging in general, our Hidden Chamber of Wisdom puzzle guide covers another multi-element challenge in the same region.

How to Find Bari and Start the Sanctum Cleansing Quest in Crimson Desert

Before you can cleanse any of the four Sanctums, you need to meet Bari, the Witch of Kindness. To do that, first complete the quest called “Lend a Hand to the Person Shivering in the Cold.” Travel southwest of Pailune City and find a small shelter in a snowy mountain area. Bari is huddled underneath it, shivering from the cold. A campfire is nearby, and all you need to do is light it to warm her up. Watch the short cutscene and she will disappear.

After that, go look for Bari at her permanent location, which I show on the map in the video. This is her actual home, and this is where you pick up the continuation of the quest. From here she asks you to cleanse the four Sanctums that have been taken over by the Antumbra Order, a group of religious zealots who believe that darkness can bring true balance to the world of Pywel. Every Sanctum follows the same general structure: clear the enemies, find the energy cube and column top, activate the reactor, then solve the dial puzzle to collect the Core.

One tip before you start: bring Ice Resistance gear if you have any, because the Sanctum of Solace area is very cold and it will help noticeably during the final boss fight there.

Crimson Desert Sanctum of Exaltation Location and Full Walkthrough

The Sanctum of Exaltation is located in the Silver Wolf Mountain region in northern Pailune, west of Vannstein Lake. You can see the exact spot on the map in the video. When you arrive, your first job is to defeat all the Antumbra Order enemies in the area. They have two types of fighters: most use melee weapons, and a smaller number can fly and cast shadow projectiles. For those flying enemies, use Blinding Flash to reflect light at them. It is the fastest way to deal with them and you will use this technique across all four Sanctums.

After clearing the area, go down the stairs from your starting position. On both sides of a gate you will see fire statues. Light both of them to open the gate. Inside is a chest containing a Palmar Pill and Lightning Bolt Plate Gloves. The gloves are not particularly useful for combat, but you can extract gear stones from them that you will need later, so it is worth opening. Then leave the room, continue forward, and go even lower. Jump and use your wings to descend smoothly into a room far below. Here you will find the energy cube needed to activate the Sanctum. There is also a chest with minor supplies. Put the cube into your Kuku Pot Bag so you can move around freely.

Now head toward the Sanctum of Exaltation. On your way there, you will notice a hole in the floor. Look down through it and you will spot the top of a column. Grab it. That is the second object you need. At the Sanctum, place the energy cube first and secure it with a Force Palm strike. Then place the column top, climb up, jump, and use Force Palm again. The Sanctum of Exaltation will activate and Bari will appear for a short scene.

Do not leave yet. Use Blinding Flash to direct a sunlight beam at the glass object in the center of the circular dial. When you hit it, the dial will start rotating. Marked spots appear around the circle where you need to aim the beam as it spins. Find your rhythm and hit each point as it comes around. Once you complete the pattern correctly, the Core of Exaltation will appear above the Sanctum. Pick it up and put it in your Kuku Pot Bag. According to Sportskeeda’s Crimson Desert coverage, all four Cores from Bari’s Sanctums are used as crafting materials in the Kuku Pot system, which lets you produce unique weapons, armor, backpacks, and even components for your dragon mount, so do not skip the dial puzzle.

Crimson Desert Sanctum of Atonement Guide: Locked Door and Hidden Chests

The Sanctum of Atonement is west of Haunted Hill in the Hernand region. Again, clear all the Antumbra Order enemies first. Once the area is clear, look to the right from the entrance and you will see a door blocked by a gate. This time the fire statues are not right beside the gate. One is on the side of the building and the other is on the opposite side of the area entirely. Light both and the door opens. Inside is a chest with a Refined Palmar Pill and the Mirror of Night shield, which is a solid find.

Now for the two energy elements. From your starting point, turn around and head back the way you came. You will reach a large wall. Climb it or fly up using Force Palm. Behind the wall there is a hole in the floor. Jump down. This is where the energy cube is located. Put it in your Kuku Pot Bag, leave the room, and immediately turn left. Here you need to climb over an obstacle and find a small arch, which is actually a doorway into a larger room where the top of the column is waiting. There is also another chest in this room with resources and a useful gear stone for your equipment, so check it before you leave.

After that it is straightforward. Place the cube, secure it with Force Palm. Place the column top, climb up, jump, Force Palm. The Sanctum of Atonement activates and Bari appears. After the dialogue scene, use the Blinding Flash sunlight beam on the rotating dial just as you did before. The Core of Atonement will pop out above the Sanctum. Collect it and add it to your Kuku Pot Bag.

Crimson Desert Sanctum of Deliverance: Entrance, Locked Door Puzzle, and Abyss Artifact

The Sanctum of Deliverance is near the Stormtalon Ridge, north of Riverward Outpost in Hernand. Clear the enemies as always. To find the energy cube without getting stuck inside a hard-to-escape room, I recommend flying up to the top of the main structure rather than running through the corridors below. Up there you will see a very small opening in the floor. If you can spot the cube from above and grab it without jumping in, that will save you a lot of trouble on the way out.

Then glide forward past the ruins and look for an entrance blocked by a gate. Two fire statues stand near it. Light both and the door opens. Inside you will find the column top and another chest containing a wolf head helmet that looks really great. Jump down through a hole in the floor nearby and you will find one more chest with resources and a gear stone.

Now here is something special in this Sanctum. On the map in the video I show you the entrance to an underground cave. The corridors inside are a bit confusing to navigate, but once you work your way through them you will find an Abyss Artifact waiting with no puzzle attached. Just walk up and take it. You can also reach this room from above through a hole in the floor, but going in through the cave entrance is easier in my opinion. It is definitely worth tracking down.

With the cube and column top ready, activate the Sanctum of Deliverance the same way you have done it twice before. Place the cube, secure it. Place the column top, lock it in. Bari appears, you watch the short scene, then use the Blinding Flash beam on the rotating dial to collect the Core of Deliverance. Put it in your Kuku Pot Bag.

Crimson Desert Sanctum of Solace: How to Beat Antumbra’s Staff and Get the Core

The Sanctum of Solace is east of the Wayward Woods in Pailune and it is the most difficult of the four. After clearing the regular Antumbra Order enemies, you also need to defeat a boss called Antumbra’s Staff before you can access the rest of the area. This is a tough fight if you do not know the right tactic.

The quick version: Antumbra’s Staff uses a three-hit melee combo that is easy to parry or dodge. The dangerous part is his shadow projectile attacks from medium range, which cannot be parried and can only be dodged or partially blocked. The key move is Nature’s Retribution. When the boss raises his staff and enters his superarmor phase, switch to Focus Mode immediately and use Nature’s Retribution to deflect his projectiles straight back at him. This deals extra damage and builds up stagger quickly. Stay aggressive between casting phases but roll away after each combo so you do not get caught in the follow-up hits. Ice Resistance gear helps here since the area is very cold.

With the boss down, cross the narrow bridge to where the fight happened. On the right side there is a tall wall. Climb all the way to the top. In the final segment you need to latch onto the wall and use Force Palm. You will end up in a secret room with a Palmar Pill and Icewing Plate Boots inside. Exit back through the same wall using Force Palm.

Return to the narrow bridge and look to the right from the middle of it. Below you will see a small pool. Jump down. Near the pool there is a hole in the wall. Go inside and you will see the energy cube behind a gate. Use Axiom Force to pull it through the gate and straight into your Kuku Pot Bag. Then follow the pool forward into a room where the column top is sitting. Take it, then continue past where it was and turn right. There is a wall here. Climb it, latch on, and use Force Palm. The wall rotates and you land inside a hidden room with a chest containing the Dagger of Dark Pursuit. Exit the same way.

Now activate the Sanctum of Solace. Place the cube, secure with Force Palm. Place the column top, lock it in. Bari appears for the last time. After the scene, use Blinding Flash on the rotating dial to collect the Core of Solace. With all four Cores now in your Kuku Pot Bag, head back to Bari’s hut on the island, the same place where you picked up the main quest. That is where you hand everything in and complete the Witch of Kindness storyline. I showed the hut location again at the end of the video just in case you need it. If you want more help with tough Crimson Desert bosses, check out our guide on beating Myurdin for another detailed phase-by-phase breakdown.

Frequently Asked Questions: Cleansing the Four Sanctums in Crimson Desert

Where is witch Bari in Crimson Desert?

Bari, the Witch of Kindness, appears in two locations. You first encounter her sheltering under a small roof in a snowy area southwest of Pailune City, during the “Lend a Hand to the Person Shivering in the Cold” quest. Her permanent home is a hut on a small island nearby, and that is where you collect the Sanctum cleansing quest and return to complete it.

What order should I cleanse the four Sanctums?

You can do them in any order after meeting Bari at her home. That said, save the Sanctum of Solace for last. It is the hardest of the four and includes a mandatory boss fight against Antumbra’s Staff that you will not find in the other three Sanctums.

How do I open the locked door in the Sanctum of Atonement?

The two fire statues that unlock the gate are not positioned next to the door itself. One is on the side of the building and the other is on the far side of the area. Light both statues and the door opens.

What are the Cores of Exaltation, Atonement, Deliverance, and Solace used for?

Each Core is a crafting material for the Kuku Pot system. The Kuku Pot lets you craft unique weapons, elemental armor, utility backpacks, and components for your dragon mount. The Cores from Bari’s four Sanctums unlock specific recipes that are not available through other means, so always complete the dial puzzle at each Sanctum to collect them.

How do I beat Antumbra’s Staff in the Sanctum of Solace?

Stay aggressive with melee combos but roll away after each set to avoid follow-up hits. When the boss raises his staff and enters his superarmor phase, switch to Focus Mode and use Nature’s Retribution to deflect his projectiles back at him. Parry or dodge his regular three-hit melee combo. Gear with Ice Resistance makes the fight noticeably easier since the Sanctum of Solace area is extremely cold.