The Penance

Deep beneath the garrison, there is a cell. Inside the cell, there is a pitiful shadow of a thing crouched in chains, barely a person. The convict is made to sit on the other side of the bars, where the lights throw their shadow into the cell; where the thing inside can touch it, judge it, weigh it. Then it will pick up its old smithing tools, and drive a nail into the convict’s shadow. When they leave the room there are black bindings inked onto their wrists or neck, a sentence and punishment all in one. Until their penance is done, those bindings will restrict their freedom as deemed fit. 

Penances are curses inflicted by the guard as punishment for those who have committed crimes. These curses eventually fade or are removed when redemption achieved. An active listing of all Penances are listed here, though are not public knowledge unless told by the person in question / a guard.

Active Penances

Meriel Noctis (Lyressi887)
Penance of Dark Wings: Should Meriel act against the laws that citizens of the spire are held to, a part of her will reduce to incorporeal shadow, until there is nothing left. Any instance of lawbreaking on Meriel's part sees her maximum HP reduced by 1.

Hazel (Xeno_Wyvern)
Penance of Portentous: Should she cast Portent to the fortune of anyone in the Van Pelt gang (including misfortune of opposition), Hazel’s hair is constricted by shadow to a ravendark colour, indicating to everyone whenever she casts; every applicable cast adds a -1 modifier to the next, resetting with Anima.

Olivier (neji)
Penance of Shadowing: Olivier is bound to the others in the Van Pelt gang; should any of their penances take effect within 15m of her, the same consequential effect will prompt of Olivier.

Bracchus Moontusk (Dinomono)
Penance of the Sulphuric: Bracchus’ Tellurgy takes a feyblack, sizzling acidic quality, regardless of element; when cast within the confines of the Spire, his veins and eyes darken the same, burning him inside-out for a flicker; any time Bracchus casts a Tellurgy spell, take 1 damage.

Eryx Anore (Miiyrth)
Penance of Siren Spite: Eryx’s blood sings thoughts when exposed; surface secrets or hidden intents divulge in susurrous whispersong from open wounds.

Cadayle (WHATARUCKUS)
Penance of Provocation: Cadayle finds that injuries inflicted upon her within the town of the Spire are doubled if she has initiated combat herself, whether through aggressive remarks or actions.
Penance of Restraint: Within the confines of the Spire, entering a rage prompts shackles of darkness from Cadayle's shadow, restraining her wrists in place until the rage concludes. Strength and Dexterity-based checks are made with a -2 modifier (inverting that benefit of rage) one attack each turn suffers from a -1 modifier.
Penance of Enfeeblement: Within the confines of the Spire, Cadayle finds it difficult to exert force on items and structures, strikes turning feather-light against doors and held objects yielding unnatural heft. Rolls for lifting heavy objects, breaking structures with Hostile Architecture and resisting Maneuvers performed with weapons receive a -3 penalty. After being initially Grappled with a weapon, subsequent rolls to Struggle are free from this penalty.

Senia (CertifiedShrimp)
Penance of the Blood Daughter: Senia's reflection in any instance or aspect is of her father, wearing the clothes he wore when he died.

Sangiban (Blorbis83)
Penance of Adjacence: Sangiban is not cursed beyond the feeling as though he is cursed.

Altheric (Barckow)
Penance of Undoing: Altheric's fate is directly tied to the Guard Captain; should the latter suffer a wound, so too shall Altheric.

Helara (DerKommissar)
Penance of Unrest: Helara's fate is directly tied to Councilman Quincy Glover; should the latter suffer a wound, so too shall Helara.

Mulrath (Aguila16)
Penance of Cast-Iron: Within the confines of the Spire, Mulrath’s armour is a shadow of itself. Should he engage another beyond self-defence or agreed upon duel, attacks bypass it as though it were never there.

Sir Garland Penrose (NPC)
Penance of Rousing: Attempts to incite violence within the confines of the Spire see Garland’s mouth and neck constricted by shadow until he stops.

Dame Ayana (NPC)
Penance of Desertion: Acts of loyalty toward the Knights Lictor of the Lampwood sap Ayana’s life.

Sir Wayman (NPC)
Penance of Observance: Wayman’s location within the confines of the Spire town is known to the guard at all times.

Viktoria du-Vailliant (animemandan)
Penance of the Duelist: When within the confines of the Spire-Town, Viktoria finds her precision constrained when engaging in fights without pre-established terms. She takes a -1 penalty to weapon attacks in such fights. This does not apply if the fight is in self-defense.

Lucian Aurelianus (SomeSanity)
Penance of the Heavy-Handed: Within the confines of the Spire, a hand of shadow sits on the handle of Lucian's weapon. He must make two actions to lift his Lineage Weapon; the effect is negated if the intended party has attacked him or one within his protection during the scene, as if a weight has been lifted.

Jeremiah Van Pelt (xVigil)
Penance of the Bloodhound: Jeremiah Van Pelt’s presence within the Spire premises is always known to the guard.
Penance of Victor's Honour: When within the Spire-town, Jeremiah Van Pelt's body wracks with tension and paralyzing spasms if he attempts to attack those who have surrendered or otherwise can not continue fighting. In combat, his attack fails, he loses his remaining actions and movement, and his turn ends.

Milo (WHATARUCKUS)
Penance of the Provocateur: Whenever Milo is responsible for harms to another, be it through a direct attack or via proxy, their name becomes inscribed along Milo's wrist.

Callan Ancaire (BobbieSpritz)
Penance of the Broken Word: Broken promises and spoken lies are made known to the aggrieved party, as if a second Callan whispers in their ear.

Yrn'ha Crafir (Gh0blyn)
Penance of the Deathgrip: Within the confines of the Spire, Yrn’ha loses control of a finger every time she makes a death save, facility returning when she next returns to full health. Should she lose all 10 fingers, she automatically fails her next save.

Kyrus Salada (TheNerdocalypse)
Penance of Voracity: All food Kyrus handles or eats within the confines of the Spire decays to near-spoiling, clouded in a miasma of shadow; consumed alchemicals yield double the toxicity.

Cosimo/Serpente (Mallsharkz)
Penance of the Cold-Blooded: Within the confines of the Spire, Cosimo takes on further qualities of a snake. His blood runs cold as a serpent’s, naturally lowering his body temperature to an uncomfortable degree. Additionally, his skin is prone to shedding in flakes and his movements carry a characteristic hiss, making him easier to track within the town.

Nikolai the Unkillable (NPC)
Penance of Enervation: When pushing past his limits, shadowy hands find themselves atop Nikolai's shoulders, pushing him down to the ground. After each turn in critical state, subsequent death rolls are made with a -1 penalty stacking until a death roll is failed.