The Burning Monolith stands out as a unique map on the Atlas of Worlds in Path of Exile 2, akin to the Realmgate, and is often found near the starting area of the mapping journey. Accessing it, however, presents a significant challenge.
To use the Burning Monolith, players need to gather three special items known as Crisis Fragments. These fragments are exclusively obtained by conquering the Citadels, which are rare map nodes scattered across the Atlas. The difficulty in locating these Citadels adds an extra layer of complexity to the process.
How to Use the Burning Monolith in Path of Exile 2
The Burning Monolith serves as the battleground for the endgame pinnacle boss, the Arbiter of Ash. Upon your first visit to the Monolith and attempting to activate the door, you will automatically initiate the quest, "The Pinnacle of Flame," which branches into three subquests: Ezomyte Infiltration (Iron Citadel), Faridun Foray (Copper Citadel), and Vaal Incursion (Stone Citadel). Successfully completing these three Citadels will reward you with the necessary unique Crisis Fragments. To unlock the confrontation with the Arbiter of Ash, bring these three Crisis Fragments to the altar within the Burning Monolith and use them to activate the fight.
It is crucial to ensure your build is optimized before engaging the Arbiter of Ash, as this boss is renowned for its devastating attacks and immense health pool, making it the most formidable pinnacle boss in the game.
How to Find Citadels in Path of Exile 2
In Path of Exile 2, there are three Citadels to conquer: Iron, Copper, and Stone. Each Citadel hosts a unique map boss that must be defeated to secure the corresponding Crisis Fragment. The primary challenge lies in locating these Citadels due to their rarity and the random generation of each player's Atlas.
Citadels can only be attempted once, adding to their exclusivity. While there's no guaranteed method to find them, the community has shared some strategies based on anecdotal evidence:
- Choose a direction on the Atlas and continue exploring until you encounter a Citadel. Unlocking Towers can provide a broader view of the map layout.
- Follow signs of corruption on the Atlas. Head towards nodes that show corruption at the edge of your field of vision, clear them successfully, unlock the nearby Tower, and repeat the process.
- It appears that Citadels tend to cluster together. If you locate one, the others might be found in close proximity.
Citadel hunting is a time-intensive task best suited for late in the endgame, when your character's build is at its strongest and you're adept at tackling bosses.
Crisis Fragments, the ultimate goal of Citadel hunting, can also be purchased from trading websites or through the Currency Exchange. Due to their rarity, they come with a high price tag, but this might be a worthwhile investment to bypass the arduous search for the Fragments yourself.
