PoE 2: Unveiling the Essence of Burning Monolith

The Burning Monolith: Path of Exile 2's Endgame Challenge

The Burning Monolith, a unique map location in Path of Exile 2's Atlas of Worlds, resembles a Realmgate but presents a significantly greater challenge. Accessing it requires three Crisis Fragments, each obtained by conquering a Citadel – an exceptionally rare and difficult map node.

Unlocking the Arbiter of Ash

The Burning Monolith serves as the arena for the endgame pinnacle boss, Arbiter of Ash. Your first attempt to activate the Monolith's door initiates "The Pinnacle of Flame" quest, branching into three sub-quests: Ezomyte Infiltration (Iron Citadel), Faridun Foray (Copper Citadel), and Vaal Incursion (Stone Citadel). Completing these Citadels yields the three necessary Crisis Fragments. Combine them at the Monolith's altar to unlock the Arbiter of Ash encounter.

Prepare for a formidable foe. The Arbiter of Ash is the game's toughest pinnacle boss, boasting devastating attacks and millions of HP. Ensure your character build is optimized before engaging.

Locating the Elusive Citadels

Path of Exile 2 features three Citadels: Iron, Copper, and Stone, each guarded by a unique boss. Defeating these bosses grants the corresponding Crisis Fragment. However, the primary difficulty lies in their unpredictable location.

Citadels are one-time attempts.

The Atlas's random generation ensures each player's experience is unique. While no definitive method exists to locate Citadels, community observations suggest these strategies:

1. Directional Progression: Choose a direction on the Atlas and explore systematically until you discover a Citadel. Unlocking Towers provides a broader map view.
2. Corruption Tracking: Focus on map nodes showing corruption, particularly near the Atlas's edges. Clear these nodes, unlock nearby Towers, and repeat. This can be combined with the first strategy.
3. Clustered Appearance: Finding one Citadel often indicates the others are nearby.

Citadel hunting is a late-game activity, best undertaken with a fully optimized build and significant boss-killing experience.

Alternative Acquisition of Crisis Fragments

Crisis Fragments, the ultimate goal of Citadel hunting, can be purchased through online trading websites or the in-game Currency Exchange. Their rarity makes them expensive, but this cost may outweigh the time investment of hunting them yourself.