Path of Exile 2: Explore the Fiery Heart of the Burning Monolith

The Burning Monolith: Accessing Path of Exile 2's Endgame Pinnacle Boss

The Burning Monolith, a unique map location in Path of Exile 2's Atlas of Worlds, resembles a Realmgate but presents a significant 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

Attempting to activate the Burning Monolith's door initiates "The Pinnacle of Flame" quest, comprising three sub-quests: Ezomyte Infiltration (Iron Citadel), Faridun Foray (Copper Citadel), and Vaal Incursion (Stone Citadel). Successfully completing these Citadels yields the three necessary Crisis Fragments. Combine these fragments at the Monolith's altar to unlock the fight against the Arbiter of Ash, the game's most formidable pinnacle boss. Ensure your character build is optimized before engaging this powerful enemy, as the Arbiter boasts devastating attacks and immense health.

Locating the Elusive Citadels

Path of Exile 2 features three Citadels: Iron, Copper, and Stone, each guarded by a unique boss. The Crisis Fragment for each Citadel is dropped upon defeating its respective boss. The primary difficulty lies in discovering their locations on the randomly generated Atlas. Citadels are one-time attempts.

Community-sourced strategies for finding Citadels include:

1. Directional Exploration: Choose a direction on the Atlas and systematically explore until a Citadel is found. Utilizing Towers provides a broader map view.
2. Corruption Tracking: Focus on map nodes exhibiting corruption, often found at the Atlas's edges. Clear these nodes, unlock nearby Towers, and repeat the process. This strategy can be combined with directional exploration.
3. Clustered Appearance: Anecdotal evidence suggests Citadels tend to appear in clusters. Discovering one may indicate the proximity of the others.

Citadel hunting is a late-game activity, best undertaken when your character is highly developed and boss encounters are routine.

Alternatively, Crisis Fragments can be purchased through in-game trading or currency exchange websites, although their rarity often commands a high price. This may be a viable option to bypass the challenging search.