Path of Exile 2: Burning Monolith Unveiled

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

The Burning Monolith, a unique map node on the Atlas of Worlds in Path of Exile 2, resembles the Realmgate but presents a significantly more challenging experience. Located near the starting point of your mapping journey, accessing it requires three elusive Crisis Fragments.

Unlocking the Burning Monolith

The Monolith serves as the arena for the formidable endgame pinnacle boss, the Arbiter of Ash. Your first attempt to activate the Monolith's door triggers "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 Citadel challenges yields the three necessary Crisis Fragments. Combine these fragments at the Monolith's altar to unlock the Arbiter of Ash encounter. Prepare meticulously; the Arbiter of Ash is the game's toughest pinnacle boss, boasting devastating attacks and a massive health pool.

Locating the Elusive Citadels

Three Citadels—Iron, Copper, and Stone—await discovery. Each Citadel houses a unique map boss whose defeat grants a corresponding Crisis Fragment. The primary difficulty lies in their unpredictable locations.

Citadels are single-attempt encounters. The Atlas's randomized generation ensures each player's experience is unique. While no foolproof method exists, community observations suggest these strategies:

1. Directional Exploration: Choose a direction on the Atlas and systematically explore until you locate a Citadel. Utilizing Towers provides a broader perspective.
2. Corruption Tracking: Focus on corrupted nodes at the Atlas's edges. Clear these nodes, unlock nearby Towers, and repeat. This strategy pairs well with directional exploration.
3. Clustered Appearance: Anecdotal evidence suggests Citadels often appear in clusters. Finding one may lead you to the others.

Citadel hunting is a late-game undertaking, best tackled when your character is optimally built and boss encounters are routine.

Alternatively, Crisis Fragments can be acquired through the in-game trading website or Currency Exchange, although their rarity makes them expensive. This cost may be justified to avoid the considerable time investment required for hunting.