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 and is located near the starting area of your mapping journey. Accessing it, however, presents a significant challenge.

Unlocking the Burning Monolith

To enter the Burning Monolith, players need three Crisis Fragments. These fragments are obtained by conquering Citadels—extremely rare and difficult-to-locate map nodes on the Atlas. Your first attempt to activate the 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). Completing these Citadels yields the three necessary Crisis Fragments. Once acquired, use them on the Monolith's altar to unlock the fight against the Arbiter of Ash.

Prepare for the Arbiter of Ash

The Arbiter of Ash, the Burning Monolith's boss, is the game's most formidable pinnacle boss, boasting immense health and devastating attacks. Ensure your character build is optimized before attempting this encounter.

Locating the Elusive Citadels

Path of Exile 2 features three Citadels: Iron, Copper, and Stone. Each Citadel houses a unique boss that must be defeated to obtain its corresponding Crisis Fragment. The primary difficulty lies in their unpredictable location on the randomly generated Atlas.

Citadel strategies (with caveats):

• Directional Progression: Choose a direction on the Atlas and explore systematically.
• Corruption Tracking: Focus on corrupted nodes at the Atlas's edges. Clear these nodes, unlock nearby Towers for better visibility, and repeat.
• Clustered Appearance: Anecdotal evidence suggests Citadels may appear in clusters. Finding one might lead you to the others.

Citadel hunting is a late-game activity. It's best undertaken when your build is powerful and boss encounters are routine.

Alternatively, Crisis Fragments can be purchased via the trading website or Currency Exchange, although their rarity makes them expensive. This option might be preferable to the time-consuming Citadel hunt.