Path of Exile 2 Act 2 Campaign guide: All quests, locations, bosses, and secrets

Path of Exile 2’s Act 2 is a lengthy, but enjoyable campaign. After the defeat of Count Geonor, players will be heading to the Vastiri Plains to continue to hunt down the Seed of Corruption, and Countess Oriana herself. However, unlike the previous Act, you’ve got quite a bit of flexibility in what you do, and when. The primary quest for this act is also the Trail of Corruption, which may be familiar.

The Trail of Corruption quest begins in Path of Exile 2 Act 1 and will extend deep into Act 2, as well. However, if you want to know what to do in Act 2, we're here to help guide you through this portion of the main story scenario.

Act 2 campaign walkthrough for Path of Exile 2

There’s so much to do in Path of Exile 2 Act 2 — in particular, this is the one where you can first unlock Ascendancy. It’s something you might completely miss out on, but we’ll make sure that you’re at least aware of it, so you can tackle it at your leisure.

It all kicks off here in the Vastiri Wastes (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

It’s also worth pointing out that, for clarity, we’ve split The Trail of Corruption further up. You’ll have access to the quest, but leave and return to it.

All important quests in Act 2

Earning Passage
The Trail of Corruption Part 1
A Theft of Ivory
The City of Seven Waters
A Crown of Stone
The Trial of the Sekhemas (Optional but important)
Ancient Vows (Optional but useful)
Tradition’s Toll (Optional but important)
The Trail of Corruption Part 2

Earning Passage (PoE 2 Act 2 main campaign quest)

Rathbreaker's swarm of Hyenas is not fun to deal with (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Waypoint: Yes
Bosses: Rathbreaker

This is your intro quest for Path of Exile 2 Act 1. It’s a relatively simple one to complete, too. However, the enemy packs are bigger, and you’ve lost a bit of Resistances right off the top of your stats, as well. After speaking to The Hooded One and to Zarka, you’ll be tasked with defeating the Hyena Bandits.

You are looking for Rathbreaker, in the Vastiri Outskirts. The boss is standing on a cliff above the normal ground, and above that is a higher cliff, riddled with Archers. You have to deal with the boss attacks, ranged attacks you really can’t stop, and eventually, a gigantic swarm of Hyenas. Remember - if you die after the boss does, you won’t get any loot! This also gets you to your next hub, a mobile caravan.

The Trail of Corruption, Part 1 (PoE 2 main campaign quest)

You have a few areas to grind through at the start of this quest, but they aren't too hard (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Waypoint: Yes (Mawdun Quarry, Mawdun Mine, Traitor’s Passage, the Halani Gate)
Bosses: Rudja, the Dread Engineer, Balbala, The Traitor (Optional: Djinn Barya item), Jamanra, the Risen King, L’im the Impaler (Optional: Uncut Skill Gem Level 6)

As you begin The Trail of Corruption in Path of Exile 2 Act 2, you’re gonna need to head through quite a few zones: Mawdun Quarry, Mawdun Mine, The Traitor’s Passage, and The Halani Gates. Mawdun Quarry is just a giant map that leads you ultimately to Mawdun Mine. There’s not much of note here, other than loot and enemies to kill.

That said, it does connect to Mawdun Mine, which features Rudja, the Dread Engineer at the end. You’ll have to get through the lengthy, tight corridors and passageways until you reach the boss room. They have powerful fire attacks and a dash attack that can one-shot squishy characters if they aren’t careful.

You’ll free Risu after winning the fight, and use the Desert Map to reach the next location — The Halani Gates. However, the gates are closed! That means you can’t progress through Act 2 of Path of Exile 2 this way. Instead, use the Desert Map to head to Traitor’s Passage.

Rudja is a real skill check — not impossible, but if you don't know the combat mechanics, it could be a stressful battle (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

This area is of little consequence, except for one thing — Balbala the Traitor. They’re an optional boss, but if you defeat them, you gain access to your first Ascension quest item. The tricky part of this fight is when they flood the arena with poison. Run around the edge to find where the boss really is, and dodge their big slam attack. Other than that, it’s a pretty simple fight.

Now we’re finally at The Halani Gates! Summon Asala to begin this, who will open the gates you need to get through. Just defend her from all enemies that come in. It’s a very simple zone to cross. Protect Asala, and defeat all enemies. You can also find an Elite here, L’im the Impaler, who will reward you with a Skill Gem upon defeating them.

At the end of this zone waits Jamanra, the Risen King. They use a wide assortment of physical and lightning strikes, but they aren’t a major threat. When they get to low HP (around 20%), they will retreat.

Zarka will reward you with an Uncut Skill Gem Level 7, and give you a trio of quests to complete. You can do these in any order, too. A Theft of Ivory, City of Seven Waters, and A Crown of Stone to unlock the Horn of the Vastiri item.

A Theft of Ivory (PoE 2 main campaign quest)

Iktab is arguably easier to fight solo, though your needs may vary (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Waypoint: Yes (Mastodon Badlands, The Bone Pits)
Bosses: Iktab, the Deathlord and Ekbab, Ancient Steed

A Theft of Ivory is the Path of Exile 2 Act 2 quest I did first in this list. You need the Mastodon Trunks, and that means going through the Mastodon Badlands via the Desert Map, and exploring until you find The Bone Pits. It’s a pretty simple area, where you kill your way to the two-boss fight of Iktab, the Deathlord, and Ekbab, Ancient Steed.

You have to fight them both at once, and they both have deadly AOE attacks. However, if you defeat one of them, the other gets massively powered up. Consider which one you want to deal with. I found Iktab to be easier to beat alone, so Kebab had to die first. It’s also likely you’ll pick up the Sun Clan Relic from an enemy here. You need that for Ancient Vows.

The City of Seven Waters (PoE 2 main campaign quest)

You have to be careful where you let this boss attack (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Waypoint: Yes (Keth, The Lost City, Buried Shrines)
Bosses: Yes: Kabalah, Constrictor Queen (Optional: Book of Specialisation), Azarian, the Forsaken Son

Next up in Path of Exile 2 Act 2, for me, was The City of Seven Waters. Using the Desert Map, you will arrive on the vast, open map of Keth. This map serves to lead you to the Lost City, but before you look for that building, seek out Kabalah, Constrictor Queen. She grants you +2 Weapon Passive Skill Points for defeating her. She might be optional, but you’d be foolish to not seek her out.

Once you’ve found The Lost City, you’ll explore these dark ruins, seeking the Buried Shrines sector. Like the previous map, it only serves to get you to the next place, but, there is a decent amount of treasure. There’s even more in the Buried Shrines section, though.

There’s a shrine here, called the Elemental Shrine, which has three items: Fire Offering, Water Offering, and Lightning Offering. These give a Magic Rarity Charm of that type, so pick whichever you need more. There’s tons of treasure in this area, and at the end, you’ll find Azarian, The Forsaken Son.

This fight isn’t especially dangerous, but you do need to be aware of the four braziers in the corners of the room. If the boss (or you) hit them, they shatter, filling a quarter of the room with fire. At best, I managed to keep half the room safe.

While there, you may also find the Kabala Clan Relic in this area or the Lost City. You’ll need this for the Ancient Vows optional quest, so keep that in mind. Your success here grants you the Blessing of Water quest item.

A Crown of Stone (PoE 2 main campaign quest)

A Crown of Stone ends in a particularly challenging boss fight (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Waypoint: Yes (Valley of the Titans, The Titan Grotto)
Bosses: Zalmarath, the Colossus

A Crown of Stone was the toughest of the three for me in Path of Exile 2’s Act 2. I used the Party Feature to defeat Zalmarath, the Colossus boss. However, in the Valley of the Titans, you need to explore the map until you find three Ancient Seals. Standing on each will unlock The Titan Grotto. This is found in the center of the map — a mountain will transform, allowing you access.

The Titan Grotto dungeon is a dimly lit, winding series of passages that will end with a gigantic boss. You don’t have a lot of room to use here, so be careful of Zalmarath’s various AOE and environmental attacks. Defeating him grants you the Flame Ruby, and is the third of these quests.

The Trial of the Sekhemas (PoE 2 optional quest)

If you have pets, Rattlecage can be such a breeze (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

You can begin Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2 Act 2 anytime you’ve defeated Balbala, the Traitor, and claim the item they drop. Use the Desert Map to go to the Trial of the Sekehemas to get started. This is an optional trial that feels like a Roguelike.

You need to do a series of challenge rooms, without running out of Honor. Honor is your health meter for this area. If you clear the rooms and defeat the boss, Rattlecage the Earthbreaker, you can Ascend for the first time in Path of Exile 2!

Ancient Vows (PoE 2 optional quest)

Once you have both Relics, come back to the Valley of the Titans (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

If you have both of the Relics from the earlier Path of Exile 2 areas, you can return to Valley of the Titans to complete Ancient Vows. Just bring both Relics to the Monument near the Waypoint in this area, and place the Relics on it. It will give you a pair of potential buffs that are permanent — sort of. You can return here and swap at any time. Use whichever one fits you the best.

Tradition’s Toll (PoE 2 optional quest)

There's no telling where the body will be, but it's out here! (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

This is a relatively simple, straightforward quest in Path of Exile 2 Act 2. You’ll be tasked with heading into Deshar, and to find the body of Lailuma (Fallen Dekhara). It spawns randomly, but when you do find it, retrieve the letter on the body and bring it back to the Caravan. Your reward will be a Book of Specialisation, which will grant you +2 Skill Points.

The Trail of Corruption (PoE 2 main campaign quest)

The Deshar maps are tight corridors, where sometimes you have to stop, to avoid being poisoned (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Waypoint: Yes (Deshar, Path of Mourning, The Spires of Deshar, The Dreadnought, Dreadnought Vanguard)
Bosses: Tor Gul, The Defiler, Jamanra, the Abomination

The most important thing in Deshar in Path of Exile 2 Act 2 is the Trail of Corruption quest, though. Your goal is primarily to get to the next location — the Path of Mourning. This will come in the form of steps in one of the buildings.

High above Deshar is the Path of Mourning. You are going to walk through this very Final Fantasy 12-esque area to reach The Spires of Deshar, the next important section of the map. This part of Path of Exile 2’s Act 2 has the boss Tor Gul, The Defiler. Before that though, you want to find the Sisters of Garukhan, to interact with for a cheap +10% Lightning Resistance.

Tor Gul doesn't give you a lot of room to maneuver in Path of Exile 2 (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

A giant skeletal abomination, Tor Gul the Defiler has tons of fire attacks, big sweeping claw strikes, and can also spew up vomit that you should avoid standing on. On top of that, it has adds to deal with. A difficult boss, but if you can keep a close eye on where you should/should not stand, he’ll be down in no time during your Path of Exile 2 playthrough.

Among the toughest bosses awaits in Path of Exile 2, though, at the end of the Dreadnought sections — Jamanra, the Abomination. That makes it ideal to grind levels and gear through The Dreadnought, and Dreadnought Vanguard. The Dreadnought itself only serves to get you to the next location, after all. There are large enemy packs, and the difficulty begins to scale higher, so it’s worth leveling here.

Jamanra is one of Path of Exile 2's most difficult bosses (Image via Grinding Gear Games || YouTube/@BueWoW)

You’ve got a lot to watch out for during the Jamanra fight. It can throw exploding lightning bolts and other painful AOEs during phase 1. He can also summon Moving Lightning Pylons; one of the possibilities is that they can chase you around. Stay mobile and get ready to dodge the roll.

If Jamanra begins to summon wind, get to Sekhema Asala, so you don’t get blown around, and defeat the enemies that spawn to stay safe. After a little cutscene, Phase 2 will begin (around 60% HP), and now Jamanra has a huge sword to attack with.

You do not want to be in the cleave area, directly in front of him. When Jamanra enchants his sword with magic, you want to get out of the way of the slam, and the explosion, as well as the shockwave. It can be incredibly difficult to do at first. At least in Phase 2 of this Path of Exile 2 boss fight, the Pylons stop chasing you.

That said, now you have to deal with LIghtning Portals and Tornadoes. Once you finally defeat Jamanra, head back to the Caravan, and select Travel to the Sandswept Marsh when speaking to Asala, to get to Path of Exile 2 Act 3.

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Edited by Ritoban "Veloxi" Paul