Path of Exile 2: The Slithering Dead Quest – A Comprehensive Guide
The Slithering Dead is a side quest in Path of Exile 2's Act 3 (and Act 3 Cruel). Servi, a guide in the Ziggurat Encampment, seeks your help to uncover the secrets of a rival tribe and the fate of her son. While the quest itself is straightforward, selecting the right reward can be tricky. This guide will walk you through the quest and help you make informed decisions about the rewards.
The Slithering Dead Quest Walkthrough
- Locate the Venom Crypts: Enter the Jungle Ruins map in Act 3 (and Act 3 Cruel). The Venom Crypts entrance is adjacent to the Waypoint. Note that this is optional for main quest progression.
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Explore the Venom Crypts: Navigate the Venom Crypts until you find a corpse within the Den of the Serpent Priestess. The corpse's location is randomized within the map.
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Retrieve the Venom: Interact with the corpse to obtain the Corpse-Snake Venom.
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Return to Servi: Teleport back to the Ziggurat Encampment and give the venom to Servi to complete the quest.
Choosing Your Venom Draught Reward
The Slithering Dead is repeatable, appearing in both Act 3 and Act 3 Cruel (Act 6). Each instance offers different rewards, making the choice crucial. Your selection is permanent and cannot be changed.
Act 3 Rewards
Servi presents three Venom Draughts:
- Venom Draught of Stone: 25% increased Stun Threshold.
- Venom Draught of the Veil: 30% increased Elemental Ailment Threshold.
- Venom Draught of Clarity: 25% increased Mana Regeneration Rate.
Recommendation: The Venom Draught of Clarity is generally the best option, especially for melee builds that often struggle with mana management. The Venom Draught of the Veil is a strong alternative for builds less reliant on mana. The Venom Draught of Stone is the least desirable unless your build specifically needs increased stun threshold.
Act 3 Cruel (Act 6) Rewards
The Act 3 Cruel version offers these Venom Draughts:
- Venom Draught of the Lost: +10% to Chaos Resistance.
- Venom Draught of the Sky: +5 to All Attributes.
- Venom Draught of the Marshes: 15% Reduced Slowing Potency of Debuffs on you.
Recommendation: The Venom Draught of the Lost (+10% Chaos Resistance) is overwhelmingly the superior choice, as Chaos Resistance is significantly harder to obtain than other resistances. Only builds utilizing Chaos Inoculation, which renders the character immune to Chaos damage at the cost of 1 HP, should consider the Venom Draught of the Sky (+5 to All Attributes) instead.
By carefully following this guide and understanding the implications of each reward, you can maximize your benefits from The Slithering Dead quest in Path of Exile 2.
