Path of Exile 2: Conquer the Slithering Dead Quest

This guide covers the Path of Exile 2 side quest, "The Slithering Dead," detailing its walkthrough and offering advice on choosing the optimal quest rewards.

Quick Links

• The Slithering Dead Quest Walkthrough
• Choosing the Best Venom Draught Reward

The Slithering Dead quest involves assisting Servi in the Ziggurat Encampment to uncover secrets about a rival tribe and her missing son, Apus. While the quest itself is simple, selecting the reward proves challenging for many players. Only one of three rewards can be chosen, and this decision is permanent and irreversible.

The Slithering Dead Quest Walkthrough

To initiate the quest, locate the Venom Crypts entrance within the Jungle Ruins map in Act 3 (and Act 3 Cruel). It's situated near the Waypoint. The Venom Crypts are optional for main quest progression, but accessible even after completing the main storyline.

Explore the Venom Crypts until you find a corpse in the Den of the Serpent Priestess (location varies due to randomized map generation).

Interact with the corpse to obtain Corpse-Snake Venom. Return to Servi in the Ziggurat Encampment and give her the venom to complete the quest.

Choosing the Best Venom Draught Reward

The Slithering Dead is repeatable, appearing in Act 3 and Act 3 Cruel (Act 6), with different rewards each time.

Act 3 Rewards:

• 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.

The Venom Draught of Clarity is generally the best choice, especially for melee builds often lacking mana regeneration. 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, as stun resistance is less crucial than ailment resistance or mana regeneration.

Act 3 Cruel (Act 6) Rewards:

• 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.

The Venom Draught of the Lost (+10% Chaos Resistance) is superior in most cases, as Chaos Resistance is harder to obtain than other resistances. Only builds utilizing Chaos Inoculation, which sacrifices life for Chaos immunity, might prefer the Venom Draught of the Sky (+5 to all Attributes).