Path of Exile 2: Conquer the Slithering Dead!

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

Quick Links

• The Slithering Dead Quest Walkthrough
• Choosing Your Venom Draught Reward

The Slithering Dead, initiated by Servi in the Ziggurat Encampment, involves uncovering secrets of a rival tribe and the fate of her son. While the quest itself is straightforward, choosing the right reward is crucial. Only one reward can be selected per playthrough, and the decision is permanent.

The Slithering Dead Quest Walkthrough

To begin, locate the Venom Crypts entrance within the Jungle Ruins map (Act 3 and Act 3 Cruel). It's near the Waypoint. The Venom Crypts are not essential 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 map randomization).

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 Your Venom Draught Reward

The Slithering Dead is repeatable (Act 3 and Act 3 Cruel), with different rewards each time. Choose wisely, as your selection is final.

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.

Recommendation: Venom Draught of Clarity is generally the best option, especially for melee builds often lacking mana regeneration. Venom Draught of the Veil is a strong alternative for builds less reliant on mana. Venom Draught of Stone is the least desirable unless specifically needed to mitigate stun effects.

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.

Recommendation: Venom Draught of the Lost (+10% Chaos Resistance) is overwhelmingly superior due to the rarity of Chaos Resistance on gear. Only builds utilizing Chaos Inoculation and Eternal Youth might prefer Venom Draught of the Sky for the attribute boost.