The Burning Monolith is a unique map on the Atlas of Worlds in Path of Exile 2, akin to the Realmgate, and is located near the starting point of your mapping journey. However, accessing it is far from straightforward.

To enter the Burning Monolith, you need three special items known as Crisis Fragments. These can only be obtained by conquering the Citadels, which are elusive map nodes on the Atlas and notoriously difficult to locate.

How to Use the Burning Monolith in Path of Exile 2

The Burning Monolith serves as the arena for the endgame pinnacle boss, the Arbiter of Ash. Upon your first visit to the Monolith and attempting to activate the door, you'll automatically initiate the quest, "The Pinnacle of Flame," which includes three subquests: Ezomyte Infiltration (Iron Citadel), Faridun Foray (Copper Citadel), and Vaal Incursion (Stone Citadel). Successfully completing these three Citadels will grant you the three unique Crisis Fragments needed. To unlock the battle with the Arbiter of Ash, you must use these three Crisis Fragments at the altar within the Burning Monolith.

Before engaging in this battle, ensure your build is robust. The Arbiter of Ash is the most formidable pinnacle boss in the game, boasting devastating attacks and an immense health pool.

How to Find Citadels in Path of Exile 2

In Path of Exile 2, there are three Citadels: Iron, Copper, and Stone, each guarded by a unique map boss. Defeating these bosses is essential to acquire the corresponding Crisis Fragment. The primary challenge lies in locating these Citadels.

Remember, you can only attempt each Citadel once. Given the random generation of each player's Atlas, finding a Citadel can be unpredictable. However, the community has developed some tentative strategies based on shared experiences:

1. Choose a direction on the Atlas and continue progressing until you stumble upon a Citadel. Unlocking Towers can provide a better overview of the map layout.
2. Follow the corruption. Scan the edges of your Atlas view for nodes showing signs of corruption. Head directly to these nodes, clear them successfully, unlock the nearby Tower, and repeat this process. This method can be combined with the first strategy.
3. Citadels tend to appear in clusters. If you find one, the other two are likely to be in close proximity.

Hunting for Citadels is a time-intensive task best reserved for the late stages of the endgame, when your build is at its peak and boss hunting is routine.

Crisis Fragments, the ultimate goal of Citadel hunting, can also be purchased from trading websites or through the Currency Exchange. Due to their rarity, they can be quite expensive, but this cost might be justified to bypass the arduous task of finding them yourself.