Explore Uncharted Depths in Path of Exile 2's The Slithering Dead

This guide details the "Slithering Dead" side quest in Path of Exile 2, focusing on its walkthrough and reward choices.

Quick Links

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

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

The Slithering Dead Quest Walkthrough

To initiate the quest, locate the Venom Crypts entrance within the Jungle Ruins map (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 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), offering 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 option due to its broad utility, especially beneficial for mana-intensive melee builds. 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 addressing stun vulnerabilities in a build.

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 overwhelmingly the superior choice due to the scarcity of Chaos Resistance on gear. Only builds utilizing Chaos Inoculation, which necessitates maximizing attributes, might prefer the Venom Draught of the Sky.