This guide covers the Path of Exile 2 side quest, "The Slithering Dead," detailing its walkthrough and offering advice on choosing the best rewards.
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The Slithering Dead, initiated by Servi in the Ziggurat Encampment, involves uncovering the fate of her son and the secrets of a rival tribe. While the quest's location is straightforward, selecting the optimal reward proves challenging. Only one of three rewards can be chosen, and this 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 situated near the Waypoint. The Venom Crypts are optional; you can revisit them even after progressing to the endgame.
Explore the Venom Crypts until you find a corpse in the Den of the Serpent Priestess (location varies due to randomized maps).
Interact with the corpse to obtain Corpse-Snake Venom. Return to Servi in the Ziggurat Encampment to complete the quest.
Choosing the Best Venom Draught Reward
The Slithering Dead is repeatable (Act 3 and Act 3 Cruel), 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 safest and most universally beneficial option, especially for mana-intensive melee builds. The Venom Draught of the Veil is a strong alternative for builds less reliant on mana and more susceptible to elemental ailments. The Venom Draught of Stone is the least desirable, unless your build significantly struggles with 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.
The Venom Draught of the Lost (+10% Chaos Resistance) is the superior choice in almost all cases, as Chaos Resistance is significantly harder to obtain than other resistances. The exception is builds utilizing Chaos Inoculation, where the Venom Draught of the Sky (+5 to all Attributes) might be preferable.
