Path of Exile Zone Order Guide: Acts 2-4
Table of Contents
- Riverbank
- Grelwood
- Red Vale
- Grim Tangle
- Cemetery of the Eternals
- Hunting Grounds
- Freythorn
- Ogham Farmlands
- Ogham Village
- The Manor Ramparts
- Ogham Manor
- Town
- Mastodon Badlands
- The Bone Pits
- Town #5
- The Valley of the Titans
- Titan Grotto
- Town #6
- Deshar
- The Spires of Deshar
- Town #7
- The Dreadnought
- Town #8
- Act 4 Intro and Interludes
- Whakapanu Island
- Jungle Ruins
- Venom Crypts
- Azak Bog
- Chimeral Wetlands
- Jiquani Sanctum and Drowned City
- The Dreadnought to End
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Riverbank
Riverbank zone notes and objectives. Boss encounter progression and town entry sequence; optional objectives and backtracking tips provided where applicable. Primary objective is to proceed through riverbank with minimal backtracking unless required for exits or waypoint access.
- Kill Boss and enter town
- Clearfell
- Beira of the Rotten Pack is generally north or northeast of the waypoint; some minor fights can be skipped for efficiency
- Find exit to Grelwood; use checkpoint from Beira to return if exit discovered early
- OPT Find the Mysterious Campsite; yield uncut support gem
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Grelwood
1. Find waypoint and speak with quest NPC located roughly in the zone center.
2. Find exit to Grim Tangle; enter zone, take waypoint, and backtrack to Grelwood.
3. Find exit to Red Vale; enter zone, take waypoint, and backtrack to Grelwood.
4. Go to Red Vale either via waypoint or checkpoint.
- OPT Find and kill Brambleghast (level 1); uncut skill gem.
- OPT Find the Cauldron in the Witch Hut encounter; grants a free medium mana and life flask in Red Vale; find the three obelisks and obtain the three quest items.
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Red Vale
Notes for Red Vale including quest items and obelisk objectives. Optional content and skill gems may be acquired here.
- OPT Find and kill Brambleghast (level 1); uncut skill gem
- OPT Find the Cauldron in the Witch Hut encounter; free medium mana/life flask
- Find the three obelisks and obtain the three quest items
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Grim Tangle
Find exit to Cemetery of the Eternals. Optional encounter: The Rotten Druid with uncut support gem.
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Cemetery of the Eternals
1. Find the Mausoleum, kill the boss inside. On the second boss, use a checkpoint to teleport to the zone beginning, then use waypoint to cemetery. Find the Tomb and kill the boss inside.
- OPT In the Tomb, find the embattled trove ambush encounter; uncut support gem.
2. Talk to Lachlan, open the gate, kill Lachlan.
3. Enter Hunting Grounds.
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Hunting Grounds
1. Find and kill Crowbell; 2 skill points.
2. Find an exit to Ogham Farmlands; enter zone, take waypoint, backtrack to Hunting Grounds.
Find exit to Freythorn; enter zone, take waypoint, backtrack to Hunting Grounds.
2. Go to Freythorn via town portal + waypoint if not last you found yet.
- OPT Find and complete the Ritual Site level 4; uncut skill gem.
- OPT Find and finish the Dryad Encounter; uncut support gem.
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Freythorn
1. Do all 4 rituals; kill King of the Mists on the 4th ritual (normal only).
2. Go to Ogham Farmlands via town portal + waypoint.
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Ogham Farmlands
1. Find Una's lute somewhere near the center of the zone; yields 2 skill points.
2. Find exit to Ogham Village.
- OPT Find the Crop Circle and kill the rare dog (level 4); uncut skill gem.
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Ogham Village
1. Find Smithing tools (Only needed on first character per league).
2. Find and kill the Executioner.
3. Go to Manor Ramparts.
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The Manor Ramparts
Find exit to Ogham Manor; always go in the direction opposite to the waypoint after you enter the zone.
- OPT Find the gallows; it is the location from the character creation screen; uncut support gem.
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Ogham Manor
1. Find and kill Candlemass. If you find the stairs first, go down, take a checkpoint, then go back up. Find and go down stairs twice to then take the checkpoint from Candlewood to the stairs once you have found and killed it.
2. Find the elevator to the boss, kill the boss, then go back downstairs.
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Town
1. Talk to Renly to turn in the smithing tools (Only needed on first character per league; unlocks salvaging bench).
2. Talk to the hooded one to go to Act 2.
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Act 2 Zone Order (Extended)
IF SOMETHING HAS THE SAME OR NO ORDER, THE ORDER DOESN'T MATTER AS LONG AS YOU DO IT.
OPT means there is optional content with something useful, especially for first characters of a league, but not strictly required for progression through the act.
Vastiri Outskirts
1. Find and kill Rathbreaker.
2. Portal back to camp; enter caravan. Can also go ESC to respawn at checkpoint.
Town #1. Speak to everyone, use desert map to go to Mawdun Quarry. Mawdun Quarry find exit to Mawdun Mine; follow the checkpoints.
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Mawdun Mine
1. Find and kill Rudja.
2. Talk to Risu; portal back to town.
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Town #2
1. Talk to Risu, then use desert map to go to Halani Gates.
2. Talk to Asala at the gates; go back to caravan; talk to Risu again; then to Asala again.
3. Use desert map to go to Traitor's Passage.
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Traitor's Passage
1. Find and kill Basala; pick up Djinn Barya quest item if you find paper on the walls.
2. Find the exit to the Halani Gates; stairs up mean you are on the right way. OPT Find and loot the Bell Chest; two level 6 uncut skill gems (unconfirmed).
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The Halani Gates
1. Find and kill Jamanra the risen king. Always keep close to the canyon; cross the canyon three times to locate the boss.
2. Go down the stairs and to the bottom right of the zone, then back to town.
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Town #3
1. Speak to Zarka and turn in her quest; level 7 uncut skill gems.
2. Use the desert map to go to the Trial of Sekhemas; take waypoint, then go back to town. You can do the first ascendency trial whenever you feel ready from now on.
3. Talk to everyone, then use desert map to go to Keth.
If it's not possible yet due to changes in 0.2.0, try again later when you are in town.
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Keth
1. Kill Kabala, the Constrictor Queen, somewhere near the middle of the zone; 2 skill points.
2. Kill monsters until you find the Kabala Clan relic; can also drop in the Lost City.
Find exit to the Lost City; always bottom right of the zone, after a big bridge; take checkpoint, do the rest if not yet done.
2. Go to the Lost City.
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The Lost City
Find exit to the Buried Shrines; Opt Find the Golden Tomb; uncut spirit gem.
Opt Find the Ninth Treasure of Keth; big gilded beetle; event name The Galleria; random jewel.
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Buried Shrines
Find the heart of Keth; Opt Find and loot the guarded sarcophagus; uncut support gem.
Opt Find and complete the Elemental Offering Event; random resistance ring (ruby suggested for upcoming boss fight).
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Heart of Keth
1. Kill Azarian the Forsaken Son.
2. Talk to the goddess; loot the cinders; burn the goddess; loot the essence of water.
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Town #4
Talk to Zarka; uncut support gem.
Use desert map to go to Mastodon Badlands.
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Mastodon Badlands
1. Find the exit to the Bone Pits.
2. Find the Lightless passage to unlock the well of souls. OPT Kill hyena enemies until you find the sun clan relic; not essential but common.
OPT Find and loot the Shrine of Bones; rare effigy near a checkpoint; uncut support gem.
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The Bone Pits
1. Find and kill the zone boss; loot the horn.
2. Kill hyena enemies until you find the sun clan relic.
3. Portal back to town.
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Town #5
Talk to Zarka; uncut support gem.
Use desert map to go to the Valley of Titans.
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The Valley of the Titans
1. Find and click the three ancient seals; find the medallion and place the two relics in there. The waypoint is here; choose a buff; it can be changed later at any time; one of two permanent buffs.
2. Find the exit to the Titan Grotto.
3. Go to the Titan Grotto; find and kill the boss; then go back to town.
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Titan Grotto
Boss encounter with a spiral zone layout; dead ends and particular boss spawns.
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Town #6
1. Talk to Zarka, then Asala; uncut support gem.
2. Use the desert map to travel to Halani Gates.
3. Go to the front of the caravan and sound the horn.
4. Use the desert map to travel to Deshar.
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Deshar
1. Speak to the abandoned Rhoa; it is the right thing to do; you monster.
2. Find the final letter on a corpse near a big tower on the ground; 2 skill points on quest turn in.
Find the exit to the Path of Mourning; enter zone, take waypoint, backtrack to Deshar.
3. Go to the Path of Mourning; the Path of Mourning Find the exit to the Spires of Deshar.
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The Spires of Deshar
1. Find the Sisters of Garukhan; 10% lightning resistance.
Find and kill Tor Gul, the Defiler.
2. Portal back to town.
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Town #7
1. Turn in the final letter at Shambrin; here you gain 2 skill points.
2. Talk to everyone, then use the desert map to go to the Dreadnought.
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The Dreadnought
1. Find the exit to the Dreadnought Vanguard; find and kill Jamara, the Abomination.
2. Portal back to town.
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Town #8
Leave the Caravan, talk to the Hooded One, go back to the Caravan, talk to Asala to go to Act 3.
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Act 3 Zone Order (Nonlinear)
IF SOMETHING HAS THE SAME OR NO ORDER, THE ORDER DOESN'T MATTER AS LONG AS YOU DO IT.
OPT means optional, useful content for early league characters but not strictly required for progression.
Sandswept Marsh
- Find exit to the ziggurat encampment (town).
- OPT Find and kill Rootredge (level 9 uncut skill gem).
- OPT Find the Orok campsite and loot the rare basket Azak Campfire; kill the two rares Lesser Jeweller's Orb.
- OPT Find the Hanging Tree and loot the magic corpse; random magic ring.
Jungle Ruins #1
1. Find the Exit to Venom Crypts (near waypoint); do not go through; take the checkpoint and waypoint.
2. Find and kill Mighty Silverfist; 2 skill points.
Find the exit to Infested Barrens; do not go through; take the checkpoint.
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Infested Barrens #1
1. Find the exit to Chimeral Wetlands; enter zone; take waypoint; backtrack to Infested Barrens.
Find the exit to Azak Bog; enter zone; take waypoint; backtrack to Infested Barrens.
Find the Exit to the Matlan Waterways; use Barrens waypoint.
2. From last found, take the waypoint and portal back to Jungle Ruins.
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Jungle Ruins #2
Enter Venom Crypts.
Venom Crypts
1. Find the corpse for the venom phial; go back to town.
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Town #2
1. Go back to town; turn in phial at Servi for reward; reward is permanent and cannot be changed later.
2. Go to Azak Bog.
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The Azak Bog
OPT Find Flameskin ritual and activate all; grants 25% fire resistance and rarity for the rest of the zone if found before boss; if not found, do not search but do not skip if found before boss.
1. Find and kill Ignagduk; 30 spirit.
2. Go back to town, then to Chimeral Wetlands.
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The Chimeral Wetlands
1. Find the temple/trial of chaos; enter zone, take waypoint; waypoint back to Wetlands. Do the trial any time from now on.
2. Find and kill the Chimera boss; follow left-hand border of the zone.
3. Enter Juquani's Machinarium behind the Chimera boss.
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Juquani's Machinarium
1. Find the first small soul core; open door left or right of Alva.
2. Find two more small soul cores; there are three in total but only two needed; the third door is gold and chest.
Find the exit towards Juquani's Sanctum.
3. Find and kill Blackjaw; 10% fire res.
4. Checkpoint port to the exit; go to Juquani's Sanctum.
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Juquani's Sanctum
1. Activate the waypoint right after entry.
2. Talk to Alva.
3. Find two medium soul cores; soul cores are random in the zone.
4. Activate both generators; generators are always to the left and right behind Alva.
5. Checkpoint back to Alva; wait until second soul core arrives at Alva (red lines on the ground).
6. Kill Zicoatl, Warden of the Core; loot the large soul core.
7. Go back to Infested Barrens waypoint.
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Infested Barrens #2
Insert the large soul core and go to Matlan Waterways.
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Matlan Waterways
1. Activate every single lever to navigate; then activate the big one at the end.
2. Port back to town.
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Town #3
1. Go down stairs near the well / hooded one; enter the drowned city.
2. Talk to Alva; enter the drowned city; proceed to Molten Vault and then Apex of Filth.
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The Drowned City
1. Find the exit to the Molten Vault; north-west of the zone.
2. Enter the Molten Vault; proceed to the Apex of Filth.
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The Molten Vault
1. Find and kill the boss; talk to Oswald back in town.
2. Enter the Apex of Filth reforging bench.
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The Apex of Filth
Find and kill the queen of filth; portal back to town. The zone has a spiral layout; the boss is found after completing a full 360 spiral.
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Town #4
Go down the stairs near the well and enter Temple of Kopec opposite the drowned city.
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The Temple of Kopec
Go up the stairs twice; kill Ketzuli, High Priest of the Sun. Stairs are in corners of the triangular zone; stay in shade to avoid damage.
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Intermediate / Town #5
Talk to Alva and ride the elevator up; proceed through gateway, then down again to Utzaal.
Utzaal
- OPT The sacrificial heart can randomly drop in this zone. If not found, proceed to next zone rather than farming Utzaal.
1. Search and kill Viper Napuatzi; right end of zone.
2. Find exit to Aggorat and enter Aggorat; top-right end of zone.
Aggorat
1. Follow the voices of the Trial of Atziri on the big plaza to find the next checkpoint.
2. Find the exit towards the Black Chambers; top-left end of the zone after the big plaza.
3. Find the Sacrificial Table; top-right end of the zone after the big plaza.
4. The sacrificial heart can randomly drop in this zone; if not found yet, continue to kill monsters until found.
5. Checkpoint port to the Sacrificial Table; loot the dagger; place the heart; stab the heart; gain 2 skill points.
6. Checkpoint port to the Black Chambers; enter Black Chambers.
The Black Chambers
Find and defeat Doryiani, Royal Thaumaturge. Boss location varies by entry angle; top-left or top-right depending on entry.
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Town #6
Go through the portal to the encampment; speak with Doryani; talk with the Sin and eventually Alva to reach Act 4 (Kingsmarch).
Kingsmarch
Act 4 is not linear; major ports (red headlines) can be done in almost any order.
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Act 4 – Towns, Interludes, and Interconnections
Town #1
- Speak with Doryani, then Alva; take the Boat Charter.
- Speak with Tujen, Ange, Kanu, and then Makoru to select an island to travel to.
- Whakapanu Island is suggested first for currency exchange and asynchronous trading; Arastas is suggested after the three main islands for progression.
Town / Ship Interludes
- A: Talk to Missionary Lorandis to accept the quest to go to Arastas after the first island.
- B: Talk to Tavakai after the first island.
- C: Talk to Makoru about map pieces; map pieces can be found on Whakapanu, Shrike, Isle of Kin, and Kedge Bay. After all four map pieces are found, Plunder's Point is unlocked on the map (optional island for XP and loot).
- D: Return to Ange and discuss the Hideout quest; travel to the shoreline hideout.
- E: Once you have the Shark Fin, sail to Ngamahu and turn it in at Kaimana. If you wait too long, you can turn it in later after Act 4 story is complete.
- F: Speak to Makoru after three islands completed.
- G: Isle of Kin; Speak with Matiki to unlock Eye of Hinekora after three islands.
- H: Speak to Tujen to receive quest reward near Whakapanu Island.
Whakapanu Island
- Opt Find the Crabshell Cavern and defeat the rare on the beach.
- Find the Shark Pit and defeat the Great White One; loot the Shark Fin on another beach.
- Find the Petrified Pirate to obtain a torn map piece.
- 1 Find the exit to the Singing Caverns (far end of the island).
Singing Caverns
- Opt Find the Beckoning Clam and complete the counter to loot the humming pearl; turn in for Rog to receive a rare amulet with +8 all elemental resistance.
- 1 Find the Chamber of Echoes and kill Diamora, Song of Death; speak to the Hooded One.
- 2 Go back to the Ship and select a new location.
Shrike Island {#shrike-island}
- Opt Find the Corpse Nest encounter and loot torn map piece.
- 1 Find corrupted nests; kill Scourge of the Skies.
- 2 Go back to the Ship and select a new location.
Abandoned Prison {#abandoned-prison}
- 1 Kill monsters until the Chapel Key drops; 30% increased Mana or Life Recovery from Find and Open the Chapel Door; kill the rare and its minions; flasks can be changed later.
- 2 Find the Exit to the Solitary Confinement.
Solitary Confinement {#solitary-confinement}
- OPT Find and kill Bronnach, the Manhunter; drops a guaranteed unique item and some rares (unconfirmed).
- 1 Find and kill the prisoner.
- 2 Return to Ship to select a new location.
Isle of Kin {#isle-of-kin}
- Opt Find the beast pen counter and free and kill Mimbok the Enslaved; level 12 uncut skill gem and level 4 uncut support gem (unconfirmed).
- Find the wrecked boat and loot torn map device from the flayed sailor.
- 1 Find the Primal arena and kill The Blind Beast; 2 skill points.
- 2 Find the exit to the Volcanic Warrens.
Kedge Bay {#kedge-bay}
- OPT Find the dead man's chest and loot torn map device.
- 1 Find the Exit to Journey's End.
Journey's End {#journeys-end}
- 1 Summon and speak to Tujen.
- OPT Find and loot the rigged ship; a timer starts after looting the first chest and any loot not picked up before the timer will disappear.
- 2 Find the Captain's Chair; kill Captain Hartlin; loot the Verisium.
- 3 Return to town via portal and speak with Dannig; take the Verisium Spikes.
- 4 Return to Journey's End and speak with Freya Hartlin again.
- 5 Impale the totems and finish the Delirium encounter by killing Omniphobia.
- 6 Return to Ship and go to a new location.
Eye of Hinekora {#eye-of-hinekora}
- Opt When briefly out of the caves, there is a rare chest behind a waterfall; level 12 uncut skill gem (unconfirmed).
- 1 Progress through the cavern and complete each Test of Mettle encounter; the sequence is linear and hard to miss.
- 2 Find the Silent Hall and pay respects in the room behind it; talk to Navali for lore; gain 5% increased maximum mana.
- 3 Find the exit to the Hall of the Dead.
Hall of the Dead {#hall-of-the-dead}
1. Find the three tests Tawhoa, Tasalio, Ngamahu and loot their blank tattoos at the end. Turn in at the Totem in the Arena and use the tattoo afterward to gain a bonus. Rewards cannot be changed later (unconfirmed).
- 5 dex or 5% lightning resistance (Tawhoa); 5 int or 5% cold resistance (Tasalio);
- 5 str or 5% fire resistance (Ngamahu).
2. Find Yama's Test; defeat Yama the White and loot the silver coin.
3. Exit to the Trial of the Ancestors behind the Yama encounter.
Trial of the Ancestors
1. Talk to Navali and get the Tattoo of Hinekora; grants 2 passive skill points.
NYI {#nyi}
Future third way of acquiring ascendency points; not yet implemented.
2. Return to Ship to select a new location.
Plunder's Point
1. Summon and speak to Dannig; place explosives and start the Expedition encounter.
2. Go back to Ship and select a new location.
Arastas
OPT Loot the Evening and Morning Bell.
1. Speak to and follow Missionari Lorandis into the church, then exit and destroy forcefield with any attack; kill everyone.
2. Continue until you find the Excavated Pit and kill Torvian, Hand of the Saviour; some extra currency appears (3x regal, 3x exalted).
3. Enter the Excavation.
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The Excavation
OPT Find the Excavated Cache; level 4 uncut support gem.
1. Find the Precursor Forge and defeat Benedictus, First Herald of Utopia.
2. Witness lore events and then talk to the Hidden One; return to town via portal.
Town Intermediate {#town-intermediate}
3. Talk to the Hidden One again, then talk to Rodri on the ship to set sail to Ngakanu.
Ngakanu {#ngakanu}
OPT Find the Medicine Circle; kill monsters and talk to Kaimana. Only some lore.
1. Find and enter the Heart of the Tribe.
Heart of the Tribe {#heart-of-the-tribe}
1. Find the Sacred Interior and defeat Tavakai.
2. Go back to the Town and speak with the Hooded One; this is the end of Act One, onward with interludes for now.
Date Change Credits
2025-01-12 updated Traitor's Passage in Act 2 regarding quest item pickup.
2025-01-19 updated Jiquani's Sanctum slightly; changing portal order to aid navigation.
2025-01-25 added note to Act 3 Juquani's Sanctum step 4 about walking vs. portalling; credits to Vulcaiiin.
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IF SOMETHING HAS THE SAME OR NO ORDER, THE ORDER DOESN'T MATTER AS LONG AS YOU DO IT
END OF ZONE ORDER SECTION