Path of Exile 2 Secrets in the Dark quest guide
Path of Exile 2’s Secrets in the Dark quest will introduce an important character and also take you across two zones on the Act I map. You’ll start seeing more optional bosses on these maps, as well as a small step-up in difficulty when it comes to mandatory fights. Enemies come in aggressive packs, but as long as you’re taking the time to level up and improve your gear, they should pose no threat.
Your point of contact for Secrets in the Dark in Path of Exile 2 will be Una, who wants to know what the cause of the corruption in the Grelwood is. There’s word of the Count committing unspeakable acts, and you need to find proof of this. That leads you to both the Grelwood and the Red Vale.
How to complete the Secrets in the Dark quest in Path of Exile 2
Completing Mercy for the Miller in Path of Exile 2 will put you on course for Secrets in the Dark. You can also take the time to complete the side quest Treacherous Ground, which we highly recommend for the exp and rewards. Below are the primary objectives you need to complete for this quest.
- Travel to the Grelwood.
- Search for Evidence of the Count’s Activities.
- Search the Red Vale for Runes of Power.
- Stab the Spikes into the Runic Seals.
You’ll find the entrance to the Grelwood in Clearfell by exploring the borders of the map. If you don't, battle Beira of the Rotten Pack on the Clearfell map for her +10% Cold Resistance reward. Thereafter, it’s only a matter of time before you hit the Grelwood.
However, the Werewolf enemies are far more aggressive than what you would have faced on the previous map. They’re fast and come with allies, so be prepared to dodge and attack as you progress through Secrets in the Dark in Path of Exile 2.
In addition to regular enemies, there are two named, powerful foes in this area: Areagne, the Forgotten Witch, and The Brambleghast. You can refer to the section after the article for in-depth guides on how to deal with them. Areagne is relatively easy — avoid her large Ice Explosions and attack aggressively. You can also get some new flasks for your Health/Mana in her hut.
Conversely, The Brambleghast is fought in a small area and has a large cone physical attack. He can also summon vines that shoot beams (you can/should attack them), and slow melee strikes. He’s not especially complex, but the lack of space for movement is concerning.
You’re looking for The Tree of Souls as Evidence of the Count’s Activities. It’s a gigantic tree with a Waypoint near it, and a quest marker to Summon Una. Also, take the time to read the proclamation tagged to the tree. You need special Runic Spikes to free the Hooded One from the tree — this means you need to search the Red Vale for Runes of Power.
Once you have all the Runes of Power, Renly will forge them into Runic Spikes.
You’ll find the entrance to the Red Vale in the Grelwood, so take your time to explore this Path of Exile 2 zone until you get to the next objective of Secrets in the Dark. Your goal here is to find three Rust Obelisks. They are pillars of rusty red metal, so they’re very hard to miss. When you interact with two of them, you’ll have to put down a swarm of the undead, which isn't complex.
The third one, with a Checkpoint, is The Rust King. He’s slightly stronger and has a few ranged sword attacks. He also has a few frustrating AOEs to dodge, and like many other foes, can summon allies to help him. Once you’ve claimed the Rusted items from all three locations, return to Renly. He’ll make you the Runic Spikes.
Use the Waypoint to take you to the Tree of Souls, jam those spikes in, and free The Hooded One. That’s all you need to do to complete Secrets in the Dark in Path of Exile 2. Una needs you to find a special signet ring though, as proof of the Count’s misdeeds. You'll come back to him soon enough.
At this point, you can also start the Finding the Forge side quest, although it could take a while to complete it.
Check out our other Path of Exile 2 guides and features:
- Path of Exile 2: Areagne Forgotten Witch boss guide
- Path of Exile 2: The Brambleghast boss guide
- Path of Exile 2: The Rust King boss guide