PoE 2 Tangmazu Quest Guide: Where to Find the Raven Trickster Storyline
Path of Exile 2’s Return of the Ancients update introduced several new endgame storylines, but one of them immediately stood out to me above the rest. While many Atlas activities focus primarily on rewards and progression systems, The Hare and the Raven feels like an actual narrative adventure hidden inside the endgame.
For longtime Path of Exile players, Tangmazu is not a new name. The mysterious voice associated with Delirium has been haunting Wraeclast for years. This time, however, Grinding Gear Games has transformed him from a background presence into a major endgame antagonist with his own story arc, progression path, and pinnacle encounter.
After spending time exploring the new Atlas regions and analyzing how the questline unfolds, I genuinely think Tangmazu is one of the most interesting additions to PoE 2’s endgame. Here’s everything you need to know about finding him and progressing through his storyline.
Why Tangmazu’s Questline Feels Different
One thing I immediately appreciated is that this isn’t just another boss hidden behind random map drops.
Instead, the entire experience is tied to a dedicated Atlas region that gradually reveals more of Tangmazu’s influence. The questline creates a stronger sense of progression than many previous endgame systems because you’re actively chasing a specific enemy rather than simply farming content until a key item eventually appears.
The atmosphere also deserves credit.
The Delirium mechanic has always excelled at creating tension, but now the surrounding narrative finally gives purpose to the madness. Tangmazu isn’t simply creating dangerous monsters for gameplay reasons—his actions directly drive the story forward.
Where to Find Tangmazu in Path of Exile 2
Before you can begin the hunt, you’ll need to complete the main six-act campaign and unlock the Atlas endgame.
Once you’re inside the Atlas system, your destination is the south-west region, where a special Delirium-focused area known as The Withered Willow can be found.
This location serves as the center of Tangmazu’s storyline.
The surrounding maps are permanently connected to Delirium content, making them the primary source of progression for the quest chain.
Quick Location Overview
| Objective | Location |
|---|---|
| Unlock Atlas | Complete Campaign |
| Find Delirium Region | South-West Atlas |
| Quest Hub | The Withered Willow |
| Main Storyline | The Hare and the Raven |
| Final Boss | Tangmazu |
| Endgame Domain | Realm of Madness |
If you’re specifically searching for Tangmazu, nearly all roads eventually lead back to The Withered Willow.
Starting The Hare and the Raven Quest
The quest begins naturally during your first Delirium encounter in the region.
After entering a Delirium Mirror, you’ll encounter Elder Madox, an Azmeri elder trapped within Tangmazu’s mental manipulation.
The objective itself is straightforward:
- Enter the Delirium encounter.
- Locate Elder Madox.
- Defeat nearby enemies.
- Break Tangmazu’s influence.
- Speak with the elder.
Once rescued, Madox explains the threat posed by the Raven Trickster and officially sends you on the path to track him across the Atlas.
This moment does a surprisingly good job of introducing the storyline. Rather than dumping lore through lengthy dialogue, the game immediately places players inside the consequences of Tangmazu’s actions.
Understanding the New Delirium System
One of the biggest quality-of-life improvements introduced by the update is the redesigned Delirium navigation system.
Older versions of Delirium occasionally felt frustrating because players could lose valuable time trying to determine the correct direction through a map.
The new system largely solves that problem.
The Progress Bar
A visible progress tracker appears on the user interface whenever Delirium begins.
The bar essentially shows your journey from:
Mirror Spawn → Map Boss
This makes route planning significantly easier and helps prevent wasted movement.
Following the Fog
An interesting visual clue has also been added.
The Delirium mist now visibly flows toward the boss area.
Whenever you’re uncertain about your path, simply pay attention to the direction of the fog itself.
It’s a subtle feature, but it dramatically improves map readability.
Mirror Shards and Bonus Challenges
As players venture deeper into Delirium, special Mirror Shards begin appearing.
These optional encounters add another layer of risk and reward to the system.
Purple Mirror Shards
Purple shards focus on monster enhancement.
Activating them causes nearby enemies to transform into significantly stronger nightmare versions.
Benefits include:
- Increased loot drops
- Better reward scaling
- More valuable endgame currency opportunities
The danger level rises noticeably, but experienced players will likely find them worthwhile.
Red Mirror Shards
Red shards are far more intense.
These encounters drag players into a mental survival challenge where waves of enemies must be defeated within a confined arena.
Successfully completing the challenge can reward exclusive item bases and specialized character progression opportunities.
Personally, these encounters are among the most memorable additions to the Delirium system because they break up standard map clearing and force players to adapt.
Unlocking the Grand Mirror
Eventually, normal Delirium maps stop being enough.
To progress further, players must reveal a Grand Mirror, which acts as the gateway toward Tangmazu’s domain.
This stage requires consistent participation in high-tier Delirium content.
The Boss Duplication Mechanic
Near the end of deeper Delirium runs, Tangmazu begins interfering directly.
His signature trick involves creating a duplicate version of the active map boss.
Players must defeat:
- The original boss
- The mirrored boss
Both threats exist simultaneously, creating some surprisingly chaotic encounters.
The mechanic perfectly matches Tangmazu’s deceptive personality and helps the storyline feel mechanically connected to the lore.
The Role of Insanity
Defeating duplicated bosses eventually grants access to a special resource associated with Insanity.
Using it dramatically alters Atlas progression by spreading Delirium corruption across a large area.
This serves as a transition point between the narrative questline and the final preparation phase before facing Tangmazu himself.
At this stage, the difficulty noticeably increases.
Enemy density rises, encounters become more dangerous, and build weaknesses become far more apparent.
Players who rushed through earlier content may discover they need additional upgrades before continuing.
Conquering the Simulacrum
Before reaching Tangmazu, players must prove themselves in the updated Simulacrum.
The Simulacrum functions as a lengthy survival gauntlet featuring increasingly dangerous enemy waves.
What I enjoy most about this requirement is that it prevents players from simply buying access to the final encounter and skipping the journey.
The system encourages actual engagement with Delirium mechanics and ensures that anyone reaching Tangmazu has at least some experience with the content.
Completing the final wave rewards the key necessary to enter the next stage.
Fighting Tangmazu in the Realm of Madness
The final encounter takes place inside the appropriately named Realm of Madness.
As expected from a pinnacle boss, Tangmazu’s battle revolves around deception.
Core Fight Mechanics
| Mechanic | Description |
|---|---|
| Illusions | Creates multiple copies of himself |
| Fog Fields | Limits visibility across the arena |
| Ground Hazards | Forces constant repositioning |
| Multi-Phase Combat | Difficulty increases throughout the encounter |
| Clone Deception | Players must identify the real boss |
Unlike some bosses that focus purely on damage checks, Tangmazu constantly challenges player awareness.
Many deaths will come from misreading the arena rather than failing a DPS requirement.
This makes the fight feel unique compared to several existing endgame encounters.
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Delirium Rewards and Endgame Crafting
Of course, no Path of Exile endgame activity would be complete without valuable rewards.
Tangmazu’s content introduces specialized crafting materials known as Liquid Emotions and Potent Emotions.
These resources are particularly valuable because they interact with jewel crafting systems.
Potential benefits include:
- Critical Strike bonuses
- Movement Speed improvements
- Area of Effect scaling
- Powerful passive jewel enhancements
- Exclusive notable modifiers
For many players, these rewards may ultimately become even more important than the boss fight itself.
The ability to improve jewels through more targeted crafting methods opens up exciting possibilities for both character optimization and market trading.
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Final Thoughts
Among all the additions introduced in Return of the Ancients, Tangmazu’s storyline is easily one of the strongest pieces of endgame content. It combines lore, progression, exploration, and meaningful rewards in a way that feels far more cohesive than simply running maps for random drops.
What I personally enjoy most is how the entire journey builds anticipation. You hear Tangmazu’s taunts, witness his influence spreading across the Atlas, battle through increasingly dangerous Delirium encounters, and eventually step into his personal realm for a true pinnacle confrontation.
For players who enjoy Delirium, this questline is practically mandatory. For everyone else, it may be the update’s best reason to finally give the mechanic another chance. Tangmazu isn’t just another boss at the end of a grind—he feels like a genuine villain whose presence can be felt throughout the entire adventure.
