Delirium in Path of Exile 2 is an endgame progression chain built around moving fog, depth-based encounters, a spreading Atlas Fog Bank, the Simulacrum, and the eventual confrontation with Tangmazu. The system rewards fast clearing, but speed alone is not enough. Players must move in the correct direction, activate mirror shards before the fog expires, and avoid raising Deliriousness beyond what their build can complete.
The official storyline is called The Hare and the Raven, although players often search for it as The Raven and the Hare. Its practical route begins around The Withered Willow, continues through ordinary Delirium Mirrors and a Grand Mirror, uses a Strange Fruit to begin the Trial of Madness, and culminates in a seven-wave Simulacrum and Tangmazu encounter. This guide explains the complete route, current reward system, Atlas progression, and safe farming priorities.
PoE 2 Delirium Quick Answer
Travel south-west from the Atlas start to The Withered Willow and complete the surrounding Delirium maps to earn points for the dedicated Delirium Atlas Passive Tree. Run Delirium Mirrors until a Grand Mirror appears, defeat the original and reflected map bosses, use the Strange Fruit supplied by the quest, and raise the resulting Fog Bank to 100% Deliriousness. This spawns the locked Simulacrum. Complete its seven waves to obtain the access required for Tangmazu.
| Progression stage | Main objective | Important reward or unlock |
|---|---|---|
| The Withered Willow | Complete nearby maps containing Delirium | Delirium Atlas Passive points and storyline progress |
| Delirium Mirror | Follow the fog, reach depth events, and kill the map boss | Liquid Emotions, Simulacrum Splinters, special encounters, and Grand Mirror progress |
| Grand Mirror | Defeat both the normal map boss and its reflected duplicate | Trial of Madness and Strange Fruit progression |
| Fog Bank | Kill Rare monsters and map bosses until the region reaches 100% Deliriousness | A spawned and unlocked Simulacrum map |
| Simulacrum | Survive all seven escalating waves | Raven's Reflection and access to the Delirium pinnacle route |
| Tangmazu | Bring Raven's Reflection to the Mirror in The Withered Willow | Delirium pinnacle rewards and completion of the storyline |
The most important current rule is that a Simulacrum is not created as soon as the Strange Fruit spreads fog. It appears when the Fog Bank reaches 100% Deliriousness. Do not search the region for a missing Simulacrum before meeting that threshold.
How to Unlock The Hare and the Raven
The questline belongs to the Atlas endgame. Reach mapping, reveal routes south-west of the starting location, and locate The Withered Willow. Maps around this hub contain Delirium and award points for the separate Delirium Atlas Passive Tree when completed. These points do not come from the main Fortress Atlas tree and should be planned as their own progression system.
The official Path of Exile 2 endgame notes identify The Withered Willow as the Delirium hub and establish the full chain from Mirrors to the Trial of Madness, Simulacrum, and pinnacle access. Use the live quest tracker for the exact next map or conversation because generated Atlas connections do not produce one universal list of map names.
Starting from The Withered Willow
Complete the maps immediately surrounding the hub before pushing far across the Atlas. This introduces the current fog bar, awards early Delirium points, and gives the character repeated practice with mirror-shard encounters. Speak to the available quest character whenever the tracker updates, then return to the surrounding cluster until the next stage is explicitly revealed.
Players who have not yet entered maps can compare a contextual PoE 2 leveling progression option while preparing for endgame. It does not complete the Delirium decisions on the finished character. The player still needs to follow The Withered Willow storyline, allocate its dedicated points, and build enough clear speed and defence for the Fog Bank and Simulacrum.
Do not use the old pre-overhaul route
Older guides describe collecting a fixed Simulacrum Splinter stack, opening a long wave encounter, and spending its rewards without a regional quest. That no longer explains first-time progression. The current quest adds fixed Atlas geography, Grand Mirrors, Strange Fruit, a spreading Fog Bank, and a deterministic route to a quest version of the pinnacle encounter.
Simulacrum Splinters and tradeable access items still matter for repeat farming, but they should not replace the quest tracker when the storyline is incomplete. If a guide tells the player to instil Waystones with emotions, it is also outdated. Liquid Emotions no longer instil Waystones and are now focused on passive instilling and Jewel crafting.
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How Delirium Fog and the Depth Bar Work
Walking through a Delirium Mirror starts the encounter and sends fog through the map. The bar represents the route from the starting Mirror to the map boss: the beginning corresponds to the activation point, while the end corresponds to the boss. Moving with the visible flow of fog leads toward that boss.
Depth events appear on the bar as the player advances. When the required depth is reached, coloured mirror shards materialise in the area. Touching a shard breaks it and begins its encounter. A shard that appears on the bar but is never activated produces no event reward, so route awareness matters as much as raw monster kills.
Follow the fog instead of full-clearing
The correct Delirium route generally moves forward with the fog. Long backtracking, side-room clearing, and searching behind the Mirror can place the character outside the active edge. Once the player falls out of the fog, the remaining-time portion of the bar becomes the immediate problem. Re-enter quickly or the encounter ends.
This does not mean sprinting past every monster. Kills sustain progress and rewards, while Rare enemies are especially important in later Fog Bank maps. Move through dense packs in the boss direction, activate reachable shards, and skip dead ends that do not advance the bar. A linear or open layout is usually easier to manage than a maze with repeated backtracking.
Understand depth, difficulty, and the map boss
Delirium becomes more dangerous at greater depth. Enemies gain additional pressure from the fog and can receive special Delirious modifiers. The map boss is always treated as 100% Delirious during an ordinary Delirium Mirror, so a build that clears packs comfortably can still fail at the end of the route.
Prepare single-target damage before entering the map and read every Waystone modifier that affects the boss, recovery, or incoming damage. If the boss cannot be killed while the fog is active, reduce map risk or stop adding Delirium Tablet scaling. Reaching a deeper bar position has no value when the final encounter consumes the remaining portals.
Mirror Shards and Loathsome Mire
Mirror shards are the event switches placed along the depth bar. Different shards can create monster packs, bosses, survival pressure, or special sub-areas. Their exact effects are communicated through their live event text and visuals, and some Atlas passives can enhance or transform the available choices.
Loathsome Mire is the most distinctive sub-area. Its purpose is not a normal full clear. The area leads to an Unethical Offering that awards one of two special Amulet bases with two random instilled notables. Reaching the objective is the value of the encounter, while prolonged fighting only increases exposure to the area's hazards.
| Loathsome Mire base | Special property | Crafting cost |
|---|---|---|
| Distorted Amulet | Two random instilled notable passives | One fewer suffix modifier can be present |
| Twisted Amulet | Two random instilled notable passives | One fewer prefix modifier can be present |
How to finish Loathsome Mire
Keep moving, avoid standing in damaging ground, and look for environmental flow that leads deeper into the Mire. Do not treat endlessly appearing monsters as a signal that the area must be cleared. The objective is to reach and interact with the offering, claim the Amulet, and use the exit that opens after completion.
Evaluate the reward by notable synergy before its ordinary affixes. Two excellent notables can justify the lost affix slot, while two unrelated effects rarely do. A build that depends on several resistance or attribute suffixes may struggle with Distorted Amulet, whereas a build that needs life, energy shield, or damage prefixes must carefully price the penalty on Twisted Amulet.
Distilled Emotions and Liquid Emotions
Grinding Gear Games uses Distilled Emotions as a broad description in its Delirium overview, but the current in-game item names and trade category use Liquid Emotions. The accurate item names therefore include Diluted Liquid Ire, Liquid Paranoia, Concentrated Liquid Fear, and similar variants. This guide uses Liquid Emotion when referring to a specific item.
Liquid Emotions are obtained from Delirium content and serve two main purposes: combinations can instil notable passive skills onto eligible items, and individual emotions can craft defined modifier families onto Jewels. The official Delirium overview confirms both uses and the role of Strange Fruit in the path toward Tangmazu.
| Emotion family | Current item names | Main role |
|---|---|---|
| Diluted | Diluted Liquid Ire, Diluted Liquid Guilt, Diluted Liquid Greed | Lower-tier ingredients for instilling and compatible Jewel crafts |
| Liquid | Liquid Paranoia, Liquid Envy, Liquid Disgust, Liquid Despair | Mid-tier instilling combinations and targeted Jewel modifier families |
| Concentrated | Concentrated Liquid Fear, Concentrated Liquid Suffering, Concentrated Liquid Isolation | Higher-tier recipes and more valuable crafting access |
| Potent | Potent Liquid Melancholy, Potent Liquid Ferocity, Potent Liquid Contempt | Special Jewel modifiers and a set of passives unavailable through ordinary instilling |
| Ancient | Ancient versions of the ten standard Liquid Emotions | Timelost Jewel crafting after the relevant Atlas unlock |
| Ancient Potent | Ancient Potent Liquid Melancholy, Ferocity, and Contempt | Special modifiers for Timelost Jewels outside their normal mod pool |
Instilling a notable passive
Use the instilling interface at The Withered Willow and supply the three-emotion combination shown for the desired passive. Eligible Amulets are the standard target. Some non-Amulet Delirium uniques can drop with the Raven-Touched modifier and can therefore be instilled, while a Raven-Touched Shard can prepare an eligible Helmet. Always inspect the live passive requirement before spending rare Potent materials.
Instilling grants the notable's effect without allocating a path to it on the passive tree. It does not grant the small passives leading to that notable and does not create an additional passive point. Choose effects that solve a specific build requirement, then compare the emotion cost with the value of using the same materials for Jewel crafting or trade.
Crafting Jewels with Liquid Emotions
Each standard Liquid Emotion has defined Jewel modifiers and works similarly to a greater essence: it replaces a random existing modifier with an eligible crafted outcome. The operation is targeted but not completely safe because the replaced modifier is random. Never apply an emotion to a Jewel when every existing modifier is essential.
Potent Emotions can add powerful modifiers that are not present in the ordinary Jewel pool. Ancient Emotions apply to Timelost Jewels after the corresponding Atlas specialization is available, while Ancient Potent versions provide their own exceptional pool. Check the item class, the promised modifier family, and the replacement risk before committing a high-tier emotion.
Delirium Atlas Progression and Priorities
Completing the maps surrounding The Withered Willow awards points for the dedicated Delirium Atlas Passive Tree. Continue clearing that regional cluster until its available points and quest objectives are exhausted. This progression is separate from the large Atlas tree earned through Fortress maps.
The correct early allocation supports successful Mirrors before adding extreme difficulty. Prioritize reliable access to rewards, manageable fog progression, and useful shard encounters. Move into Grand Mirror, Fog Bank, Ancient Emotion, and Simulacrum specialization only after the character can consistently kill Delirious Rare monsters and map bosses.
| Progression phase | Best priority | Why | Readiness check |
|---|---|---|---|
| First regional maps | Mirror consistency and ordinary reward access | More completed events teach routing and build the basic emotion supply | The boss dies before fog loss and deaths are uncommon |
| Stable Delirium farming | Additional or improved shard encounters | More valid events add monsters, bosses, and specialized reward chances | The build can activate shards without abandoning the boss route |
| Storyline push | Grand Mirror and Fog Bank support | These choices advance Strange Fruit, Trial of Madness, and Simulacrum access | Reflected map bosses and high Deliriousness remain repeatable |
| Simulacrum preparation | Wave shard customization and additional Simulacrum opportunities | The selected options improve the repeat encounter rather than ordinary Mirrors | Seven waves can be completed without relying on favorable modifiers |
| Advanced crafting | Ancient Emotion and Timelost Jewel access | The branch opens reward types with a specialized high-end crafting purpose | The player has valuable Timelost Jewel targets and understands replacement risk |
Use live node wording instead of a frozen preset
Several Delirium passives have selectable effects, and balance updates can change how Mirrors, Fog Banks, or Simulacrum shards behave. For example, current Simulacrum specialization can offer Escalating Threats for another area modifier, Apex Predators for another boss, or Pure Emotions for more monster packs when the relevant notable is allocated.
Choose by goal and build strength. Extra modifiers raise both danger and reward, extra bosses favor strong single-target damage, and extra packs favor clear speed. Another notable can allow multiple shard selections, but that does not make every combination safe. Read the live panel before opening the encounter and avoid copying numerical priorities from an earlier version.
Grand Mirrors and Strange Fruit
Completing Delirium Mirrors can cause a Grand Mirror to appear on a nearby Atlas map as the storyline advances. A Grand Mirror duplicates the affected map boss. Both the original boss and Tangmazu's reflected version must be defeated to unlock the Trial of Madness stage.
After that double-boss encounter, the quest supplies a Strange Fruit. Consuming it spreads a Delirium Fog Bank across an Atlas region and starts the descent toward the Simulacrum. Strange Fruit is a progression trigger, not a repeatable emotion, ordinary map currency, or item that should be saved for a Jewel craft.
Prepare the Grand Mirror map before opening it
The reflected boss is more dangerous than the ordinary version, so avoid combining the attempt with Waystone modifiers the build cannot safely handle twice. Check boss damage types, arena space, recovery restrictions, and any modifier that increases enemy speed, critical pressure, area damage, or life. The correct map is the one the build completes, not the one with the highest theoretical quantity.
If ordinary Delirium bosses already consume several portals, improve the character before attempting this stage. A contextual PoE 2 endgame-ready build route can serve as a comparison for damage and defensive preparation. The practical target is repeatability: both bosses need to die while the map remains recoverable after one mistake.
How the Trial of Madness Fog Bank Works
Consuming Strange Fruit lets fog spread from a chosen Atlas map and creates a regional progression area containing a locked Simulacrum. Maps inside the Fog Bank begin at 10% Deliriousness. Killing Rare monsters and the map boss increases Deliriousness across the entire bank rather than improving only the map currently being run.
At 100% Deliriousness, the Simulacrum map is spawned and becomes available. The bank can continue scaling as high as 200%, but reaching the unlock threshold is not a command to maximize every remaining map. Stop increasing difficulty when clear consistency falls below the level needed to protect the storyline attempt.
Choose Fog Bank maps for completion
Prioritize layouts with clear boss routes, reliable Rare density, and few dead ends. The goal is to collect Deliriousness efficiently while preserving portals. Killing the map boss matters, so a short layout with a manageable boss can outperform a dense maze that takes longer and repeatedly exposes the character to stacked modifiers.
Use conservative Waystones during the first quest attempt. Avoid recovery shutdowns, dangerous damage combinations, or boss modifiers the build has not tested. Once the Simulacrum has spawned at 100%, decide whether additional regional scaling is worth the risk. Quest completion is more valuable than squeezing one more difficulty step from a fragile character.
The current Simulacrum spawn rule
The official Delirium progression update changed the initial implementation. Simulacrum maps are now spawned when a Fog Bank reaches 100% Deliriousness instead of appearing immediately when the fog is spread. This is the current rule to follow when the Atlas appears to contain no Simulacrum at the beginning of the Trial.
The same update made Simulacrums begin at 100% Deliriousness and scale toward 200%. This is separate from the Fog Bank maps that start at 10%. Confusing those two baselines causes players to underestimate the seven-wave encounter and enter with a build tested only against early regional fog.
Simulacrum Guide and Wave Strategy
The current Simulacrum has seven waves. Each wave increases pressure through monster density, Delirious modifiers, elites, and bosses. It is a compact endurance test rather than a normal map, so sustained recovery, crowd control, and the ability to damage bosses while moving matter more than pure open-map speed.
| Preparation area | Minimum practical standard | Failure signal |
|---|---|---|
| Defences | Capped relevant resistances, a physical-damage plan, and protection from repeated hits | Ordinary packs remove most of the life or energy shield pool before recovery begins |
| Recovery | Reliable recovery during continuous combat without depending on long pauses | The build survives the first hit but cannot reset before the next pack arrives |
| Clear damage | Enough area damage to prevent monsters from occupying the whole arena | Living packs overlap projectiles, ground effects, and body blocking |
| Boss damage | Sustained single-target output while repositioning | Bosses remain active long enough for several dangerous mechanics to overlap |
| Mobility | A repeatable escape tool and movement speed that does not depend on killing | The character becomes trapped when the arena fills |
Handle wave shards deliberately
With the relevant Delirium Atlas notable, shards can appear between Simulacrum waves and offer choices such as added area modifiers, another boss, or additional packs. A second specialization can allow multiple selections. These are reward multipliers paired with real danger, not free bonuses.
Choose extra packs for strong clearing, an additional boss for proven single-target builds, and escalating modifiers only when the displayed rule is safe. Do not stack two choices because the interface permits it. The final waves already begin from a high Deliriousness baseline, and one incompatible modifier can invalidate the entire access chain.
Complete all seven waves before evaluating profit
The quest objective and pinnacle access depend on completion, so partial rewards should not be used to justify reckless choices. Early waves test arena control, while later waves test recovery and boss uptime under overlapping threats. Preserve portals and avoid looting in unsafe moments when monsters or delayed effects remain active.
For repeat farming, record completion time, deaths, Liquid Emotions, valuable uniques, and the cost of access. Do not publish or follow one permanent profit-per-hour number. Emotion prices, Raven's Reflection value, and demand for Timelost Jewel crafts change with the economy.
Repeat Simulacrum access
A complete stack of Simulacrum Splinters creates a Simulacrum map fragment. Apply that fragment to an Endgame Atlas map inside a Delirium Fog Bank that has reached at least 100% Deliriousness. The selected map is transformed into the repeat Simulacrum encounter, so check the region and threshold before attempting to use the fragment.
Splinter farming requires the corresponding live Delirium Atlas unlock and an eligible endgame area. This makes Atlas allocation part of the repeat loop rather than an optional reward bonus. Preserve the completed fragment when the build is not ready for seven waves, or compare its current trade value with the expected returns from a successful clear.
How to Access Tangmazu
Completing the quest Simulacrum provides the key to the Delirium pinnacle path. The current access item is Raven's Reflection. Bring it to the Mirror in The Withered Willow and activate the encounter leading to Tangmazu, the Raven Trickster.
Do not confuse Raven's Reflection with Tangmazu's Reliquary Key. Raven's Reflection opens the boss route. The Reliquary Key belongs to the separate reliquary reward system and is not a substitute for Delirium storyline access.
Quest access and repeat encounters
The endgame storyline provides a guided first route so the player can reach its quest version without relying on a random market purchase. After the storyline is completed, Grand Mirrors and repeat access support continued Delirium farming. The repeat fight is the stage where tradeable access cost and the value of pinnacle rewards become part of the decision.
Before activating Raven's Reflection, confirm the build can handle heavy fog visuals, sustained boss pressure, and deceptive arena mechanics. Empty the inventory, prepare flasks and charms, and remove map-specific assumptions from the setup. Tangmazu is a standalone pinnacle encounter, so bonuses tied only to ordinary map packs do not solve its single-target requirements.
Delirium Rewards and What to Keep
Delirium has several reward layers: standard and Potent Liquid Emotions, Simulacrum Splinters, special shard encounters, double-instilled Amulets, Simulacrum rewards, Ancient Emotions, Delirium uniques, and Tangmazu-specific outcomes. The best item depends on its use, current demand, and whether the character can access the crafting system attached to it.
| Reward | Source | Best use | Evaluation rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Liquid Emotions | Delirium monsters, elites, and bosses | Amulet instilling or targeted Jewel modifiers | Compare the needed recipe with the value of selling the emotion |
| Potent Liquid Emotions | Bosses in Delirious maps | Exceptional Jewel mods and special instilled notables | Preserve them until the exact outcome and replacement risk are understood |
| Simulacrum Splinters and access | Delirium progression and reward drops | Repeat Simulacrum farming | Keep when the build completes seven waves; otherwise compare live trade value |
| Distorted or Twisted Amulet | Unethical Offering in Loathsome Mire | Builds that can exploit both random notables | Price notable synergy before the lost prefix or suffix slot |
| Ancient Emotions | Delirium rewards after the relevant Atlas unlock | Timelost Jewel crafting | Use only on a base valuable enough to justify random modifier replacement |
| Raven-Touched rewards | Delirium pinnacle and eligible Delirium unique outcomes | Adding an instilled notable to an otherwise eligible item | Do not apply the augment to corrupted or sanctified gear that cannot be modified |
Use an evergreen reward priority
Keep progression access first, build upgrades second, flexible crafting materials third, and speculative items last. This order prevents a player from selling the Raven's Reflection needed for a quest or consuming a Potent Emotion on a weak Jewel while still missing a basic character upgrade.
For trade, check live prices instead of copying a fixed ranking. For solo play, measure whether the reward improves the current character or unlocks a stronger farming tier. A modest instilled notable that fixes recovery can be more valuable than a rare emotion sitting unused in the stash.
Best Delirium Farming Strategy
A sustainable loop begins with ordinary Mirrors, uses the Delirium Atlas tree to strengthen one chosen reward layer, and escalates only after completion remains stable. Do not simultaneously maximize Fog scaling, extra bosses, difficult Waystone modifiers, and unrelated league content until the build has proven it can handle each layer separately.
Build the loop around one target
For emotion farming, prioritize completed depth events and bosses. For Loathsome Mire, reach shard encounters quickly and evaluate every double-instilled Amulet. For Simulacrum farming, specialize the wave choices and invest in arena survival. For Tangmazu, value Raven's Reflection and boss consistency above ordinary map density.
If time rather than build strength is the limiting factor, a contextual PoE 2 hourly farming option is the relevant service comparison. Whether self-farming or using assistance, define the requested target as Liquid Emotions, regional progression, Simulacrum preparation, or another specific output instead of treating all Delirium activity as interchangeable.
Track completion instead of maximum Deliriousness
Record Mirror completion rate, boss kills under fog, useful shard events, deaths, and seven-wave Simulacrum clears. Higher Deliriousness is worthwhile only while it increases rewards without lowering successful completions enough to erase the gain. A stable 100% route can outperform repeated failures near 200%.
Tablet stacking raises the effect of Delirium Fog, so add it gradually. Test one additional source, compare the next set of maps, and stop when bosses or Rare monsters become inefficient. The farming threshold belongs to the character, not to a universal percentage advertised as mandatory.
Common Delirium Mistakes
Most progression failures come from following obsolete instructions or treating every risk multiplier as a reward multiplier. Review the route and current item terminology before spending access or entering the Fog Bank.
- Searching for The Raven and the Hare when the official storyline is named The Hare and the Raven.
- Expecting the Simulacrum to appear immediately after consuming Strange Fruit instead of reaching 100% Fog Bank Deliriousness.
- Assuming Fog Bank maps and the Simulacrum share the same starting Deliriousness.
- Backtracking away from the fog direction and losing the depth bar before reaching the boss.
- Ignoring mirror shards that have appeared on the bar but still need to be touched.
- Trying to full-clear Loathsome Mire instead of reaching the Unethical Offering.
- Calling every item a Distilled Emotion and then searching trade for names that begin with Liquid.
- Using outdated instructions that apply emotions to Waystones.
- Applying a Liquid Emotion to a Jewel whose existing modifiers cannot safely be replaced.
- Confusing Raven's Reflection with Tangmazu's Reliquary Key.
- Taking multiple Simulacrum shard choices without checking whether the final waves remain survivable.
- Copying a fixed profit ranking instead of checking current emotion and boss-access prices.
A reliable pre-run check is short: correct route, correct fog direction, reachable shard events, manageable boss modifiers, and a clear stopping threshold. If one of those conditions fails, reduce difficulty before spending the next access item.
Final Verdict
PoE 2 Delirium is now a complete progression system rather than a disconnected fog encounter. Start at The Withered Willow, earn dedicated Atlas points, learn the depth bar, complete Grand Mirror progression, consume Strange Fruit, raise the Fog Bank to 100%, clear the seven-wave Simulacrum, and use Raven's Reflection to reach Tangmazu.
For rewards, distinguish the broad Distilled Emotions label from the live Liquid Emotion item names, preserve Potent and Ancient materials for defined crafts, and evaluate Loathsome Mire Amulets by both notables and their lost affix slot. The best strategy is the highest Deliriousness the character can finish consistently, not the largest number the Atlas permits.
