In Path of Exile 2 you are going to run into a lot of mini-boss style encounters that do not flash a giant warning on your screen, and Areagne, The Forgotten Witch, is one of those fights that quietly ruins people who are not ready for her, especially if you have skimped on PoE 2 Currency upgrades along the way. She looks like another creepy side character at first, tucked away in a corner of the zone, but once she gets going she can burn through a careless character in a few seconds. If you wander in thinking it is just more trash to clear before the next quest marker, you will probably eat an ice blast to the face and wonder what just happened.

Finding Her In Grelwood

You will bump into Areagne out in Grelwood. Think of where you find Brambleghast and then look for the mirrored spot on the west side of the area, right up by the river. There is this small witch hut there that already looks wrong, and you will see a pack of werewolves hanging around the front. Clear those first. Do not try to be clever and drag her out with them still alive, because getting jumped from offscreen while you are frozen is how people lose HC chars. When the yard is safe, head inside and you will spot a woman crouched in the back of the hovel. Walk up, she shrieks, vanishes, and that is your sign to turn around and sprint back outside before the fight really begins.

What The Arena Feels Like

The real fight takes place just outside the hut, which is actually good news. You get decent space to move, strafe and kite, instead of being stuck in a tiny room with walls catching all your dodges. As soon as you step out she phases in and starts casting. At a glance she looks like she is going to spam fire, and a lot of people gear for that, but most of the real danger is cold. Her Icy Breath line attack hits hard and can straight up freeze you if your res is low or your flask timing is off. On top of that she sprinkles Ground Sigils around the area, little patches that pulse cold dmg every few seconds, so if you stand still in one your health just quietly melts without you noticing why.

Key Mechanics To Respect

There are a few patterns that matter more than others. The big one is the expanding ring of fire on the ground. When you see that circle starting to grow, stop trying to squeeze in more dps and just move. The blast that follows hits way harder than people expect for a side encounter. She also likes to blink around to close gaps, so if you are playing melee you need to be ready to sidestep instantly after each teleport, not just face-tank and chug. Ranged builds have a much easier time here: keep max distance, drop your skills on cooldown, keep walking in loose circles. In this fight, movement wins. If you are chugging all your flasks just to survive a few casts, something is off with your res or your positioning.

Loot, Rewards And Why Bother

Areagne is not some story boss with a cutscene, but she is worth taking down whenever you spot that hut. Her regular drops look pretty standard at first glance, stuff like Rope Cuffs, random rares and the usual Scrolls of Wisdom pile, but what most players care about is the chance at an Uncut Support Gem. In early and mid game that thing is basically a small lottery ticket, because you can either level it for your own build or throw it on the trade board and turn it into extra PoE 2 Currency for sale if prices are spiking that day. The whole encounter is a nice way to stress-test your cold res, movement and flask setup without risking a whole high tier map or burning through a bunch of regret points just to fix a mistake.