If you are jumping into the Runes of Aldur League in Path of Exile 2, there is one NPC you absolutely cannot afford to ignore: Farrow. He is the mastermind behind the entire Runeforging crafting system, which lets you add incredibly powerful defenses and endgame weapon enhancements to your gear.
The catch? Farrow won't just show up automatically at your endgame hub. He has an optional side quest chain spanning from Act 1 to Act 4. If you miss him in even one act, you will lock yourself out of massive endgame crafting features like Runic Wards and high-tier weapon enhancements. Here is a complete breakdown of where to find Farrow and how to unlock his full crafting potential.
Farrow Locations & Quest Walkthrough
Farrow progresses linearly alongside your character. He appears once per act from Act 1 through Act 4, but he will only move forward to the next location after you have successfully completed his specific side quest for that current act. If you realize you missed him, you will need to backtrack to his earlier locations to catch up.
Act 1: Clearfell Camp & Orham Farmlands
Your first encounter with Farrow happens right in the first act. You will find and save him in Clearfell Camp. Once rescued, he will hand you a side quest called "Rune Seeker", which tasks you with locating three distinct Runestones. While the first two are relatively straightforward, the third stone is tucked away out of plain sight in the Orham Farmlands.
After securing all three stones, head back to Grelwood. Speak with Farrow, and he will use the stones to help you uncover a hidden path leading down into the Lost Catacombs and ultimately the Runic Vault. Completing this step permanently unlocks the Verisium Anvil back in town, officially starting your Runeforging journey.
Act 2: The Bone Pits
In Act 2, Farrow sets up shop in The Bone Pits. Talk to him to keep the "Rune Seeker" quest chain moving. This time around, you need to thoroughly explore the Bone Pits area to search for more rune stones and keep an eye out for an event involving a "preserved witness". You do not have to worry about missing the exact spot; as you get close to the event area, Farrow will actively show up nearby, waving his tools to flag you down. Help him complete the event to finish his Act 2 progression.
Act 3: Mystic Refuge (Don't Skip This!)
Farrow's Act 3 location is the easiest one to miss because it is entirely off the critical path of the main campaign. He is located deep within the Mystic Refuge, which is a hidden jungle map. Because the game doesn't explicitly force you to go here, you must go entirely out of your way to explore the zone boundaries and locate this hidden area. Skipping this means missing a crucial pillar of weapon crafting entirely, so make sure to clear the map and find him before moving on to Act 4.
Act 4: Plunder's Point Deserted Post
By Act 4, the hunt changes style. You will not find Farrow sitting out in the wild waiting for you. Instead, you need to summon him at the Deserted Post via the Plunder's Point expedition.
Act 4 moves away from traditional Runestones. Instead, you are tasked with tracking down 4 Torn Map Pieces scattered across various islands. You will need to explore Whakapanu, Shrike, the Isle of Kin, and Kedge Bay to collect them all. Once you have all four pieces, return and turn them into Kingsmarch. Successfully wrapping up this final expedition officially unlocks the highly coveted Runesmithing of Knowledge.
Runeforging Progression Matrix
Every time you complete Farrow's quest in an act, you unlock a brand-new layer of mechanics at the Verisium Anvil. Here is what each act unlocks, what it does, and what materials you need to stock up on:
Act 1: Armour Runeforging
Unlock Mechanic: Reforges any non-Unique armor piece (including shields, gloves, boots, and helmets) to add Runic Ward defenses.
How it works: Below item level 55, this acts as a pure defensive buff. For level 55+ items, it converts a portion of the item's base armor, evasion, or energy shield directly into Runic Ward.
Materials Required: Basic Verisium
Act 2: Runic Inscriptions / Alloys
Unlock Mechanic: Unlocks the ability to discover and utilize 13 distinct Alloy currency types.
How it works: These unique alloys are primarily farmed through regional Remnant encounters.
Materials Required: Verisium + Runic Alloys
Act 3: Unique Runeforging
Unlock Mechanic: Upgrades low-level Unique gear and Kalguuran-themed uniques into high-level, endgame-viable versions.
How it works: Keep in mind that unique armor pieces might completely lose their base defenses in exchange for stacking massive amounts of Runic Ward.
Materials Required: High-tier Verisium variants
Act 4: Ancient Runes
Unlock Mechanic: Unlocks access to 13 Ancient Runes.
How it works: These are incredibly powerful, weapon-type-specific enchantments that act as definitive, min-maxed endgame upgrades for your build.
Materials Required: Advanced League Currencies
How to Interact with Remnants out in the Wild
To actually fuel this entire system, you will need to gather league materials and use Farrow's tome while you are running maps and exploring zones. Whenever you encounter an Ezomyte Remnant, follow these steps to maximize your loot:
Locate the Remnant: Keep an eye out for an Ezomyte Remnant structure while clearing out a zone or map.
Inspect the Symbols: Interact with the Remnant to look at its pre-carved rune symbols.
Match the Recipe: Open up Farrow's tome, pick a recipe that fits, and insert matching runes to kick off the encounter.
Defeat the Encounter: A wave of revived undead monsters will spawn out of the ground. Clear them all out safely.
Smash and Loot: Once the fight concludes, smash the remaining remnant structure to claim your Verisium and your newly crafted league items.
Make sure to keep this guide handy as you level through the acts so you don't accidentally leave Farrow behind. Good luck out there, Exiles!
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