AION 2 Poeta: How to Descend the Canyon in Red Canyon

The “Descend the canyon” objective is the final stretch of the opening Poeta quest for Elyos characters in AION 2. It drops you at the rim of Red Canyon and asks you to work your way down to the valley floor, clearing Ishtar Unit Drakan on the way, before a cutscene carries you to the Dawn Legion Forward Base.

Quick answer: From the Red Canyon overlook, turn around into the beacon-marked cavern, run the trail downhill, defeat the Ishtar Unit Drakan, squeeze through the narrow gap, cross the wooden walkways, then run through the cave opening at the end to trigger the cutscene.

Where the objective starts and what blocks the path

In the Ishtar’s Castle chapter, this level 1 Episode quest continues with its second step once you exit the castle. Start on the Red Canyon‘s upper ledge, amid red trees and overlooking a deep drop.

The only enemies in the way are groups of Ishtar Unit Drakan. They are early starter mobs and the route funnels you straight through them, so there is no detour to take. A vertical glowing beacon marks the cavern entrance, and glowing waypoints along the ground point you down the trail.

Route down Red Canyon

Stand at the cliff overlook in Red Canyon, then turn around to face the cave entrance behind you. Look for the tall vertical light beacon that marks the way in.

Overview at the canyon rim — The starting overlook at the top of Red Canyon, where you turn back toward the cavern entrance. Shown at 00:11 in PazarGamingGuides’s video. Image: NC

Enter the cavern and follow the descending trail downhill. The path is narrow and lined with plants, and the ground waypoints keep you on the correct line.

Entering the descent trail — The descent trail inside the cavern, heading down toward the first fight. Shown at 00:17 in PazarGamingGuides’s video. Image: NC

Clear the group of Ishtar Unit Drakan guarding the trail. Use Tab to cycle targets so you deal with them one at a time, then keep moving once the group is down.

Continue to the tight vertical cleft in the rock. Walk into it to pass through the narrow gap, which the on-screen prompt flags as its own objective.

Passing through the narrow gap — The narrow rock fissure you squeeze through midway down the canyon. Shown at 00:38 in PazarGamingGuides’s video. Image: NC

Emerging from the gap, cross the wooden bridge walkways. A second batch of Ishtar Unit Drakan waits on the scaffolding, so clear them as you move across.

Traversing the wooden scaffolding — The wooden scaffolding section, with the last Ishtar Unit Drakan to clear before the exit. Shown at 01:00 in PazarGamingGuides’s video. Image: NC

Enter the cave at the wooden walkway’s far end. A panoramic scene then plays, showing the valley and a red beacon in the distance.

Canyon exit cutscene — The exit cutscene that plays once you reach the tunnel opening at the valley edge. Shown at 01:16 in PazarGamingGuides’s video. Image: NC

When the cutscene ends, you arrive at the Dawn Legion Forward Base. Head to the base commander to pick up the follow-on objective.

How to confirm the objective is complete

The cutscene is the confirmation. Once it finishes, the “Descend the canyon” objective closes and your character is placed at the Dawn Legion Forward Base with the next quest marker already active. That completes the Poeta quest and opens The Approaching Dawn, which begins by talking to Guard Silvar at the same base.

Poeta and The Approaching Dawn quest rewards

Both quests sit back to back at the very start of the Elyos questline. Poeta itself hands over the story progression, while The Approaching Dawn is the first step that pays out Kina and potions once you reach the base.

Quest	Recommended level	EXP	Rewards
Poeta	1	—	—
The Approaching Dawn	2	1,133	Kina (Bound) x1,400, Life Potion (Bound) x50

After The Approaching Dawn, you verify your identity with Nania and Eaetos and bind with the Kibelisk, the single fast travel point in Poeta. From there the starter chain continues into the Dreaming of Paradise chapter and on through the rest of the region.

Canyon Enemy Stats and the Quest After the Base

Ishtar Unit Drakan are the only hostile creatures on this route. The gap marker is a separate entry that doesn’t fight back.

Entry	Level	Type	Aggressive	Found in
Ishtar Unit Drakan	1	Cogni	Yes	Poeta (49 spawn points)
Pass through the narrow gap	45	Special	No	Poeta (1 spawn point), Ishalgen (1 spawn point)

Because Ishtar Unit Drakan are aggressive, they attack as you get close, so you can expect to be pulled into fights on the trail and the scaffolding. The narrow gap is non-aggressive, so the level 45 listed beside it is no threat to a level 1 character.

What The Approaching Dawn asks for

The Approaching Dawn is an Episode quest given by Guard Silvar and turned in to Eaetos, both in Poeta. It has three steps: talk to Nania, talk to Eaetos, then bind with the Kibelisk. When you arrive, Silvar asks you to identify yourself and sends you to Nania, who is in front of her quarters, the big tent. If Nania refuses, you’ll be thrown out. Eaetos explains that a Daeva able to use Odyle will make the Kibelisk react and bind with them.

Next in the chain: Making Yourself Useful

Completing The Approaching Dawn leads straight into Making Yourself Useful, an Elyos Episode quest for level 2 that Eaetos gives you.

Detail	Making Yourself Useful
Given by	Eaetos
Steps	Talk to Robin, talk to Supply Soldier Arisel, open the Forward Base Supply Chest
EXP	1,712
Rewards	Kina (Bound) x1,400, Life Serum (Bound) x20, Return Scroll (Bound) x20, Twilight Breastplate x1, Twilight Greaves x1
Next quest	Lost Supplies

Zenith asks you to hurry Robin along, and Robin tells you to collect gear from Arisel first. Arisel recommends taking a Selvis from the chest for remote communication, and changing your clothes while you’re there.

The Life Potion (Bound) from The Approaching Dawn requires level 1 and cannot be traded. It sells to merchants for 2 Kina, and the shop price is 250 Kina.