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Path of Exile 2 boasts a remarkably intricate and engaging class system within the ARPG genre, heavily reliant on the Ascension system. Unlocking your first Ascendancy requires completing the Ascent to Power quest during Act 2. This guide details how to initiate this quest and provides strategies for overcoming the Trials of the Sekhemas.
How To Start Ascent To Power In Path Of Exile 2
After unlocking the Ardura Caravan in Act 2, explore the first two location nodes. Before visiting the third location, Traitor's Passage, speak with Zarka. She'll direct you to seek Balbala, the Djinn trapped within, to gain more power.
The location of Balbala, the boss you must defeat to proceed, is randomized due to the procedural generation of PoE2 maps. However, it will generally be near the end of Traitor's Passage.
Locate the Ancient Seal Door, leading to Balbala the Traitor's prison. To begin the encounter, deactivate three seals and wait for the cutscene before engaging the boss fight.
How To Beat Balbala The Traitor In Path Of Exile 2
Balbala resists Fire Damage and inflicts Physical, Chaos, and Fire damage. She also poisons and ignites. Exploit her weakness to Cold Damage for optimal results.
While not overly complex, Balbala may require a few attempts to master her mechanics. Here's a breakdown of her abilities and counters:
- Slash Attack: A basic attack easily blocked or dodged. Energy Shield blocks it, but conserve it for more damaging attacks. This attack can also inflict Burning or Poison.
- Throwing Attack: Ranged version of the slash attack; dodge or block. Each dagger hit applies Poison.
- Whirling Dash Attack: Balbala lunges forward rapidly, dealing damage and leaving explosive AoE trails that detonate after 1.5 seconds. Unblockable, but dodgeable. The voice cue is "Face Me!" or "Na'kai!"
- Teleport Dagger Attack: Balbala teleports and throws daggers creating AoE at your location. Dodge to avoid damage. The voice cue is "Atul!"
- Summon Shadow Clone: Balbala throws a Barya (coin), creating a yellowish AoE. Quickly step over it to prevent a Balbala clone from spawning. Stepping on the AoE triggers a teleport and slam attack.
- Teleport Slam: After the summoning circle, Balbala teleports, yelling "Tithe!" A fiery AoE circle appears; dodge it.
- Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Balbala vanishes, yelling "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!" A poisonous mist emerges. Quickly locate and attack Balbala to cancel the channeling. To find her faster, circle the arena counterclockwise from her last position. Upon being discovered, she'll yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!" and unleash a dodgeable AoE slam.
- Explosive Blade Rain: If the fight is prolonged, Balbala throws explosive daggers in a counterclockwise conical pattern. Dodge in the opposite direction.
- Blade Storm: If the Shadow Clone isn't eliminated quickly, Balbala summons a devastating blade storm. Focus on eliminating the clone to prevent this.
Defeating Balbala yields Balbala's Barya, which must be taken to Zarka. Zarka will then reveal the location of the Trials of the Sekhemas.
How To Complete Trials Of The Sekhemas In Path Of Exile 2
With Balbala's Barya, travel from the Ardura Caravan to the Trials of the Sekhemas node. Note that you'll initially need to command the caravan to move from the Sekhemas map located in front of the wagon.
Unlock the Waypoint and approach the altar where Balbala will explain the trial.
This procedurally generated dungeon features various challenges per room: timed challenges, traps, and rare enemies. Before entering, you can use a Relic to make an offering, granting a boon.
You'll have an "Honor" resource bar and "Sacred Water" currency:
- Killing enemies sometimes drops Sacred Water, used to buy boons, keys, and recover Honor.
- Taking damage reduces Honor.
- Reaching 0 Honor fails the trial.
- Remaining Honor is exchanged for Sacred Water at the end.
- Sacred Water is exchanged for keys to open chests.
- Honor is preserved between trials (used in Cruel difficulty).
Energy Shield drain doesn't reduce Honor. Energy Shield builds have an advantage here.
Each trial section offers multiple paths. Clear a section to receive a boon and a curse.
Trial types include:
- Chalice Trial: Defeat two boss monsters. Follow the blood path from the Chalice.
- Escape Trial (timed): Defuse death crystals before time runs out.
- Gauntlet Trial: Avoid traps and find levers to escape.
- Hourglass Trial (timed): Activate the hourglass and survive enemy waves.
- Ritual Trial: Find and kill summoners to deactivate portals.
- Boss Trial: Tier 1 - Rattlecage; Tier 2 - Terracotta Sentinels; Tier 3 - Ashar; Tier 4 - Zarokh.
Balance choices to preserve Honor and mitigate curses. Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker, is a challenging boss. High Fire Resistance is recommended. Stun him to deal consistent damage.
How To Complete Ascent To Power In Path Of Exile 2
Defeating Rattlecage unlocks the final reward altar where you select your first Ascendancy. The choice is permanent.
For Cruel difficulty, to gain 2 additional Ascendancy points:
- Talk to Zarka.
- Defeat Balbala in Cruel difficulty (ensure the coin shows "Number of Trials 2").
- Return to Act 2 Normal difficulty and enter the Trials using the two-trial coin.
- Complete two runs, defeating a boss in each, to gain 2 points.
This is a workaround for a bug; the intended method is different.
Reaching 0 Honor fails the trial. The first attempt doesn't consume the Barya. Subsequent attempts, including Cruel difficulty, consume it. Only the first Normal and Cruel runs grant Ascendancy points. Complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 Normal and Cruel for the remaining 4 points (total 8).
