Here’s how to Ascend your class in Path of Exile 2 by completing the Trial of the Sekhemas
Trying to figure out how to complete the Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2?As you progress throughPath of Exile 2, you’ll soon feel the need to Ascend and take your character class to the next level. This can be done via the Trial of Sekhemas, one of the Ascendancy Trials included in Path of Exile 2’s Early Access. Completing this trial will let you unlock new abilities for your class, but it won’t be easy, and requires you to step off the beaten path of the campaign and survive a gauntlet of fierce challenges.
In this guide we’ll explain exactlywhat you need to do to complete the Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2and put your character on the path to unlocking their Ascendancy class.
Starting the Trial of the Sekhemas
As of Path of Exile 2’s Early Access, two Ascendancy Trials are available, and The Trial of the Sekhemas is the easier one to reach, becoming accessible inAct 2. The Trial of Chaos, an alternate method of ascending, only becomes available in Act 3.
You can access the Trial of the Sekhemas after you’ve begun Act 2’s"The Trial of Corruption"main quest. This quest sees you enteringTraitor’s Passage. If you fully explore this area, you’ll eventually come upon a wall dubbed theAncient Sealthat’s covered in parchment.
Go through the wall to enter a room with Runic Seals on the ground. Remove them and you’ll free the djinn bossBalbala, the Traitor. Balbala’s a fast opponent who chucks throwing knives out in returning arcs, summons a minion to fight alongside her, and creates fiery runes on the ground that explode when you step over them. Fighting her requires a fair bit of dodging and dexterity, but once you’ve made short work of Balbala, pick up theBalbala’s Baryaobject. Taking it starts the side quest"Ascent to Power".
You can now return to the Ardura Caravan that serves as Chapter 2’s hub. Chat with Zarka and open your map to teleport to theTrial of the Sekhemaspoint of interest. Be sure that you’re at least level 22 to contend with the monsters here. Once you enter and proceed through the first chamber, you’ll locate a Relic Altar. Put Balbala’s Barya onto this altar to properly kick off the Trial of the Sekhemas.
The Trial of the Sekhemas features the following mechanics that differ from Path of Exile 2’s base game:
At the end of all of the Trial of the Sekhemas' rooms, you’ll faceRattlecage, the Earthbreaker. This giant is slow, tanky, and has a pair of rocky fists that slam the ground at regular intervals, letting loose bursts of lava and small volcanoes. This fight is a battle of attrition, and you’ll have to time your dodges well to avoid getting scorched. The best strategy for fighting Rattlecage is to strafe around the arena, keep your distance, and constantly chip away at his health bar while watching out for those AoE lava attacks. When his health is halfway depleted, lava will temporarily rain down from the sky, and there unfortunately aren’t any easy visual signs telling you where it’s going to hit in advance.
Once Rattlecage is defeated, the Trial of the Sekhemas will be completed, and you can enter the rewards room. Go up to theAltar of Ascendanciesto select your Ascendancy class. You only gaintwo Skill pointsto use on the Ascendancy’s Passive Skill Tree - meaning that you’ll need to go back and rerun the Trial if you want to unlock more points. Get ready to grind, in other words, and be aware that the Trial increases in difficulty each time you complete it.
That concludes our look at the Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2. For more on the mechanics that power Grinding Gear Games' epic ARPG, see our guides to thePassive Skill Tree,Attributes, andcrafting. We’ve also got a look at thebest character class for beginners, as well as a list ofwhat to do firstif you’re just getting started with Path of Exile 2’s early game.
