Path of Exile 2 currently offers players six classes, each with two unique Ascendancies carrying entire sets of passive and active skills.
But unlocking an Ascendancy might initially seem confusing, so here is how to complete the hidden Trial of the Sekhemas and unlock your first PoE 2 Ascendancy class.
Path of Exile 2 Trial of the Sekhemas guide
The Trial of the Sekhemas is the earliest and quickest way for you to Ascend. You unlock it in the second act by exploring the Traitor’s Passage area tied to the main quest. In the Prison, you will find Balbala, the Traitor. After unshackling her Runic Seals, she will climb down from the spear she’s impaled upon and engage you in combat. Bear in mind that when she starts channeling the Poison Gas you have to find her and walk up to her to stop it, otherwise you’re as good as dead.
Completing this combat encounter starts the quest Ascent to Power, instructing you to go back to the Caravan and speak to Zarka, who will then tell you of the Trial of the Sekhemas, which you must do to increase your power. You can reach the required area through the Desert Map. Once there, Balbala herself will present herself as a guiding Djinn, instructing you to place the Relic she gave you into the altar to start the trial. The trial is actually a set of trials with a Roguelike design, and you need to clear all of them in succession to finish the quest and unlock the Ascendancy class for your character.
My advice is to focus on the task given to you by each successive trial and avoid straying beyond the trial’s conditions. You do not have to kill every single enemy and explore every nook and cranny of the Trial maps unless explicitly told, especially in the initial Hourglass Trial, which is time-sensitive and requires you to activate numerous shrines to increase the timer. I almost failed immediately because I got distracted by the waves of enemies I wanted to clear instead of focusing solely on running around the trial map and activating the necessary shrines to complete it.
Also keep in mind that taking damage lowers your honor, with most trials rewarding you with honor restoration, usually at a cost but sometimes with a solid buff. Take as many chances to restore honor as you can and keep it high since if it falls too low, you will fail the entire trial and lose the Coin you used to start it. This is one of the most important reasons why you should avoid confrontations unless absolutely necessary, as any damage you take will lower your honor and potentially force you into the trial’s final boss fight with low honor, making every hit you take potentially disastrous.
Once you beat the final boss, you gain access to your Ascendancy class, and numerous rewards based on the trial rewards you accumulated over the entire ordeal. Sacred Water can be obtained throughout the trials and turned into keys at the end, so grab as much of that, too, as it can lead to some extra awesome loot.
