Path of Exile 2: A Comprehensive Guide to the Ascent to Power Quest

Path of Exile 2's intricate Ascendancy system is central to character progression. Unlocking your first Ascendancy requires completing the Ascent to Power quest in Act 2. This guide details how to initiate and complete this quest, including strategies for overcoming challenges.

Starting Ascent to Power

In Act 2, after unlocking the Ardura Caravan and exploring two location nodes, speak with Zarka before visiting Traitor's Passage. She'll direct you to Balbala, a trapped Djinn, to gain power.

Balbala's location is randomized within Traitor's Passage. Locate the Ancient Seal Door leading to her prison. Defuse three seals to initiate the encounter.

Defeating Balbala the Traitor

Balbala resists Fire Damage and inflicts Physical, Chaos, and Fire damage, along with Poison and Ignition. Exploit her Cold Damage vulnerability.

Balbala's Attacks and Counters:

• Slash Attack: A basic attack; easily blocked or dodged.
• Throwing Attack: Ranged attack; dodge or block. Each dagger inflicts Poison.
• Whirling Dash Attack: A fast lunge with an AoE explosion after 1.5 seconds. Cannot be blocked, but can be dodged. Voice cue: "Face Me!" or "Na'kai!"
• Teleport Dagger Attack: Teleports and throws daggers creating an AoE. Dodge only. Voice cue: "Atul!"
• Summon Shadow Clone: Throws a Barya (coin), creating a yellow AoE. Step over it to prevent summoning a Balbala clone. A teleport and slam attack follows if you step on it.
• Teleport Slam: After summoning, Balbala teleports and yells "Tithe!", creating a fiery AoE. Dodge.
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Vanishes, yelling "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!", summoning poisonous mist. Quickly locate and attack her to cancel. She'll yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!" upon being found, performing an AoE slam.
• Explosive Blade Rain: Throws explosive daggers in a counter-clockwise conical pattern. Dodge accordingly.
• Blade Storm: If the Shadow Clone isn't quickly eliminated, Balbala summons a destructive blade storm. Prioritize clone elimination.

Defeating Balbala yields Balbala's Barya, to be delivered to Zarka. She'll then reveal the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Completing the Trials of the Sekhemas

Travel to the Trials of the Sekhemas node via the Ardura Caravan. You'll unlock a Waypoint and find an altar where Balbala explains the trial.

The Trials are procedurally generated dungeons with various challenges: timed challenges, traps, and elite enemies. Before entering, use a Relic to receive a boon.

Key Mechanics:

• Honor: A resource bar depleted by damage. Reaching 0 Honor fails the trial.
• Sacred Water: Earned by killing enemies; used to purchase boons, keys, and recover Honor.
• Keys: Earned with remaining Sacred Water at the end; open chests.

Energy Shield drain doesn't affect Honor. Energy Shield builds have an advantage. Each completed section grants a boon and a curse.

Trial Types:

• Chalice Trial: Defeat two bosses.
• Escape Trial (timed): Defuse death crystals before time runs out.
• Gauntlet Trial: Avoid traps and find levers.
• Hourglass Trial (timed): Survive enemy waves until time runs out.
• Ritual Trial: Find and kill summoners and their beasts.
• Boss Trial: Rattlecage (Tier 1), Terracota Sentinels (Tier 2), Ashar (Tier 3), Zarokh (Tier 4).

Balance boon choices to preserve Honor. Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker, is a challenging final boss; prioritize Fire Resistance.

Completing Ascent to Power

Defeating Rattlecage grants access to the final altar where you choose your first Ascendancy. This choice is permanent.

Cruel Difficulty: To gain 2 additional Ascendancy points in Act 2 Cruel difficulty, a workaround is needed due to a bug:

1. Talk to Zarka.
2. Defeat Balbala in Cruel difficulty (ensure the Barya indicates "Number of Trials 2").
3. Return to Act 2 Normal and enter the Trials using the two-trial Barya.
4. Complete two runs, defeating a boss in each.
5. You'll gain 2 additional Ascendancy points.

Note: Only the first Normal and Cruel difficulty runs grant Ascendancy points. The Trial of Chaos in Act 3 (Normal and Cruel) provides the remaining 4 points (for a total of 8). Reaching 0 Honor fails the trial, but the first attempt doesn't consume the Barya. Subsequent attempts do.