HomeGuidesPath Of Exile 2

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Grinding Gear Games

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Grinding Gear Games

Artwork from Path of Exile 2 showing a character about to undertake an Ascendancy Trial.

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.In this guide:Starting the Trial of the SekhemasTrial of the Sekhemas mechanicsTrial of the Sekhemas bossTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settingsStarting the Trial of the SekhemasAs 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.Here’s the wall you’re looking for - interact with it and enter the chamber beyond. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear GamesGo 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.Trial of the Sekhemas mechanicsThe Trial of the Sekhemas features the following mechanics that differ from Path of Exile 2’s base game:You’ll have to survive a series of challenges in seven rooms, with a boss encounter awaiting you in an eighth room.This is mildly reminiscent of a Roguelike experience - the first room you enter will always be randomly generated, but after you pass this first room, you’ll see a Trial map that shows all of the other challenges that await you. Every time you complete a room, you’ll receive rewards to aid you on the remainder of your journey.The Trial map, showing off the unique Roguelike-esque room progression that the Trial of the Sekhemas offers. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Grinding Gear GamesOn the Trial map, you can choose from the following routes:Escape Trial,Gauntlet Trial,Ritual Trial,Chalice Trial, andHourglass Trial. The Escape Trial requires you to activate a series of Death Crystals before a timer reaches zero. The Gauntlet Trial takes place in a room replete with traps; you’ll need to fight through and pull either one or two levers to unlock the door. The Ritual Trial requires you to defeat multiple Ritual Casters that spawn at portals. The Chalice Trial is relatively straightforward and requires you to defeat rare monsters to fill up a Chalice. And the Hourglass Trial is a simple matter of surviving against enemy waves until the timer runs out.Dying is not the only threat during the Trial of the Sekhemas. You’ll notice that you now have a bar at the bottom of the screen labeledHonour. This is a new stat unique to the Trial - each time you get hit while progressing through the rooms, your Honour will be reduced, and if your Honour hits zero, the Trial will fail. Alas, Honour does not restore with consumables in the same way that Life and Mana do, so get ready to dodge as best you can.As if all of these traps weren’t enough to raise your anxiety level, now you’ve got to worry about Honour too. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear GamesPrior to starting the Trial of the Sekhemas,you’ll be given a chance to equip various relics at the Relic Altar. Think of these as Roguelike modifiers that can make the Trial easier. The first time you start the Trial, you’ll obviously have nothing at your disposal, but you’ll unlock Relics when fighting the Trial’s final boss that will help with future runs.Balbala’s Barya, the item you use to unlock the Trial the first time, is considered aCoin. This first Coin can be used as many times as it takes you to complete the Trial of the Sekhemas; just speak with Balbala at the Relic Altar. If you’ve already completed the Trial once and want to run it again, however, you’ll need a new Coin - and these Coins are one-time items that disappear if you fail the Trial. You can find additional Coins later in the game as rare drops, known asDjinn Barya.Trial of the Sekhemas bossAt 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.Rattlecage is a big fella, but you know the old saying about the bigger they are, the harder they fall. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear GamesOnce 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.Here’s a sample of the two Ascendancy classes available for the Sorceress. Choose wisely! |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Grinding Gear GamesThat 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.

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.In this guide:Starting the Trial of the SekhemasTrial of the Sekhemas mechanicsTrial of the Sekhemas bossTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settingsStarting the Trial of the SekhemasAs 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.Here’s the wall you’re looking for - interact with it and enter the chamber beyond. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear GamesGo 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.Trial of the Sekhemas mechanicsThe Trial of the Sekhemas features the following mechanics that differ from Path of Exile 2’s base game:You’ll have to survive a series of challenges in seven rooms, with a boss encounter awaiting you in an eighth room.This is mildly reminiscent of a Roguelike experience - the first room you enter will always be randomly generated, but after you pass this first room, you’ll see a Trial map that shows all of the other challenges that await you. Every time you complete a room, you’ll receive rewards to aid you on the remainder of your journey.The Trial map, showing off the unique Roguelike-esque room progression that the Trial of the Sekhemas offers. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Grinding Gear GamesOn the Trial map, you can choose from the following routes:Escape Trial,Gauntlet Trial,Ritual Trial,Chalice Trial, andHourglass Trial. The Escape Trial requires you to activate a series of Death Crystals before a timer reaches zero. The Gauntlet Trial takes place in a room replete with traps; you’ll need to fight through and pull either one or two levers to unlock the door. The Ritual Trial requires you to defeat multiple Ritual Casters that spawn at portals. The Chalice Trial is relatively straightforward and requires you to defeat rare monsters to fill up a Chalice. And the Hourglass Trial is a simple matter of surviving against enemy waves until the timer runs out.Dying is not the only threat during the Trial of the Sekhemas. You’ll notice that you now have a bar at the bottom of the screen labeledHonour. This is a new stat unique to the Trial - each time you get hit while progressing through the rooms, your Honour will be reduced, and if your Honour hits zero, the Trial will fail. Alas, Honour does not restore with consumables in the same way that Life and Mana do, so get ready to dodge as best you can.As if all of these traps weren’t enough to raise your anxiety level, now you’ve got to worry about Honour too. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear GamesPrior to starting the Trial of the Sekhemas,you’ll be given a chance to equip various relics at the Relic Altar. Think of these as Roguelike modifiers that can make the Trial easier. The first time you start the Trial, you’ll obviously have nothing at your disposal, but you’ll unlock Relics when fighting the Trial’s final boss that will help with future runs.Balbala’s Barya, the item you use to unlock the Trial the first time, is considered aCoin. This first Coin can be used as many times as it takes you to complete the Trial of the Sekhemas; just speak with Balbala at the Relic Altar. If you’ve already completed the Trial once and want to run it again, however, you’ll need a new Coin - and these Coins are one-time items that disappear if you fail the Trial. You can find additional Coins later in the game as rare drops, known asDjinn Barya.Trial of the Sekhemas bossAt 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.Rattlecage is a big fella, but you know the old saying about the bigger they are, the harder they fall. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear GamesOnce 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.Here’s a sample of the two Ascendancy classes available for the Sorceress. Choose wisely! |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Grinding Gear GamesThat 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.

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.

To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings

To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings

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.

Here’s the wall you’re looking for - interact with it and enter the chamber beyond. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear Games

Facing a wall covered by Ancient Seals in Path of Exile 2.

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.

Trial of the Sekhemas mechanics

The Trial of the Sekhemas features the following mechanics that differ from Path of Exile 2’s base game:

The Trial map, showing off the unique Roguelike-esque room progression that the Trial of the Sekhemas offers. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Grinding Gear Games

A Trial map showing various rooms that players can advance through to obtain their Ascendancy class in Path of Exile 2.

As if all of these traps weren’t enough to raise your anxiety level, now you’ve got to worry about Honour too. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear Games

A character strafes around a firey pinwheel trap in the Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2.

Trial of the Sekhemas boss

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.

Rattlecage is a big fella, but you know the old saying about the bigger they are, the harder they fall. |Image credit:IGN/Grinding Gear Games

Fighting Rattlecage the Earthbreaker, the final boss of the Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2.

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.

Here’s a sample of the two Ascendancy classes available for the Sorceress. Choose wisely! |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Grinding Gear Games

Two Ascendancy options for the Sorceress in Path of Exile 2.

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.