On this page
- Quick answer
- Quick facts
- How to get An Audience with the King
- Where and how to use the Audience
- Current 0.5 flow vs legacy Ritual access
- What works in 0.5 vs what does not
- Pre-use checklist
- Outcomes by goal
- Community questions, direct answers
- Video walkthrough
- Problems and direct answers
- Connected content
- Patch history
- Sources and verification
Quick Facts
- Item Type
- Invitation
- Use Cases
- Ritual · Endgame Access · Atlas Reveal
QUICK ANSWER
Quick answer
The reveal is a random Atlas node, not a fixed spot at Caer Tarth and not a Realmgate - older guides that say 'feed it to the Realmgate' describe the legacy flow.
The item is not tradeable, so you must earn it through Rituals; do not trust listings claiming to sell it.
Revealing the Crux of Nothingness to fight the King in the Mists, farm Omens and Fracturing Orbs, and progress toward the Rite of the Nameless.
The item is in your main inventory, the Tribute to the King bar has filled, and you are viewing the Atlas where the reveal button spawns near a completed map.
Expecting a fixed Caer Tarth button or a Realmgate, and confusing this with the Head of the King (which comes from killing the boss, not from Tribute).
QUICK FACTS
Quick facts
- Item Class
- Ritual Item
- The current 0.5 Ritual invitation to the King in the Mists.
- How you get it
- Tribute to the King bar
- Unspent Ritual Tribute accumulates; a full bar grants the item (threshold pending in-game verification).
- What it reveals
- Crux of Nothingness
- The arena where you fight the King in the Mists pinnacle boss.
- Where the button appears
- Random Atlas node
- Near a map you have completed; not a fixed Caer Tarth spot and not a Realmgate.
- Consumed on use
- Yes
- The Invitation is spent when the Crux is revealed.
- Tradeable
- No
- You must earn it through Rituals; it cannot be bought or sold.
- Current status
- 0.5 (Runes of Aldur)
- Live Ritual access flow; legacy Petition Splinter is disabled.
ACQUISITION
How to get An Audience with the King
You do not drop or buy this item - it is generated by the Ritual mechanic once you bank enough unspent Tribute.
Run Ritual altars in maps
Complete Ritual encounters (force more altars with Ritual Tablets - up to six per map). Each altar banks Tribute you can spend in the reward window or defer.
Let Tribute flow to the King
Tribute you do not spend is offered to the King and fills the Tribute to the King bar. When the bar fills, you are granted An Audience with the King. The exact threshold is pending in-game verification, so treat leftover Tribute as the path to the item rather than chasing a fixed number.
Repeatable, not a one-time quest
Unlike the fixed quest version of some pinnacle bosses, the Audience is a repeatable endgame invitation: every time the Tribute bar fills you can earn another one.
USE FLOW
Where and how to use the Audience
Hold the item in your main inventory
The reveal only triggers while An Audience with the King is on your character. It will not work from a stash or Extra Inventory tab.
Open the Atlas and watch for the reveal button
With the item in your bag, a reveal button appears at a random Atlas location - typically next to a map you have already completed. It is not pinned to Caer Tarth.
Complete the adjacent map
The button becomes usable once the neighbouring map is cleared. Run that map (a Tier 14+ Waystone is recommended for the level-80 Crux arena) so the node is active.
Trigger the reveal
Interact with the button to consume the Invitation. This reveals the Crux of Nothingness, a boss arena node on the Atlas.
Fight the King in the Mists
Enter the Crux of Nothingness and defeat the King in the Mists. He drops a Head of the King and valuable loot (Omens, uniques). The Head of the King is a separate item used to start the Rite of the Nameless - do not confuse it with the Audience.
In the legacy Ritual flow, access ran through Petition Splinters and a Realmgate. Those steps no longer apply to the current version.
In 0.5 the Audience is earned from the Tribute to the King bar and consumed at a random Atlas reveal node to open the Crux of Nothingness.
The current flow moves access entirely onto the Atlas rather than a fixed Realmgate.
OVERVIEW
Current 0.5 flow vs legacy Ritual access
In the current 0.5 (Runes of Aldur) Ritual, An Audience with the King is produced by the Tribute to the King bar and consumed at a random Atlas reveal node to open the Crux of Nothingness, where the King in the Mists awaits. The item is bound to your account (not tradeable) and repeats every time the bar fills.
The old Ritual access chain - built around Petition Splinters and a Realmgate - is disabled in 0.5. Petition Splinters serve only as a historical reference now; any guide telling you to collect or insert them is describing the legacy system. Likewise, instructions to 'feed the Audience into the Realmgate' reflect the old flow and should not be followed for 0.5.
One more distinction players mix up: the Head of the King is not the Audience. The Head drops from killing the King in the Mists inside the Crux and is the key to the Rite of the Nameless, a separate progression step. The Audience is what gets you into the fight in the first place.
- Current 0.5: Tribute bar -> Audience -> random Atlas reveal -> Crux of Nothingness.
- Legacy: Petition Splinters + Realmgate - disabled, historical only.
- Head of the King: a separate drop from the boss, used for the Rite of the Nameless, not the Audience.
VALID TARGET MATRIX
What works in 0.5 vs what does not
An Audience with the King is the only current 0.5 Ritual invitation. The legacy Petition Splinter no longer functions.
| Target | An Audience with the King | Petition Splinter (legacy) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usable in 0.5 | Yes | No | Only the current item functions |
| Reveals Crux of Nothingness | Yes | No | Current item opens the arena |
| Tradeable | No | No | Neither can be traded |
PRE-USE CHECKLIST
Pre-use checklist
| Done | Check | Why it matters | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item in main inventory An Audience with the King must be on your character, not in a stash or Extra Inventory tab. | The Atlas reveal only triggers while the item is on your person. | Move it into your main bag before opening the Atlas. | |
| Tribute bar actually filled Confirm you were granted the item from the Tribute to the King bar, not just holding Tribute. | Only the granted item reveals the Crux; raw Tribute does not. | Keep banking unspent Tribute until the bar grants the Audience. | |
| Adjacent map cleared The reveal button activates after the neighboring map is completed; a Tier 14+ Waystone is recommended for the level-80 arena. | An unfinished neighbour leaves the node inactive. | Run the adjacent map first, then use the button. | |
| Not the Head of the King Make sure you are holding the Audience, not a Head of the King from a previous kill. | The Head starts the Rite of the Nameless; it does not reveal the Crux. | Earn a fresh Audience from the Tribute bar for the reveal. |
OUTCOME ANALYSIS
Outcomes by goal
| Scenario | Benefit | Risk | Audience | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ritual currency farmer | Reveals the Crux to farm the King in the Mists for Omens and Fracturing Orbs | Low - the reveal is repeatable | Any build | Low Core repeatable Ritual income once the Tribute bar loops |
| Pinnacle bosser | Direct access to the King in the Mists pinnacle fight | Medium - the boss is chaos-heavy and has a Phase 2 maze | Bossers | Medium Cap chaos resistance and bring mobility before the fight |
| Rite of the Nameless seeker | The Crux fight yields a Head of the King, the key to the Rite of the Nameless | Medium - a second progression step after the fight | Completionists | Medium Kill the King, take the Head to Caer Tarth for the Rite |
| Casual first reveal | A one-off look at the Ritual pinnacle arena | Low | New endgame players | Low Fine as an intro; invest more once the Tribute loop is understood |
COMMUNITY EVIDENCE
Community questions, direct answers
I already have an Audience, but there is no button anywhere on the map.
A player held the item but could not find any reveal option.
The button spawns at a random Atlas node and only becomes usable after the adjacent map is cleared. If the item is in an Extra Inventory tab, or the neighbouring map is unfinished, no button appears. It is also not at a fixed Caer Tarth spot.
Keep the Audience in your main bag, clear the map next to where the button appears, then use the random Atlas reveal node.
Should I buy the Audience or spend Tribute on rewards first?
Players wonder whether to cash out Tribute or push it toward the King.
Leftover, unspent Tribute flows into the Tribute to the King bar. Spend Tribute on items you need now, but any remainder still contributes toward an Audience - you do not have to choose one or the other exclusively.
Spend Tribute on valuable rewards, and let whatever remains fill the Tribute to the King bar for the Audience.
Is the Petition Splinter still worth anything?
Players ask whether old Petition Splinters have use.
Petition Splinters are disabled in 0.5 and are historical only. They are not part of the current Ritual access chain and cannot be converted through the current flow.
No - Petition Splinters are disabled in 0.5; use the Tribute to the King bar instead.
video
Video walkthrough
Path of Evening
Path of Evening - Ritual Guide for PoE2 Patch 0.5
A full 0.5 Ritual walkthrough covering the rework, Tribute to the King, the Audience, and the Crux of Nothingness reveal.
What to watch for: Bank unspent Tribute into the Tribute to the King bar, then reveal the Crux of Nothingness from the Atlas while holding the Audience.
Open source ↗PROBLEMS & DIRECT ANSWERS
Problems and direct answers
No reveal button on the Atlas
Direct answer: The button appears at a random Atlas node and only after the adjacent map is cleared. It also requires the Audience to be in your main inventory, not an Extra Inventory tab.
- Confirm the item is in your main bag, then clear the map next to the node where the button shows up.
I revealed the Crux but died inside
Direct answer: Death costs the map run and its uncollected loot. Whether the Audience is re-consumed on failure is pending in-game verification, so plan as if each reveal spends one Audience until confirmed otherwise.
- Cap chaos resistance and bring mobility before entering the Crux of Nothingness, and do not over-invest the map.
I have a Head of the King but no reveal
Direct answer: The Head of the King is a separate drop from the boss used to start the Rite of the Nameless; it does not reveal the Crux. You need a fresh Audience from the Tribute bar for that.
- Earn an Audience via unspent Tribute, then use the Atlas reveal node.
PATCH HISTORY
Patch history
Ritual reworked: access to the King in the Mists now runs through An Audience with the King and the Tribute to the King bar; Petition Splinters retired.
Crux of Nothingness maze buffed with Followers of the King in the Mists; Fracturing Orb payout from summoning-circle bosses established.
Current patch: An Audience with the King remains the Ritual invitation; the Atlas reveal flow is unchanged.
SOURCES & VERIFICATION
Sources and verification
Path of Exile 2 official 0.5.4 patch notes covering the current Ritual endgame.
PoE2Wiki An Audience with the King data: purpose and Crux of Nothingness reveal.
Community 0.5 Ritual guide covering Tribute, the Audience and the Crux reveal.
Reddit discussion of where to use the Audience and the missing map button.
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