Can a non ascended faction char go into fow/uw in toa?

well my post pretty much asks all.

No. Unless a recent update chaged it, Canthans coming over to Tyria must do the ascension missions to enter via ToA.

If by ascension missions you mean Nahpui Quarter, then you are correct, if you mean the desert missions in Tyria, you're incorrect

Wouldn't let me in before I did Nahpui Quarter, after I did it let me in, haven't done anything in the desert.

^^ What Xiaotsu said,

Although I didnt know if you needed to become "No Wa Shu" you obviously do. My Ritualist has been playing a much loved Shelter/Union lord build in ToA for some time now, and only has ToA and LA towns on his map.

Hmm, that means I did the whole desert with my rit for nothing xD

Interesting. I wasn't able to enter before, shortly after release, even though I had already beaten factions with my Ritualist. Ghost said I wasn't ascended.