I found Gavlan. No Man's Wharf was no cake walk, I had to switch to shield plus sword and relearn how to fight that way. I forgot that stamina regenerates really slow with a shield up. But too many opportunities to fall in water or off things, and enemies are too fast for slow casting spells. (Plus for some reason the targeting is screwed up in this area, I practically have to stand in front of them to lock on)

Spells worked fine on the spider things anyway, easy souls. Hurray for spell merchant, I have a good arsenal now and 7 spells slots. The boss was easy with the new spells. Unfortunately the spell merchant was gone after I got the pyromancy flame. Now I can't upgarde it. Gavlan vanished as well.

I searched everywhere, found some secret walls, but no branch of yore. So I'm back to Sinner's exile or Grave of saints. No man's wharf didn't lead anywhere new. I'm currently in Grave of saints. What's up with being summoned as a grey phantom. It happened again. I go on exploring that level, kill some rats when someone else comes up and hits me. I dodge, not interested in pvp, I kill some more enemies maybe he'll get the hint I want co-op. He's still intent on killing me, I dodge, run away, heal, further explore the level. He's got a bridge down and a waterfall going. He comes at me again, dodge again, keep on looking around. This goes on for a few times until the classic souls glitch, 1 hit backstab kill from 20 meters away.

I'll try that rat infestion boss again later with anti poison herbs and regain spell uses items equipped.

Grave of Saints and Door of Pharros is Rat Covenant territory. Whenever you set foot in those areas, there's a high chance you'll be summoned as an invasor and we dealt with. Took me forever to get through Pharros because of that. On the plus side, whenever you kill a member of that covenant, you get a free Lockstone, so it's a bonus.

I had no trouble whatsoever on No Man's Wharf, but that's mostly because I'm a sword and shield class. Did you find the giant lamp in the middle? Will do wonders for your targetting.

I guess I'll play those areas off-line. Not interested in pvp and the long load times are annoying.

I used a lock stone that lit up a lot of No man's wharf. The game still wouldn't target very well, but with the extra visibility no lock targeting was easier at least. It would be nice if there was a way to aim magic like with the bow. I'm getting pretty good at blind targeting anyway. The staff does have the nice advantage over a bow that it can shoot down ledges to what's directly below you.

It's better than getting 0 souls per extra items as in previous games

I found Gavlan. No Man's Wharf was no cake walk, I had to switch to shield plus sword and relearn how to fight that way. I forgot that stamina regenerates really slow with a shield up. But too many opportunities to fall in water or off things, and enemies are too fast for slow casting spells. (Plus for some reason the targeting is screwed up in this area, I practically have to stand in front of them to lock on)

Spells worked fine on the spider things anyway, easy souls. Hurray for spell merchant, I have a good arsenal now and 7 spells slots. The boss was easy with the new spells. Unfortunately the spell merchant was gone after I got the pyromancy flame. Now I can't upgarde it. Gavlan vanished as well.

I searched everywhere, found some secret walls, but no branch of yore. So I'm back to Sinner's exile or Grave of saints. No man's wharf didn't lead anywhere new. I'm currently in Grave of saints. What's up with being summoned as a grey phantom. It happened again. I go on exploring that level, kill some rats when someone else comes up and hits me. I dodge, not interested in pvp, I kill some more enemies maybe he'll get the hint I want co-op. He's still intent on killing me, I dodge, run away, heal, further explore the level. He's got a bridge down and a waterfall going. He comes at me again, dodge again, keep on looking around. This goes on for a few times until the classic souls glitch, 1 hit backstab kill from 20 meters away.

I'll try that rat infestion boss again later with anti poison herbs and regain spell uses items equipped.

What usage is the pyromancy flame without the glove? Where do you get the glove? 

The pyromancy flame is a glove, goes in the weapon slot.  So far I can only cast a simple fireball (9 uses) with it, I found a lingering flame spell earlier but the merchant for upgrading the glove has vanished. I found the pyromancy flame in No Man's worf on the ship right after the boss, and a dark pyromancy flame I think in the gutter. That one seems more powerful, S rank instead of A.

The rat infestation boss was still nearly impossible. I used up 5 estus flasks, 20 radiant gems, 4 anti poison herbs, 7 fire bombs, 9 fireballs, 11 lightning spears, 32 great soul arrows, I also had 2 spell slots filled with emit force but that proved too dangerous. I can't survive getting ganged up on for more than half a second. A lot of running, dodging, cursing at the terrible lock on targeting that never simply targets the closest out of the 15, and keeps turning me around. 20 minutes later, herding them around the obstacles, isolating one or two from the group to take out with my fire sword, I finally won the battle. I was starting to believe I had to hit a particular one, since the last few pixels on the boss health meter didn't move with the last 10 I killed, but it still ended eventually.

More misery right after down into the gutter. First a drop into a pit with suicide bombers. 1 hit kills for me, that took some precise choreography. 6 trial and error deaths to get through that small part. I lost whatever that glitter bug there drops as the drop disappeared after I died trying to get to it.

The gutter is a miserable place altogether, take the worst parts of the decent to blighttown and make a whole area out of it. Torch required. More 1 hit kills, or down to 10% if you're lucky. And damn those poison spitting statues, at least they don't respawn as long as you don't die (huge help in the next section) Somehow I ended up on the back side of a mist barrier, travel through the mist from behind, odd. There's a huge bug stuck in a small cave, doesn't move, killed it, no effect, didn't respawn, no clue.

Next I entered the black gulch. Poison statue overflow, but some awesome looking monsters there (yay for copying zelda) and they drop titanite chunks. Time to upgrade my sorcerer's staff some more. And I finally found a branch of yore. Now to decide where to use it first, I guess Majula is the best bet as that should open up a new area.

I also have a new pharros lock stone, where to use it. So many places to put it in the tomb of saints.

What armor are you using and is it making a difference? From my experience so far, armor defense isn't doing a whole lot for survivability.

I purchased the Jester set and it's cool because of its effects (Hat increases item discovery, chest decreases (or nullifies?) critical attack damage, gauntlets increase souls (stacks with Covetous Silver Serpent Ring +1 I found), and legs decrease fall damage.). But I haven't even bothered to upgrade any of my gear except weapons.

Also the PvP sweet spot in the first game was around 120. I leveled up to 125.

The merchant goes back to majula. Oh i think i have it then, i can wield it but damn i need attunement slots -.-. 

I'm currently stuck in of the posion areas, not sure about its name. I have a lot of items that i have no idea how to use, such as all of my special titanite which i can't yet use. Use the branch in the tower near the knight with a big greatsword, the lady you save can sell you pyro spells as well as upgrade your glove. 

Ah, I'll have to take a look around there again, see what's changed. There's also still that contraption down the tunnel to Heide's tower that I don't know what to do with. So far I had the normal tritanite, upgraded my sorcere's staff to +3, large titanite further upgraded it to + 6, titanite chunk to go to +7, I guess it goes to +9 but need to find more first. I also have a titanite slab that probably comes after maxing with titinate chunks. I'll see if I can get enough chunks from Black gulch before moving on.

I wish the normal tritinate is easier to find, I wasted it in the beginning and now I only have a sorcerer's staff beyond +3. Priest chime, sword and robe are all stuck on +1 or +2. Any single hit can be my last, especially with that reduced health bar.  Attunement at 30 and int + faith at 23 has left my character very weak in other areas :/