Back-tracking

I decided to take a break from the new area to back-track and root around some of the parts I'd overlooked. I returned to Majula to find an Estus shard hidden in a well and some cleric stuff and the Binoculars on a narrow cliff-face path. I went back to the tutorial and tried to drop the Shiny and Silky stone in the birds nest but ended up discarding it by mistake - doh! (it was late ok) I did trade the Petrified Something for a Petrified Dragon Bone (No better off there!) with the crow though (after finding the Leave command). I also killed the upright hippo monster at the start of the game who gave me a Stone Ring (which reduces enemy poise).

I returned to the battlements behind the Pursuer, where I'd been rudely snatched away before I got to explore, and found the Drangleic Set (see image). Wow, end-game worthy armour. Glad I've been investing in VIT to be able to wear some of it. The Drangleic sword is the first unique weapon I've come across but it requires 20 DEX and scales stronger with DEX also. It doesn't look good enough to pour 8 levels into DEX to wield it even tough I'm seriously craving a good weapon. Still stuck with the Broadsword and the Club which I'm reluctant to waste Titanite on.

I've leveled to SL40 now which seems really high considering I've finished DS1 at SL50 (and could probably do it much lower tbh). I don't feel overpowered though as I've had to spread the stats with STR at 25, VIT at 16 and END and ADP at 9. Endurance losing it's dual purpose really impacts character build, probably for the better if it means more diverse creations are possible.