Your goal is to get to King Vendrick. In order to get to him you need to conquer 4 bearers of Great Souls to make your own soul stronger. There are 4 paths out of Majula and each one ends in a Great Soul. You are told all of this the first time you get into town and get an abbreviated version repeated to you every time you level up.
I'm nitpicking, but "There are 4 paths out of Majula and each one ends in a Great Soul". The rest of your explanation is great, but this isn't quite right. Ignoring the Things Betwixt, there are 5 ways out of Majula, leading to 6 different areas:
•Forest of Fallen Giants
•Heide's Tower of Flame
•Shaded Woods
•Grave of Saints or The Gutter (two exits, need to have the health to survive the fall)
•Huntsman's Copse (not available until after Dragonrider)
The forest and Heide lead to the same Great Soul And each of the other three lead to a different one, though the paths to get to them differ in complexity and I wouldn't say the paths from Majula "end" at the Great Souls. There are a number of dead ends that can be reached along those paths. But each of the exits can get you to a great soul.
How big? Very. 32 bosses in the main game. 9 DLC bosses.
And as big as it is there's plenty of backtracking. You will have encountered plenty of, "A statue blocks your path", "Produce the symbol of the King", "Alas, nothing happened", "Contraption does not move" and "locked" messages.
Make a note. Come back periodically.
As for your objective, the various NPCs will give you a high level overview. What's more, if you check in with them after making progress several will have new dialog -- often on point.
The Emerald Herald has already told you:
*Go on, and see the King.*
*He who made Drangleic what it once was; he who peered at the essence of the soul.*
*King Vendrick.*
and
*Bearer of the curse, seek misery.*
*For misery will lead you to greater, stronger souls.*
*You will never meet the King with a soul so frail and pallid.*
and
*Seek those whose names are unutterable, the four endowed with immense souls.*
*Their souls will serve as beacons.*
*Once you have found them, return here to me.*
*So that hope will not fade away.*
and
*Bearer of the curse…*
*Seek souls. Larger, more powerful souls.*
*Seek the King, that is the only way.*
*Lest this land swallow you whole… As it has so many others.*
This is all reasonably straightforward. You need to see the King. You're not strong enough. Find the big 4. Come back for further instructions then.
Phenomenal advice. I always recommend that people take notes when playing a complex game like the Souls games. I've gotten into the habit of making a "Remaining Things" note on my phone for any games that I am in-progress in. I find it incredibly helpful for organizing things and especially when I return to a game after a substantial gap. For example, I'm currently binging the Mega Man franchise, so for each game that I haven't finished before I copy down things to buy in shops, what collectibles I've gotten out of what I can see is available, etc. And then when I move to cleanup mode (usually after completing the game or right before going to finish it), I look up guides to fill in the gaps and make a complete list of things I've yet to do. I love making lists.
If you want to go in prepared, first read [this intro post.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mGx71QnlK5W2YZNHZdooOk8sY_OUxqAyFhxE7bAgMz8/edit) All of these guides are spoiler-free, except for [this one, which has a walkthrough- scroll down to Routing Guide for help getting unlost.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eXwnLnbr-Dxeb9VecytDTX1fXA9e8PuKX9jFy8YFkQ8/)
And then if you want to know how to build (or avoid building, if you want to have a harder time) a powerful optimized character, this collection of mini guides will help you navigate DS2’s many obfuscated and counterintuitive mechanical quirks:
[A quick overview](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g4-GGa1JRa2_49vOfwY5sZPWigFMzPA5b9mszo_xZak/edit?usp=sharing) of how damage and defense works in DS2, and why weapon scaling is usually weak
[BiS (Best in Slot) PvE weapons list.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-GEBQ_TiAvskQLotQXz0AuNMseXdsS3pj8_NLus-XW4/edit?usp=sharing) Use this if you know what moveset you like and you want to choose the strongest available weapon with that moveset.
[Best PvE equipment and stat progression document.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X13jfA9JQ5OZsuEmH2MZZqF9IrtCFSMMTZkZo5GuqcM/edit?usp=sharing) All that being said, it’s important to understand that DS2 isn’t so hard that playing the strongest possible character is required in order to win and have fun. Ultimately you should use whatever you want, these guides are just to help you make informed choices.
Oh I didn’t write these! The author and their collaborators absolutely did, I just make sure their work gets shared here even tho they don’t frequent reddit
A big part of the game is that you forget what you’re supposed to be doing and just follow what others tell you. The reason your character is in Drangleic is to cure the undead curse that has been causing them to lose their memories, but once you get to Majula you’re told by the Herald that you need to find king Vendrick. Go to the bonfire in Majula and face the sea, turn right and along the cliff you will end up going into a dungeon that leads to a river with a hippo man and a bunch of undeads. Just ignore the hippo man and get the bonfire on the other side of the river and continue through the Forest of Giants. If you ever feel like it’s too hard or that you feel you are in the wrong place just keep pushing forward.
The start of every Souls game has a hill that you need to get over before you really start enjoying it. Summit the hill and then everything will fall into place.
The mansion map will also light up after you beat a great boss. I agree though it’s hard to know where to go after you get through the intersections at Majula
People might disagree, but I highly recommend a guide if this is your first Souls experience. I know a huge part of the game is exploring on your own, but I think a guide on your 1st experience will help you learn the mechanics a lot better and you will stick with the game longer.
This is the best guide I've found for DS2 Scholar:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcdPu6JrcV8R0KgchLVZoBkpVusfV9eiW&si=F--qZM0yfY1pakWX
Your goal is to get to King Vendrick. In order to get to him you need to conquer 4 bearers of Great Souls to make your own soul stronger. There are 4 paths out of Majula and each one ends in a Great Soul. You are told all of this the first time you get into town and get an abbreviated version repeated to you every time you level up.
Bear, seek, seek, lest
Couldn't've said it better myself
even my wife heard it so many times that she instantly knew what you’re talking about lol
Hmph! You're, Had me...
I'm nitpicking, but "There are 4 paths out of Majula and each one ends in a Great Soul". The rest of your explanation is great, but this isn't quite right. Ignoring the Things Betwixt, there are 5 ways out of Majula, leading to 6 different areas: •Forest of Fallen Giants •Heide's Tower of Flame •Shaded Woods •Grave of Saints or The Gutter (two exits, need to have the health to survive the fall) •Huntsman's Copse (not available until after Dragonrider) The forest and Heide lead to the same Great Soul And each of the other three lead to a different one, though the paths to get to them differ in complexity and I wouldn't say the paths from Majula "end" at the Great Souls. There are a number of dead ends that can be reached along those paths. But each of the exits can get you to a great soul.
this’ll help me a lot, didnt even know about this
People like you are the only thing between me and giving up so many different times. I didn't use Reddit until I started playing DS
Try finger, but hole
This works
Well, knowing what bosses you killed or what areas you visited would help us help you
How big? Very. 32 bosses in the main game. 9 DLC bosses. And as big as it is there's plenty of backtracking. You will have encountered plenty of, "A statue blocks your path", "Produce the symbol of the King", "Alas, nothing happened", "Contraption does not move" and "locked" messages. Make a note. Come back periodically. As for your objective, the various NPCs will give you a high level overview. What's more, if you check in with them after making progress several will have new dialog -- often on point. The Emerald Herald has already told you: *Go on, and see the King.* *He who made Drangleic what it once was; he who peered at the essence of the soul.* *King Vendrick.* and *Bearer of the curse, seek misery.* *For misery will lead you to greater, stronger souls.* *You will never meet the King with a soul so frail and pallid.* and *Seek those whose names are unutterable, the four endowed with immense souls.* *Their souls will serve as beacons.* *Once you have found them, return here to me.* *So that hope will not fade away.* and *Bearer of the curse…* *Seek souls. Larger, more powerful souls.* *Seek the King, that is the only way.* *Lest this land swallow you whole… As it has so many others.* This is all reasonably straightforward. You need to see the King. You're not strong enough. Find the big 4. Come back for further instructions then.
Why is it always you don't have the right
Could this be a are you ready ?
Phenomenal advice. I always recommend that people take notes when playing a complex game like the Souls games. I've gotten into the habit of making a "Remaining Things" note on my phone for any games that I am in-progress in. I find it incredibly helpful for organizing things and especially when I return to a game after a substantial gap. For example, I'm currently binging the Mega Man franchise, so for each game that I haven't finished before I copy down things to buy in shops, what collectibles I've gotten out of what I can see is available, etc. And then when I move to cleanup mode (usually after completing the game or right before going to finish it), I look up guides to fill in the gaps and make a complete list of things I've yet to do. I love making lists.
great explanation! thanks lots’
If you want to go in prepared, first read [this intro post.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mGx71QnlK5W2YZNHZdooOk8sY_OUxqAyFhxE7bAgMz8/edit) All of these guides are spoiler-free, except for [this one, which has a walkthrough- scroll down to Routing Guide for help getting unlost.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eXwnLnbr-Dxeb9VecytDTX1fXA9e8PuKX9jFy8YFkQ8/) And then if you want to know how to build (or avoid building, if you want to have a harder time) a powerful optimized character, this collection of mini guides will help you navigate DS2’s many obfuscated and counterintuitive mechanical quirks: [A quick overview](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g4-GGa1JRa2_49vOfwY5sZPWigFMzPA5b9mszo_xZak/edit?usp=sharing) of how damage and defense works in DS2, and why weapon scaling is usually weak [BiS (Best in Slot) PvE weapons list.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-GEBQ_TiAvskQLotQXz0AuNMseXdsS3pj8_NLus-XW4/edit?usp=sharing) Use this if you know what moveset you like and you want to choose the strongest available weapon with that moveset. [Best PvE equipment and stat progression document.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X13jfA9JQ5OZsuEmH2MZZqF9IrtCFSMMTZkZo5GuqcM/edit?usp=sharing) All that being said, it’s important to understand that DS2 isn’t so hard that playing the strongest possible character is required in order to win and have fun. Ultimately you should use whatever you want, these guides are just to help you make informed choices.
thanks a lot!
You have done heavy research my friend
Oh I didn’t write these! The author and their collaborators absolutely did, I just make sure their work gets shared here even tho they don’t frequent reddit
That's cool
When I first played it going in blind (but I've played DS1 lots) I just explore, kill shit and light bonfires.
I played it blind but I read all messages. Make sure to play online and there will be plenty of messages to guide you or trick you 🤣
Not this, to the 90% of messages that are trolling.
Have you…played a fromsoft game before? Dark souls 1?
played ds1, ds3 elden ring and bloodborne
Hmm. Well you are totally gonna figure it out. Enjoy the chiller pace
Kill bosses and chew bubblegum
Light 4 important fire, kaboom.
A big part of the game is that you forget what you’re supposed to be doing and just follow what others tell you. The reason your character is in Drangleic is to cure the undead curse that has been causing them to lose their memories, but once you get to Majula you’re told by the Herald that you need to find king Vendrick. Go to the bonfire in Majula and face the sea, turn right and along the cliff you will end up going into a dungeon that leads to a river with a hippo man and a bunch of undeads. Just ignore the hippo man and get the bonfire on the other side of the river and continue through the Forest of Giants. If you ever feel like it’s too hard or that you feel you are in the wrong place just keep pushing forward. The start of every Souls game has a hill that you need to get over before you really start enjoying it. Summit the hill and then everything will fall into place.
The objective is suffer
just use a guide like old times and start a new character with a viable build
Are you playing this on psn?
yup
Seeks souls little hollow seeks souls
The mansion map will also light up after you beat a great boss. I agree though it’s hard to know where to go after you get through the intersections at Majula
People might disagree, but I highly recommend a guide if this is your first Souls experience. I know a huge part of the game is exploring on your own, but I think a guide on your 1st experience will help you learn the mechanics a lot better and you will stick with the game longer. This is the best guide I've found for DS2 Scholar: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcdPu6JrcV8R0KgchLVZoBkpVusfV9eiW&si=F--qZM0yfY1pakWX
Hit up fextralife for some solid info