Heide's Tower of Flame (1)

Go downstairs through the opening between Shalquoir's shop and the path leading to the Victory Stone. There's a contraption in the middle that you can't operate for now so leave it for the meantime.

There's a chest along the way. Open it for a Crimson Parma. To open the floodgate, keep walking to the right and you'll find the switch that you can pull there. Continue forth and you'll find a corpse. Loot it for a Soul of a Lost Undead and a Broken Thief Sword. Keep following the path until you reach the next area.

There are bulky, powerful yet slow Old Knights here that you must fight. They have the same, predictable 3-hit combo attack that can be easily evaded. These knights can also be farmed for their good amount of souls early on. There's also a bonfire (Heide's Ruin) to the right of the first Old Knight.

Defeat the second Old Knight to get a Sublime Bone Dust. This item permanently upgrades your Estus Flask when burned in the Far Fire in Majula.

Behind the second Old Knight lies a corpse hanging by the balcony. Loot it for a Soul of a Nameless Soldier and a Human Effigy. Go upstairs and defeat the third Old Knight. After defeating it, a lever will raise behind him. Pull down the lever to raise the other platform in the tower ahead. This will be very helpful in a boss battle later. Loot the corpse behind the heavy door to get a Lloyd's Talisman.

Continue to the next tower where three more Old Knights are waiting. You can snipe and agrro them one by one or lure them yourself. The Old Knight in the middle is the most dangerous since his massive weapon can deal massive damage to you. Make sure you lure him away and fight him in an open space, like the area where the first and second Old Knight are located. Once you've defeated the three, a lever near the broken pillars facing the tower will be revealed. Pull it to raise another outer platform in the tower. Like the other lever, this one will help a lot in a boss battle.

From here you have to two paths; the path to the left leads to the Cathedral of Blue where you can fight the Old Dragonslayer boss while the path to the right leads to a derelict tower beyond a misty door leads to the Old Dragonrider boss. Defeating him will give you access to the Tower of Flame bonfire, the cleric Licia, and the pathway leading to No-Man's Wharf. Both of these bosses drop Boss Souls that can be used to purchase powerful weapons through specific NPCs later on. You can also obtain a large amount of souls after defeating them, making it easier for you to level up a few notches.

On the way to the Dragonrider tower, you'll find a chest on a precarious platform. Open it to get Green Blossom x3.

Boss: Old Dragonrider

He is slow but he has a long range of attack. The best moment to attack him is when he finishes his lunge attack. Be careful when attacking him when he's swinging his halberd. Also, keep circling him to his left. This will allow you to move past his shield and deal heavier damage to his back. Don't be greedy; its always safe to be sure. As long as you land hits and avoid his attacks, you should be able to defeat him.

Another strategy to defeat him involves NOT operating the levers that will raise the platforms in his area. Wait for him at the edge of the battle area and evade when he uses his thrust attack. When done correctly, he should fall down, instantly killing him.

After defeating the Dragonrider, go upstairs to find the second bonfire (Tower of Flame) and Licia. You can buy various Faith based miracles from her – very helpful if you're playing as a cleric. Talk to her and exhaust her dialogue as well. This will prompt her to move to Majula, beside the contraption you encountered earlier. You must pay 2000 souls for her to move that contraption in Majula and open up the path to Huntsman Copse. You can open up this area if you want; otherwise, skip the paragraph below.

After clearing that path leading to Huntsman Copse, loot the corpse along the way to get a Rogue Water. Continue following the straightforward path and you'll find an NPC sitting on a chair. He doesn't seem have any significance for now so continue ahead and you'll find a bonfire. This is a new area called Huntsman's Copse. You don't need to explore it for now but lighting up the bonfire will allow you to easily fast-travel there later on.