Botch, I'm in an NG+ and thinking of starting clean as well, maybe trying something unique with my new build. Replayability is very high, because there are so many things to explore and check out.

Pokey, on that platform where those two larger fellows were - once you beat them, go smashing around in the crates if you haven't done so. You'll find a stairway that leads to a rude but serviceable merchant.

I was never great at the parry/riposte move either, despite practicing a lot. Those two fellows are especially difficult early on since there's an archer on the tower overlooking them, and he keeps pelting you as you try to fight. Keep your eyes peeled for a nearby bonfire, it'll become one of your key bases of operation.

It's a dilemma, which build you start with... because like Gregg says, it's less a matter of choosing what sort of character you'll be, and more a matter of choosing which stats you don't want to deal with at the outset - f'rexample, by choosing Sorcerer for my build I knew my Magic and Resistance skills would be pretty high so I could focus on Dex, Vitality, Endurance, and Strength. Greggor, if you like Maces and such, I'd say a strength build is the place to start. I might restart with a halberd type of build myself.

A good play is to grind a bit at the outset. the early area of the Undead Burg nets you a fair amount of souls, and it's cheap to go up levels at that point. Run the region between the second bonfire and the tower (or Firelink and the tower) as often as you can stand to collect lots of firebombs and level your character. The online portion of the game isn't active at this point anyway so don't worry about being invaded. Just collect phat loots!

Bonfires maintained by living Fire Keepers will re-up your Estus Flask to 10 doses - at the outset, that means Firelink Shrine. You won't go DOWN in doses (ie., from 7 to 5) regardless of which fire you rest at, but to reach 10+ doses at fires not maintained by Fire Keepers require that you Kindle them. This tends to be a two-Humanity decision: one to reverse Hollowing, the next to Kindle the fire. It's not enough to simply rest at a fire while you're not Hollow, nor is reversing Hollow enough - you need to reverse your Hollowing, then pay another Humanity to Kindle.

You sure about that?

Actually... no. I made an assumption that you couldn't be invaded until you'd gotten a White Soapstone - which is how you leave a Summon Sign when not Hollow. I hope I didn't get you killed!

I restarted as a Hunter, to test the ability of archers early on. Look for "Link" or "Klordane." See you guys in the ether!

The humanity-sucking move? That's some high-level shit right there. Did you happen to kill an invader, or invade and kill another player? It might have been a Spirit of Vengeance rather than a plain-jane Dark Spirit.

This seems like a logical place to explain indictments and sin.

Later on you'll meet a character whose name escapes me... he's a Pardoner of Velka, Goddess of Sin. You can purchase indictment slips from him. If you're defeated by an invader while carrying one, you get the option to indict your foe, which adds them to a list called The Book of the Guilty. Indicted players are much more likely to be invaded, especially by members of the Darkwraith Covenant. Darkwraiths are spirits of vengeance (they can also invade you if you sin against the tenets of your current Covenenant), and their shield will pull humanity straight from your body. You learn much more about the Darkwraiths near the end of the game.

Another thing you can buy from the Pardoner is absolution, which clears you of sin and, I think, erases your name from the Book of the Guilty.

You may have been invaded by a Darkwraith, or by a character who happened to find one of their shields. Those things aren't easy to come by, though, so I'm amazed someone with such power invaded you so early in your game.

Congratulations on Taurus Demon! The Burg and the Parish are a good place to grind a bit. If you have access to the Parish bonfire (across the narrow, tree-lined bridge opposite the church), you can head downstairs, meet Andrei the Blacksmith, then visit Darkroot Garden, where the foes carry more souls but can eat your face.

You can be invaded by AIs, but they usually have clever names like "Maneater Mildred," whereas human invaders have names like "Azzclowne666." I don't think you can be indicted for defeating an invader, only for invading and killing another player.

The Imposing Thing you mention... I recommend firebombs, though there is another way to defeat it. It will not respawn. And as for your theory about that area of the Burg, you're correct, but it may be a bit before you can access it.

Fear is the mind-killer!