Aldia's Keep

Souls: approximately 34,742

Farming souls at Aldia's Keep, Dark Souls 2: SotFS

Start from the Foregarden bonfire. Two-hand the Raw Greatsword+10 and equip these: Covetous Silver Serpent Ring+1, Nahr Alma Hood, Nahr Alma Robes, Jester's Gloves, and Tseldora Trousers. Equip the Watchdragon Parma in the left hand to raise your item discovery. Leave the Kobolds alone because their attacks can build up your petrify metre. If you insist on fighting them, at least equip the Ash Knuckle Ring to boost your petrify resistance. You should have lit all sconces, opened one locked door within Aldia's mansion, and pulled the lever within a locked room.

Go up the stairs, enter Aldia's mansion, and be greeted by a Basilisk near the entrance. Head on up to level one where you should find a bunch of mirrors on the wall. Approach one mirror. Wait and see whether a Looking Glass Phantom would spawn and break out of the mirror. In case a Looking Glass Phantom does spawn, position your character to the side of the mirror, wait for the phantom to break out of the mirror, stand behind the phantom, and R1. Go up to level two to find a Giant Basilisk. Enter the room that contains a statue of an iron dragon and pull the lever to open a door to the back portion of Aldia's mansion.

If you have pulled a lever found inside a locked room, you should see an Ogre nearby along the hallway. Use a bow and Poison Arrows to poison the Ogre and/or bait the Ogre to sit down so you can get in one hit. Attack the various paintings hung on the wall to reveal Dragon Acolytes. Further along the hallway you would find a Basilisk and another Ogre. Stick to the left wall and open the first door you encounter. The room inside contains the Ritual Site bonfire. Don't rest at the bonfire. Instead, descend the staircase to find Hunting Dog x 2 standing in a pool of corrosive liquid. Use a bow and arrows to lure one Dog at a time out of the pool. Exit the room, continue along the left wall of the hallway, and enter the large hole in the wall to find a lone Dragon Acolyte. At the end of the hallway is another Ogre. Enter the room that was previously locked to find Prowling Magus, Dragon Acolyte x 3, and a Belfry Gargoyle. First, lure each Dragon Acolyte outside the room, using the doorway to funnel the enemies. There is a fourth Dragon Acolyte who refuses to be lured outside the room. Next, run inside the room, get one hit on Prowling Magus, and run outside. Rinse and repeat. Finally, lure the Gargoyle to the doorway, where it can't fit, and cheese the Gargoyle. Rest at the Ritual Site bonfire.