Dark Souls 2 covenants and roles explained

Dark Souls 2 will see covenants return, and it seems that From Software wants to really expand the game's PvP format using their roles.

You may recall that we posted this gallery of Dark Souls 2 covenant screens earlier in the week. Now, the studio has released further details on what the covenants are, and how they work.

It comes from Siliconera which confirms that the Blue Sentinels are charged with helping players who become invaded by others. You are whisked away to their world to help them fend off player-controlled Black Phantoms.

In addition, when a member of Way of the Blue Covenant is invaded, they also receive help from one fellow covenant member as well as a Blue Sentinal. So it's possible to have three friendlies fighting one invader. That'll learn them.

For those doing the invading, the Brotherhood of Blood covenant is similar to the Darkwraith Covenant in Dark Souls, in that you collect blood from felled PvP players for Dark Souls 2's god of war Nahr Alma. Members of the Heirs to the Sun Covenant also show up in people's worlds to help then defend against attackers, but instead appear as a Gold Phantom. However, we're not sure how they're different yet.

Lastly, members of the Bell Keepers covenant are automatically transported to the world of another player who enters an area with a bell in it. It's their job to defend the bell from them in PvP combat.

We'll have more on Dark Souls 2 soon. What do you make of the above?