DS2 Notes: Any% Current Patch (5 Rotten)

[0a] INTRODUCTION | DISCLAIMER:
Rough translation of SirArthvr's 5 Rotten notes: https://pastebin.com/qumAL9D1.
All credits to him, I just added some tweaks.
THIS IS NOT THE WORLD RECORD ROUTE!
CHECK THIS LINK FOR THE WORLD RECORD ROUTE NOTES BY PSEUDOSTRIPY --> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/270540244586201088/738038090379165696/Any__CP_notes_v01.pdf

His notes are based on PrepayingDeath's Personal Best (as of 18/12/2018). No Pursuer 17K or Cat Ring Skip memes!
	Speedrun.com: https://www.speedrun.com/darksouls2/run/z510nrdm
	Twitch VOD: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/304316513

Reminder that the menu slots (where you put each of your items needed in the run) are up to you. These notes are just how Prepaying does it.
Discarding/dropping stuff is always not necessary, but can help "clean up" your inventory.
Be sure to watch other runner's streams, VODs or PBs to fully understand every situation, since everyone does some bits differently. And of course... practice a lot!

[0b] RESOURCES:
https://speedsouls.com/Dark_Souls_II
https://www.speedrun.com/darksouls2

[1] START:
- Choose the Bandit class. Choose the Bonfire Ascetic as the starting gift.
- When you leave the house of the firekeepers, unequip your armor and bow.
- Talk to the Emerald Herald and light the bonfire in Majula.
- Head to the Forest of Fallen Giants.
- When using the switch before the door mechanism, heal with the Estus Flask.
- Equip the Estus Flask, Dark Sign, Bonfire Ascetic, and the Black Separation Crystal while the door opens.
- Pick up the soul in the river before the waterfall. Switch the Black Separation Crystal for the soul.

[2] LAST GIANT:
- Talk to Melentia and buy her a bomb. Pop the soul while she speaks.
- Light the bonfire besides Melentia. Equip the bomb and use it explode the wall.
- Perform the Pursuer Glitch, rest at the bonfire, and go towards Last Giant.
- In the elevator: heal yourself with the Estus Flask, equip the Ring of Blades in the first slot, change the Bonfire
  Ascetic for the Pursuer's Soul, and equip the Homeward Bone.
- Kill the Last Giant and warp/bone out with the Dark Sign.

[3] MAJULA 1:
- Talk to Melentia and buy from her the Leningrast's Key (Blacksmith's Key).
- Warp to Majula.
- Talk to the Emerald Herald. Go and open the Blacksmith's door.
- Rest at Majula's bonfire. Talk to Emerald Herald.
- Go to the blacksmith and use the Soul of the Pursuer while talking to him.
- Buy from the blacksmith: Rapier, 6 titanite shards. Upgrade the Rapier to +3.
- Go towards Shalquoir (the cat). While going, switch the axe for the rapier and equip soul on the second slot.
- Talk to Shalquoir use the Soul of the Last Giant while talking to her.
- Buy from Shalquoir: Cat Ring, 2 Homeward Bones, and 2 Alluring Skulls.

[4] PIT:
- Equip Cat Ring on the Second Slot and do the following drops:
  Fall and spam a lifegem. Cancel the animation dropping to the next spot.
  Use another lifegem and, again, cancel the animation dropping to the next spot.
  Run to the right and drop to the next spot.
  When landing, do a roll backwards to land in the next spot (big door).
  Do an R1 with the Rapier to land in the next spot.
  When landing, do a backstep to reach the end.

[5] GUTTER:
- Equip the axe in the 3rd slot.
- Kill the lizard with an R1 and a jump attack (one hand both).
- Drop down and unequip the axe.
- In the wooden parts drops, use a lifegem.
- Pick up the Fragrant Branch of Yore at the end of the Gutter.

[6] ROTTEN 1:
- Light the bonfire before Rotten.
- Defeat Rotten with the Rapier.
- Equip the bow in the second slot. Switch to the bow, and go to the DLC.

[7] DLC PART 1:
- Equip Soul of the Rotten in the second slot of the inventory.
- When opening the door, equip the alluring skulls in the 3rd slot and the bonfire ascetic in the 4th slot.
- Activate the elevator with an arrow.
- Attempt to jump the gap (photoshop jump); in case of failing, pop Soul of the Rotten.
- Go past the enemies and activate the elevator with the Rapier.
- Use an Estus Flask while waiting for the elevator to go up.
- Light the bonfire and keep going forward.
- Go past the bridge that explodes.
- Shoot the switch on the floor.
- Shoot the switch on the wall.
- Shoot the switch on the floor again.
- Pick up the stuff from the wall that opens.
- Shoot the switch on the floor again for the last time.
- After going through the switches zone, change the bonfire ascetic for the soul. Go to the right!
- Pick up Flynn's Ring from the chest.
- Go through the tombs. Throw an alluring skull.
- Pick up the Eternal Sanctum Key. Bone out.

[8] DLC PART 2:
- Go forward and pop a lifegem before dropping on the stairs.
- Dodge the hollows in the bridge. Unequip the bow shortly after.
- Open the door on the left. Throw an alluring skull. Climb the ladder (x2).
- Past the NPC invader, light the bonfire. Drop in the hole and use a lifegem while the NPC disappears. Bone out.
- Go towards the cave. Enter the fog gate. Drop to the hole in the left. Pick up the brightbugs (2).
- Pick up the Bonfire Ascetics (3).
- Bone out.

[9] MAJULA 2:
- Warp to the Forest of Fallen Giants bonfire.
- Buy from Melentia: Caestus, 3 Brightbugs.
- Talk to Melentia so she gives you the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring.
- Warp to Majula.
- Talk to the Emerald Herald and level up 29 Endurance and 10 Adaptability.
- Go to the blacksmith and upgrade the Rapier to +4.
- Go towards Rosabeth. Equip the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring in the 3rd slot and Flynn's Ring in the 4th slot.
- Pick up the stuff besides Benhart of Jugo that is before entering the area Rosabeth is in.
- Use the Fragrant Branch of Yore on Rosabeth. Activate the switch.
- Equip the Brightbugs in the 2nd slot of the first row and equip the Homeward Bones in the 3rd slot of the 2nd row.
- Kill the lizard-frog with a two handed R2. Unequip the Cat Ring while the second door opens.
- Run through and light the bonfire in the Shaded Woods.

[10] VENGARL:
- Go to the right from the bonfire.
- Talk to Vengarl 5 times and buy from him: 14 Gold Pine Resins. Bone out with the dark sign.
- Go to the door in the middle from the bonfire.
- Equip the Gold Pine Resins in the 3rd slot.
- Pick up RTSR. Bone out with the dark sign.

[11] ROTTEN 2 & 3:
- Warp to Black Gulch. Use a bonfire ascetic.
- Use a Gold Pine Resin and a Brightbug before entering and equip RTSR.
- Setup RTSR with the Lava.
- When defeating Rotten 2, use another Gold Pine Resin while waiting for the fog gate to disappear.
- Go to the bonfire. Use a bonfire ascetic.
- Defeat Rotten 3. Bone out.

[12] ROTTEN 4:
- Use a bonfire ascetic. Use a Brightbug before the tiny drop. Use a Gold Pine Resin before the fog gate.
- Defeat Rotten 4. Bone out.

[13] ROTTEN 5:
- The same thing as Rotten 4.

[14] MAJULA 3:
- Warp to Majula.
- Use Old Dead One Soul (4) & Soul of the Rotten (4).
- Level up 18 Vigor, 49 Endurance, 40 Strength, 40 Dexterity.
- Warp to the Shaded Woods.

[15] DRANGLEIC:
- Go to the left from the bonfire in Shaded Woods.
- While running, switch the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring to the Cat Ring.
- Go to the main Drangleic Castle door. Open it by killing the hollows besides the triggers.
- While the door opens:
  Try to set up RTSR by taking hits from the royal soldiers (and if you're just out of range with too much health, you can take off the
  cat ring and use the drop by the ladder in Drangleic to complete the setup).
  Unequip the Cat Ring for RTSR. Equip the bow in the left hand. Equip the Caestus in the 2nd slot of the right hand.
  Drop the axe and the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring from the inventory.

[16] DRAGONRIDERS:
- Use two handed Caestus to kill the soldier in the left of the soul door.
- While the soul door opens, open the door that has a bonfire inside it. Light the bonfire.
-Pick up the Old Radiant Lifegems (3) or the Elizabeth Mushroom afterwards (remove Flynn's Ring or it will get destroyed by the pool).
- Use a Gold Pine Resin before the fog gate (equip Flynn's Ring if you removed it before).
- Use the bow on the Dragonrider with the bow so he drops down.
- Defeat the Dragonrider with the bow.
- Defeat the second Dragonrider.
- Use an Estus Flask while the fog gate disappears.

[17] LOOKING GLASS KNIGHT:
- Climb the ladder.
- In the room with the soldiers, kill the last soldier in the left with the two-handed Caestus.
- Go to the rooftop with the archers. Setup RTSR when you drop down with a jump.
- Light the bonfire after Dragonriders.
- Go towards the elevator. Unequip the Bow and equip the Cat Ring.
- Use the elevator to go up. Discard (drop) the Dragonrider Soul.
- Pick up the Key to King's Passage in the chest besides the Milfanito in a cell. Bone out with the Dark Sign.
- Go towards Looking Glass Knight. Enter the fog gate. Use a Gold Pine Resin.
- Defeat Looking Glass Knight (perform the consistent knight strat).

[18] SHRINE OF AMANA & DEMON OF SONG:
- Go towards the elevator.
- While the elevator is going down: use a Dragon Charm, unequip Caestus, drop Caestus and discard (drop) the Looking Glass
  Knight Soul.
- In the first part of Amana, use a lifegem to heal up due to the drop.
- Unequip Flynn's Ring on the way.
- In the second part of Amana, dodge the spells and try to keep your sanity.
- After the fog gate, kill the big mushroom insect with the Rapier.
- Tank 2 spells to setup RTSR.
- Use a Brightbug and a Gold Pine Resin.
- Defeat the Demon of Song.
  Note: You can either use BB vs Demon of Song or vs Guardian Dragon. It's faster to use it vs Demon of Song, but you need to learn the consistent Guardian Dragon fight.

[19] VELSTADT:
- In the elevator: use a lifegem, drop the Demon of Song Soul & the Rapier, equip the Bow in the 1st slot of the right hand.
- In the bridge with the 2 knights, tank 1 attack to setup RTSR.
- In the rock field area, go to the door in the right.
- Use a Brightbug on the stairs to cancel the animation while tanking a spell.
- Use the Bow to shoot an arrow on the top left to open a gap between the two big knights with shields.
- Towards Velstadt, change the Bow for the Key of the Embedded and use a Gold Pine Resin.
- Defeat Velstadt. Unequip the Key of the Embedded. Pick up the King's Ring. Bone out with the Dark Sign.

[20] GUARDIAN DRAGON:
- Warp to the Shaded Woods.
- Go to the middle from the bonfire.
- On the way, switch the Cat Ring for the King's Ring.
- While the door opens, drop the Cat Ring and the Soul of Velstadt.
- Perform a jump besides the stairs to skip the big skeletal Dragon.
- After pulling the lever, equip the Key of the Embedded.
- Use a Gold Pine Resin in front of the door that the Ogre breaks in order to setup RTSR and cancel the animation.
- Use a Brightbug while the Ogre breaks the last door (if you didn't use it vs Demon of Song).
- Defeat Guardian Dragon.

[21] ASHEN MIST HEART:
- In the elevator: drop the Guardian Dragon soul, change the Key of the Embedded for the bow and use a Dragon Charm.
- Perform the jump that skips a large part of Dragon Aerie.
- Go towards the Ancient Dragon.
- Talk to the Ancient Dragon in order to receive the Ashen Mist Heart. Dark sign out.

[22] GIANT LORD:
- Warp to the Forest of Fallen Giants.
- Do the jump towards the Memory of Jeigh.
- Switch the Bow for the Key of the Embedded before entering the memory.
- Use a Gold Pine Resin while the big boulder passes.
- Defeat Giant Lord. Dark sign out.

[23] THRONE OF WANT:
- Buy from Melentia: 10 Lifegems and 3 Brightbugs.
- Warp to Drangleic Castle.
- While the Throne of Want area door opens, unequip the Dark Sign for the Brightbugs.
- Jump by the small ramp in the right at the beginning of the path (in order to be able to heal up immediately).
- Use a Gold Pine Resin and a Brightbug before entering the fight. Equip the Bandit Boots.
- Defeat Throne Duo.
- Use another Gold Pine Resin and another Brightbug while waiting for Nashandra to appear.
- Defeat Nashandra.