Dark Souls 2 is a difficult game, and to win it you're going to need all the help you can get in the form of estus shards, sublime bone dust, and fragrant branches of yore.
While each of these items doesn't make the game significantly easier to play, having the ability to heal oneself with more charges of your estus flask makes playing the game much less of a pain.
To find each of these elusive items, you'll have to explore every nook and cranny of the game. If exploration just isn't your thing, or if you'd like to know where to look, check out the following list, compiled by redditor KokoWood for further details.
Estus Shard
- 2 in Majula
- – One is found in the well with a rock on it. hit the rock and it will come up. The other is found in the mansion after you get the key from Cale.
- Forest of Fallen Giants
- – Top floor of the Citadel bonfire. You need the Soldier's Key to get in
- No Man's Wharf
- – After you ring the bell to bring the ship closer, there will be a few houses you can enter. It's in one of them. I forget the exact one though
- Lost Bastille
- – -Kind of- Hidden path. From McDuff's bonfire go to the palce with the Jailer on a breakable platform and 2 (or 3?) dogs. You'll find a hidden pathway between the bonfire and it
- Harvest Valley
- – Before the Covetous Demon Boss there's a ledge in the water you can walk onto from the room before. It's on the body at the end of the corridor.
- 2 in Shaded Woods
- – One is found in a cell right after pulling the lever to get into the area. The other is found in the same room as Ornifex
- 2 in Brightstone Cove/Lord's Private Chamber
- – One is in an illusionary pathway to the left of the boss fog to Prowling Magus. The other is near the Lower Brighstone Cove bonfire.
- Dragleic Castle
- – Behind a breakable wall in the pathway to the right of Central Castle Dragliec bonfire
- Shrine of Amana
- – Found near the Sunlight Blade. There's an area a little farther from the Ceumble Ruins Bonfire that's guarded by 3 enemies. It's in a chest behind them.
Sublime Bone Dust
- Heide Tower of Blue Flame
- – Non-respawning Sentinel drop
- Huntsman's Copse (Undead Purgatory area)
- – On a ledge right before Chariot Demon
- Sinner's Rest
- – Found in the water right after coming down the Elevator.
- Black gulch
- – After final boss of the area is defeated
- Iron Keep
- – After final boss of the area is defeated
Fragrant Branch of Yore
-
2 in Harvest Valley
- Sinner's Rest (After last area Boss)
-
Shaded Woods (By using a Branch. Also get armor so it's worth it for -essentially- free items)
- You get another one by doing Mancorpion Tark's sidequest
- The Gutter
- Brightstone Cove/Lord's Private Chamber
- Iron Keep (Buy from merchant)
