Questions about getting the Dark Wood Grain Ring

Hi,

This afternoon I joined the Forest Hunter Covenant in order to get the Dark Wood Grain Ring. Just aside Alvina's room, Shiva stands but I can't see it's ninja bodyguard. I tried attacking Shiva so it turned hostile and attacked me. Few other people (including a ninja and another nearly invisible man) came with him. They ripped me into pieces and I'm not welcome anymore.

The price to fix things is around 26 000 at Oswald. So I have few questions before doing so:

1. If I go to Blighttown to meet him, will he be there?
   
2. Does it make a difference if I'm not his friend anymore (maybe he is only angry when he is at home because of it's wife) ?
   
3. Any advice for me (as a melee-only character) ?
   

Thanks!

hey won't be in blighttown anymore. unless you pay to make amends then rejoin the covenant.

Fix it, rejoin, everything should be fine as long as the ninja didn't mysteriously fall off the cliff. Advice as far as killing them? It's fairly easy, especially now that you can lock onto fog ring.

Okay so I have to pay. Thanks!

On a video I looked Shiva don't move while the player attacks the ninja. Is it a bug?

The invisible ninja/gimp is the one that drops the Dark Wood Grain Ring. The way I've been doing it is to join the covenant, gossip with Shiva a bit out front. Then head to Blighttown and talk to him near the wicker basket water-wheel of pointlessness and buy a few things from him if you desire any of his trinkets. Then when you are done...beat his booty. The ninja usually gets all amped up and stuck behind the wall Shiva is leaning against so you murder Shiva and then turn the weapon batteries on the gimp. Voila, flip ring.
Then if you really care about what the pretty white puddy-tat thinks of you or are worried about getting invaded due to your dirty little secret sins then go unload your baggage with Oswald again. Shiva won't respawn, but all will be right with the world

"Few other people (including a ninja and another nearly invisible man) came with him." <- one of those was the bodyguard.

Go outside Alvinas past Shiva is the bodyguard near the cliff edge. Just kick the bastard off the cliff. This won't aggro Shiva until he dies. Once he dies Shiva will come after you. Quit then reload and the ring will be on the ground. Pick it up and haul *** out of there.

If after you kick the bodyguard off Shiva kills you then no worries. Leave your bonfire and get rid of the NPCs in the begining. Sat pretty far away from Shiva and get to the cliff edge. Behind Shiva the ring will be glowing yellow waiting for you to pick up. Just stay near the cliff edge and sneak really slowly behind Shiva to pick it up. Sneak back the same way and get out of there. Absolve your sins again so you can buy from Shiva. He sells some good equipment so don't kill him.

Uh! I washed my sins and he is not where he is supposed to be in Bligttown…
Maybe I should meet him again at Darkwood (with no sins) before going back to Blightown?

While in darkwood... lure the axe npc back at the bridge with a bow and kill him. Then wear your stone armor, and go past the door where the cat is to aggro shiva and his ninja buddy back at the bridge. Stay at the end of the bridge and cast stone skin... it takes about 2-3 great chaos fireballs to kill both of them on NG, and if they are on the bridge, you will hit them both with every fireball you cast since they will be in line.

Well, I didn't realize I had to join the Forest Hunters again ! So it's done and I Sparta kicked the Ninja. Now I have the ring and Shiva is alive !

Is there a point being absoluted for my sins ? Or can I keep my 26k souls?

Good job! Yeah you will need to absolve your sins if you want to rejoin the forest covenant. When you rejoin the covenant Shiva will be in Blighttown to sell things. He has a lot of great weapons for dex builds.

Okay but if I'm not interested in his stuff, should I absolve?
Are my sins "global" or just with the Convenant I betrayed?
What is the difference between being a betrayer or just a non-member of the Covenant?

Sorry for those questions but I'm really not used to Covenant stuff.