What happens after death and how to protect yourself? | Basics Dark Souls Guide

When you die, you lose all souls and Humanity points you have, and you also become undead again. But lost elements can be retrieved, if you can get to the place you died and collect the "corpse" (shiny point). You have to do this without dying again on your way, because there can be only one corpse of you in the game world, with all your possessions.

There is however a way to not to lose gathered souls. You can use any Ring of Sacrifice. If you equip this ring, souls will stay with you after your death but the ring will be destroyed itself. There are only few such items, so you should use it only in very difficult situation, when you know that it will be difficult to get to your corpse and you have many souls with you.