I beat the two Dragon Riders and have opened the shortcut to the bonfire but can't figure out where to go from here. There is a door that is locked next to a lever that I cannot pull. There is also the area with the 3 archers near where you open the shortcut but that seems to be a dead end.

Any hints on how to progress would be great!

Enter the lever room and look to your right. There's a ladder there.

@steadyingmeat: I've been up there. That leads to the shortcut you open up down the other hallway.

@noremnants: The lift should be there for you to use back in the lever room then. If it's not then I have no idea what to tell you.

@steadyingmeat: No lift, just the circular hole and a lever that I can't pull.

Edit: Found it. There is a room up the ladder that had one of those statues that you need to kill enemies by to activate.

I might be wrong about this, but I think you need to "activate" the statue in the room with the living statue guys.

Edit: ye, just went and checked. Up the ladder on the right and then activate the big guy in the middle of the first room. That should activate the lift back down at the start (although you can't go straight back).

@ares42: Yup. I found it. Thanks!

So I'm in the spot spot and that statue will not activate for me. Is there a certain way you have to kill the enemies ?

@darkstalker: You have to kill them close to statue so that their souls go to it

@bocam thanks that was driving me nuts.

Dark souls you never fail to confuse

Nice one! thanks for that, I was beginning to wonder if it was a glitch.