What are these inscriptions and how to play with others?

Basics - Dark Souls Game Guide

Strategy Guide and Walkthrough by Szymon "Hed" Liebert gamepressure.com

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If you explore Dark Souls lands in online mode, you'll encounter some strange things sometimes. This is a complex online play system, which allows players to give hints, help or fight other players. Most important are:
1) Phantoms - near the bonfires (but not only), you'll often see phantoms - these are other players. You can't interact with them.
2) Bloodstains - if you activate a bloodstain, you'll be able to see how another player died. This is a signal that you're close to the dangerous fragment of the game.
3) Additional Estus Flask - sometimes you'll get additional Estus Flask. That happens when other players light the bonfire. You can also help others in same way by using Kindle option at the bonfire.
4) Signs - orange signs on the ground are placed by other players and rarely by game creators. Mostly these are useful hints about tactics or hidden passages. You can rate such texts and also put your own - you just have to buy Orange Guidance Soapstone (Undead Merchant, Undead Burg). If your text is rated positively, you'll get additional Estus Flask. What's more, you're developing "message icon" level.

5) Co-Op - if you place a white sign on the ground, you can be summoned by other players to help them. If you see such a sign, mostly as a human, you'll be able to summon other players to your world (and sometimes NPCs too). There are Rewards for fighting along with them - by defeating the boss you'll obtain souls and Humanity. A few of factions in the game, known as Covenant, affect the ease of connecting with others. There is an item which makes this manipulation possible - White Sign Soapstone (can be obtained from Solaire of Astora in Undead Burg, just before the bridge with the wyvern).
6) PvP - if you play as a human, you risk that your world will be invaded by other players and sometimes by NPS. You will get the clear information about this on the screen. The opponent appears at some distance from you and not always knows where you are. There is of course option of visiting worlds of other players. You need for that Red Sign Soapstone (Painted World of Ariamis) or Cracked Red Eye Orb/Red Eye Orb (and some other items).