Getting the Bastille Key will allow you to light the flames on both sides of The Old Sinner’s Boss Room. They are similar to the Gargoyles from the original Dark Souls. To get the key, you’ll need to beat the Belfry Gargoyles. To make The Old Sinner a little bit easier, you can unlock the doors on the right and left of the mist gate before entering the boss fight, and they’ll give you the opportunity to light the room. The Old Sinner was our first great soul to tackle, and he feels like the most natural character to try first from a difficulty standpoint. You’ll need to fight your way through The Lost Bastille, and fight the Flexile Sentry though. You can also progress through The Lost Bastille by way of the N Man’s Wharf. You don’t have to take the nest route though.
From there, it’s a short trip to Sinner’s Rise, where The Old Sinner resides.
If you beat the Pursuer, the bird’s nest unlocked after that boss fight will allow you to fly to The Lost Bastille. There are a couple of ways that you can get to The Old Sinner.