Dark Souls 2 Questions

I won't be able to get a copy of Dark Souls 2 for a couple more weeks, so I have some questions I want answered, to help tide me over until I can get my copy. I'll update this thread whenever I have another question. Feel free to ask your own questions too, if you'd like. Here is what I want to know: Is Artorias involved in the game whatsoever? Are any of Gwyns other knights in the game or at least mentioned? Is there any covenants similar to the Blades of the Darkmoon, or is there any item similar to the Blue Eye Orb? Is there a decent population of players? All answers are appreciated, just try not to include any huge spoilers.