You collect souls as you go through the game and slay enemies. After you beat the first actual level, you can use these souls to increase a stat of your choice. Each point given to a stat is 1 soul level. Each stat can get to 99... hence the max level of 792. The characters start at different soul levels because they already have stat distribution. This is one of the many reasons that most people consider the Royal to be the best starting class (Plus starts with magic and a Mana regen ring).
As for adding friends, you do it on the main PS3 homepage, the last option to the right is concerning friends and the like. It's in there somewhere.
EDIT: Don't double post, edit your posts in the future.
THE JACKAL








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