Whenever you enter a new area it is important that you locate the bonfires as quickly as possible. There will be several bonfires in each of the game world regions and they play several useful roles, the most important of which is activating the fast travel feature which will make it much easier for you to complete quests as it will allow you to quickly return to previously visited areas. Bonfires also enable you to change your team and check your item chest (storage).