Best route from the hook to the great desert

[Legeis]

So its been a while since I've played and the map has gotten bigger. I decided to do a fresh start with a new squad and went for the soldiers son scenario. So the UC love me and the Holy kingdom hates me. My squad is currently down in the hook making some cash but I want to go check out the great desert in the top right as I hear its greatly inspired by the old game world. The problem is there is this little thing called the holy nation in between and my scenario calls for -100 relations with them. I can only assume passing through their lands and cites may not end well. So I ask anyone have a good suggestion on what route may work for me.

PS. I'm not complaining I actually think the challenge will make this play through more fun!

[Q T Arbuthnot]

Up the west coast and across the top (skin spiders, assorted shek, gutters, shrieking bandits, cannibals and leviathans to worry about) or, if you have good protection against acid rain, over the swamp to the Border Zone, across the southern edge of Skinner's Roam and then across the Deadlands (Manhunters, Red Sabres, Swamp Ninjas, Blood Spiders, Dust Bandits and Iron Spiders in the way). Both are decent routes for a single high-stealth, high-athletics character (or small group of same); how a larger group with varied abilities might cope, I'm not so sure.
I think I'd take the Deadlands route - there's more scope for resting up safely along the way.

[Legeis]

Up the west coast and across the top (skin spiders, assorted shek, gutters, shrieking bandits, cannibals and leviathans to worry about) or, if you have good protection against acid rain, over the swamp to the Border Zone, across the southern edge of Skinner's Roam and then across the Deadlands (Manhunters, Red Sabres, Swamp Ninjas, Blood Spiders, Dust Bandits and Iron Spiders in the way). Both are decent routes for a single high-stealth, high-athletics character (or small group of same); how a larger group with varied abilities might cope, I'm not so sure.
I think I'd take the Deadlands route - there's more scope for resting up safely along the way.

LoL this seems much smarter than the solution I came to on my own! I figured I'd just YOLO is right through Okran's Valley and hope I didn't run into any Holy Nation patrols

[PerfectDeath]

The deadlands is a very direct route as well, its only real barrier is the acid rain. No beakthings along the way that could chase and catch even the quickest so, the swamp would probably be the biggest threat as the blood spiders, red sabers, and swamp ninjas can be pretty quick.

So, invest in Iron Hats and leather gear for that acid res. You can also buy blueprints at Black Desert City if you want to make hats and armour that gives good acid rain and sun burn resistance.

Though, I've never had a problem running from holy nation paladins so long as I avoided gearing up with gear that reduced athletics/run speed. So, going through the HN isn't impossible. I've run a high athletics and high stealth character (holy sword character) right through the HN and even ran through Rebirth to take selfies at the construction site and loot some ruins. But that was with +80 athletics and stealth. xD