Path of Pain% route

Path of Pain% route (for any 1.2+ patch, assumes 1.4+)

Note: The goal of this category is to beat Path of Pain from a fresh save file.

[Geo]
{Essence}


Vengeful Spirit
•Head through Crossroads like normal
•Kill False Knight
•Grab the geo chest [200] (City Crest isn't needed)
•Collect Vengeful Spirit
•Soul Catcher is optional but definitely loses time

Mothwing Cloak
•Head through Greenpath like normal [~360]
•Open the Greenpath stag [220]
•Fight Hornet and pick up Mothwing Cloak
•S&Q to Ancestral Mound

Dream Nail
•Head through False Knight's arena towards Gruz Mother
•Open the Crossroads stag [170]
•Kill Gruz Mother [220]
•Buy and equip Shaman Stone [0] and rescue Sly
•Do TE shade skip to Resting Grounds
•Collect Dream Nail
•Open the Resting Grounds stag and bench
•Stag to Crossroads

Mantis Claw
•Head left to Fungal Wastes
•Kill the Shrumal Ogres and pick up the charm notch [90]
•Fight Elder Hu {100}
•Pick up Mantis Claw

Galien
•Get the whispering root in Mantis Village and collect the wanderer's journal {118}
•Head to the Spore Shroom entrance to Deepnest
•Drop into Deepnest and head to the hot spring (don't bench)
•Head through dark Deepnest to Galien
•Fight Galien {318} and S&Q to Resting Grounds

Lumafly Lantern
•Collect the Seer seal and open Spirits' Glade (I guess get the pale ore too because why not)
•Collect the whispering root {352} and get the Glade idol
•S&Q to the stag
•Collect the whispering root underneath the Seer {372}
•Fight Xero {472}
•Head down the elevator to King's Station
•Grab the Hallownest seal and bench
•Kill Gorgeous Husk [~550]
•Head through Spire and kill the Great Husk Sentry [600]
•Head up and around (hit the lever for later) and head past Lemm
•Grab the Rafters seal and sell to Lemm (MV journal, Seer seal, Glade idol, KS seal, & Rafters seal) [2950]
•S&Q to King's Station
•Stag to Dirtmouth [2650] and bench
•Buy Lumafly Lantern [850] from Sly

Crystal Heart
•Stag to Crossroads and enter Crystal Peak through the dark room [800]
•Head through Peak like normal
•Grab the Shopkeeper's Key
•Collect Crystal Heart and S&Q to Dirtmouth

Soul Sanctum
•Buy Elegant Key [0] and stag to King's Station
•Head back through Spire to Sanctum
•Fight the Soul Warrior [200] and collect Shade Soul
•Head through Sanctum and kill the other Soul Warrior [400]
•Fight Soul Master and collect Desolate Dive
•Exit and re-enter the room to fight Soul Tyrant {772} (save at least one cast of soul after the fight)
•Exit Sanctum and head back to Spire

Monarch Wings
•Head down the broken elevator shaft (you need 50 incidental geo by now, should be free) [450]
•Collect enough of the whispering root so that you have 801 essence {~800}
•Sit at the Basin toll bench [300]
•Fight Broken Vessel
•Fight Lost Kin {1200}
•Collect Monarch Wings and S&Q to the toll bench
•Head to Hidden Station and stag to Resting Grounds [0]

Failed Champion, Gorb, & No Eyes
•Collect all of the Seer's rewards up to Dreamgate
•Set a DG next to the Seer and stag to Crossroads
•Bench and equip Dream Wielder
•Head to and fight Failed Champion {1500}
•S&Q to the stag and stag to Dirtmouth
•Head to Howling Cliffs and kill Gorb {1600}
•S&Q to Crossroads, stag to Greenpath, and bench
•Head to No Eyes and kill her {1800} (with the Dream Wielder early control)

White Palace
•DG to Resting Grounds as the essence is collecting
•Collect Awoken Dream Nail and stag to Hidden Station
•Head through White Palace
•Enter Path of Pain and complete it
•Try not to die to the Kingsmoulds
•Done