There are hundreds of philosphies on character creation, and I have tried most of them :)
The following are humble opinions. If you have suggestions, please let me know.
The Shoushi SE Outpost provides a short/safe run to Cragstone (Via Hebian)
Great for Mules, Melee, and Archers (Yumi at Hebian)
The Yaraq North Outpost provides a short/safe run to Tufa
Great for Mages (Tapers) and there is easy hunting for mages on the Yaraq Beach (You can kill Water Golems at level 1)