I've started multiple quest lines only to have to back out (or default to an old save because I'm stuck) repeatedly. I'm at lvl 20 now and as far as I can tell, there's nothing to do but grind for another 10 levels until I'm strong enough to survive:
I've been through the quest guides here, and they're convoluted by the fact that some are based on previous versions where things have changed since...
Really, I'm just lost right now and cannot figure out any path forward. I like the concept of the game and don't want to bail, but I'm running out of patience and ideas.