Seem to be very underpowered at the moment

[dbgager]

Is the proper progression Eastwillow>Ironpool Dam>Everdale>Port Kudaad>Devils Slough. Because after doing all the quests I have found along the way I am only level 9 and seem to be having some difficulty with the Trolls and Boreheads I am finding in this and surrounding areas. Did I miss a quest hub along the way.

[Randomizer]

There are a whole group of quests and monsters that are east of Eastwillow and then north along the coast that you might have skipped.

Depending upon you character build you can be underpowered the first time you reach the trolls. Especially if you can't keep up with their health and regeneration. It is possible to elude them and get the quest.

[KillingMoon]

There's hardly such a thing as 'proper progression'. You could go all the way west as well, to the dwarven village, and see if you can do a few quests to do with dwarves and wolves.
Or go south-west, in the direction of a place called Edon. The gameplay in Eschalon is very open.

But normally you would do the whole area between Eastwillow and Port Kuudad first, as Randomizer suggested.

To get to the Secret Society early is helpful and not difficult, especially if you roughly know where the entrance is. Trolls are slow and afraid of fire, which can be helpful to know, depending on your build.
You certainly don't need to kill every monster in the game, being sneaky can also get you where you want, and it's even possible to finish the whole game without killing a single monster.

But I expect you just have the problem of inexperience. Then it usually starts to get tough in the mid-game. If you're unfamiliar with the game mechanics it's hard to know how to best set up your character. Focusing on just a couple of skills and attributes and maximizing those is very effective.

[Dragonlady]

Don't forget the quests in Everdale. I usually do East Willow quests, then go to dam area (only doing half the dungeon there), then a bit north and east to Everdale, then to the Port. Then I usually have enough levels to do the beetles, trolls and progress from there.

[NathanEschalon]

Would be useful to know what kind of character you're playing and how you've spent your stat/skill points. If you haven't spent a good deal on your primary weapon skill you may be having trouble damaging enemies?