i seem to have hit a point where i can’t go any further. all the bosses are kicking my ass or the doors are locked with keys i havent found. my guess is that either i’ve built a dud build or more likely i’ve wandered off and missed something. i think that it started somewhere around the broken hills area, but im not sure. i’ve been all over there all the way to deadmans gorge where i almost made it to that gate at the end of the killer path to find i cant open it. so i think i need something in between those zones. or im way off all together. if someone could point me in the right direction id be eternally grateful. 
Only areas where a key is required are the rogue dungeons and you technically don’t have to do them. I assume you mean Deadman’s Gulch and yeah, that’s the right path to continue the main quest. And you can only get into the area at the end of the green path with a quest you get considerably later on, so you don’t have to go there for now.
What’s your current quest for the main storyline? It’ll be the one at the top of your list with a star next to it if you don’t know.
If I’m reading this correctly, what you want to do from Deadman’s Gulch / talking to Ulgrim is head to the path on the left to Mountain’s Deep. The other entrance (that you can’t get through yet, beyond that aether on the ground that’s killing you) is actually part of a quest for Black Legion that you’ll get later in the storyline.
Ok. I see. /facepalm. I just kept going right after the npcs rather than even looking left. Bonehead move if I say so. Thanks guys
Taking advantage of the rotating camera in these moments of discombobulation can help troubleshoot the problem, for future reference if it happens again somewhere else
roger that. was really annoying with no one to blame but myself 