From Freeport head out into the East Commonlands. Put your Accelerando
on, and take the trail into the woods. When the trail splits, go left.
This will take you by several inns, and you'll be in sight of the desert
at times...keep an eye on those Griffins!

You'll zone to West Commonlands - this is the dangerous part. Not only
Griffs and Hill Giants, but Young Kods, and real Kods to chase you.
Keep Accelerando on and split the middle of the zone - the road is too
dangerous (there's a Dark Elf necro named Kizdean Gixx that hangs on the
road with a pet - he's still red to me at 12th), and you are safe as
long as you keep running. At the other end of the zone you will rejoin
the road as you zone into Kithicor Forest.

In Kithicor slow down a bit. Stick to the road, always take the right
fork in the road. The last fork is a doozy - bends back on itself right
next to a tree - easy to miss. If you zone to High Hold, you've gone
too far, come back out to Kithicor, staying along the left side of the
zone and you can't miss the entrance to...

RIVERVALE!!! Home of Happiness (or at least where the idea for
McDonalds McBurglar came from). Explore, there are plenty of quests
here, mostly Druidical it seems, but the Squad Ring quest is for
any/everyone. Misty Thicket is through the cave that the Priest of
Discord faces.

A note on the Squad Ring itself: Yes, it takes a pile of Goblins...was
about 200 - 250, plus around 40 Mootos for me. The occasional stray orc
doesn't hurt. I accidentally killed Gunrich once, the word is thats bad
for your faction adjustment. Keep those necklaces and don't give up.

Now, my wife's Druid heard about the good time I was having in
Misty/Rivervale and decided to come over. She dug in with the quests
around town, and then headed over to Misty Thicket. She got her squad
ring much faster than I, or anyone else I've talked to. We've narrowed
it down to two possibilities: either a) you do enough good works around
Rivervale that you don't need to kill so many goblins, or b) the sheer
numbers of Orcs she killed over in the Faydark from levels 5 - 10 before
coming somehow counted.

Hope you enjoy the Misty Thicket!!!

Shadren, Guard-Bard of Rivervale