Aberdeen

Aberdeen is a moderately large nation in the south of the Valley, and is lead by Lord Peng Yan. It has a high number of natural advantages that make is a strong economic and military power in the region. In ages past it controlled most of the south of the Valley, but these days it only has a small nation of 30,000 people and a number of satellite settlements. 
Aberdeenians are a race of dark-skinned half-elves. They are intensely xenophobic, believing that they are the original people of the Valley, and all others are trespassing. There's certainly a lot of historical evidence suggesting that they are indeed the first people of the Valley, dating back over 10,000 years. The question remains as to whether those that came after have any claim to the land they too have inhabited for thousands of years.
The nation itself exists within a massive caldera in the iron-mountains, the remnant of a long-dead super-volcano. Because of this the soil is rich with nutrients, but space is limited. The walls of the caldera form a natural defense, and between that and the ease of farming makes it impossible to siege. It has expanded outside the caldera in recent centuries, incorporating nearby settlements in exchange for protection.
Their culture is an unusual mix; the vast majority worships Abadar, a Lawful-Neutral god of wealth who advocates slow expansions and caution in all things. Abadar is a foreign god, and many feel Aberdeen gave up its claim as "the first people of the Valley" when they turned their back on the Valley's pantheon.
However, there is a great deal of worship and reverence for those that came before. Aberdeen maintains a sizable population of intelligent undead as an (un)living historical record of everything that's come before. This is an open secret as necromancy is illegal in most of the Valley, but by preserving its best and brightest in this way, Aberdeen maintains a competitive advantage in all things.
Aberdeen is governed by a council made up of the leader of each noble house. These nobles are called Shens, and not all are equal. The more powerful houses hold great influence over the lesser houses, so a powerful Shen can control a great number of council votes. There's usually between 80-90 Shens at any one time as old houses die out and new houses are created as a reward for particularly valorous deeds. Membership of a house is not hereditary, rather each house controls a certain area of land (rather like a micro-nation), and everyone who lives within it is automatically a member of the controlling house.
The common people of Aberdeen are mostly farmers, with a few merchants. The soil of Aberdeen is very rich, and farmers and engineers work hard to get usable crop space out of the limited land they have. The rainfall in Aberdeen is highly unpredictable, so a complex network of irrigation and weather-controlling-magic keeps the crops growing year-round.
Citizens are also expected to spend a few months a year in the military, training and patrolling. As a result, whenever an army needs to be raised, each citizen can be expected to be drafted. Each citizen is also expected to maintain their own arms and armor, as well as practicing archery for a few hours each week.
The Iron Mountains that surround Aberdeen is the ancestral home of the Valley's tengu population. The tengu are treated as second-class citizens by Aberdeen, and excluded from holding government office. Since they're often branded as criminals and blamed for unsolved crimes, the tengu spend most of their time in the mountains in a monastic lifestyle. 
Early in the fifth age, Aberdeen experimented with the advantages of black powder and hand cannons with which to arm their citizens in times of need. While the idea was eventually abandoned, the tengu retained an interest in it, and have been tinkering with the craft over the years. In the few places where guns are more useful than magic (such as for ships on the Still Sea), tengu gunsmiths are the ones called in to produce them.