A Primer on the Valley

=== Where are we? ===
The Stoneheart Valley. It's not the best place to be, but it's our home. Here's a truly awful map:
==== How much of this do I actually need to read? ====
Pretty much none of it. Seriously.
==== What's off the edges of the map? ====
To the north is the Stoneheart mountain range (and a few others), collectively known as the Dwarflands. In these mithril-filled peaks, dwarves did deep to uncover vast riches and only the occasional slumbering demon. Up above, a barbaric people stalk the snow, hunting and eating whatever they come across.
To the south are the Dales. The Lower Dales are home to the chaotic-good leaning 'wood-elves' and catfolk. The Upper Dales are home to the lawful-neutral tending 'high elves', in all their pretty forests and fancy ancient architecture.
To the east is the Great Ocean, which eventually leads to the continent of Lundar, and to the west is the Still Sea (which is where our story takes place). 
==== What's the deal with the Still Sea? ====
It's a largely unexplored body of water. On it, magic unwinds and unravels itself rapidly. Enchanted swords become little more than fancy steel, magic spells quickly fade or don't work at all. Creatures that rely on the background magical energies of the world, such as dragons, outsiders and mortal heroes find their bodies wasting away.
It's awful, and as such is largely unexplored. It's said that souls that die below its waves don't always reach the afterlife, and it's stories such as these that curtail exploration. Until now, that is
=== The Mainland ===
==== Tsar: ====
The biggest city on the mainland, and the most often burned down. You can find almost anything somewhere in its twisting streets, or anyone for that matter. A lot of powerful people call it home, including much of the Valley council, and the heads of most of the big guilds and companies.
Tsar has a dark underbelly though - quite literally. It's built over old catacombs that are home to some terrible things. A small military force is dedicated to keeping the undercity clear.
==== Skor: ====
The next largest city, near the north of the Valley. The Kingdom of Skor once ruled most of the valley, but now controls less than 20% of it. Queen Illden Aerim was recently returned to the throne by the Great Downwards Engineering Company, and is a popular leader. Skor is a beautiful and wealthy city, and home to many gnomes and halflings who settled in the city some centuries ago.
==== Sandpoint: ====
On the shore of the Still Sea, Sandpoint oversees some of the largest farms in the Valley. The town itself is renowned for being built in one of the safest parts of the Valley, and provides a high standard of living to its citizens.
==== Aberdeen: ====
A strongly lawful city, built in a massive depression between mountains. Of everywhere in the Valley is has the most concrete class structure. The native Aberdeenians are dark-skinned half-elves, who're a xenophobic lot. Aberdeen controls much of the surrounding land, collecting taxes in exchange for making the area one of the safest in the Valley.
=== The Calaelen Dominion ===
Constructed under the auspices of the Great Downward Engineering company, the Dominion is a collection of small villages, and two large towns. 
Greyton is a lawful-aligned city that organises massive labor groups for mining and building projects. It's a common destination to those with who have the ability to work, but no money to their name. Its major landmark is Castle Grey, an imposing structure, built entirely without magical aid, a powerful symbol of Law and the strong work ethic the town embodies.
Dejune is a cosmopolitan town of misfits, refugees, and the like. It's home to a large population of non-humanoids, and produces many strange and exotic goods that can be found nowhere else. Although it is less than half the size of Greyton, it remains the spiritual capitol of the Dominion. Castle Calaelen (for which the Dominion is named) stands on a hill above the town. One a near-ruin, it is now a beautiful building filled with treasure and art, a testament to the success of the Downwards Company, and their revitalization of the Valley.
==== I skipped to the bottom. What's actually important? ====
Our story starts in Dejune. From there, we'll be heading out to the Still Sea.