1789E (Times, they are a changin')

At time of writing, the day is the 26th day of 1790E, a full 390 days after the adventure started.
A lot can happen in a year. A lot did happen in a year, but what's changed?
Zelkor's ferry is still a muddy hamlet where rooms are between 1 and 5 gp per night, depending on what Odo Bristleback thinks he can get away with. The number of adventurers dropped during the Autumn and Winter of 1789E, but the Bristleback Inn is bustling again as a new wave of adventurers arrive to seek their fortune. Unlike the Great Downward, they wont trudge overland to a cave or ruin, dodging stirges and wolves. Instead they will take a wagon or barge to Dejune, and from there they'll take the Mosswood highway a little inland, to explore the mysteries of the Forest of Hope, and possibly get terribly murdered by goblins. There's good reason to believe Tai Yong Outpost will be the next adventuring hub. All it needs is a slightly better inn.
Zelkor's Ferry itself has grown a little. A mage named Ulzic opened Ulzic's Unaligned Unmissables some time near the mid year, to capatalise on the minor magic items GDEC was moving through the town. Later, a telephosian priest named Arran of the Wheat constructed what was to become the first church of Telephos in the region. The town has also moved its palisade wall out another 50 feet, to make room for all the new buildings.
The walk from Zelkor's Ferry to Castle Calaelen (a walk the Company did many times in those first few days) has also changed drastically. "Zelkor's Way" is the name of the new road linking the two towns, and it is one long belt of farmland. The Way is technically part of Zelkor's Ferry, which suits Mayor Bristleback and Freydan just fine. Freydan doesn't need to worry about managing miles of road, and it gives Bristleback something to do other than ripping off adventurers. The farmland is the Dominion's usual mix of people; refugees from Tsuen and Bronze Meadow, young people from neighboring towns looking to start a new life, and Aberdeenians who don't seem too willing to talk about their past.
The river running from Dejune out to sea holds most of the cargo trade, as barges gently float down it, carrying crates between Dejune, Zelkor's Ferry and Castle Grey. Boat travel has become much cheaper, now that neither Bloody Jackson's pirates, nor most of the smaller bandit gangs can prey on the barges. Castle Grey deserves mention; a small clearing has become a bustling town of thousands of people in only a matter of months, proving that adventurers are the lifeblood of local economies.
Dejune too has sprung up, but at a slower pace. Dejune is now home to over a hundred Tengu, giving the town a mixed reputation. The atmosphere is very different from Greyton, the residents of Dejune are more eclectic and more relaxed, without Tabitha's watchful gaze spurring them on to work.
The Forest of Hope surrounding Dejune has changed a lot. Once the domain of wild wolves and diseased creatures, it's seen several purges. Most of the truly terrible things have thrown themselves at the walls of Dejune at some point during the year, and has made the forest much less dangerous. The old ruins within are prime adventuring targets for 1790E's latest crop of first-level hopefuls. The death of Azirax seems to have closed the spigot on whatever was manufacturing the blight within the forest.
The rest of the Valley however is much less lucky. The events of the 360th day of 1789E has seen undead and demons liberally scattered around the Valley, and has necessitated many changes as outlying farms are abandoned and towns with large graveyards have been evacuated and/or burned to the ground. The mood accross the Valley is grim: Something terrible has come to the Valley, and it's not about to up and leave any time soon.
The one place where the the mood has lifted somewhat is Skor. Queen Illden is on the throne, and those who might have been displeased with that outcome have since left the city. It's too early to tell if Illden has the knack for rulership (although it's agreed that Severin's countless tomes on the subject would not have helped). However, there is still the idea in the background of Skorrian's heads that this is right, somehow. The Aerim's are on the throne, and the world is as it should be. The royal guard, the royal throne and even the royal banquet are not just words any more, but something that is part of every day life. For the people of Skor it's like seeing history come to life, and conjures up the stories of Kings and Queens and better times, before the entropic onset of the fifth age.
There are many other changes, too numerous to ever catalog. Grindyr Dragonsbane Teyr'anaric is reunited with his niece. Tsuen burned, but The Calaelen Dominion was built. Kruin exists. Mirrax decided her fleet was too small, and got carried away. Creatures once thought of as monsters are becoming accepted faces, like Cheffit, Graa'aa'ahk, and Short Yak. Asa, Karina, Javier, and Barrak were reclaimed from a life of crime, and 3 out of the 4 went on to become pretty decent people. Barrack and Avale got engaged, as did Hengsha and Freydan. 
The world is a darker place than it was a year ago, as the threat of Orcus casts a shadow over the Valley, but with it's a long road, on which hope and despair walk hand in hand.