The Valley nation is situated on the shores north of Rainbow Lake, which is in the centre of Orin Rakatha. To the east is a large range of seemingly impenetrable mountains called the Spine, which forms a solid boundary to the eastern borders of the Valley. To the north is a large unscaleable Escarpment that has a small valley between the Escarpment and the Spine that leads northwood to the Rift and Kalid lands. Finally to the west lies Dragur Marsh and is the main thoroughfare that connects the Valley to the rest of Orin Rakatha. There are three small islands within the Rainbow Lake to our south west called the Fingers and is where the River People are rumoured to live. The Valley relocated to their current location at the last Cataclysm and were previously located in an area called the Kern Valley.

The Valley is a well provisioned and pleasant land with many rolling hills, lightly forested areas and many pastures for cattle and crops. The mountainous area to the east provides many raw materials, not least stone and iron ore. With the lake to the south there is also an abundance of marine life and fishing has become increasingly popular among the Valley people although any fishing vessels stay close to the shoreline to avoid the impenetrable mists that cover the Central Isle. Two main "Ways" lead you away from the Valley, one to the north and one to the west, and they connect up to the other Ways within Orin Rakatha. It is on these Ways that Waystations are dotted every half a day to days walk and are the main paths used by all the peoples of Orin Rakatha to travel the lands. The two closest Waystations to the Valley are the Neck to our north and the New Inn to our west.

The Valley has a long tradition of training lightly armoured foresters, hunters and trappers to work on the fringes of the lands that the Valley own offering security and early warning of danger. This has now evolved into those who prefer living outdoors, away from the many buildings within the Valley, in the Druidical Groves and protecting the Ways that pass close to the Valley. Arbor has collected this currently disparate group of people together. All those that follow the Nature Sphere (the Druids Sect and all those that hold Nature as the supreme Sphere), the Delvers of the Temple of Earth Magics (The Brown School of Magic), some of the old Green School of magic and Hunters, Foragers, Woodsmen, Trappers etc.

The Valley is governed by the Council of Lords, which contains 13 Lords.

The Halls

The Halls are at the centre of the established Valley lands and is where the administration of the Valley is conducted in a series of squat functional buildings that houses the Council of Lords and other meeting chambers. There is a Master of the Halls (called the Seneschal) with a small staff of Caretakers including the Gatekeeper and the Master of the Keys. Most Adventurers have only a passing acquaintance with these men. The Lords of the Valley nation have agreed that in order to exclude competition and strife between them that they will all pledge their Status to the Seneschal who will not be allowed to leave the Valley except at the Time of Reckoning. In return the Seneschal has pledged to seek no power of any but his small team of Caretakers. If ever a vote reaches deadlock in the council of Lords then Lazarus Steel has a casting vote.

The Sectors

Each Lord has been given an area of land called a Sector that has around 500 inhabitants within it although this size varies between Sectors. The sectors are structured very differently and to the tastes of the Sector Lord and his people although many of them consist of a small collection of buildings adjoining to the Halls and a variety of fertile farmland. Each Sector Lord has need of men at arms, scouts, mages for magical advice and priests to see to the spiritual needs of the inhabitants. Each Sector is slightly different and although all have farmers and craftsmen etc these tend to be in different types. Some details on the Sectors can be found here.

The Training Camps

The Barracks, Temples and Schools of Magic are located within training camps on the fringes of the Valley, serving as an extra layer of protection to the populace and many of the Sectors. The Training Camps is the largest sector and is looked after by Lazarus Steel who calls himself the voice of the adventurers in recognition of the importance of adventurers to Valley life. The Training Camps are continuing to provide all training necessary for the Adventurers of the Valley.

Adventurers pledge their oath of fealty to their Sector Lord and a number of tutors are made available to teach within the Training Camps. Adventurers can choose to live in any Sector and pledge their allegiance to any of the Sector Lords regardless of race or class it is just as possible to be a human Fire Mage living in the Citadel as it is for an Elven Warrior to live in the Warrens if they so wish.

The Lords

The Lords govern the Valley and ensure that all the people are protected and have their needs met. In return the people render their labour and pay their respects to the lords.

The Adventurers

The Adventurers are the standing army of the Valley who due to the nature of Orin Rakatha are used to perform all the tasks outside Valley lands that are deemed necessary by the Lords. All player characters are Adventurers who should choose which Sector they wish to live in and which Lord they wish to give their Oath of Fealty to. It is not possible to have not sworn an oath of fealty to a Sector Lord.