The game takes place in the city of Far.  It is located on the northwest coast of a small continent that is known for warm, pleasent weather.  Far was formed by humans from the Sun Empire to the south as a northern port a few centuries before the Curse.  After the Curse it became a place where the Fey of the surrouding outer lands could retreat to.  The Sun Empire had been in a long standing war with many enemies and this port was mainly used to build ships for their war-fleet, so it was well defended.<br/><br/>A road ran through the Lonely Forest to the south of the city and connected it to the Empire's various states there.  However the Lonely Forest was overrun by Feyr, mostly Orcs, in the first century after the curse and contact with the Empire was cut by land.  The orcs built a powerful stronghold which itself became a large orc city at the roads exit from the forest at the south.  The seas became too dangerous to sail and soon all contact with the Sun Empire was severed.  The city was flooded with Fey and humans retreating from the countryside being overrun by Feyr and Cursed creatures.  The city did its best to accommidate all but in the beginning there was much chaos and fighting among its many citizens.  The Sun Empire revolved around a Republic government so the city adapted that and has an Assemby of elected citizens that make the day to day city desicions.  The former governor of the Sun Empire who was in charge of the territory had his home in Far, so he was crowned Far's supreme general and that post became the head of the city's military and has become passed down by heredity.  Over time, the need for the refugees and various races to band together to survive overcame their other squabbles.  Although to this day the result of the initial fighting has divided up the city into districts where people of the same race tend to gather together.<br/><br/>Feeding everyone became very difficult, the sea was still bountiful for fishing but The Feyr roam the coastline attacking ships and will sometimes raid the city.  The surrounding land is a bit rocky for farmland and does not produce enough.  The village of River Fork is a mere 16 miles away along the Scion River.  Its location at the fork of the Scion and Pain's Rivers is in lush plains that make good farmland.  That 16 miles has become extremely dangerous with the Curse.  The citizen's of Far, against the wishes of most Fey, came to a rather draconian pack with the dark elves who live in the mountains to the north.  Secure passage back and forth from the village in exchange for slaves.  A yearly lot is held among all who come of age and 50 are sent to the dark elves.  Still, the secure passage has ensured River Fork's crops can feed the people of Far.  River Fork is defended by the armies of Far and as Far became a city-state unto itself, River Fork is under its control.  The people of River Fork did not seem to mind too much as they were sparsely populated before the Curse and could not defend themselves.<br/><br/>North of Far is a large mountain range, a small are of lowlands along the coast would allow travel north but even going near the range is dangerous.  The dark elves and Illithiad have been waging a war for millenia both above and below its peaks.  Anyone wandering too close could be taken by either side.  The Illithiad enslaved many humans over the centuries and entire barbaric clans of humans devoted to fighting for their Illithiad masters have taken root in the mountains.<br/><br/>South, beyond the Lonely Forest, the land turns into mudflats and wastelands, save along the Pain's River valley which was followed into the Sun Empire.  Although elf and human records do have information for what is further south, so much has probably changed it is not considered reliable.  East of Pain's rivers there are some lowlands where the land becomes marsh and swamp before becoming beautiful meadows around the Dark Shadows Forest.  The Grit Stronghold, named after a human warlord who dominated the lands befor ethe curse, is centered between the meadows and marsh.  Ones the marsh, meadows and Pain's river valley were dotted with nomadic humans and some Fey.  The humans fled to the Stronghold after the curse and kept out all Fey, hoping they would be ignored by the Feyr.  They were not and the Feyr overran the city and it is now in control by human warlords who ally with the Feyr.<br/><br/>The Dark Shadows forest is infected deeply by the Curse.  A powerful human wizard who called himself the Dark Shadow stole an ancient artifact said to contain great magical power from the elves who once lived there.  When the Curse descended on the lands he found it easy to raid the old temple where it was kept and steal it.  To his dismay the artifact, the Codex of Arcana, could only be touched by women.  If he could not have it, no one could.  He left the Codex in its temple but weave powerful magic that enhanced the Curse in the forest.  The forest itself and its plants are said to be Cursed now and anyone so foolish as to search for the Codex is likely to be taken by the forest and never seen again.