I think you might be right about that actually... Or at least my sister arrived her before I did and didn't have the same memories as I did. So I guess that would make sense.

[Her eyes light up a bit at that.]

That sounds a lot like Vale. I went to school there for about a year. No river going through it but it is by the ocean! Along with a big old mountain to the side of it too. The four major kingdoms have been around for generations. Then there are older ruins of what ever came before them.