Hothstan

Nation-State of the Pridarian Federation

Borders: U’drandra (north), Unnamed Southern Ocean (south)

Capital City: Live Well

Notable Features: The Great Scar, The Infinite Jungle Pocket

Overview

Hothstan is a deeply diverse nation defined by its profound reverence for nature, its multi-cultural spiritual traditions, and its historical coexistence between orcs, high elves, halflings, humans, and others. Before the Great Cataclysm, it was famous for blending vibrant coastal cities with accessible wilderness, making it a beloved travel destination.

The Cataclysm, however, shattered major transit routes—especially those leading through Shiland—leaving Hothstan largely cut off from the rest of Pridaria. Today, it is a land of rich tradition, ecological mystery, and geographic isolation.

Geography

The Great Scar (Hothstan–U'dranda Rift)

A colossal canyon carved by uncontrollable magic and tectonic force during The Cataclysm :

• 600+ miles long
• Up to 50 miles wide
• Depth: unknown in many regions

Certain sections have never seen sunlight and contain strange environmental distortions. Some explorers claim the Scar plunges into caverns or planar folds deeper than the crust itself.

The Central Forest

At the heart of Hothstan lies an immense, ancient forest revered by all major cultural groups.

This reverence is not attributed to any one people—over time, orcish, high elven, halfling, and human traditions have mingled so thoroughly that:

Many rituals, songs, and stewardship practices feel older than any single culture—woven together into a uniquely Hothstani identity.

This forest was intentionally preserved for millennia. Even before the Cataclysm, it housed druidic communes, spirit-tenders, and religious enclaves who lived in harmony with the land.

After the Cataclysm, the forest expanded, becoming denser, deeper, and more vibrant with lingering planar energy.

The Infinite Jungle Pocket

Hidden within the central forest lies a phenomenon unique to Hothstan:

A jungle pocket that appears normal from the outside but becomes nearly infinite once entered.

Travelers describe:

• Paths looping or stretching impossibly
• Time behaving inconsistently
• Flora and fauna unseen elsewhere in Pridaria
• A sense of entering a place half-real, half-spirit

Many believe this pocket was formed by a stabilized planar anomaly during the 25 years of magical instability.

Southern Coast

Hothstan borders a yet-unnamed southern ocean.

The coast contains:

• Former trade ports
• Bustling multicultural cities (pre-Cataclysm)
• Fishing economies
• An oceanic climate that shapes local cuisine and architecture

Culturally, coastal orcs have more in common with coastal elves than with inland orcs—demonstrating Hothstan’s horizontal cultural blending across geography.

Demographics

Hothstan follows the Pridarian pattern: humans are a strong plurality but not a majority, coexisting with a vibrant mix of peoples.

Major Populations

• Orcs – Influential contributors to the region’s philosophy, politics, and spiritual traditions.
• High Elves – Historically tied to forest mysticism and druidic scholarship.
• Halflings – Deeply woven into nature traditions; famed mediators maintaining harmony among groups.
• Humans – Numerous, adaptive, taking roles in both urban and rural life.

Cultural Blending

Because nature reverence emerged from multiple peoples simultaneously, many traditions are so intertwined that scholars cannot determine their origins.

A halfling vine-blessing ritual might resemble:

• an ancient orcish prayer,
• a high elven seasonal chant, and
• a human agrarian tradition

—all at once.

Regional Identities

Coast → Farmland → Forest → Infinite Jungle

Culture varies more by location than by species.

For example:

A coastal orc and coastal elf often share more cultural traits than either does with their inland kin.

Governance

Secular Rule: Regional Governors

Hothstan’s populated regions are governed by regional governors who oversee:

• Civil law
• Trade
• Infrastructure
• External relations
• Defense outside forested lands

They wield practical authority but defer to spiritual leadership in matters involving the forests.

Spiritual Rule: The Council of Druids

The vast forests fall under the stewardship of the Council of Druids, a powerful spiritual body that shapes environmental policy, sacred law, and communal ritual.

The Chieftain of the Druids

• Chosen by the Spirits of the Forest
• Serves as the ceremonial and spiritual leader of forest governance
• Holds power equal to regional governors, but in a different sphere
• Embodies the ancient mixed traditions of all Hothstani peoples

The Archdruid

• Former Chieftain who served for 250 years
• Stepped down shortly before the Great Cataclysm
• Has since become enigmatic and reclusive
• Rarely seen; stories about him border on myth
• Some connect his withdrawal to the forest’s anomalies, including the infinite jungle

Economy

Herbal Medicine & Natural Remedies

Hothstan is famous for its unparalleled herbal medicines, drawing on:

• Orcish apothecary traditions
• High elven botanical scholarship
• Halfling agricultural mastery
• Human alchemical ingenuity

Its remedies are highly valued across Pridaria.

Former Tourism Hub

Before the Cataclysm, travelers flocked to Hothstan for:

• Nature parks
• Coastal resorts
• Accessible forest trails
• Cultural festivals blending multiple traditions

This industry collapsed when major transit routes were destroyed.

Post-Cataclysm Isolation

The Cataclysm severed:

• Train routes
• Freight lines
• Direct passages through Shiland

As a result:

• Lev-train access is nearly nonexistent
• Travel requires long detours
• Trade is slow and limited
• Many former hubs have shrunk or stagnated

Hothstan’s isolation has preserved its cultural distinctiveness—even as it complicates daily life.