In the midst of the great forest, which covers most of The Old Empire, lies Hochland. East of Middenland, south and west of Ostland and north of Talabecland, the Drakwald forest extends itself. The dark woods end abruptly in the Middle Mountains to the northeast. Throughout them, the rivers of Drake Wasser, Talabec and Wolf Run, all derived from the large river Reik, run. Along the rivers, the peasants in small settlements and villages managed to keep Hochland itself supplied in food and other simple life necessities, but the more luxurious goods must be fetched from the outside. Not that there are many who think beyond survival now. The war has raged and the country is trying to get back on its feet, but the surroundings are far from serene. Forests are no longer filled with the usual wildlife. Fragmentary relics of chaos plague the area and since the war Goblin tribes have settled near the mountains of Weiss. As if that is not enough, the dams that would hold back the spring flood have been destroyed and the farmers can look forward to both flood and famine.
Flood or not, the river is a lifeline for the beleaguered Hochlanders. It is used to carry the primary commodity Hochland has to offer to the surrounding states: timber of the best quality. But the forest is not only a source of revenue. It is also where we will see the true Hochlander shine, as a hunter, and fisherman. They are as one with the nature that the people in the big cities have put behind them. The forest men of Hochland are widely renowned for their abilities as pathfinder, warrior, and not least for their precision with a bow and arrow or rifle. Outside Hochlands borders there is a standing joke that a hochlander loves his rifle more his wife, but in Hochland you do not joke about that. Here they know what is most important.
Since Hochland lies in the middle of The Old Empire, it is only natural that you often travel through the area to get from A to B. For example Hochland is on the path from Middenheim to Talabheim, or if you are sailing on one of the many rivers that flow through this part of The Empire you cannot help but pass through it. The big influx of people from the outside, has made the Hochlander a very open and tolerant people, somewhat less bellicose than its neighbours. However, not all are as open as they have been. Mistrust of foreigners has begun to spread as more and more of the country falls apart. Not a few villages have been burned and the people slaughtered or taken as slaves in the Great War against Chaos. The damage done will not be easy to remedy. It is said that time heals all wounds, but some wounds are just too deep.
