Source: Politics of Q'barra
Consisting of the western border of Q'barra, Hope lies outside the protection of New Galifar. While settlers have always sought to expand beyond the confines of Newthrone Accord territory, these war refugees were relatively few in number until the Day of Mourning. The destruction of Cyre brought with it a surge of refugees looking for a new home. While most ended up in Breland, Thrane, and Zilargo, a significant minority preferred to travel to a distant land that had not spent the last century at war with them.
The end of the war in 996 brought a second surge, soldiers discharged from their duties who did not return home for one reason or another. Some because it was home that had changed. Others, because they had changed. Whatever the reason, the influx of combat-trained veterans has reshaped the character of the region. Some have integrated, merely providing deterrence against brigands. Others have continued their careers of violence, either serving as mercenaries or becoming outlaws.
While New Galifar has managed to establish a collection of stable towns that have lasted decades, the villages of Hope are lucky to have lasted a full year. For some, it's a mere matter of economics - small deposits of dragonshards that are excavated in a matter of months lead to villagers packing up and moving onto the next. For the less fortunate, the threats of the jungle kill and maim enough to force resettling.
The Law
Fundamentally, Hope is a lawless region. The nobles of New Galifar are stretched thin enough protecting their own lands, let alone trying to assert control over and manage the ever-shifting landscape of villages.
As such, Hope is subject to ad-hoc frontier justice. Some lawmen have the benefit of authority granted by a community election, but many are self-appointed ministers. Without the benefit of an extensive legal administration, the emphasis is less on due process and more on resolving disputes and de-escalating arguments. Without backup, a prudent or cowardly sheriff (depending on your point of view) may choose not to intervene in a situation due to the personal risk. Other sheriffs may abuse their station to extort those they ostensibly protect.
In addition to the lawmen that choose to stay in one place and protect a single community (or perhaps several nearby communities), roving bounty hunters search the region looking for war criminals and other wanted refugees. Some are fortunate enough to have proper authorization from the Finder's Guild of House Tharashk or the Sentinel Marshals of House Deneith. Others operate independently, either dissatisfied with those organizations or fresh faces hoping to earn their spot.
The Money
Moving across a continent to a new land is expensive. For the average villager getting to Q'barra is doable, but bringing anything with you to actually start a life is significantly more complicated. The initial cost leads most newcomers to need a loan, which could come from any number of sources.
House Kundarak is the largest individual source for loans, but any other number of other factions might be interested in investing in the unknown jungles of Q'barra. House Tharashk's operations not only rent equipment but also housing to those who are willing to work its mines. Aurum investors have begun to see Q'barra as an untapped resource and pathway to higher levels within the organization. Last but not least, some refugees do come with not only enough money for themselves, but enough to start an entire community - typically displaced nobles whose only property lies inside the dead-gray mists, but whose fat Kundarak accounts have left enough to build something new.
Inside the villages of Hope, most people are engaged with the basics of frontier life - agriculture, a bit of general trade, defending what's theirs. What truly draws people though is the dragonshard trade, a gold rush that promises riches if you can just find the right patch of mud to dig up the geodes. For those with more sense, the jungles of Q'barra are rich in alchemical reagents not found in the rest of the Five Nations.
The Religion
Like the rest of Galifar, a majority of the colonizers of Hope consider themselves Vassals of the sovereign host. Olladra is a particular favorite amongst the many seeking to start a new life, but the entire pantheon is worshipped here.
Worship of the Silver Flame is more popular in Hope compared to the rest of Galifar, in part due to the prominence of Wyrmwatch as one of the few stable bastions in the region.
The Blood of Vol has a few villages of dedicated worshippers, many of whom lost positions of power when Kaius III took the throne. The relative proximity of Q'barra helped make this a minor getaway for the faithful who felt they no longer had a home.
Cults of the Dragon Below tend to center themselves around the reptilian demons of Q'barra. While Masvirik's fiendish domain is scaled creatures, his servants have found Q'barras pull on the desperate and the greedy to make colonists especially susceptible to promises of power.