A Roleplayer's Guide to Haense

[Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska 3491]

A Roleplayer's Guide to

HAENSE

 

The coat-of-arms of the Kingdom of Haense.

 

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Welcome to Haense! 

 

This guide should serve as a ‘how-to’ for new players who just joined the server, or older players looking to try out a new experience. In this guide, you can learn the basics of what Haense is all about, what you can do there, and point you to some other useful resources. Bear in mind, if you’d rather learn from experience, then you absolutely don’t need to read this to roleplay in Haense.

 

CONTENTS

               I. Introduction  

               ➣ What is Haense?

               ➣ King and Aulic Council; Government of Hanseti-Ruska 

               II. Getting into the Community

               ➣ Where to Start 

               ➣ What can I do in Haense?

               III. Society

               ➣ Royalty and Nobility

               ➣ Gentry, Burghers, and Commoners

               ➣ Other Races

               IV. Culture of Haense

               ➣ Haeseni

               ➣ Raevir

               ➣ Reinmarian

               V. Haeseni Values

               ➣ Northern Honor

               ➣ New Marian Language

               ➣ Sigismundic Calendar

               ➣ Tradition & Biharism

               ➣ Canonism

               VI. Conclusion

 

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I: INTRODUCTION

Exerpt from the Dwarven map of Almaris done by Algoda

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What is Haense?

The Kingdom of Haense - or, more formally, the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska - is one of the server’s long-standing human nations dating back over five years. It’s changed and evolved a lot since then, and today Haense fulfils the niche of more traditional medieval roleplay, with opportunities to play as a chivalrous Crow Knight, a noble Lord of Haense, and everything in between, with all this roleplay inspired against the backdrop of Haense’s harsh, northern climate. While Haense preserves these traditional medieval aspects as part of its niche, it offers a lot more than that, with things like a fleshed out electoral legislature in the form of the Royal Duma or the Haense Academy.

 

Haense's Government: The King & The Aulic Council

True to its name, the Kingdom of Haense is led by a King from the royal line of Barbanov, who have reigned over for Haense throughout its existence, and the succession is based off Agnatic-Primogeniture - which means the eldest son of the King inherits the throne (though a woman can inherit if there’s no male heirs!) While the King is the ultimate authority in this semi-constitutional monarchy, he’s advised and served by the Aulic Council - this is a group of veteran players who fulfill specific roles to make sure Haense continues growing strong. The Aulic Council consists of:

 

               ➣ The Lord/Lady Palatine: The Lord Palatine serves as the right-hand man of the King, and is the president of the Aulic Council and leader of the royal government. They’re responsible for ensuring the government is doing its job in maintaining the Kingdom. In the absence of the King, the Palatine also acts as Regent of the Kingdom.

 

               ➣ The Queen Consort: Wed to the King, the Queen-Consort oversees the Royal Palace and the Royal Court, while hosting events and festivals to celebrate Haense’s rich culture and history.

 

               ➣ The Lord/Lady Speaker: The Speaker manages the legislature of Haense - the Duma - which is made up of elected officials and Lords of Haense. While you can read more about the Duma further on in this guide, the Speaker’s job is to make sure it runs efficiently and fairly.

 

               ➣ The Lord/Lady Marshal: The Lord Marshal has the important job of leading the Haeseni Royal Army. They make sure that the Army has as many soldiers as possible, making sure these soldiers are fighting-fit, and leading these soldiers in any military scenarios. The Lord Marshal also makes sure the Army is engaged with frequent and fun roleplay.

 

               ➣ The Lord/Lady Justicar: The Lord Justiciar is, basically, the attorney-general of Haense. The Lord Justiciar investigates crimes in Haense, and prosecutes anyone charged with a crime in court.

 

               ➣ The High Seneschal: The High Seneschal manages the interior and infrastructure of Haense. That means selling houses, collecting taxes, and helping new players get settled into the Kingdom.

 

               ➣ The Lord/Lady Treasurer: The Lord Treasurer manages the Kingdom’s money and resources, making sure that the Kingdom has enough money in the bank and enough resources for any building projects.

 

               ➣ The Aulic Envoy: The Aulic Envoy is the diplomatic representative of Haense, who sets up and manages embassies and international communications with things like treaties.

 

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II: GETTING INVOLVED

From the map's Northern Hub, follow this road through the ice spikes to reach Haense

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Where To Start?

Joining any new community can be difficult, but all it takes a little perseverance to get yourself involved, and this guide aims to help you out as much as possible. Here's a few simple, essential steps.

 

               ➣ Discord: The biggest and most important step is to join our Discord by clicking here. From there, you can start getting involved with the community and our team will help you get started with whatever you need. If you're brand new to the server, you should ask for the 'New Player' role in the #role-request channel. Then, one of our @City Guides, a specific role in the Haense Discord to help settle new players, will give you a hand with any questions.

 

               ➣ Getting There: You can actually get to Haense by taking the northern warp from where you spawn at the Cloud Temple, which will take you to the Rimeveld - a snowy, mountainous region in the north of the map,  characterised by huge mountains and ice spikes. If you follow the path out of the Rimeveld and take the road on your left, this will take you to the Haense city of Karosgrad - this path will be signposted. You can also follow the map above, or if you're lost, ask a @City Guide or anyone else in the Haense Discord for help. When you arrive at the red walls of the city, the gate will almost always be open to let you walk in, but if for some reason it's closed, it should open soon, or you can roleplay asking someone to open it (if you're new, you can emote in 'shout' with typing #s "[Test]", i.e. #s "Can someone open the gates?")

 

               ➣ Finding Roleplay: Haense is one of the most active groups on the server, so you can nearly always find people around the city for you to roleplay with. It's worth noting that Haense, like most of the sever, has a mostly American playerbase, so in early European hours it can sometimes be a little quiet. The most active times for the city are between 3PM to 9PM EST (which would translate to 8PM GMT to 2AM GMT, or if you're on the other side of the globe, 7AM AUS to 1PM AUS). Those are just the ideal times - there'll usually always be some kind of roleplay to be had. Remember, you can always ask a @City Guide in the Discord for help and advice.

 

               ➣ Getting a House: You may want to get yourself a house in Haense to help get involved or maybe just to store your items. Houses are sold by stewards, which you can ping in the #property-request channel in the Haense Discord with @Steward, or you can ask around in the city to find one. Houses don't come from free and cost in-game currency (mina), but you can buy one for as little as 20-40 mina (again if you're new, the best way to get money on the server is to do /vote). Houses are also taxed every week, but if you do /vote frequently this is very affordable. If you're a brand new player, we can even set you up in one of our purpose-build new player apartments for free while you find your footing in the community. A @Steward in the Haense Discord can help you with all of this.

 

               ➣ What's in the City?: The city is fairly big and be confusing on your first visit. This post by @GoodGuyMatt highlights all the key locations in the city for you to check out, which you can look at by clicking here.

 

 

What Can I Do in Haense?

In Haense, there's a bunch of different things you can get involved with, some of which even pay a salary, and help you get settled down in our community. Whether you want to be a frontline soldier in the HRA, a learned scholar of the Karosgrad Academy, a chivalrous Knight of the Crow, a lawyering and criminal-investigating Jurist, a tavern-goer or everything in between, there's plenty of opportunities.

 

               ➣ Haense Royal Army: As the main bulwark of defence for the kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, the Haense Royal army protects the borders realms from those who would seek to harm it - from monster to bandit. Starting off as an initiate in the army, you will learn the basics of the culture of Haense whilst making friends easily with the camaraderie inspired by your fellow class of initiates. You will also interact with a number of massive creatures and event-lines whilst exploring the world. Easily one of the main points of role-play for the kingdom, it is a great first spot for joining the kingdom. The easiest way to join is to ping the @Lord Marshal or @HRA Officer in the Haense Discord, or find them by roleplaying in-game. You can read more about the Haense Royal Army by clicking here.

               ➣ Royal Duma: The Royal Duma is the legislature of Haense that shapes and debates law like a real-world parliament. It's composed of the patriarchs of the Noble Houses, and a number of elected officials who win public elections. The Duma meets every week, and elections are held every month. You can ping the @Lady Speaker or @Duma in the Haense Discord for more information. You can also read more about the Duma by clicking here.

 

               ➣ Old Stout Crow Pub: One of the best places to roleplay in Haense is in the city tavern - the Old Stout Crow Pub. As a new player, getting a job in the Pub as a tavernkeep is actually a great first job to get involved and as a way to get to know people in the community while learning the ropes. The tavern is always the centre of roleplay and it's a particularly great spot for new players, so whether you want to work there or just pop in for some roleplay, you can ping a @Tavernkeep in the Haense Discord for more information.

 

             ➣ Queen's Council: If you fancy roleplaying as a servant or planning events - like balls or tourneys - then the Queen's Council might suit you. Run by (you guessed it) the Queen, this Council is crucial for creating events to promote roleplay in the city, while its other duties involves upkeep of the Royal Palace and serving the Royal Palace. If you're interested in getting involved here, you can give the @Queen or the @Grand Lady a ping in the Haense Discord. You can also check out this post for more details by clicking here.

 

             ➣ Northern Geographic Society: The NGS are a non-partisan source of cultural output situated within the Kingdom with their own flagship museum. The group often do research into geography, culture, history and a number of other fields. For those with a knack for writing or simply crave adventure, the NGS is certainly a place to join up with. Joining the NGS is also a great way to explore the wider world, as they investigate ruins and mysteries across the land - they've even visited the Nether! If you’re interested in joining, the easiest way is to approach the president Andrewtech/Dixie_Serenade or visit their musuem in the city. You can read more about the NGS by clicking here.

 

             ➣ Knighthood: Haense's Knights - the Order of the Crow - are your classic, chivalrous medieval Knights and offers amazing roleplay opportunities. If you manage to prove yourself worthy to join as a Squire and persevere to complete your Knightly Trials, you'll be dubbed as a Crow Knight, one of the most prestigious titles in the Kingdom. You can ping the @Knight Paramount in the Haense Discord with any questions. It takes a lot of work and effort to be a Knight, so you can check out this post for the full details by clicking here, and you can read about some of Haense's famous Knights by clicking here.

 

             ➣ Warding: If you’re interested in helping Haense as a civil servant, the ward initiatives are a perfect way to begin to learn the ropes. Often offered out to younger characters, it’s always a step up to figure out where you’re going in the government and a good base point to learn. If you’re looking to become a ward under a councillor, you can contact @Eryane in the Haense Discord, who organizes this initiative. You can read more about warding by clicking here.

 

             ➣ Academy: The Karosgrad Academy is a scholarly institution where you can learn to be a Haeseni lawyer, doctor or historian. By enrolling in its classes, you'll be presented with fun roleplay opportunities like competitive mock trials in law, interning as an Army combat medic, learning about Haense's half-a-decade of real-time history and explore ruins and mysteries across the continent. You can ping the @Hauchdragus in the Haense Discord with any questions. The Academy is currently under renovation, and will be re-launching soon.

 

These are just a few handful of the sort of things you can get involved with in Haense. If you've got the drive, you can even look at starting your own groups within Haense!

 

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III

HAENSE SOCIETY

 

A render of Karosgrad, the capital city of Haense.

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Royalty and Nobility

From the founding of Haense to the present day, the Kingdom of Haense has been ruled by a King from the family of the Barbanov. The position of King holds a special place in the community with the responsibility of the Kingdom's wellbeing overall. Alongside the King, there are numerous aristocratic families that hold similar importance to the history of Haense, oftentimes they also take on roles within the Kingdom’s governance such as Lord Marshals. Additionally, these Houses make up a part of the legislative body in the Duma. The noble houses of Haense are:

 

             ➣ The Royal House of Barbanov-Bihar

             ➣ The House of Barclay

             ➣ The House of Baruch

             ➣ The House of Vanir

             ➣ The House of Ruthern

             ➣ The House of Ludovar

             ➣ The House of Kortrevich

             ➣ The House of Amador 

             ➣ The House of Vyronov

 

You can view a full and formal roster of nobility and titles by clicking here.

 

As a player may progress on their way through Haense, they may be invited to take on a role within one of these families such as the potential next heir to the house, or as a member of the house. Many of the houses have been around for a number of years, and it offers new opportunities for role-play such as to take part in aristocratic role-play. Additionally, working hard and being loyal to the kingdom may offer the chance for a new family to join the noble ranks.

 

Gentry, Knights & Commoners

It's important to note that nobility isn't really 'better' than non-nobility; they're just two different experiences of roleplay with different opportunities. There are plenty of opportunities outside of nobility to gain rank and prestige, and to help out the Haense community. After starting out, it's always good to have some goals towards what you want to do in Haense. Here are some potential options for non-nobles, on top of the 'Things To Do in Haense' options mentioned above (which are open to everybody)!

 

             ➣ Aldermen: The rank of Aldermen is an elected position within the Royal Duma. Voted in every four years (Four Weeks OOCly), they are tasked with bettering Haense through advising the King by creating new laws. To become an alderman, message the Lord Speaker to learn more.

 

             ➣ Merchants & Business Owners: Creating a business in Haense is a great way to start to make some money and start involving yourself in the kingdom. To set up a business, contact a steward who can guide you through the process.

 

             ➣ Civil Service: Whether you took up a position in the ward initiative, or you’ve managed to situate yourself and you’re starting to set yourself up in the government, there are plenty of jobs within the civil service of Haense waiting for you. From stewardship in helping taxation and selling homes, to an Aulic Ambassador in representing Haense abroad. There are any number of positions to aid within the government, one only needs to message an Aulic Council member who oversees the area they are interested in (List at the top) to find out how to involve yourself.

 

             ➣ Other Races: The Kingdom of Haense whilst majoritably a human nation is also one to have a small though growing Elven population that has made their impact on society such as being a part of the legislature and even knighthood. Haense is therefore open to any races that would seek to live within its walls, as well as magic users so long as they are not malign.

 

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IV

HAENSE CULTURE

 

Haense art by the talented @UnBaed

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Haense is actually two royal titles - Hanseti and Ruska - which creates two distinct cultures, though there's even more cultures in the community than that, all of which shape how the nation has developed, from its legislation to its language, and offer different opportunities to roleplay your character. All of these cultures have year-life years of history behind them! Bearing in mind, you don't really need to know about any of these, and you can always play a character with no distinct culture, or an immigrant of a foreign culture entirely. But if you do want to make use of a Haense-based culture, they include the following:

 

             ➣ Haesenii/Hanseti: As the primary culture of Haense, Haeseni is the amalgamation of a number of cultures from its Raevir roots to influences such as Waldenian. Most people in Haense derive from Haeseni culture, including most of the nobility and the royal family itself. As time has passed, the Haeseni culture has developed into a deeply rich one, and even as its own language called New Marian (or Naumariav, which is the New Marian word for the language itself!) 

 

             ➣ Raevir/Ruskan: The elder, forerunner culture of the Haeseni which traces its history back to Anthos (one of the server's earliest maps) and pre-server history. Raevir are a mix of eastern Slavic-inspired peoples, which, on the server, includes the Rus, Rutherns and Novgorodians. A number of old noble famileis in Haense - which have survived for real life years - are of Raevir descent, including the Royal House of Barbanov. This is as a result of these families being offsprings of the old, fallen Imperial House of Carrion, who were once patriarchs of the Raevir culture.

 

             ➣ Reinmarian: The Reinmarian are descendants of the Waldenian culture, reminiscent of central and northern Germans. The Waldenian culture originates from the city of Siegrad - the birthplace of Haense - within the old, fallen Kingdom of Aesterwald, which had bordered the Duchy of Haense in the old continent of Athera (the server map from six years ago!). Aesterwald was destroyed in a cataclysm, and so many people immigrated to Haense. The Waldenian culture married into the Haeseni culture and the Royal Family itself, and developed an influential military spirit. As time passed, one of the few surviving Waldenian tribes came to the forefront of the old culture through the Reinmarian.

 

If you’re looking for additional information upon the culture of Haense such as what they look like to common customs, you can read all about them by clicking here.

 

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V

ROLEPLAYING A HAENSE CHARACTER

 

The flag of Haense.

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From Oren, to Haense, to Norland, there are a lot of human playerbases on the server. In order to dinstinguish themselves, Haense has some distinctive values and ideals. Like cultures, you don't really need these by any means to roleplay in Haense, but if you wanted any direction in making your character or determining their personality, some of these are great for guidance.

 

Northern Honour

These are some of the principles a typical Haeseni man or woman might be taught and are grounded in Haense culture. If you make a new character with Haeseni parents, these might be the values they were taught growing up to help shape your character and their backstory:

             ➣ A Haeseni man will respect legitimate authority, and remain loyal to their King and Country.

             ➣ A man of Haense will know the strength of their sword. They would not kill churlishly, and will only take up arms  for a worthy cause.

             ➣ When at war, a Haeseni man will be the first on the field, and the last to leave it.

             ➣ A true Highlander will never abandon a companion though they will honor sacrifice freely given.

             ➣ If an enemy were to surrender to a Haeseni Man they would respect the honor of their prisoner, treating them properly, never stooping to such lows as torture.

             ➣ A Haeseni man would never refuse a challenge from an equal.

             ➣ A Highlander will suffer death before dishonor.

             ➣ An honorable man of the North would protect those under their roofs as guests. Only harming a guest if they directly attempt to harm them or their kin.

             ➣ A Haeseni man will defend the honor of the Church of the Canon, be god fearing, and respect all of it’s tenants.

             ➣ A man of the North shall never break an Oath, lest they be branded an Oathbreaker, and lose all of their honor.

             ➣ A Haeseni man must not lie, for an honorable man has nothing to hide.

             ➣ A man of Haense will champion all that is right, and good against injustice, and the evils of the world.

 ➣ A man of Haense will respect all women

             ➣ A Haeseni man will never commit infidelity, staying true to the woman to whom he is wed.

 

New Marian

New Marian, or Naumariav, is the official language of Haense besides Common, and it's often used in official documents. The language has a long history dating from previous languages such as Raevir botch and Old Marian languages among a number of others dating from pre-server history to the present day. Over time the language has been revived to a point where it can be spoken commonly, though often the player base will use a few common phrases. To get you started, here are a few of the most common words used.

 

Prevja - Hello (Formal)

Eja - Hello (Informal)

Dravi - Goodbye

Da - Yeah

Ai - Yes

Nie - No

Spasiba - Thanks

Godan - God

Krusae Zwy Kongzem - Protect this kingdom

 

You don’t have to know the language to start role-playing in Haense, of course. If you’re looking to learn more of the language beyond the common phrases, check them out by clicking here.

 

 

The Sigismundic Calendar

The dating system of Haense begins from the time at which Exalted Sigismund, a prophet in human religion, ascended. The dating system itself dates from the ancient Highlander Nomadic times, and has since become the official dating system within Haense, used in court and other documents. 

 

Here is how to figure out the current date:

             ➣ Year 0 of the Second Age (S.A.) = 349

             ➣ Current Year Exalted Sigismund (E.S.) (349 + Current Year S.A.)

             ➣ Example: 3 S.A.  = 349 + 3 = 352 E.S.

 

Here are the months of the Haense/Sigismundic Calendar. The server year changes every Wednesday:

             ➣ Snow’s Maiden - Wzuvar ag Byvca (Wednesday)

             ➣ Malin’s Welcome - Jula ag Piov (Thursday)

             ➣ First Seed - Vzmey ag Hynk (Friday)

             ➣ Grand Harvest - Gronna ag Droba (Saturday)

             ➣ Sun’s Smile - Tov ag Yermey (Sunday)

             ➣ Amber Cold - Msitza ag Dargund (Monday)

             ➣ Deep Cold - Joma ag Umund (Tuesday)

 

Whilst updated in the aforementioned Guide to New Marian, the original document for the Sigmundic Calendar can be found by clicking here.

 

 

Traditions & Biharism

In Haense, there are a number of general traditions which flavour roleplay in the community. This includes a universal reverance for Carrion Black, a strong, hard liquor that effectively holds the status of national drink, while the Prikaburren berry is akin to that as the national food. In terms of attitudes, the psyche within Haense throughout history has been guided by the idea of Biharism; named after Saint Henry Bihar, Biharism advocates for the maintenance of tradition and national fervour. Over time, however, it's taken a backseat as the Kingdom has gradually modernized and centralized.

 

Canonism

The kingdom of Haense is a 'Canonist'. The Canon is a religion led by the Pontiff which believes that the creator, or God/Godan, created the universe, and gave four holy scrolls to mankind as principles to live by. These scrolls lead the pious to spiritual salvation or the Seven Skies. These scrolls were provided by four exalted prophets. One of the most important within Haense is Exalted Sigismund, the last Prophet from where Haense gets its dating system, the Sigismundic Calendar, from. If you’re interested to read the Holy Scrolls for yourself, you can find them by clicking here.

 

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VI

CONCLUSION

Lady Haense, the mascot of the Kingdom.

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So, that covers most of the key points of roleplaying in Haense, from how to get involved to even our own calendar system.

 

Remember that the most important step for getting yourself involved with the community, and finding both an OOC friend group and people to RP with, is by hopping into our Discord, which you can do by clicking here. Integrating into a new community can be difficult, and our goal is to make you feel as welcome and as comfortable as possible. If you're ever a bit lost or confused about what to do you, remember the @City Guides in the Haense Discord are there to help you. Not only them, but you can ping or message any @Admin in the Haense Discord for help or questions about anything at all.

 

This guide is only meant to give you an insight into Haense as a roleplay community; the real step is logging on, coming to Haense, and starting some roleplay. We look forward to seeing you.

 

Thanks to the original writers of the old Haense guide, on which this new guide is based on, those being:

• @seannie
• @Eryane
• @Piov
• @Disheartened
• @Miniguy15736
• @Pureimp10

 

And major thanks to @GMRO for putting together this new guide, and to @Xarklyfor editing.

Last Updated: 11/01/2021

 

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[Shorsand 2006]

Very good guide; been in Haense since I rejoined the server and it's a great place to find competent RP!

Also, I always like to advise a bit that it's equally as fair to ask for help, assistance, or roles in RP just as much as in OOC (for example, asking one of the HRA soldiers RPly how you might join, speaking to the Marshall in RP, etc, as opposed to pinging someone in a disc and getting thrown in with less RP context). This can add a lot to your character development, and help the world seem all the more immersive!