itdontmatta

(A depiction of a crumbling Vienne, inhabited by Charles I and Aaunic noblemen, 1914)

TREATISE ON THE KINGDOM OF HAENSE

On Impending Demise

Lorenz Gavaudin of Adria

20th of Horen’s Calling

1921 IC | 125 SA

I have witnessed the fall of the once-great Holy Orenian Empire and now cast my gaze upon the Kingdom of Haense. I cannot help but notice striking similarities between these two nations, leading me to believe that Haense may be doomed to meet a similar fate as the Empire. In this thesis, I will outline the reasons for the Holy Orenian Empire's fall and explore the parallels that threaten Haense's future stability.

In my observations, one of the most prominent factors contributing to the decline of the Holy Orenian Empire was the dwindling activity of the Imperial State Army. It once protected and enforced the Empire's power, but as its activity waned, the nation's security weakened. Desperate for support, the Empire tried to induct mercenaries into its lands several times, much like Haense does now. However, these mercenary groups often turned their backs and betrayed the monarch they swore to serve. Similarly, the Kingdom of Haense's Brotherhood of Saint Karl appears to be suffering from a decline in activity, which renders it incapable of providing any sufficient security and strength for the nation. Due to Haense's reliance on capricious mercenaries and the deterioration of its own military might, the state finds itself in a vulnerable position.

(A generic painting of an abandoned fort within Haense)

Another aspect that troubles me is the excessive number of royal family members in both the Holy Orenian Empire and Haense. The elevated status and power of these individuals eventually leads to internal strife and competition, ultimately weakening the stability of the ruling class and the nation as a whole. It is my belief that the abundance of royal family members often results in a clash of interests and a struggle for influence, which proves detrimental to the Crown's unity and governance.

Furthermore, I have noticed that both nations have a majority of nobles who have already achieved the highest attainable position within the social hierarchy. This lack of motivation and room for growth results in stagnation and complacency, further eroding the nation's ability to adapt and respond to challenges. I fear that this stagnation, which contributed to the Holy Orenian Empire's fall, now threatens the Kingdom of Haense.

My concerns also extend to the isolationist foreign policies adopted by both the Holy Orenian Empire and Haense. This approach has led to missed opportunities for Haense, such as the potential annexation of the Heartlands. Instead, Haense focuses on ensuring that weak rulers control these territories, which may prove to be a short-sighted strategy in the long run. By maintaining an isolationist stance, Haense is limiting its growth and influence, allowing its neighbors to gain power and potentially threaten its existence.

Another disconcerting similarity is the lack of confidence in the leadership of both nations. The populations of the Holy Orenian Empire and Haense have questioned the decisions and direction of their respective rulers. This lack of trust can lead to unrest, disobedience, and even rebellion, as the people begin to lose faith in the ability of their leaders to govern effectively. I also perceive a pattern of indecisiveness and inconsistency in the policies and actions of both nations. This wavering propagates to confusion, inefficiency, and a lack of strategic direction, all of which contribute to the decline of a nation. The Holy Orenian Empire's inability to maintain a consistent and coherent policy contributed to its downfall, and Haense seems to be struggling with similar issues.

Lastly, I have observed that both the Holy Orenian Empire and the Kingdom of Haense have experienced a pacifist population that is less inclined to defend their nation and its interests. While pacifism may be admirable in certain contexts, it is a certain liability when the Crown faces external threats or internal challenges. A passive population may be less willing to support the military, engage in political activity, or contribute to the nation's defense, leaving it vulnerable to collapse.

The Holy Orenian Empire's fall serves as a cautionary tale for the Kingdom of Haense, which faces strikingly similar challenges. The decline of their military, the high number of royal family members, stagnation within the noble class, isolationist foreign policies, lack of confidence in leadership, indecisiveness, and a pacifist population are all factors that contributed to the Empire's collapse and now threaten the future of Haense. As Lorenz Gavaudin, I can only hope that the Kingdom of Haense will recognize these parallels and take swift, decisive action to address these issues, lest it succumb to the same fate as the Holy Orenian Empire.

Lorenz Gavaudin

Hi everyone!

Development of the next map is well underway. In the coming weeks, we hope to offer updates about a specific launch date as well as the systems we have crafted for the community to enjoy. 

At the moment we are discussing roads. While we have come to an agreement about the road shape and design, we are at an impasse about whether or not building on main roads should be allowed. 

Road Building:

Although the rule was not fully adhered to, settlement construction was initially prohibited on roads this map. At the start of the map, nations were not allowed to build next to hubs or on roads, though exceptions were eventually made as more settlements began to prop up.

The main points that have been brought up in our discussion about restricting nations from building on roads have been:

Arguments for restricting road building

• Potential bottleneck on other nation’s activity

• Checkpoints that may not be conducive to roleplay

• Realms will potentially have to pay out of pocket for longer roads if they don’t wish to go through other realms

• The space being blocked around roads is minimal and not very impactful.

• Keeping roads clear as a route for people to travel from place to place without barriers

Arguments against restricting road building

• Main roads that pass through nation territory are subject to that nation’s influence

• If a nation gets their activity cut off by a road that goes through another nation, then it should be dealt with in rp or through the construction of a new road that goes the long way around

• Realms should have sovereignty over their lands, including roads within their tiles

• Soulstoning directly to and nearby realms exist, so activity won’t be affected much by allowing nations to build on roads.

• Nations should engage in RP-diplomacy to resolve disputes in road travel

What are your thoughts? Do you think we should restrict road building? 

Hi again,

Upon further review of the evidence and comments made, we have decided to give Charlemagne a permanent (Player Conduct Violations) ban for his behavior in the screenshots Muna and MissToni provided. Although he has apologized and offered that he has changed, we cannot provide a platform for his redemption. 

In two days, it will have been 10 years since I joined LotC. I endured several different iterations of the LotC community, and I have been both on the receiving and giving end of really shitty, toxic behavior. I thought that since I matured and learned from my mistakes that anyone else could. When Charlemagne appealed, and there was support on his appeal, I thought there was a possibility that he changed. While he was back, I saw that change and I thought that it was okay. I didn’t come to think that even though he possibly changed, his behavior could not be redeemed on our platform.

There is a threshold that cannot be crossed, and we see that in this thread. I personally underestimated how much this community has changed in the ten years I’ve been here. I reflected on what I had posted, and I started to have a weird feeling about it. It wasn’t a call that I was 100% confident in. 

I am sorry, specifically to Muna and MissToni that we mishandled this. 

Lord of the Craft serves to offer a place that people can escape some of the realities of their real life situation. My topmost priority has been to encourage a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Please hold me to that. If I cannot offer that to you, the community, then please ask me to resign and I will. My next step is to implement standards for the roleplay server communities we advertise in our public discord, and set rules & guidelines for conduct we expect on discord.

Thank you, and I will not let you down again.

Alex

Hi everyone, we would like to address the recent discussions regarding Charlemagne's unban and the evidence of his past behavior. We understand the seriousness of this matter and would like to share our perspective and the steps we have taken.

First and foremost, we want to make it clear that we do not condone any hostility towards individuals sharing their concerns on this matter. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and empathy and we will not tolerate any behavior that violates this principle.

In evaluating Charlemagne's ban appeal, we did not have access to the screenshots shared in this thread. His initial ban was for no-RP killing, resulting in an indefinite admin ban. After Charlemagne served nearly five years and submitted a public ban appeal addressing his past actions, we decided to lift his ban without any additional evidence presented at that time.

Upon learning about the new evidence from Muna, we immediately reopened discussions about our decision. Although we did not classify this as a safety issue per our Safety Policy guidelines, we seriously considered permanently rebanning Charlemagne under other policies. We considered factors such as the length of time he was banned, his conduct since his unban, and the server culture at the time he was banned. However, we could not conclude that he should be re-banned permanently.

Following our decision I reached out to Muna to discuss our reasoning and encouraged him to hold Charlemagne accountable. I deeply respect the courage it took for you to come forward with this. While we chose not to reban Charlemagne, we believe it is important for us to hold him accountable for his words – he is not immune to this. You deserve an apology, though that does not mean he deserves your forgiveness.

We understand that some community members may be upset with our decision, and we empathize with those feelings. We encourage open and respectful discussions about this matter and are available for any further concerns or questions you may have.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us maintain a safe and welcoming environment for our community.

Sincerely,

Alex and the Administration