| |
| Hashan | |
| Leader | Vayne des Valois |
| Council | None |
| Divine Patron | Twilight, the Dark Father |
| Founder | Elentari, Grind, Firefox Sly, Rhenn and Darthus |
| City Tutor | Damaris |
| City Guardian | Ze'thya, the Chimeric Dragon |
| Heraldic Arms | Per fess Azure and , a crown Or |
| Allies | None |
| Enemies | None |
| Key Documents | The Great Canon of Hashan |
Initially a humble village located in the heart of the Ithmia, the city-state of Hashan, Crown of the Ithmia, is Sapience's third major city established in the year 222 AF. Due to territorial conflicts, the expansion of Hashan and its early existence endured rough beginnings, challenged by forestal organisations and their respective patrons Lord Lupus, God of the Beasts and Lady Gaia, Goddess of Nature. Nevertheless, Hashan was successfully brought into being by the mortal Darthus with the support of Lord Twilight, God of Darkness and later the Ladies Valnurana, Goddess of Sleep and Dreams and Ourania, Goddess of the Moon. Today, Hashan continues to display a tenacity to survive any hardship, catering to aid others only when her own interests are furthered as well. It is a haven where the diverse characters of Sapience may live together in harmony and community without fear of prejudice, oppression, or bigotry, and where everyone is free to pursue their potential to the greatest of their abilities.
Hashan is home to Achaea's first and oldest Serpent organisation, the Cult of the Serpent Lords, as well as the Spirit Walkers formerly the Shamans, the Merchants of the Crown formerly the Sorcerers, and the Sect of the Black Lotus, formerly the Kharon. The city-state is actively guarded by fierce viragos, mounted tsalmaveths, and hooded nocturni.
Laws and Policies
- Main article: Laws of Hashan
The Crown has been known for Achaea's first complex legal system, having surpassed both ancient Ashtan and Shallam in governmental politics. The Seneschal Elentari originally wrote the comprehensive city charter. The policies of Hashan are recorded in a single, albeit large, text called the Great Canon of Hashan which can be found in a bookshelf in the newsroom.
Under Elentari's leadership in Hashan's early years, her constitution was widely regarded by the intelligensia as "the finest document of its kind yet written". It was Hashan that began the trend of formally binding guilds to cities, a trend that has been followed and formalised by each city to this day. Hashan was also lauded by the Creator as the best organized of the city-states.
Political History
City ranks
- Peasant
- Commoner
- Burgher
- Esquire
- Peer (Masculine)/ Peeress (Feminine)
- Lord (Masculine)/ Lady (Feminine)
Seneschals
- Darthus
- Grind
- Elentari
- Drakul
- Neokove
- Drazik
- Grellek
- Drakul
- Calla
- Aringar
- Rianne
- Obzidian
- Merik
- Caleth
- Bambi
- Alynna
- Fendo
- Typhoon
- Alyssia
- Bambi
- Drazik
- Typhoon
- Hyru
- Merik
- Xzander
- Saltaern
- Xzander
- Sobriquet
- Laytron
- Aliath
- Ruth
- Vayne
Divine Patrons
The history of Hashan's patronship is comprised of five Gods: Twilight, Ourania, Valnurana, Neraeos, and Thoth, and can be essentially subdivided into four distinct "eras". The "First Era" starts with the founding of the city with Lord Twilight at its helm in 222 AF, recruiting first the newly ascended Lady Ourania into a co-patronship called the "Diad" and later Lady Valnurana to form the Triad of the Night. For a little over a full century this Triad governed Hashan, rotating patronship before Lord Twilight quit the city in 332 AF and the "Second Era" began. Hashan's Regency at that time, Senechaled by Caleth Le'Murzen, decided to sever Hashan's ties with Twilight after feeling betrayed by the circumstances and being repeatedly worldburned unprovoked by Twilight's Order. Hashan thus enlisted the aid of Lord Neraeos, God of the Sea and the Nerai to rid the Crown's saturation of Dark shrines and help them win their independence. Ladies Ourania and Valnurana had long since fallen into their decades-long slumber, so Lord Neraeos agreed to patron the city on the condition that He would be allowed to relinquish His office as quoted: "to its rightful Matrons" when either Lady Ourania or Valnurana had reawoken. This "Second Era" saw the introduction of new Divine citizens in support of Hashan, including Lords Matsuhama, God of Combat and Vastar of the Skies. In 385 AF, the Sea God's promise was fulfilled and Neraeos left the city in the hands of a newly returned Ourania. She then matroned the city-state for the next century, defining Hashan's "Third Era". In 485 AF, under the Seneschalship of Saltaern Sioraiocht, the "Fourth Era" began after the replacement of Lady Ourania with Lord Thoth, the God of Death, and continues to this day.
Shopping
Hashan provides three main shopping "areas" which harbour a large variety of goods and supplies. The Bazaar is Hashan's primary market located in the northern half of the city, holding the Crown's commodity shop and unique letter-making services. Running the entire width of Hashan is Serpentis Boulevard with shops that line both sides of the street, the location of one of Achaea's three major candle shops for sealing letters with a Coat of Arms. The third shopping area is Hashan's Central Plaza, which can be found in the Old Quarter near the southwest corner of the city.
Dining and Recreation
Hashan is proud to be the first brewers of Sapience's more unique drinks, provided in the Eventide Alehouse off of western Serpentis Boulevard. Home of the original absinthe and serving Sapience's harder liquors that Berford brews, the Alehouse also sports a new restaurant that serves an eclectic variety of food. Harris, a local publican, spends all his time here probably to watch Indira dance with her snake. Should bourbon, cognac, apricot brandy, or Hashan's own special Darkbrew not tickle anyone's fancy, other non-alcoholic drinks are served as well. Also serving alcohol is the Dragon's Tail Bar as old as the city itself.
Local entertainment is provided by the House of Delights brothel off Epitine Circle, gambling tables run by Moneo and Kes in the Dragon's Tail Bar, and the Menagerie creature museum visited west of Hashan's Academy. South of the Menagerie is the Park of Hashan which features lush, contemplative surroundings and a placid duck pond. Further entertainment can be sought by visiting a few of Hashan's special landmarks as well. (See below.)
Facilities
Most of Hashan's facilities are located near the government buildings and the city's central Crossroads. Altarra, the crier, walks the streets announcing the latest news of the day. The Postal Office of Hashan, the People's Bank of Hashan, and the Crown's citizen-only stables are found off these crossroads. The Literary Archives of Hashan house the newsroom in the Seneschal's Complex. The slaughterhouse and fishing shed are visited off Cibus road, and Hashan's blacksmith Modron opens his blacksmith's shop for the use of all citizens and visitors. Zaertum, the locksmith, offers a key-copying service. Hashan's city arena, the Stadia Coronae (Crown Stadium), is located in the southeastern portion of the city.
Landmarks
The Crossroads is Hashan's very centre, the most common place for gathering and a useful reference point. It is also home of Gred, the Hashan humgii. The Road of Eternity is Hashan's north entrance road which features a grand display of statues of past and present Gods. Founder's Monument north of the crossroads features statues as well of the city's mortal founders. The Dome of the Triad stands tall as a tribute to the divine Triad of the Night which used to patron Hashan in its early years, and the old Coliseum may be visited where gladiators used to spar. East of the Dome is Hashan's mysterious crumbling temple where dangerous spectres once roamed free. The Disc of the Nocturne was once housed here, but was taken by Tavarius and was later used to cause the time period known as the Eternal Night. Lastly, the Spring of Fluvialis provides a renewable source of fish for fishing and is Hashan's closest water source. Both this and the Temple of Fluvialis are found south of the crossroads, gifts given by Lord Neraeos during His time as patron.
Inhabitants
Aside from the various guards that roam the Crown of the Ithmia, there are a few notable citizens worth mentioning:
- Aethene, Keeper of the Elements
- Alariel, the Keeper of the Menagerie
- Altarra, the crier of Hashan
- Berford, the brewer
- Big Bubba Bingham
- Dakron, the Fence
- Damaris, the Learned
- Demius, the baker
- Eloeth, Mistress of Elements
- Fennila, barmaid
- Geld, barman
- Harris, the publican
- Hectan, the Hashan papermaker
- Hettright, the foreman
- Indira, the Snake Charmer
- Joss, the stablewoman
- Kaethryn, the Dominatrix
- Master Kai-Shen
- Kes, the roulette attendant
- Visionary Khystra, the High Ritualist
- Kriegan, the Prince of Thieves
- Liirup the Placid
- Sir Mantufalf, Knight of Hashan
- Martha, an old housewife
- Maryll
- Modron, the Blacksmith
- Moneo
- Nyirobi, Keeper of the Shrine
- Pegaea, the Naiad of Fluvialis
- Mistress Sadira, the Calm
- Silban, the Butcher
- Silius, a grumpy old man
- Ssathis, the Ophidian
- a chubby Hashani stableboy
- Sybil, the Dog-Lady of Hashan
- Ta'ya, a Tsol'aa youth
- Tithian, the Shaman
- Zaertum, the Locksmith
- Zisloth, the Ophidian
Famous Faces
Of the famous faces that hail from Hashan, four are remembered most: Liirup, Hashan's notable rat-eating madwoman, retired Seneschal Elentari Lokelinde-Danial who ascended to Godhood through the collective will of the Pantheon to become Ourania, Goddess of the Moon, Damaris, the Learned who teaches in Hashan's multi-roomed academy as one of the world's most brilliant minds, and Aringar Claros, the first mortal ever to reach the 99th level of experience and become a Greater Dragon.