Pan

Can you hear the pipes, captain? Art from Sunless Skies.

"*The sound of far-off pipes. You near Pan, the unruly heart of Eleutheria."*

"*You approach Pan. Pan of the crimson mysteries. Pan of the pipe-haunted groves. Pan: the dusky, delirious, divided heart of Eleutheria."*

**Pan** is a settlement at the center of Eleutheria, built on top of the ruins of a cathedral. It's a bastion of criminals and outcasts, where the thieves, smugglers, murderers, cults, and rebels of the High Wilderness reside.

## A Ruler Without

Pan is first and foremost disputed territory, but the center dock is considered neutral ground. The various factions of Eleutheria gather here for business and conquest; as such, Pan is full of turmoil and intrigue, and many of the settlers here push the boundaries of what can be considered "civilized".

The "ruler" of Pan is the **Cypress King**, whose only purpose is to break up disagreements between factions during **the Hour of Argument**. The position of the Cypress King can be challenged during the **Hour of Thorns**. Because of this, the occupant of the position changes constantly. January, of London's Calendar Council, held this position at one point.

Since the Halved imposed a strict ban on storytelling, exchanges of information must always be done in secret.

## The Factions of Pan

Below are some details regarding the various factions residing in Pan. Many of these factions inhabit a platform near the main dock.

*"As for the Brigade, they are unique among devils I've known. Their saints are the grand devils who once served in the Heavens, but rebelled and were cast down or imprisoned or fled. The stories are inconsistent on the point."*
**The Brazen Brigade** is a group of devils, and others, who venerate the saints of Hell. Led by the **Scarlet Condottierre**, they aspire to replace the Judgements as the rulers of the heavens. During **the Hour of Trumpets**, the Brigade hunts down wrongdoers, who have been branded with "the Calf-sign." But their bloodlust may get a *little* out of control...
Brigade members also act as the interpreters of the **Adamant Idol**, the effigy of **the Piper-Saints of Hell**. The piping of the Adamant Idol determines the activity of Pan.

*"Those who join us should be prepared to defy the suns. And prepared to win, for our grievances are immeasurable."*
After the gateway to space was opened, the Calendar Council founded their new base of operations here, known as **Winter's Reside**. Amusingly, they also began recruiting individuals through Christmas cards. Currently, they lure in and torment unwitting volunteers in an attempt to use their pain to attack the stars.
Only three members of the Council, January, February, and December, are known to be at this location. August is off by himself at the wreck of the *Berrenger,* debating arguments that he doesn't even believe himself. As usual.

*"We've advised kings and Curators and Measurers. If our advice was bad, why did they return?"*
**Heart-Catchers** are plants whose fruits look like human heads. They can apparently capture deaths; this strange phenomenon is a means of averting one's own manner of death and pushing it on someone else's poor unfortunate soul. Their gardeners act as their representatives in Pan's forum.
The very first Heart-Catcher was the **Second Storyteller**, someone who, against all odds, convinced the King who Wars to abandon light. The Halved granted him the dubious reward of making him immortal in the form of a plant. Those who drink his tears will witness the darkening of the Halved.

*"A sign has been hammered onto the pillar. 'If you've done something that can't be forgiven – if there is no place left to run – if you would seek refuge with the Gentlemen, record your name and crime.' It is barely legible under a thick coat of frost."*
**The Gentlemen** are a coalition of experienced smugglers. They mainly smuggle **starshine**, starlight-laced water combed from the pools of Eleutheria, which when imbibed induces nostalgia for Earth.
Aside from contraband, they also trade in secrets. They've built a confessional booth where skyfarers can confess their secrets in exchange for money, and they recruit criminals from the Avid Horizon in exchange for their confessions.

The **Neonocturnals** are a new artistic movement spearheaded by the Masked Citizen. While the old Nocturnals appreciated the darkness of the Neath, the modern Neonocturnals focus more on criticizing society; their works are often revolutionary in nature. They moderate the forum of Pan during the Hour of Argument.

**The Word-Eaters** are the servants of the Halved. Normally, they're just ordinary citizens of Pan, but during **the Hour of Veracity**, they cover their faces with ash and extract stories from unlucky roaming citizens. Skyfarers are common targets of the Word-Eaters, since they have many stories to tell.

## References

2. ↑ King's Idyll Station, *Sunless Skies*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Visit the Cypress King, *Sunless Skies*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Hour of Argument, *Sunless Skies*
5. ↑ Airs of the King, *Sunless Skies* *"none other than January of the revolutionaries' Calendar Council. Ex-academic, anarchist recruiter, lover of crosswords. She wears a mask of two bearded faces: one looking forward, the other backward."*
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Hour of Veractity, *Sunless Skies*
7. ↑ Speak to the Curious Dilettante, *Sunless Skies*
8. ↑ The Grove of Far-Too-Late, *Sunless Skies*
9. ↑ The Hour of Trumpets, *Sunless Skies*
10. ↑ The Hour in Pan, *Sunless Skies*
11. ↑ Winter's Reside, *Sunless Skies*
12. ↑ Opening a Christmas Card, *Sunless Skies*
13. ↑ A memory of welcome, *Sunless Skies*
14. ↑ Season's Greetings, *Sunless Skies*
15. ↑ The Process of Removal, *Sunless Skies*
16. ↑ "The Berrenger is a waste of time, and should be destroyed.", *Sunless Skies*
17. ↑ Heart-Catcher Gardens, *Sunless Skies*
18. ↑ Challenge their assertion, *Sunless Skies*
19. ↑ The Green-Fingered Warhorse, *Sunless Skies*
20. ↑ The Nurseries, *Sunless Skies*
21. ↑ The Second Storyteller, *Sunless Skies*
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Gentlemen, *Sunless Skies*
23. ↑ AvidHorizon Randomiser, *Sunless Skies*
24. ↑ The Midnight Confessional, *Sunless Skies*
25. ↑ The Avid Horizon, *Sunless Skies*
26. ↑ Airs of the King, *Sunless Skies*
27. ↑ The Promise of Days, *Sunless Skies*
28. ↑ Ambition: the Masked Citizen at Pan, *Sunless Skies*
29. ↑ The Hour of Veractity, *Sunless Skies*