The year 1224 AD was one of shocking dynamics upon Pan's Isle, once the capital of the religion of Pan, but abandoned in favor of the Citadel. It was a joyful place of faeries, centaurs and other exotic races. It was however one of its minor export products that proved the undoing of this little haven. Coffee, made into the much priced espresso, a brew that was both expensive and fashionable in the leading merchant city of World's Mouth.
Noticing how the area was practically undefended the Merchants of the Mouth, in an unlikely alliance with the Prodesse, went along with simply taking the isle for themselves, founding a colony called Aveas. The locals were unable to resist the far superior technology of World's Mouth, even though they were desperately trying to. The Empire could not muster its Imperial troops due to the lack of a Caesar, though Furst Erwin von zu Dort-Billigh, who had investments in the area gathered private troops to free Pan's Isle.
The merchants had entered the war without informing their monarch, focused on the gains that Pan's Isle had offered more than the crusade against the Heathens. It was the Kings arrival that threatened to steal away the profit, for win or lose he would credit himself with the colony. While the war was fought over every inch of ground on Aveas, massacring the royalist troops including the King, but unable to beat the superior force of the Mouthie legions and mercenaries, including the airship Lykos, it was the Merchant Council of World's Mouth that negotiated a treaty with the Empire, effectively creating the free city state of World's Mouth. It made Aveas a colony of the Mouth under Imperial authority, granting the Empire the right to tax. The royalists barely escaped with their lives and the Oneists too saw their forces seriously reduced and without finance. While a nominal number of Inquisitors remained their influence on Aveas was gone.
While the colony was but one town with assorted plantations, the treaty stated giving the Mouthies the entire isle as territory, their authority accepted by the Empire. However the forest was too thick, too dangerous to ever enforce that and small bands of resistance of old panlings and centaurs remained.
When the treaty was signed the colonists realized that there had been a slight oversight. Because one force remained on Aveas that was still not conquered, slain or befriended. The dark adhiel of Gulanadur did not care for merchants, royalist or oneists. Ramius Lo Russo negotiated with the this ancient yet unknown force. Their demands were simple. They wanted to slay the Oneists, and thus were fundamental in driving the remaining Purificatio and Royalists troops from the the isle. Gulanadur was also granted Fort Dusk as an outpost, allowing the dark adhiel to freely roam the surface of Tazlure. Finally, like World's Mouth the dark adhiel offered a hand of friendship to the Empire, through their contacts with Furst Erwin von zu Dort-Billigh who already had family and trade contacts in the city. Erwin pushed the inclusion of Gulanadur in the Empire through the council after a new Caesar had been elected.
After the peace treaty, Aveas now the new name of the Isle under Imperial authority, and not just the name of the city, the colonists organized themselves in a Merchant Council with a military leader. The colony remained subservient to the Magister of Foreign Affairs of the Mouth Carloni. Their primary focus was the coffee plantations. Using "voluntarily labor" from amongst the locals, as well as slaves brought in through the secret trade rout with Terra Incognita and of course the close by Gulanadur, a good crop was ensured even after the destruction of War. Due to its tropical climate Aveas had nearly no winter and two harvests per year. A small resistance from the locals remained, hiding in the tropical forest, hunted down by the colonists.
This is probably the sum total of all information we currently have to work on in Pan's Isle - there appear to be no other Dev notes. There are a couple of active threads (I think), and of course the replies of the players in the Recess thread, as well as Tristam's reply:
The battle for Pan's Isle was a chaotic and many sided affair that still remains a mystery even to those that fought in it. It started with a powerful assault by the Army of the One upon the ragged defenders of Gatetown. Though caught in cunning traps and whittled down by arrows, it was soon apparent that the heavily mailed soldiers would smash through the Panling lines. Then Finodborn called forth the might of the Fae Host. A rainbow of scintillating death and lethal mischief decimated the Oneist forces and sent them fleeing back to Aveas. Both sides were weakened and near defenseless but neither had the forces to take advantage.
Reinforcements poured in from the portals on both sides and again they met in battle, this time in the thin woods between Aveas and Gatetown. Once again the Oneists appeared to have the upper hand until on the eve of the battle, the forces of the Mouth just melted away into the forest and the dark adhiel arrived in force. The Oneist forces were crushed but the jubilation at the victory was short lived as the new Governor of Aveas Isle explained with what political coin the victory had been bought.
Many Panlings were simply too weary to fight any longer even against this injustice foisted on them in the name of peace. They did not have the stamina for rage and wished only to return to their lives of Art and Joy. These Panlings flocked to the new city that Sevti had won for them through their Ambassador at Citadel, Rosalie Lo Russo. It was named Seinor, New Day in Adhiel. The Fae of the Isle had opened the fringes of their wood to the displaced Panlings and there a small but growing town was shaped out of the trees. The Panlings found comfort in going back to nature in contrast to the mechanical minded Mouthies.
The month of Yulember was spent by Panling and Mouthie alike in rebuilding and preparation. Then in Darkenry, things changed. Those of the Blood never really considered the war over. Indeed bands of them still sniped at Mouthie interest whenever they could. Now that Seinor was established and the Artlings and Joylings were safe under the watch of the Fae, the Bloodlings left Seinor and joined the Centaurs in open resistance of the Mouthie government.
Finodborn was gladly welcomed by them and his plan for trying to blend in with the Mouthies to find weaknesses within attracted a few like minded adhiel. Anybody willing to work or seeking profit was welcomed back to Aveas. A shantytown in the nearby woods became the home of many laborers brought it to satisfy the demand for field hands and it was easy to blend in among them. Whimsy chose to travel with him though she wouldn't enter the city often. In the woods, she helped to train his bardic gifts though she seemed uneasy at the path he was taking.
Sevti found herself a pillar of the community that existed only because of her. Several paintings and statues of her laying the first cornerstone or other such fictional Founder's Day events were popular subjects for Art. Paloma took the mantle of High Priestess at last and was glad to train Sevti in the ways of Pan's worship. Sevti knew Paloma to be divided by her duty to her people. She often talked of joining the resistance but feared for the town's stability if she left. Thyren was welcomed by the Panlings as one of their own and his time is Seinor passed pleasantly enough. During his time there, Thyren made the acquaintance of a Pooka that kept an eye on the growing town. This Fae, Gwyllin by name, saw the mark of the Trickster upon Thyren and was intrigued. From this friendly spirit, Thyren learned that those that walk the paths of Fate always end up where they are needed so choices were never a thing to fear or even to worry about them. Just make them and trust to the road. Before leaving to walk his own path, Gwyllin presented Thyren with a new card to add to his deck, a shimmering mirror. "Whenever this card appears, look to yourself for the answers." Then he faded away.
Gotham found solace and wisdom aplenty in the deeper woods. Whatever direction he chose led him to splendid natural beauty or nature red in tooth in claw. In fact, many of the scenes about him mirrored the tensions within and this was no coincidence. Though he knew it not, Gotham was pixie-led on many an occasion either to teach him lessons or for simple amusement. Pan's Isle had decided to accept him despite his origins and rewarded his decision with a glimpse into the lifeforce of the isle. There would always be a little of the wild in his heart and on his shoulder in the form of Squeeker.
But other than that, I think we have a clean slate to work with. Which makes life marginally simpler - no notes or lots of notes, that's the key. Either is good.
So... what we need in this thread is any and all information we can gather on post-War, post-Recess Pan's Isle... and then we can go about remaking it in whatever image we wish. Pan's Isle has the potential to be one of the most politically interesting areas in Tazlure, what with the colony of Aveas owned by World's Mouth (and the coffee trade), and the dark adhiel now moving from Gul to Fort Dusk, and beyond in the form of Ambassador Ssinith (and hopefuly Maevin too). This means we have links to WM and to the Cit - Grey Wolf and Morgan, I would appreciate your input in the coming days, to any or all of these notes. Lots of work to be done. :)
This thread is primarily to get all information we have together and then start brainstorming the way forward.
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