Pan

Pan

With seven runs across four countries and more planned, Pan is one of the most repeated Nordic Larps.

Pan is a psychological horror scenario dealing with the themes of identity and nature. Players play couples attending a relationship therapy for the weekend, and are encouraged to book with a friend (not a real partner) to play a couple. The therapist-couple use a mixture of classical techniques and esoteric methods. In terms of genre the larp could be considered gothic horror based on classic literature, and psychological horror, with a modern setting. It does not fit into many conventional notions of horror, due to the lack of 'monsters.'

Pan is played on a confidentiality agreement. While the design is public, what actually happened in play is private.

Creation and presentations

Pan was written by Linda Udby & Bjarke Pedersen. They presented it twice in Denmark in January 2013 and in Norway in November 2014.

Nathan Hook and Kielo Maria Blomqvist presented an updated version (with newly developed therapy content) played in English to an international audience in Finland in April 2014. They organised another international run in the UK in November 2014. Nathan Hook co-organised a further international run in the Netherlands in January 2015, and co-organised a new expanded version with 12 players in Finland in March 2015.

Discussion of further possible runs in other countries is ongoing. It is also intended to the first of a trilogy (but not a direct continuation) of larps. The second event is expected to have a 1930s setting and capacity for 24 players, being organised to run in Denmark in 2015.

The main inspiration is the 1890s short story 'The Great God Pan' by Arthur Machen. This is available as a free download here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/389

Techniques

Pan makes light use of meta-techniques to play on possession. More details in the review (link below).

Players are encouraged to test and push their limits, psychological and otherwise. The event allows the option for physical interactions.

Info

Players: Usually 8 or 10, the latest run expanded to 12 players. 2 organisers playing characters.

Length: approx 36 hours player time. Short pre-game and post-game workshops.

Player fee: -800 Danish KR for the original runs in Denmark, Jan 2013. -30 euro for the international run in Finland. -£150 for the November 14 UK run, played in a castle. -NOK 2250 or NOK 1250 for the Norwegian run in November 14. -120 euro for the Jan 15 Netherlands run. -140 euro for the March 15 Finland run.

Logistics: The larp is run as fully catered, and normally runs in a holiday home location with modern facilities. The November 14 run took place in a 19th-century folly castle.

Links

The website (in Danish) of the original run is here: http://bjarkep.com/larp/pan/

The website for the Norwegian run is here: http://bjarkep.com/larp/pan/pan-norge-edition/

A review of the design was written by one of players of the April 2014 Finnish/internatonal run (in French): http://www.electro-gn.com/7463-critique-de-gn-pan

A Facebook group titled 'Pan' - it is not tied to a particular run: https://www.facebook.com/groups/172274392912858/

Pan was discussed by writer Bjarke Petersen in the Nordic Larp Talks for 2014, as an example of sketching. http://nordiclarptalks.org/post/87479170653/sketching-larp-bjarke-pedersen

The design of Pan was presented by Nathan Hook at the French convention GNiales in November 2014. This reflected the fact that many French players had attended the Finnish run earlier that year.

An article about the design of Pan is the Knudepunkt 2015 book: http://www.rollespilsakademiet.dk/webshop/nordiclarpyearbook2014.pdf