Pan's life story reads like an abridged version of the empire's own recent history. Pan learned from a young age exactly what matters in a royal court as a palace attendant. His careful and often wise judgments earned him a place of respect that might have endured until this day. Sadly, his rare title of "Royal Advisor" was not meant to last. Pan and his king experienced disaster after disaster, starting with the Cesares Rebellion and ending in the fall of the royal house and splintering of the empire into fiefdoms. Only Pan's great reputation helped him land an appointment to run the border town of Noba. But not even Pan could save Noba from itself. While Noba's peasants roamed in search of food, its nobles ate away at its wealth until there was nothing left but them and the have-nots.

Pan survived this period all the more convinced this was not the way forward for his town or any town. Only a rejection of oppression and a heartfelt embrace of commoners could make a town truly great. It was not an easy decision, but eventually Pan left Noba to forge his own oasis of justice in the wilderness: Marigold. Marigold aspires to be different. While other towns covet the wealthy, Marigold sees value only in diligence and hard work. Respect for the land and your fellow citizens counts in Marigold far more than noble blood. Some call Pan a hopeless idealist who is actually endangering his people with such lofty goals. Rather engaging with his critics, Pan wants to let Marigold's near-utopian record speak for itself.

The lesson that Pan learned is the peace and stability of the royal era cannot be revived by an official order or aristocratic help. It can only come about when a just and fair system inspires a generation of townsfolk. And this is the real secret of Marigold's success.