On the gritty line between Rhydin City’s Dockside and Old Temple districts rises a looming rebuilt three story gothic cathedral on the waterfront, lit to a crimson glow. Open to dance worshippers every Thursday night through Monday morning, pan²ic will carve itself out as Rhydin’s premiere 18+ LGBTQIA+ club (allies welcome!). Broad stone steps have been restored to their former glory and rise to an entrance that technically sits at the second story, leaving the first floor to serve as an underground of sorts, void of windows or natural lighting. High beamed architecture and stained glass windows are accompanied by new state-of-the-art lighting design and top-rated Void sound system. The entire club has a capacity of 1500, with rooms ranging from 20-666 guests.
Each floor carries its own theme, starting with the “ground” floor Purgatorio above which sits Elysium and beneath rests Pandaemonium, all with their own unique decor, bars, staff, and music.
The pews of Purgatorio have been torn out and the pulpit has been converted to a neon lit DJ booth, but the original stained glass remains intact, depicting scenes seemingly from Dante’s Inferno. Purgatorio is by far the largest of the dance rooms, offering an expansive main floor with smaller gathering spaces in the side chambers. Curtained alcoves in the wings of the space offer intimate conversational spaces away from the ebb and flow of the beats that pulse throughout. Shrouded in smoke, a long metal bar emanates a soft red glow, guiding patrons to the wellspring served by the Fallen, a team of highly trained, top rated bartenders who wear little save for singed white cloth draped over pertinent parts and an ethereal set of blackened wings that seem less corporeal and more glamoured, as they do not interfere with the bartenders’ movements behind the counter. Stocking an assortment of local and imported beers, wines, and liquors, Purgatorio is the only place to order two signature cocktails; Paradiso (black fig vodka martini with creme de cassis, dry vermouth, and fresh fig) and Inferno (cognac and dark rum with cranberry, orange, and clementine, set aflame just before serving)
Cast your eyes above from the pit of Purgatory below to find the gilded smoke dance floor of Elysium. Hidden staircases tucked into the eaves allow patrons to venture up to the platform dance floor above. There you can find a completely different atmosphere and music every night. Where Purgatory is gritty bass and moody darkness, Elysium is shades of silver and white, faster beats, and unadulterated decadence. A thin layer of rolling smoke and fog gives the illusion of a less than solid dance floor, aided by the clear glass that separates the above from the below. When the smoke clears, one might be able to venture a glance at the poor souls in Purgatorio, who, while they may look up, cannot see you save for the wispy outlines of undulating bodies on high. Plush booths and VIP service are the hallmark of Elysium and the upper level will eventually be VIP only on busy nights. White lasers and lights bounce off the floor and ceiling, refracting glimmering motes of silver and gold light all around. Behind a golden gate, the DJ booth gives prime locale from which to spin the hottest beats for those blessed enough to call Elysium their party grounds for the evening, while servers clad in stylized white robes over body paint depicting seraphim wings, cherubim faces, and ophanim eyed wheels. There is no bar to be found, but plenty of floor staff ensures that no one goes thirsty and that all may partake of the two signature cocktails of Elysium; Forbidden Fruit (apple vodka and pomegranate juice with simple syrup and lime) and Iconoclast (tequila reposado and crème de cassis with lime juice and ginger beer).
For those that have been judged, Pandaemonium awaits. Find the church’s tomb within Purgatorio and pass through the wrought steel gate bearing the warning “Lasciate Ogne Speranza, Voi Ch'intrate” ("Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here") to venture down a metal stairway limned by pipes hissing (harmless) neon steam into the belly of the church. At the bottom, wait to cross a rough cut river chiseled into the stone floor and reach the dance floor beyond. The ferryman will take your payment and allow your safe passage. Despite being on street level, Pandaemonium has no windows and no other discernible light sources save for a permeating red glow that thrums and pulses with the music gothic industrial music that pumps through hidden speakers. Servers garbed in faceless habits are topped with sharp steel halo crowns and wrapped about the throat with thorned rosaries as they silently serve the damned of Pandaemonium one of two signature cocktails; Avarice (spiced rum and tawny port with simple syrup, lemon, and fig) or The Second Death (absinthe and champagne). A DJ wearing a coordinating black cassock and tab collar performs from the foot of a crimson glowing black metal throne. Mill among the masses with the writhing damned, some of which perform in suspended cages, illuminated by pulsing black light.
