The player and DM that helped make this story happen.
Discord user
Vin (Pandemic "Pan") Changeling
DMGrimm
It's any day like any other. The townspeople walk around eerie and are sad. As if the life in their eyes is giving up. They have law or order amongst the people, finally begin to walk around and see posters here and there, in the back alleys, underneath tables in taverns wanted posters.
Pan would walk over to a poster hanging on a wall and read's.
"We are looking for someone willing to root out a bandit camp within a day's journey walk and stop the trade, the influence of illegal goods and animals used for pit fighting or manual labor."
Pan: "It seems to me these people have no culture. Oh well."
Pan gathers up the poster and begins to look around. Then head's into a back ally to change his appearance to a younger man. Afterward heads into the bar known by its name "The Drunk Goblin." He then looks under a table and finds a similar poster.
Bartender: "It's kinda strange one moment. You would think the town doors would be locked and then theirs papers scattered everywhere. It almost seems like a revolution."
Pan: "Will no one is here tavern owner. Do I get this questieru?"
Bartender: "Well, at the moment, I don't know much about it. Maybe look around town. Maybe you will find someone ether suspicious of good hardiness or maybe evil looking to sell illegal goods."
Pan looks him into his eyes.
Pan: "Thanks, sir, thank you, appreciate it."
Then proceeds out of the tavern and begins looking for somebody that might be looking for work at a job board in the center of town and begin to notice a new individual in town having pointy ears, heading in the direction of a back alley towards the inn. Pan proceeds to follow them and notices, they stop at a poster hanging on the wall.
Pan: "Hey their buddy. Are you looking for work?"
The mysterious person points at the poster.
Star: "I see that they are looking for someone to stand up to the environment. What is going on around us? Maybe it's a good change of pace and maybe have the people see there is good in the world."
Pan: "Yeah, yeah, it's a nice chance to make a little cash (gold). I see I have the job here. I just need someone to back me up. You know what I'm saying? Well, this is one of the biggest jobs so far."
Star: "I see that it matches the one on the wall. I guess we are. I guess it would make sense. That join forces and figure it out together. Safety in numbers in all."
Pan: "Right!"
Star would stick his hand out in front of Pan.
Star: "I'm Star, and I'm from a place far from here. Where the trees grow as tall as one would enjoy."
Pan: "Alright, so your one of those tree huggers hmm? That's kinda weird.
Star: "We also believe nature should be kept balanced."
Pan: "Ehh, yeah. I'm sure a lot of people think that way. You know nature could be balanced, to you know? I think nature's, meant to be exploited and also uh well, it's like you said it's good to plant trees once in a while. But us mortals use nature as a resource, and I will not deny us that gift."
Pan pauses for a moment.
Pan: "You can call me Pan. Nice to meet you. I think for you. Since I don't really know your name, all you said is where you come from. How about I just call you…"
Pan sizes up Star.
Pan: "I don't know. I will call you coconut. How does that sound? Do you like that word coconut?"
Star: "Yeah, it would make sense living off towards the beach."
Pan: "Alright cool. So alright, let's settle on up some nice payout. You know?"
Star grabs the sheet of paper off the wall. Pan would begin to notice a map on the back of it.
Pan: "Nice, nice. So there is a map on this thing. That's interesting."
Pan quickly grabs the poster he has, turning it overlooking at the back of it, matching the same one Star had taken off the wall.
Pan: "Very nice."
Pan begins to fold up his poster and places it in his inner pocket inside of his jacket. Then gathers up Stars map.
Pan: "So we got a backup map, and now we got this one. So we follow and use this map. If we lose that one, I have a spare one. Sound like a plan?"
Star: "It would seem so when someone, staying nominees on keeping their identity a secret."
Pan lets out a soft laugh.
Pan: "Well, uh, maybe when we finish up the quest. We collect something and then come back and turn in uh, I don't know. Maybe these individuals have a means to have proof. That we been there and we did the job. You know?"
Star: "Yeah!"
Pan: "Maybe turn it into the town hall, get the gold, and then at that point. We split our ways. You know?"
Star: "Yeah!"
Pan: "If you won't. But yeah, that's what I'm thinking anyway."
Star: "Well, we will figure it out in a day's time, and at the moment, we will split the reward down the middle. As long as both of us make it out alive."
Pan: "Will do, will do."
Star: "Well then, we should begin our journey to the desert."
They would begin to leave town, making sure they have what they needed before setting off into the desert, as time passes, by only the journey.
Star: "It is a much different environment living closer to the ocean. Then living out here in this barren wasteland."
Pan: "You learn to get by, and plus you know. You don't have trees to hide behind, and you can see people traveling a distance away. So it doesn't. I mean, it doesn't bother me. Of course, I have lived here for a while now so. Uh, you know. It's not too bad."
Star: "It seems so being a darker skin tone."
Pan: "Yeah well, you know it's darker humans. We are definitely get shit done."
Star: "We will see. You suggest we go at the fast pace?"
Pan: "Uh yeah lets uh let's pick up the pace. We don't want uh, at least try to get there early morning, right? At least get within a certain distance, that it won't take us. It won't kill the daylight for traveling. Let's pick up the pace man."
Pan begins to walk a bit faster. With Star following behind. The sky begins to set as time passes them by.
Star: "We should set up camp, and in the morning, we shall figure out what goes on, on the other side of this dune."
Pan: "Alright, yeah. I think that's a good idea. Let's make some camp, and in the morning, we can assault these bings."
Star: "Why don't you take first watch, and I will cover the rest of the time."
Pan: "Alright."
As time passes by, Pan walks quietly over to Star's meditating body. Pan begins to search through his belongings, noticing that Star is a magic user and not from these parts. His staff has cravings along the edge, then stumbling across his coin pouch, taking the remainder ten gold coins. Pan reaches for Star waterskin and finds it empty. Grabbing his dagger and cut a small hole into it to render it useless. Pan noticed Star had nine remaining rations. Pan begins taking half and placing them in his pack. Leaving, Star with four rations remaining. Pan then gets up, walks away, and begins to head up a dune to wait for the remainder of his watch, as Pan's watch time is ending. His torch begins to go out. Off in the distance could hear something running across the sand. Pan slides down the dune and wakes up Star.
Pan: "Yo, it's your turn man. It's your turn to take watch."
Then lays down, uses his bag as a pillow, and falls asleep. The remainder of the watch was peaceful. As the sun begins to rise, Pan would wake up to a large flightless bird with a beak in the shape of an ax head trying to take Pan's shiny objects gleaming from the sun's light. Pan reaches into his bag, grabbing a ration to feed it, as he would cast a spell to become Pan's friend. Afterward, Pan digs in his bag for a rope and ties it around the flightless bird's neck. As Star sees Pan tying the bird with a rope. Star begins to head down the dune.
Pan: "Alright man, I got a bird. I cant wait to see if I can get anything from this. I don't know what it is. It looks pretty cool. Uh yeah, we got away to travel and be at our location, my friend. Let's go, let's do our thing."
Pan and Star would begin to climb up the side of the dune and notice off in the distance. A rock is not completely round, but it's easy enough to walk straight up and down the edge without worrying about slipping and falling. The top of the hill has two guard towers fifteen feet tall, with ten feet walls, and a gatehouse. Off in the distance look like a trail. A group of nomads walked along the pathway heading to the top, carrying a large flightless bird. Pan points it out to Star.
Pan: "Hey, yo look at over there. Do you see that rock? It looks sturdy enough to climb up and down. It doesn't look like we will have too much trouble with it. So I would say go. Maybe they lost a bird, who knows. Do you think those are guards, or you know whatever castle up there?"
Star looks upon Pan.
Star: "This is probably the spot the map was referring to. Regarding the conclusion on what's going on. That it looks as tho they are trading with the smaller indigenous tribes and not having to do all the work."
Pan: "Do you want to do some recon? Because I can definitely get in there. Do you have a way I can contact you? Like any kind? Do you have a suggestion?"
Star: "We wait until night time, let the nomads leave and hope that more follow them. Attack now and have more individuals to deal with. I suggest we attack the moment the nomads leave."
Pan: "I think that's a solid plan. I was merely referring to maybe I could pass myself as one of the nomads real quick and gauge what kinda people we are dealing with essentially. Because
I do have a shovel."
Pan reaches into his bag and pulls it out.
Pan: "I have a shovel. I even have the clothing. So maybe disguise myself, engage where we're dealing with, come back, and well as soon as I exit stealth. Away and tell you what I've learned. Either way, they're going to be joking they're blind. So that's why I want to try to take this opportunity now and get some things done that way, you know. Maybe if there's, maybe a treasure tent something substantial maybe a way for us to escape if things get too hot."
Star: "If you want to leave, you can leave. It's not a problem."
Pan: "Alright, cool, you hold the bird."
Pan passes the rein over to Star. Then puts the new outfit over his armor and begins to walk up the hill.
Pan: "Yeah, I'll be back, and uh what you could do bro is just look around the area, you know, and keep yourself hidden for now. I'll be back in a bit."
Pan continues walking up the side of the hill to the gatehouse entrance. His skin begins to change to a ruff-looking individual. Pan gets closer and closer to the entranceway. Pans eyes would come across a guard looking out towards the nomads and then shout.
Guard 1: "Open the gates!"
The guard begins to wave their hands in the air, and gates, begin to open up. Pan picks up his pace and walks through the gate as if he would belong there. As the nomads and Pan make it throw the gates, their eyes would come across tents housing ruff-looking individuals. The gate doors slammed shut behind them. Pan noticed one of the nomads having authority among the group as they split from the other two nomads to place the flightless bird into a pen. Pan waits for the leader of the nomads to walk into the tallest tent. Following shortly behind and sidesteps into the corner of the tent to hear what's going on. The nomad walks into the center of the room. Pan would begin to see two dogs laying on either side of this rough individual sitting in what looks to be a throne seat. The dogs continued gnawing on bones. The tent is littered with small trinkets and chests scattered around.
Ares: "Welcome to my humble abode out in the middle of nowhere. I see that the perfect timing we can get down to business and have a grand feast together to celebrate this great occasion of another successful trade."
Pan: "Right, hey boss, I got a question. Well, actually."
Pan walks closer to Ares.
Pan: "I got some info for you. I think you might like."
Ares: "What are you saying? Get on with it. When I discuss giving this nomad his reward."
Pan: "I got a good catch boss, an elf I believe he is, and he is a spell caster."
Ares: "I guess no grand feast after all."
Ares claps his hands. The dogs would get up walk around the nomad and Pan's sides as the dogs headed outside.
Pan: "I met him in the town I went through his pockets cut his rations in half. I got most of them."
Pan reaches forward, handing Ares the five rations.
Pan: "I managed to steal this off him. Oh uh, here's you're cut. Because you know you always had three percent tax. So I'm going to give you all the gold I got off of him, ten gold. Discipline or water and I plan on leading him in here tonight. So we can uh, you know take what belongs to him, and possibly I'm thinking. Since he's a spellcaster, you're probably something for a high bidder. So he thinks that I'm just in here spying. But I came here to warn you. As to what he is and when he's thinking. We're gonna attack this place. Which is gonna be at night."
Ares jumps up from his throne.
Ares: "Boy you always talk too much in front of our guests!"
Pan: "O well, if they think to know what we are. Then they understand what business is and if they think about telling anybody that. Well, I might have to um."
Pan turns to look at the leader of the nomads, looking into their eyes.
Pan: "They won't, dare tell our secrets to anyone else. They know better."
The nomad places his right hand over his heart and agrees with a nod.
Pan: "Besides I'm here to only sure you. If they have a problem with that. Well, then I will kill them for free. No extra gold intended.
Ares sits back on his throne and relaxes, pointing into the opposite corner Pan stood in, gesturing that the nomad can gather what was agreed upon and leave. When the nomad leader makes it to the exit, two more nomads step around their leader, grab up a crate each, and then proceed walking out. Off in the distance could be heard the gatehouse doors opening and shutting closed.
Ares: "Now that prying ears are not around. That maybe we should get ready for this trap you have set."
Pan: "Have a guy in the tower watch my position I'm gonna walk back uh to where we are, so just keep eyes us."
Pan, tries to point ruffly in the direction of south-south-west.
Pan: "That's about this direction is where we made camp and where I came from and where he still is so north of the northwest, the northeastern tower should be, occupied so you can see us coming in."
Pan would then head back out and walk up to three individual tents and kick three goons' feet.
Pan: "Wake up get your ass up! We got a mission for you."
The goons begin to get up and look disappointed as they begin to walk out of the tents.
Goon 1: "What do you want?"
Pan: "I need you to petrol the other part of the gate, as soon as I walk in with my target. You block off the exit. Do you understand me?"
Goon 2: "Will see."
Pan: "No we are not gonna will see!"
Goon 1: "Will you step aside?"
Pan steps out of the way back into Ares's tent and changes his facial fetchers back into a younger adventurer. Will the three goons gather their belongings and head out the gate up and closing behind them. Pan follows shortly behind. Walk around Ares's tent to the backside pausing for a moment, looking at two barrels filled with water, and decides to use them to step on and give him a setup to get over the wall. Pan would begin to flip his body over the wall, his clothes get caught, and having him sway in the air. Pan decides to grab his dagger. As Pan grabs his blade, his sweaty palms keep him from holding a good grip, and the blade falls to the ground. Pan thinks to himself for a moment and comes up with an idea. To rip his clothing, as he does, and land on his knees. His eyes would come across a bird stopping for a moment to steal his dagger. Pan would notice it is the same flightless bird he had friended.
Pan: "I guess he really didn't take care of you, did he?"
Pan pulls his dagger from the bird's beak.
Pan: "You get your shinies in a minute. Once you beat this mother fucker, right."
Pan reaches around the bird and grabs the rope still dangling around its neck. Then heads back down the hill to the make-shift camp, noticing that Star had left, with the water skin laying on the ground. Pan bends down, looking for a set of tracks. A light breeze picks up muffles the set of tracks. Making it impossible.
Pan: "Man I told him to stay there."
The flightless bird looks to the ground for a moment. Then picks its head up and begins to peck at Pan's dagger. Pan looks up to the sky and begins to pray.
Pan: "Hey man, I need some help. Because uh, you know dumbass elves can't stay in one place."
The winds begin to pick up slightly and whispers into Pan's ear.
God: "That he knows the truth."
Pan: "He knows the truth, how?"
Pan gets on the back of the flightless bird and rides it in the direction of town. A short time passes and comes across Star using his staff as a walking stick across the desert. Pan rides right behind Star firing a crossbow into Star's back. Followed up, having his whip slashes across Star's back. The arrow gets lodged farther into Star's back, causing him to fall face-first into the sand. Pan quickly gets off the bird's back, casting a spell to sprout berries to form in his hand and dropping one into Star's month to stables him. Pan reaches back around to the flightless bird and begins cutting the rope into smaller sections. Enough to tie Star up, then processed back to the bandit camp. Following the trail, the guards would see Pan has come back with Star.
Guard 1: "Open the gates! He brought back the individual himself."
The gates begin to open up, Pan continues inside and places the flightless bird into a pin. Then grabs up Star over his shoulder. The gate doors begin to close. As Pan carries Star to Ares's tent, the two dogs follow shortly behind growling.
Ares: "I see that the plan did not go according to plan."
Pan: "Yeah, he tried to run. But don't worry boss, our cash isn't getting away from us that easy. That's why you got me."
Ares: "I see. Well, you are very sneaky, and just so you know, I'm afraid that one day you will betray me."
Pan: "I'm not gonna betray you, boss. I nearly wanted to sell this little bastard and move on. Why do you think you sent me to the town in the first place? You sent me to find people for you. Why would I kill you? You're a source of currency. Are you not?"
Ares: "Maybe so, but eventually, everyone wants my seat."
Pan: "Man, I don't want your seat, I don't want to be the leader of everybody, I just wanna be able to make money, and at this point, this is the easiest way to do that."
Ares: "What is that the thing you suggest to prove? Uh, you don't want it?"
Pan: "I mean I could have snuck into the camp at night killed you. You know I didn't look like another person. I could have just blended in with the nomads and started a coo. Slit your throat while your dogs went outside by the way I might add or I could have uh taken the elf to another bandit camp somewhere else and uh you know said screw you. But I decided to come back because I mean, come on. Where can I find another bandit camp around here? Also, uh he proceeds to, uh he proceeds to show him that I get into five rations of this little bastard took his rations gave it to you sabotaged his waterskin. So he could not get away, um how much more proof could I have? Huh, let's see, oh, the biggest one of all, I have a giant poisonous snake. I mean, if I wanted to kill you. It could have happened right now. Your dogs mean nothing to me. I could kill your dogs, I could take you on right now one-on-one. I could kill you. But I choose not to that's, your proof."
Ares: "I will take your word. Just so you know, I will have an eye on you in the future."
Pan: "Do what you want. It's just let me hell if you're so paranoid about it. Just give me missions, send me into the town. I'll keep bringing people magic users, fighters, or more animals. Keep me as far away from this camp as you want. I'll always come back. I'll give you more."
Ares: "It's all right. Let's have this grand feast and wait for our friends to come back and enjoy the night."
Pan: "Ah, also before we start the feast. Do we have any anti-venom?"
Ares: "Yeah, but he won't die."
Ares grabs an empty bottle and throws it across his tent, shattering as it hits a pole holding the tent across the ground, getting the goons' attention, waking some in their tents. The goons would rush over and begin tripping over their own feet and stakes in the ground keeping the smaller tents up.
Pan: "Make sure you take away any spellbook or wands shit away. Lock him uptight. Make sure the restraints on him and don't argue."
Ares gives his goons' a glare in their direction. The goons' eyes would quickly look to the ground.
Ares: "You heard him!"
Each goon begins to carry him one by the legs, one by his arms, and one holding him in the middle of his body. The dogs would proceed to follow behind. Time passes on. The feast takes place, rolling through the night into the next day. The goons that were sent out never made it back. Pan would walk over to Ares and collect his reward. A silver jug sitting on top of a chest. Pan opens up the chest and notices ten gold ingot bars.
Pan: "Hey boss this is, ooof was he really worth that much? Was he that much of a high-ranking spell caster? I'm guessing it was a pretty fine."
Ares: "Yes."
Pan can notice Ares is not completely telling the truth and could guess it is more to buy his loyalty. Then actually what the individuals were worth.
Pan: "Well now that I got all this gold uh I think uh I think the boss can use some fresh equipment right I think."
Pan would reach into the chest, take out two gold bars, and hand them to Ares.
Pan: "That is my investment in our fortress. You could tell me to go back to the town, and I can order some new things. I'll get myself some new equipment. So next time when we want to capture, I don't know. Maybe ten spell casters at once. I could be ready for it, you know?"
Ares takes the bars and smiles with excitement.
Ares: "That often was too generous."
Ares would get up and place the two bars on top of a chest, laying about in his tent. Pan proceeds to take his chest back with him to the town he started and tries starting up an information business.