World Event Story: A Bandit's Wish
A few years before genies became a more common sight on Antrippa, they where still a little-understood race of eldritch elementals who went around granting wishes to people who rubbed their lamps. The legends about dark and evil genies where all but forgotten and people delighted at finding a magical lamp. People would wish for youth, or advanced training in their favorite skill, or to grow stronger, or even for some money. There was no harm in wishing, and then the genie would be on its merry way.
It was during that time of ignorance that for no apparent reason gangs of bandits began appearing. Cloaked thugs and brigands all wearing black hooded robes invaded all the roads out of major cities all across the world. Anyone who was unlucky enough to run across these bandit gangs were beaten up, bound, and had their possessions stolen from them while they were powerless to do anything about it.
'It's just good business! It's the bandits stealing from you, not me.'
-– Quickling Shapeshifter, Nightwalker at large.
The population of the major cities were enraged, the town guards would do nothing because the thefts were occurring outside of the city walls, they said it was none of their concern. In amongst all the chaos, several followers of Celeste, the Goddess of the Night took it upon themselves to steal quite a few items and blame it on the bandit gangs. Another trick these Nightwalkers employed was stealing from the bandits after they had beaten and robbed innocent travellers; as a result Holy Symbols of other immortals traded hands frequently during this time.
While some gathered up groups of champions and performed wholesale slaughter of the cloaked thugs, others actually disguised themselves as cloaked thugs themselves, tricking would be attackers into striking the thugs instead of them, angering the entire group who may have otherwise left them alone.
As time went on the bandit gangs became more and more bold with their attacks, actually striking openly in the heart of cities, robbing merchants of their goods and slaying the town guards who at this point where by far outnumbered. No one knew where these bandits where coming from, all they knew is by the time they slayed one pack, two more packs arrived to take their place. It didn't take defenders long to trail these bandits back to their base, a portal in the Aragon Barony.
The rampant bandit attacks had accomplished something rare, and nearly impossible... it caused Lensmoor to assemble a united front. An Angelic follower of Gelare - God of Redemption, a Tautha following Sabrina - Goddess of Holy Vengeance, A Shape shifting Sprite in the service to Memnoch - God of Fortune, and a Tautha following Celeste - Goddess of the Night. Good, Chaos, and Evil, those who would normally call each other enemies, all entered the portal under one banner, united by the attacks against their friends and allies.
What they found was a maze filled with golden chests and statues too heavy to take with them. Bandits, brigands, and thugs around every corner. The angel and good tautha took the front and battled head on while the shapeshifter threw spells in between sword swings. The evil tautha on the other hand stood in the back row and threw dark magic, much to the distaste of the good tautha and angel. When accused of not helping out with a particular difficult battle, the evil tautha threw a Touch of Death and ended the fight there and then, not even dignifying their words with a response.
'N-Now for my f-f-final wish! Give me p-p-POWER!!.'
-– Bandit Lord Biffin.
Before long they stood before the Bandit Lord Biffin, a short, fat human with no redeeming qualities. Biffin had a bloodstone encrusted iron oil lamp in hand and he was furious with the champions for breaking into his fortress filled with treasure that he wished for, and killing his army that he wished for. It was at that moment that he made his final wish... his wish for power destroyed him and saw the resurrection of the Djinn Lord from obscure legend. No one knows exactly what is true or false about the legend, all that is known is that at that moment in time, the four champions faced the Djinn Lord. It has been suggested that the Djinn Lord had not yet recovered his full strength, however the battle was long fought and costly. Even with the evil tautha's necromancy the group struggled to leave scratches on the Djinn Lord who took their blows with ease.
In a normal battle of attrition, the champions would have lost, the angel however had other plans and moved to a defensive posture and began to heal the group, removing plagues, curses, and other spells the Djinn Lord threw forth naturally as he attacked. The shapeshifter threw all manner of sorcery at the Djinn Lord and eventually when coupled with the crippling necromancy of the evil tautha broke through his defenses. Once he was weakened the good Tautha had no trouble holding his own in guarding the group against him. The Angel moved out of the defensive stance and attacked with Rays of Truth and other holy powers. Finally the evil tautha finished the Djinn Lord off with a Touch of Death.
Everyone in the group was rewarded, to one degree or another for their efforts from a grateful people; all four champions received public recognition, the shapeshifter received some platinum coins as a reward, and while the evil tautha asked for no reward, vanishing into the shadows, it was only later that they realized he had taken Biffin's treasures from the Djinn Lord right after landing the killing blow. For years the evil tautha would move about disguised as a cloaked wizard, wearing Biffin's enchanted cloak. Although the angel settled down to retirement a few years later, the good tautha would be celebrated as a champion in many more battles to come.
