diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 113fbb1..74d158f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 		"dotenv": "^8.2.0",
 		"leeks.js": "^0.0.9",
 		"leekslazylogger-fastify": "^0.1.0",
+		"node-emoji": "^1.10.0",
 		"node-fetch": "^2.6.1",
 		"semver": "^7.3.4",
 		"sequelize": "^6.5.0",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index b997a0d..1650f97 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ specifiers:
   leekslazylogger-fastify: ^0.1.0
   mariadb: ^2.5.2
   mysql2: ^2.2.5
+  node-emoji: ^1.10.0
   node-fetch: ^2.6.1
   nodemon: ^2.0.7
   pg: ^8.5.1
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ dependencies:
   dotenv: 8.2.0
   leeks.js: 0.0.9
   leekslazylogger-fastify: 0.1.0
+  node-emoji: 1.10.0
   node-fetch: 2.6.1
   semver: 7.3.4
   sequelize: 6.5.0_fb66e8c649bde1be622cc06164c9e22d
@@ -1481,6 +1483,10 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha1-soqmKIorn8ZRA1x3EfZathkDMaY=}
     dev: false
 
+  /lodash.toarray/4.4.0:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha1-JMS/zWsvuji/0FlNsRedjptlZWE=}
+    dev: false
+
   /lodash/4.17.20:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-PlhdFcillOINfeV7Ni6oF1TAEayyZBoZ8bcshTHqOYJYlrqzRK5hagpagky5o4HfCzzd1TRkXPMFq6cKk9rGmA==}
 
@@ -1648,6 +1654,12 @@ packages:
     dev: false
     optional: true
 
+  /node-emoji/1.10.0:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-Yt3384If5H6BYGVHiHwTL+99OzJKHhgp82S8/dktEK73T26BazdgZ4JZh92xSVtGNJvz9UbXdNAc5hcrXV42vw==}
+    dependencies:
+      lodash.toarray: 4.4.0
+    dev: false
+
   /node-fetch/2.6.1:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-V4aYg89jEoVRxRb2fJdAg8FHvI7cEyYdVAh94HH0UIK8oJxUfkjlDQN9RbMx+bEjP7+ggMiFRprSti032Oipxw==}
     engines: {node: 4.x || >=6.0.0}
diff --git a/src/commands/panel.js b/src/commands/panel.js
index 0684840..f36c67c 100644
--- a/src/commands/panel.js
+++ b/src/commands/panel.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 const Command = require('../modules/commands/command');
 const { MessageEmbed } = require('discord.js');
+const { some, wait } = require('../utils');
+const { emojify } = require('node-emoji');
 
 module.exports = class PanelCommand extends Command {
 	constructor(client) {
@@ -40,12 +42,12 @@ module.exports = class PanelCommand extends Command {
 					multiple: true,
 				},
 				{
-					name: i18n('commands.panel.args.category.name'),
-					description: i18n('commands.panel.args.category.description'),
-					example: i18n('commands.panel.args.category.example'),
+					name: i18n('commands.panel.args.categories.name'),
+					description: i18n('commands.panel.args.categories.description'),
+					example: i18n('commands.panel.args.categories.example'),
 					required: true,
 					// for arg parsing
-					alias: i18n('commands.panel.args.category.alias'),
+					alias: i18n('commands.panel.args.categories.alias'),
 					type: String,
 					multiple: true,
 				}
@@ -55,30 +57,145 @@ module.exports = class PanelCommand extends Command {
 	}
 
 	async execute(message, args) {
+		// localised command and arg names are a pain
 		const arg_title = this.args[0].name;
 		const arg_description = this.args[1].name;
 		const arg_emoji = this.args[2].name;
-		const arg_category = this.args[3].name;
+		const arg_categories = this.args[3].name;
 
 		let settings = await message.guild.settings;
 		const i18n = this.client.i18n.getLocale(settings.locale);
 
-		console.log(args)
-		message.channel.send(Object.keys(args).map(arg => `${arg}: \`${args[arg]}\``).join('\n'))
-		console.log(args.category)
+		if (!args[arg_emoji])
+			args[arg_emoji] = [];
+		
+		args[arg_emoji] = args[arg_emoji].map(emoji => emojify(emoji.replace(/\\/g, '')));
 
-		if (!args[arg_emoji]) {
+		const invalid_category = await some(args[arg_categories], async id => {
+			let cat_row = await this.client.db.models.Category.findOne({
+				where: {
+					id: id,
+					guild: message.guild.id
+				}
+			});
+			return !cat_row;
+		});
+		
+		if (invalid_category) {
+			return await message.channel.send(
+				new MessageEmbed()
+					.setColor(settings.error_colour)
+					.setTitle(i18n('commands.panel.response.invalid_category.title'))
+					.setDescription(i18n('commands.panel.response.invalid_category.description'))
+					.setFooter(settings.footer, message.guild.iconURL())
+			);
+		}
+
+		let panel_channel,
+			panel_message;
+		
+		let embed = new MessageEmbed()
+			.setColor(settings.colour)
+			.setFooter(settings.footer, message.guild.iconURL());
+		
+		if (args[arg_title])
+			embed.setTitle(args[arg_title]);
+
+		if (args[arg_emoji].length === 0) {
 			// reaction-less panel
+			panel_channel = await message.guild.channels.create('create-a-ticket', {
+				type: 'text',
+				rateLimitPerUser: 30,
+				permissionOverwrites: [
+					{
+						id: message.guild.roles.everyone,
+						allow: ['VIEW_CHANNEL', 'SEND_MESSAGES', 'READ_MESSAGE_HISTORY'],
+						deny: ['ATTACH_FILES', 'EMBED_LINKS', 'ADD_REACTIONS']
+					},
+					{
+						id: this.client.user.id,
+						allow: ['EMBED_LINKS']
+					}
+				],
+				position: 1,
+				reason: `${message.author.tag} created a new reaction-less panel`
+			});
+			
+			embed.setDescription(args[arg_description]);
+			panel_message = await panel_channel.send(embed);
+
+			this.client.log.info(`${message.author.tag} has created a new reaction-less panel`);
 		} else {
-			if (!args[arg_category] || args[arg_category].length !== args[arg_emoji.length]) {
+			if (args[arg_categories].length !== args[arg_emoji].length) {
 				// send error
+				return await message.channel.send(
+					new MessageEmbed()
+						.setColor(settings.error_colour)
+						.setTitle(i18n('commands.panel.response.mismatch.title'))
+						.setDescription(i18n('commands.panel.response.mismatch.description'))
+						.setFooter(settings.footer, message.guild.iconURL())
+				);
 			} else {
+				panel_channel = await message.guild.channels.create('create-a-ticket', {
+					type: 'text',
+					permissionOverwrites: [
+						{
+							id: message.guild.roles.everyone,
+							allow: ['VIEW_CHANNEL', 'READ_MESSAGE_HISTORY'],
+							deny: ['SEND_MESSAGES', 'ADD_REACTIONS']
+						},
+						{
+							id: this.client.user.id,
+							allow: ['SEND_MESSAGES', 'EMBED_LINKS']
+						}
+					],
+					position: 1,
+					reason: `${message.author.tag} created a new panel`
+				});
+
 				if (args[arg_emoji].length === 1) {
 					// single category
+					embed.setDescription(args[arg_description]);
+					panel_message = await panel_channel.send(embed);
+					await panel_message.react(args[arg_emoji][0]);
 				} else {
 					// multi category
+
+					let emoji_map = {};
+					let description = '';
+
+					for (let i in args[arg_emoji]) {
+						emoji_map[args[arg_emoji][i]] = args[arg_categories][i];
+						let cat_row = await this.client.db.models.Category.findOne({
+							where: {
+								id: args[arg_categories][i],
+								guild: message.guild.id
+							}
+						});
+						description += `\n> ${args[arg_emoji][i]} | ${cat_row.name}`;
+					}
+
+					embed.setDescription(args[arg_description] + '\n' + description);
+					panel_message = await panel_channel.send(embed);
+
+					for (let emoji of args[arg_emoji]) {
+						await panel_message.react(emoji);
+						await wait(1000); // 1 reaction per second rate-limit
+					}
+	
 				}
+
+				this.client.log.info(`${message.author.tag} has created a new panel`);
 			}
 		}
+
+		message.channel.send(`✅ ${panel_channel}`);
+
+		await this.client.db.models.Panel.create({
+			categories: args[arg_categories],
+			channel: panel_channel.id,
+			guild: message.guild.id,
+			message: panel_message.id,
+		});
 	}
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/database/models/panel.model.js b/src/database/models/panel.model.js
index 83080ed..870bd9a 100644
--- a/src/database/models/panel.model.js
+++ b/src/database/models/panel.model.js
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ module.exports = (client, sequelize) => {
 			type: DataTypes.JSON,
 			allowNull: false
 		},
+		channel: {
+			type: DataTypes.CHAR(19),
+			allowNull: false
+		},
 		guild: {
 			type: DataTypes.CHAR(19),
 			allowNull: false,
@@ -17,10 +21,6 @@ module.exports = (client, sequelize) => {
 		message: {
 			type: DataTypes.CHAR(19),
 			allowNull: false
-		},
-		reactionless: {
-			type: DataTypes.BOOLEAN,
-			defaultValue: false
 		}
 	}, {
 		tableName: DB_TABLE_PREFIX + 'panels'
diff --git a/src/listeners/message.js b/src/listeners/message.js
index 1b02c7e..b3653fa 100644
--- a/src/listeners/message.js
+++ b/src/listeners/message.js
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ module.exports = {
 					first_response: new Date()
 				});
 			}
+		} else {
+			let p_row = await client.db.models.Panel.findOne({
+				where: {
+					channel: message.channel.id
+				}
+			});
+
+			if (p_row) {
+				// handle reaction-less panel
+			}
 		}
 
 		client.commands.handle(message); // pass the message to the command handler
diff --git a/src/locales/en-GB.json b/src/locales/en-GB.json
index c8bc1a5..a574326 100644
--- a/src/locales/en-GB.json
+++ b/src/locales/en-GB.json
@@ -157,11 +157,11 @@
 		"panel": {
 			"aliases": {},
 			"args": {
-				"category": {
+				"categories": {
 					"alias": "c",
 					"description": "A category ID",
 					"example": "451745464954650634",
-					"name": "category"
+					"name": "categories"
 				},
 				"description": {
 					"alias": "d",
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@
 				},
 				"emoji": {
 					"alias": "e",
-					"description": "A **unicode** emoji character (escaped emoji)",
+					"description": "An emoji",
 					"example": "🎫",
 					"name": "emoji"
 				},
@@ -184,7 +184,16 @@
 			},
 			"description": "Create a new ticket panel",
 			"name": "panel",
-			"response": {}
+			"response": {
+				"invalid_category": {
+					"description": "One or more of the specified category IDs is invalid.",
+					"title": "❌ Invalid category"
+				},
+				"mismatch": {
+					"description": "Please provide the name number of emojis and category IDs.",
+					"title": "❌ Invalid input"
+				}
+			}
 		},
 		"settings": {
 			"aliases": {
diff --git a/src/utils/index.js b/src/utils/index.js
index d544ab4..6bb6db0 100644
--- a/src/utils/index.js
+++ b/src/utils/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 module.exports = {
 	int2hex: (int) => int.toString(16).toUpperCase(),
+	some: async (array, func) => {
+		for (let element of array) {
+			if (await func(element)) return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	},
 	wait: (time) => new Promise(res => setTimeout(res, time)),
 };
\ No newline at end of file