Synopsis: Once again orbiting one of those many viable planets placed randomly throughout the galaxy (Light or dark now? I really don't know.), the crew of the Lixx discover that the whole thing is, as far as they can tell, inhabited entirely by people who sit around in taverns and drink ale. (Yum!) Assuming that since there is beer, there is also a chance for some fun, they ride down on a moth that's tinged blue. Obviously a male moth. Yes, hey have genders now.
Entering one of the taverns they are immediately greeted by a tall man in a robe, who looks suspiciously like his Divine Shadow. Only he's not. (thought he was, didn't you?) After shaking hands with them, getting their names, and sending a wink in Xev's direction, he turns and announces to everyone that they are "Stanley the Unattractive Warrior Monk," "Xev the Demon Succubus Witch," "Kai, the Elven Necromancer," and "790, the Bipolar Golem Bard's Head."
Little do they know that what they have landed on is a planet that long ago got sucked into a Role-playing game called Critters and Caverns. Everyone there now thinks they are actually a part of the game. And twistedly enough, the game works through creating physical things through the players' imaginations. So those poison-breathing behemoths everyone talks about slaying? They're really there. We know this because of a sudden scene change to a group of strangers who, at the mention of said poison-breathing behemoth, immediately get eaten by one. And then a guy with long hair and a grody beard comes out and recites the history of the planet to no one in particular, and leaves. (i.e. "Too bad everyone is so caught up in this stupid game they don't know what's real anymore.") Convenient, eh?
But the crew is still clueless. As they sit down at a table to drink, a terribly attractive woman in a skimpy chain-mail ensemble approaches and offers Stan a gold-covered Holy Book to slay an enormous flying amphibian that's holding her family hostage for some reason. Stan spends a few minutes telling her that he doesn't want a book, and insinuating (poorly) what he really wants. You all know what he really wants. The woman just doesn't get it. Nevertheless, off they go to slay the amphibian, chain-mail woman as a guide. Maybe she'll wise up after it's dead.
They bravely traverse a swamp filled with fire-belching purple rats and small stumpy people with sharp sticks that live in fallen logs. Then they bravely traverse an ice-scape filled with long-toothed polar bears. Then finally they bravely traverse a big rocky landscape filled with falling meteors. They manage to get through okay, (Kai shoots everything with his wrist-thing. Go Kai!) and reach the cave where the flying amphibian is holding chain-mail's family.
When they enter they discover the amphibian's starved to death because it was too large to exit it's cave for food. So everyone's reunited and happy. But chain-mail still does not the gist of Stanley's euphemisms. And chain-mail's three manly brothers do not want to go anywhere near Xev. (Continue reading for an explanation. ^.^) They are all very frustrated (except Kai), and they return to their ship. Stan throws his new Holy Book out the moth's window on the way back.
What The Dead do not do: Look like elves; Summon dead things back to life; Share their ale; Recite mantras at the request of people who are not really monks; Wear metal pants.
Why There is no Sex: Everyone thinks that Stanley is a Warrior Monk. And everyone knows that one cannot have sex with a monk. it is sacreligious. Therefore everyone is perfectly happy to give Stan gold and flowers and books, but not what he really wants.
Xev is introduced as a Demon Succubus Witch, and though the whole male population of the planet (those that see her, anyway) is really tempted to get with her, they all know that when you "get with" a Demon Succubus Witch, you become a Writhing Lesser Pimple-Imp almost immediately. So however hard it might be, they all stay as far away as possible.
