COS II Session 25

🐟 i mean 🐠 i mean 🎣

> “*Put that down—nonono that's fragile—*”
> ― Xerax
>
>

## Starring...

* The Barovian Freedom Fighters
	+ Red, disconnected
	+ Tacitus, engaging in retail therapy
	+ Marya Krezkov, here to chat
	+ Galia Trey, using her signature move
	+ +2 shortsword, with a new roommate
	+ Zanna, alarm clock
* Maq'kua, hateful
* Xerax, shoved in a locker

Notable absentees: Xadriel Maverran, Twiggy

## Ritual Preparations

The party enters the Tomb of the Frost Seer, where they find a somewhat-alive king dreaming restlessly on his throne. Maq'kua tells the party not to disturb him, so they don't—he's probably okay! Galia uses *truesight* to reveal some Very Mysterious Symbols which are never mentioned again. Maq'kua requests Tokili's help in drawing a teleportation ritual circle, but Tokili refuses, citing his notorious tremors. They instead recruit ERA002 to help with the drawing, which grants the rest of the party ten minutes to rifle through the rest of the derelict fortress. Splitting up, the party finds rubble, ruin, mold, numerous Yore (1178's Torm) paladin corpses, and a mysterious basement lab for containing a beholder. The party decides that the fortress is probably safe and return to the king's throne.

With the ritual circle prepared, Maq'kua hands out a dab of violet duchess paste to each of the Freedom Fighters—sans ERA002, who cannot ingest anything; and Xadriel, who swore off drugs during his downtime. Under the brilliant light of the blue moon, the cool kids take their sedatives and leave their physical bodies.

## Moon Landing

The party blasts off towards the blue moon, which opens to receive them. Each party member finds themself alone in complete darkness. They each hear a voice in their head ask for a password, with the following hint: "Frozen titan, roaming the wastes: their name shall open your way."

### Most Esteemed Guests

Tokili and Stone are congratulated for their correct answers, and find themselves beside each other in front of a familiar location—the fortress they are in physically, but now in pristine condition. The two receive a warm welcome to Xerax's realm by Mental Guards and are invited to explore to their hearts' desires. They then (???). Finally, they (???).

* In 1138, the *Victorious* was sunken by Umberlee. There were no survivors.

### Re-sequencing

Red, Galia, Al, and Maq'kua, who all gave incorrect answers, wake up strapped in metallic chairs for "re-sequencing". After a troupe of Mental Guards explain the procedure ("we're slurping your nervous system out like spaghetti"), Galia forcibly withdraws her consent with a *misty step*. The Mental Guards turn red and try to get their unruly patients under control, physically and mentally—Red gets telekinetically tossed around like a sack of potatoes while Maq'kua gets brain controlled (NOT CHARMED) and promptly turns on the party. Al and Galia sustain near-fatal anchor wounds before Maq'kua regains control and wipes the floor with the remaining Mental Guards. After some healing, pointed comments, and apologies, the escaped subjects descend to the keep's basement library, where they reunite with Tokili and Stone.

### Open Up, It's Umberlee

Faced with a 100 foot drop towards the main floor of the library, half the party finds this of no inconvenience whatsoever, and after some humming and hawing about the contents of the library, After interrogating the very kind and nice brains for information, Tokili breaks into a magical seal that opens Xerax's lair and opens the door. The party then returned to the upper floors of the keep to enter Xerax's lair!!!

## Xerax

The Barovian Freedom Fighters + 1 enter Xerax's Endless Hoard, which appears to be a difficult-to-navigate room filled with trinkets, trash, and magical items. In the center of the room, Xerax—an irregular-man with a prosthetic arm and eye—is slumped in an armchair, under the influence of mortal narcotics. He musters enough awareness to warmly greet the party with "YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE", then takes some Sobriety Eyedrops™ to more coherently explain "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING I DON'T WANT TO DIE". Xerax turns invisible and runs through a back door.

The BFF and Maq'kua pursue the fleeing Xerax through his trash dimension for some time, stealing knickknacks off the walls as they go. During the chase, Tokili repeatedly tazes Xerax, which historians find very funny. Al finds a talking sword among the detritus that promises to know where Xerax is, which distracts him for a considerable amount of time. The chase finally ends when Stone *dimension door*s Maq'kua and herself on top of Xerax. The party (sans Al) convenes on Xerax's location and forces him to reveal the location of the lantern: a hidden, marginally more organized room. Tokili and Galia head over to retrieve the lantern, while Stone and Maq'kua stay behind to socialize with the thoroughly peeved Xerax.

In the Valuable Object Storage, Tokili finds the lantern in the lap of a skeleton on a throne. He also finds an assortment of off-brand skill enhancement books and Xerax's Tome of Boundless Knowledge, all of which he pockets. This will have no ill effect on the party.

Kleptomania assuaged, the party departs back to the real world.

## Post-Sleep Sleepover

Back at the tomb, the party finds a cozy room and curls up for the night to contemplate who shall hold the lantern that also points to whoever they hate most.

## Developments

* The following dolls have been obtained: Xerax

## Trivia

* Man, why does ERA get a starring credit when she had exactly the same level of involvement as Xadriel?

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