Episode 24: Queen of the Sky (Tales From the Crick)

**Queen of the Sky** is the twenty-fourth episode in the series and the third episode in Tales From the Crick.

Beverly has insulted yet another god and it's time to fight! The Band of Boobs continue their adventure in the elemental chaos and challenge the Air Titan. Moonshine refuses to swallow her pride, Hardwon gets Death-Eatered, and Bev takes on yet another servant.

 Plot Synopsis

### **Sorry Ol’ Cobb!**

The episode begins with The Band of Boobs engaging the Titan of Air, by rolling initiative: Hardwon 23, Beverly 19, Moonshine 18, Titan of Air, Ol’ Cobb.

### **Round 1**

 Hardwon acts first, and succeeds in a Strength Check to save Ol’ Cobb from his suspended state in the air. The Titan of Air uses a Lair Action to launch a giant gust of wind at BoB and they make a Strength Saving Throw to stay standing, but Moonshine and Ol’ Cobb are knocked over and are restrained. Beverly casts Moonbeam, which extends from him as he thrusts, aka a Care Bear Stare. Moonshine is restrained on her turn and loses her turn. The Titan of Air makes a Con Save against Bev’s Moonbeam but fails and takes the full brunt of his Green Teen Beam for 11 damage. She leaves the beam and attacks Bev with her flail, missing twice, and hitting once for 18+5 lightning damage. Ol’ Cobb is restrained, and loses his turn.

### **Round 2**

Hardwon attacks with Gemma and hits twice for 24 damage, and then uses his Action Surge, hitting twice more, once with a **Nat 20**, for another 42 damage. The Titan of Air uses a Lair Action to shoot marble debris at Hardwon and Beverly, and they both pass their Dexterity Throw, taking only half damage for 9. Beverly attacks and deals 12 damage, and then attacks with a Branding Smite for 6 extra damage. He then attempts to hit again, but misses. Moonshine casts Protection From Energy on Beverly. The elemental attacks, and hits Bev once for 21 (halved to 10) damage. She attacks again, and rolls a **Nat 20**, dealing 15 damage to Bev. Ol’ Cobb attacks and hits, dealing 7 damage.

### **Round 3**

Hardwon swings three times, but misses the first two, and hitting the last for 18 damage. The Titan of Air uses a Lair Action to launch a giant gust of wind at BoB and they make a Strength Saving Throw to stay standing, but Moonshine and Ol’ Cobb are knocked over again and are restrained. Bev attacks and uses a 1st Level Divine Smite to deal 25 lethal damage.

### **Blown Away**

After the battle she admits defeat and gives her gift to Ol’ Cobb. Afterwards, they take a Full Rest at The Air Temple. They decide with the guidance of the air elemental that they’ll go to the Water Temple next. Beverly activates his Whetstone on his way. They fly down from the Air Temple to the raging ocean.

Upon reaching the ocean they find no temple and only the raging waves of the western ocean. Moonshine casts Waterbreathing on everyone, which lasts for 24 hours and allows them to breathe underwater. Beverly casts Find Steed and wills a spirit blue mako to him. The shark they summon makes note that they ripped it away from its family, and now serves Beverly. They later name it Dolph.

### **A Land Down Under**

The Boobs jump in and Beverly and Moonshine spot shadowy figures deeper in the water. Moonshine Rapport Spores the others and they make note of the watery beings. She tries to play New Betsy to get their attention, but it doesn’t work. One creature looks up toward them, but they are faceless. Hardwon swims toward the being, and the creature reaches his hand out to grab him. It pulls him in, and he makes a successful Wisdom Saving Throw. For a second he sees his face on the creature’s faceless body, but it flashes away. Hardwon swings on the creature and cuts it in half, killing it instantly. The other monsters show no interest, and Bev grabs the sea weed of one of their necks, which reveals itself to be a small creature itself. He stuffs it in his pocket and it gnaws at him.

The Boobs follow a light which leads them to the Sunken Temple. It is surrounded by white orbs and is covered in algae. It appears as a big dome building with the statue of a water elemental holding a trident in front. The statue has an opening on it which they can enter, and the BoB squeeze through.

They swim down the tunnel and arrive in the main room of the temple. The wall is covered in hieroglyphics. The art depicts the water elemental creating the sea and killing trespassers. There are 12-14 drowned men cleaning the walls and maintaining the temple. A raised altar with bubbles blowing resides at the center of the room, and at the back of the room a statue of a bearded warrior on a sea horse pulled sleigh.

Hardwon goes to the center of the room to inspect the bubbles, which rise with intense pressure. Hardwon and Moonshine investigate the sea horses, and they both decide to bount the sea horses. Beverly and Ol’ Cobb join them on the other two sea horses and they shake upon being mounted. They work together to lift a single sea horse and move it to the altar where the bubbles rise, but it isn’t big enough to block the opening. Moonshine swims over the bubbles but it shot up to the top of the dome where she is pressed against the ceiling. They move the sea horse statue over the bubbles and The Boobs hold onto it as it sinks downward.

After sinking down a long tunnel the BoB find a throne room covered by coral. The Titan of Water sits on a throne of coral. She is surprised they didn’t drown, to which they rhyme her name with that of her siblings. She doesn’t want to rhyme, and everyone rolls initiative: Moonshine **Nat 20** (23), Titan of Water **Nat 20**, Hardwon 22, Beverly 19, Ol’ Cobb.

### **Round 1**

 Moonshine casts Lightning Bolt, and the water elemental fails her Dex Throw, which deals her a total of 27 damage. The water elemental points her trident at Moonshine, and attacks three times, hitting once for 8+7 cold damage. She holds up a watery hand and it turns into a whirlpool, the room becomes wavy and the BoB feel themselves getting tunnel vision. They all roll Wisdom Saving Throws and everyone fails except Hardwon. Hardwon swings twice, and hits once for 14 damage. He uses his Action Surge, and misses twice, but expends a Lucky point to attack once more and gets a Nat 20, dealing 28 damage. Beverly rolls a Nat 20, and uses Thunderous Smite to deal 32 damage. Bev attacks again, but misses. Ol’ Cobb attacks twice with his Short Sword but misses twice.

### **Round 2**

Moonshine casts Lightning Bolt again, and the water elemental passes her Dex Throw, being dealt 26 (halved to 13) damage. The water elemental tries again the attack Moonshine with her trident, and hits her once for 14 damage. She then holds up two hands and fires bits of coral toward the BoB, who all make Constitution Saving Throws. Everyone except Hardwon passes the roll, and she deals them 17 (halved to 8 if saved) poison damage. Bev negates all damage because he rolled a Nat 20. Hardwon swings twice but hits only once for 9 damage. He expended a Lucky point on his first miss, but still misses. Bev uses Ensnaring Strike as a bonus attack for 18 lethal damage. He tosses Moonshine the trident, and she brings it down on the water elemental’s head, finishing her.

### **The Ol’ Moonstone Flashback**

Moonshine chooses to be the water elemental's champion, and is blessed with the Gift of Water, which grants underwater breathing and +1 to wisdom. Moonshine asks the elemental to take coral to in order to make it into jewelry which she obliges. She also asks for her trident, and the elemental creates one for her. She also gives Beverly a novelty fork. They take a Full Rest overnight, and Hardwon makes Moonshine coral earrings. She tells them that they’ll need her powers to get past the volcano. Beverly banishes Dolph back to his home afterwards. The water elemental uses her powers to lift them out of the ocean and toward the volcano. She also wills a wave onto the volcano, which enrages the Titan of Fire. He emerges from the volcano, boiling the flooded countryside, and The Boobs ready to fight. The episode ends.

## Quotes

* Beverly: “I’m sorry Ol’Cobb, I was trying to keep it light!” -- Ol' Cobb: “Ay, I love keep it light, ya know. We might wanna stay heavy in the air though, amirite?” -- Hardwon: “That’s good! You still got it! Even in the face of death.”
* Beverly: “Friends witness her squeam, as she takes a full brunt of the beam!” -- Hardwon: “Bev, stop with the hips.”
* Jake, Emily & Murph: "Blinded by the piss-" -- Caldwell: "It causes me to swing and then miss."
* Moonshine: "Is this a trident or a plunger? Cause there is piss everywhere.”

## Trivia

* Beverly’s Branding Smite gives his target a small tattoo.
* Ol’ Cobb has an inhaler
* All the elementals have IBS

## Music/Sound Effects

* "The Titan of Air" by Emily Axford.
* "Sumpin's Asunder Down Under" by Emily Axford.
* "Baptised" by Emily Axford.
* "Steed of the Sea" by Emily Axford.
* "Cetacean Farewell" by Emily Axford.
* "Into the Flame" by Emily Axford.

## External Links

* Headgum
* Spotify
* NAD&DP Subreddit Thread