Whispers From the Heart - Chapter Five

> "*We're lowering heaven and raising hell.*"
> ― Londyn Bradshaw
>
>

**Whispers From the Heart - Chapter Five: "Jump the Shark"** is the fifty seventh episode of Queens of Adventure. In it, a portal to hell opens over Fire Island.

## Synopsis

Amid the rain, a pillar of energy rises up from the standing stones on the hill above the Golden Palace as similar pillars rise from other rings of stones all around Fire Island. The beams open an infernal portal in the sky from which chains shoot out, piercing the ground. One misses Alighieri the Dragon Turtle.

Meanwhile in the aquarium, Arson, Butylene, and Fraya battle sharks who are attacking merfolk. Butylene senses the sharks are terrified of the Kracken, so she tells them it is coming, and many of them swim to the top of the aquarium, flopping out into the office. Mystie shouts a warning as three more sharks swim at the party. One, that Fraya had previously hit with lightning, bites at her and swipes her with its tail. She smacks against the tank wall, and the crack in the glass expands.

Arson summons her pact weapon as a two-handed baton and hits a shark twice. Fraya tells Mystie to get the merfolk to the bottom of the aquarium and readies her trident, trying to herd the sharks. One bites her, as Mystie takes the merfolk out of the aquarium.

Outside, Londyn pilots Cher Noble towards a Daddy Shark, but a jolt shocks her and Cher Noble begins to talk to her. Londyn quickly tries to sum up the situation but asks Cher Noble to help her deal with the shark first, then they can figure things out. Cher Noble directs her to use *searing smite,* but Londyn misses. The shark attacks as they grapple its tail, but Londyn manages to defeat the monster. She looks up and sees a group of golden armored figures coming towards them from the sky.

Londyn hurriedly tries to exposit, but at the mention of Chaz, Cher Noble's core overloads, dealing damage to Londyn. She disconnects from Cher Noble's systems and begins to crawl up her body, hoping to finish reconnecting the warforged's systems as a group of Glamazons lands. Rigo steps up, having overheard Londyn saying they were going to hell and asks for more information. The chains lower the portal one more link closer.

Back at the aquarium, the sharks converge on Fraya, who is worried for the kids in the penthouse where the other sharks fled. Butylene uses a *firbolt* to drive the sharks towards Arson. One lashes its tail at Fraya, knocking her out. Arson tells the others to do their worst, and tries to use *blink* but fails, so she swings her bat at the shark, killing one before pulling out its spine. Fraya rolls a death save. Butylene *firebolts* again, incinerating the last sharks.

Outside, Londyn decides to reconnect herself to Cher Noble so she can speak with the Glamazons. Londyn tells Rigo about Barb's plan to keep the island safe by taking it to Phlegethos, and who she is. Rigo is equally shocked that the other queens told her to tell the truth, and tells the others to arrest Cher Noble/Londyn. The firbolg tries to explain she only accidentally took over Cher Noble's body (the first time) and emerges from the warforged body before dropping *wild shape*.

Rigo asks where the altar is. Londyn tells him, but also mentions that there are sharks cracking the aquarium. This alarms Rigo even more, as the aquarium is part of the cooling system keeping the volcano in check. The Grand Inquirer is conflicted about which threat to deal with first, as Barb is not to be trusted.

The group rushes up the beach, as moans and shrieks come from the portal, and they enter the lobby. Cher Noble charges to the elevator and wall jumps up it to look for Chaz in the penthouse. Londyn points to the crack in the aquarium. Rigo casts an incantation to mend the crack where he sees Fraya drowning.

Londyn runs downstairs, up into the machine room, into the aquarium, and swims up to Fraya to cast *healing word.* A revived Fraya uses *mending* on her side of the glass to help Rigo fix the glass.

The group heads down to the vault where they find illusory flames surrounding Barb. Nearby, Belfry lies unconscious near a ton of slain sharks. Fraya shouts out suggestions of sending the Kracken or the Heart to hell, not the island. Barb says he could, but he is contractually bound to protect the island, and he thinks the best way to do that is to deliver all the souls on it to hell so he can get promoted again. He orders imps to seal the door.

Fraya shapes water to create an ice wedge to hold open the door. Londyn grabs the altar, and feels the Kracken's power try to overwhelm her, but she resists. Illusory plants grow around Londyn as she battles for control. Fraya grabs as well, but she feels overwhelmed by the power of the Kracken and sees the plane of water.

The group debates what plane to take the island to, and Arson suggests the ethereal plane. Londyn and Fraya push out Barb's infernal influence.

A white light bursts from the altar, knocking everyone back as the world fades to monochrome. One last kachunk comes from outside as silver mist fills everything.

### Characters

#### Party

* Arson Nicki - drider warlock
* Butylene O'Kipple - tiefling alchemist
* Fraya Love - water genasi cleric
* Londyn Bradshaw - firbolg druid

#### NPCs

* Alighieri
* Cher Noble
* Belfry Ramshackle
* Barb and Imps
* Mystie Seaport and Merfolk
* Rigo and Glamazons

## Episode Notes

### Lore

* Rings of standing stones around Fire Island are connected together and can be used in ritual magic.

* The Aquarium in the Golden Palace is part of a cooling system to control the volcano.

### Memorable Quotes

* "It misses, even though it's still attached to my arm." - Fraya Love
* "Please, God, Please. I'm hoping to go to Hogwarts this year." - Londyn Bradshaw
* "Ar-can you?" - Arson Nicki
* "My job is to ask questions but I have so, so many." - "We have time for less than twenty." - Rigo and Londyn Bradshaw
* "So there the ones who told you to tell the truth? Fascinating." - Rigo Cayliss
* "I'm gonna 'nom nom nom nom, chicken nuggies.' " - Londyn Bradshaw
* "I don't know what I want to do. I don't want to go to hell!" - "Fraya's having an existential crisis." - Fraya Love and Arson Nicki
* "I thought that was just someone named Kachunk walking by the building." - Fraya Love
* "Is there a shelf of brochures to go through in the lobby? Take a scenic tour to..." Butylene O'Kipple

### References

* Hogwarts - Harry Potter
* "Only a Flesh Wound" - Monty Python and the Holy Grail
* "Fish are friends, not food." - Finding Nemo
* Mortal Kombat
* Brandon Urie
* Drag Race - Shady Rattlesnake noise
* The Worm from Labyrinth
* "Chickie Nuggie" memes

### Name That Tune

* "Welcome to My Life" - Simple Plan
* "Let's Go to the Beach" - Nicki Minaj

## Behind the Queens

* During the mid-show break, DM Matt announced the first wave of new patreon rewards would begin this month. He also encouraged people who needed to pause their support due to covid-19 pandemic related concerns should do so without guilt.
* The queens mention new dice they received from fan DiceRefgelim, who would go on to record a kickstarter backer reward guest episode with the queens in early March 2020.

**Greetings From Fire Island**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - **The Show Must Go On**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4
**Operation Watersport**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4 - Ch5 - Ch6 - Ch7 - **Trials**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4
**Ghosts of the Coast**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - **The Devil's Due**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4
**Special**: The Story So Far
**The Beautiful Place**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4 - Ch5 - Ch6 - **A Dance in the Dark**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4
**Drama in the Deep**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4 - Ch5 - Ch6 - **Whispers From the Heart**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4 - **Ch5** - Ch6
**Danger Rangers!**: Ch1 - Ch2 - Ch3 - Ch4 - Ch5 - Ch6
**Mist Connections**: Ch1 - Ch2
**Unreleased**
Lost: Camp Crystal Light - Pax West 2018 --  vs the Lizard People
Live Shows: Seattle Style -- Minneapolis Style