Drama in the Deep - Chapter Two

> "*"I've got a question. Why y'all traveling with the nine levels of hell?"*"
> ― Fraya Love
>
>

**The Furblog and the Merpeep** is the forty-eighth episode of Queens of Adventure. In it the group recruits a new member and go looking for the island's merfolk population.

## Synopsis

In her office, Belfry introduces the party to Londyn Bradshaw, who enters as a tipsy aquatic fox, but says she is a firbolg druid from the 'Land of Mystical Changes'. She is another guest of the Golden Palace, but she ran up a large debt at the gambling table that Belfry is willing to forgive in exchange for her helping the party.

Upon hearing that the group was going to go recruit the local merfolk, and seek the missing Ice Scepter, Londyn says she knows a ritual to grant the group underwater breathing. Fraya warns that the merfolk are pacificstic though. Londyn wonders if there are other creatures down there. Fraya mentions there are all kinds, including turtles she hopes don't have straws up their noses.

Belfry reminds everyone of their plan to secure the Kracken Priest's Heart, and to decide what expert to take with them and which one to leave in her office at the Hole of Glory. She also pays them for their work with the drow, enough to buy a major blessing from Sister Baccarat's luck shrine. The group debates experts and decide to bring Gnomi, and have Patrick on call, that way both of those who are transforming can be kept from the heart. Gnomi is thrilled to go with them.

During a montage, the queens change their outfits and pack up the heart and the portable party and DJ Cyberpreppy in the vault with the help of Lamont who has a sketchbook full of drawings of Irene. At the luck shrine Butylene spins the wheel, receiving blessing of protection, boosting armor class and saving throws. They thank the Sister (and compliment her look) and depart.

Arson writes a hasty memoir (Fine, That'll Do - The Arson Nicki Story) using *prestidigitation* and hands it out to everyone to cast *inspiring leadership* on the group. They head to Carmella La Mer's spa, where Londyn uses hair washing stands to perform her underwater breathing ritual, which douses everyone's heads with a tornado of water. Carmella gives everyone towel head wraps. While Fraya does a mud wrap, the mobile Hole of Glory rings. Arson puts her head in to the Glamazon Dispatch room. Patrick's head is also there and hands a map of the last known location of the merfolk, as spotted by Glamazon scouts.

The group departs. Arson straps Gnomi to her back with some web as she, Butylene, and Fraya snap out their gliders while Londyn *wild shapes* into a daddy shark, preferring to swim than fly. The flyers lift up on a thermal vent. They soar up over the ridge. They see the white observatory being repaired by Glamazons. Over the eastern side of the island they see the Glamazon farmland and Glamalala where rangers patrol outside. They can see the central island made of sea glass with the Ziggurat on top. Underwater, Londyn swims around the island, finding underwater caves that take her under the island to the lagoon between all the islands and to the meeting spot the map showed as the other queens dive into the water. Fraya's dive is flawless, but Arson and Butylene become tangled until shark Londyn bites them lose.

As they regather and look around, they notice they are surrounded by sunken towers. Gnomi is excited to study the remnants of the lost civilization. Londyn gets high on seaweed, but also smells that the merfolk had been here recently. Fraya recognizes this is the area she awoke in when she first arrived at Fire Island, and warns Londyn that a shark harassed the merpeep the last time she was there. Londyn obligingly turns into a star fish.

The group moves through the sunken white marble city, hidden a lot by the kelp. Fraya calls out and near a giant arch by crumbling statues, a face pops out. It is a merfolk who recognizes Fraya and introduces himself as Finneous. He was rescued by Fraya. After brief introductions, Finneous explains that everyone is hiding.

Arson explains their mission to unite groups around the island to fight the Kracken, and they've already allied with Glamazons, Rave Ghosts, and Ancient Drow. Fraya knows they are pacifists, but would love their help. Finneous says it would be Misty's call, but she left on a mission to save their spiritual leader.

Londyn suggests they just try to force the others into leaving. Arson cautions they've learned to take the more helpful approach as it leads to better results.

Finneous leads them to where Misty went, as Gnomi begins to hypothesize that these building must have been on the surface until a disaster. He finds some script that gives instructions from the former residents of the city in how they worshiped the spirit of the volcano.

They arrive at the center of the city and a Colosseum. They swim into it and Finneous calls out to Alighieri. The floor of the Colosseum rises, revealing it is a dragon turtle, massive, but lethargic. Finneous says he has been sick since their group, who follow Alighieri and take care of him, were blown off course by the initial storm. Misty went inside Alighieri to find the cause of the sickness.

Fraya uses her trident of fish command to try and speak to Alighieri, who only moans 'pain'. Butylene uses some medicinal spices from her pouch of spices and Fraya lances them with shape water into the dragon turtle mouths. This causes Alighieri to regurgitate a writhing mass of worms and a dark goo covered merfolk. Butylene uses *healing word* as a tongue pop on the merfolk who falls inert. Londyn casts *detect poison and disease* and as runes glow in the water, she senses a parasite in the merfolk and larva swarm. Fraya channels Cher to *call lightning* on the parasite ball.

Finneous grabs the inert merfolk, one of the ones who went into Alighieri. Fraya uses spare the dying to stabilize him as Finneous begs them to go into the turtle to find the others and the turtle himself. The group debate among themselves and decide to go.

Alighieri opens his mouth, bubbles emerging. Grubs emerge and scatter from his gums. The queens and Gnomi swim in. A roar rumbles deep inside as the mouth shuts, leaving them trapped in his dark throat.

### Characters

#### Party

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

#### NPCs

* Gnomi Malone
* Belfry Ramshackle
* DJ Cyberpreppy and Woo Ghosts (montage only)
* Lamont Du Pont IV (montage only)
* Sister Baccarat
* Carmella La Mer
* Patrick
* Finneous (full introduction)
* Alighieri (full introduction)

* Possessed Merfolk

## Episode Notes

### Lore

* A group of merfolk follow and revere the dragon turtle Alighieri. He is ancient and
* The ruins in the main lagoon of the Fire Island seemed to belong to a group that worshiped a volcano spirit before a disaster sunk the city.

### Memorable Quotes

* "Yeah, describe your entrance." - "Um, dramatic?" - Butylene O'Kipple and Londyn Bradshaw
* "Would you like to spin the wheel?" - "Not the one who's been out of luck the whole time!" - Fraya Love and Arson Nicki
* "Do I have to fly?" - "You don't have to fly but it would be nice to keep up with everybody." - Londyn Bradshaw and DM Matt
* "If it's Londyn than her wig is already gone." - Butylene O'Kipple
* "You know how we feel about seaweed." - "Smoke it?" - "Yeah!" - Arson Nicki and Butylene O'Kipple
* "Does the turtle have an innate swimming speed?" - Fraya Love
* "I have mending." - "You can darn socks with that." - Fraya Love and DM Matt
* "Once you start Super Mario Bros you have to finish Super Mario Bros" - Fraya Love
* "Not to be obtuse, but what are the options?" - "Front door and back door" - Butylene O'Kipple and Finneous the Merpeep
* "I am not a suppository." - Fraya Love

### References

* RuPaul's workroom entrance line "Hello, Hello, Hello."
* Straws in turtle mouths
* Starmee - Pokemon
* Dante Alighieri and the Inferno
* Medicine commercial side effect warnings
* Super Mario Bros
* Ant-Man (and the Thanos solution meme)
* Magic School Bus

### Name That Tune

* "Baby Shark"
* "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" - Celine Dion

## Behind the Queens

* Fraya reads the Previously On introduction
* As this is her first full appearance in the main continuity, this is truly Londyn Bradshaw's 'First Day', a running gag of hers.
* DM Matt confirms it has been ten days since the queens arrived on the island.
* Finneous was named by Discord member and financial backer Gibbay.

**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
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