Ghosts of the Coast - Chapter One

> "*It seems we have stumbled upon a ghost rave.*"
> ― Fraya Love
>
>

**Ghosts of the Coast - Chapter One: "Portable Party"** is the twenty ninth episode of Queens of Adventure. In it, the recently freed prisoners of the Kracken Priest find themselves in new quests on their trek to shelter.

## Synopsis

Dirty, hungry, disheveled, and alive, the survivors of the Kracken Priest's lair stumble out onto the beach, with the enemy's still beating heart. Nearby there is a castle sitting on the sand. Two reunions happen before them: Karin has found her husband Patrick, and Sir Throbardon has found his squire, Jim-Jim.

A single seaspawn barrels towards the party from the water. Butylene chucks a bomb at it. The monster collides with it and after the blast, there is a sea creature covered crater in the sand.

Patrick wonders how this could be as it is not high tide. Arson wonders if destroying the Kracken Priest and the altar which controlled the monsters caused them to have more will to attack when they want. Karin says they should get back to the Golden Palace as soon as possible, before high tide, and asks if everyone is accounted for.

Fraya checks her pockets (and is thrilled to have pockets) and finds a note in her pocket from Harlotte. It says she has gone into the jungle to deal with the treasure she stole from the Kracken Priest and to go on ahead. Sure enough, the rogue is gone. Cole notes the halflings, Hattie and Adrian, left to seek food at the castle. Patrick draws stick figures of them in the sand for Fraya.

Sir Throbardon says he, Jim-Jim, and Karin can protect the other rescuees while the party checks out the castle. Fraya asks if they have seen Cher Noble, hoping for backup. Karin says she stopped by with a kid a few days ago. The water genasi feels guilty over something related to Cher Noble, but puts it aside as the group heads to the castle, which they recognize as the Temple of Boom from the map they found at the Stone Shrine. She invites Ellen, who says she likes to party, with them.

Wreckage litters the beach as they cross the sand, including beach umbrellas and red solo goblets. Fraya finds a flyer for the 'Full Moon Party' at the medieval castle, with DJ Cyberpreppy. The sun beating down on the team is harshest on Arson's dryder form so she grabs a beach umbrella to act as a parasol.

They walk up to the castle doors feature a tattered red carpet and acid burned velvet ropes. Some of the sand is melted into glass. Fraya and Arson pretend to be photographed and interviewed by reporters as they walk the red carpet (glama birds overhead whistle approvingly), but Butylene investigates, finding two pairs of bare footprints leading to the door. The cracked front door has dark stains and quills embedded in it. Looking up they see a tattered banner hanging from the tower: "Welcome to the famous Fire Island Medieval Castle. Home of the Temple of Boom".

Entering, they find an empty lobby and a curtained archway with a sign referring to a world famous buffet in the Temple of Boom. Moving closer to the curtain they can hear muffled sounds of a dance beat, fantasy trance. Fraya peeks through the curtain, finding an empty ticket booth and an active, misty nightclub filled with a crowd of ghosts. On an elevated platform with a stone altar on the left, a tall ghost manipulates dials. The lights come from the front of the altar. Two halflings are surrounded by a circle of ghosts, dancing but frightened.

Arson pulls a look, using the eyeshadow she found in the sea cave loot, and taking down the curtain to use the rings to make faux-chain mail. With *prestidigitation*, she adds a perfume fragrance to herself. Fraya goes outside and constructs an outfit from the buffet sign and shattered glass. Butylene is fine with her leather, but plays her castonets to make illusory moths appear and disguise herself. Once ready, Arson tears open the curtain dramatically.

The ghosts all turn to stare at the three queens in the entrance. The tall ghost announces new guests of honor have arrived. The ghosts woo in excitement. The halflings look relieved but nervous.

Butylene asks if the tall ghost, who drifts down from the altar to them, is DJ Cyberpreppy. He is excited they know of him. They dance through the crowd, trying to avoid the ghosts, but feeling a tingle if they bump into them, to reach the halflings. They want to leave but are too afraid to walk through them. They only came because they were hungry and had been to the buffet on their last visit to the island.

The group tries to leave, but DJ Cyberpreppy says they can't leave, the party is just getting started and lasts forever. He offers them the open bar, but the liquor pours through him. They ask how they can get the party to end before eternity. He says to have a proper full moon party, they need to have a large crowd, lively venue, and a full moon.

Ellen interjects, suggesting these ghosts can't leave this plane until they fulfill unfinished business. Fraya asks them how they got to be like this. One of the dancers says seaspawn crashed and killed everyone, mid party. Fraya suggests it is the party that is their unfinished business, and the ghost thinks that sounds reasonable. Ellen remembers the night of the first moon was the night of the first and worst attack of the seaspawn.

Fraya investigates the altar. Despite her lack of religious book learning, with her street smarts she sees it is stone, with flashing gems, and a closed lid. There are some loops on the sides that carrying poles could go through. Arson, skilled as a DJ, offers to go back to back with Cyberpreppy, who is happy to work with a colleague. He lifts the altar lid, where there are various tables. He slides the slate onto a grove in the top of the altar. Each one, he says, can play eight songs. Arson steps in and the crowd enjoys her work, as she casts some *dancing lights* which get amplified by the gems. She recognizes this system as a portable party, and asks if they might take the altar to the Golden Palace, to the ghost DJs delight.

The group thinks the Golden Palace might give them a venue and a crowd to fulfill their unfinished business, but they recall they're near new moon, so it would be a few weeks. They propose this to Cyberpreppy who is deeply into the idea. He announces it to the ghosts who woooo.

The ghosts try to move the altar, but are less than corporeal to do it. The mortals gather to help after Cyberpreppy says the ghosts can't stray too far from the portable party.

In the lobby, Hattie notices something on the wall, a crack on a plaster facade. Hidden behind it is a mural of some kind which Butylene investigates after the group sets down the altar.

She sees a five panel mural. The first depicts colorfully dressed women with wild hair dancing and singing, and distributing gifts. Behind them a manor with a tower rising up. The second shows monster attacks, barren fields, and death. The once bright hair is replaced with shadowy, swirling shapes in the third panel, and the manor has lost its tower. The fourth is a blur of shapes and eyes, teeth, and claws. Lastly, the faded fifth panel shows three figures in a boat headed for a ring of islands. Beyond that the wall is shattered.

Fraya asks Ellen what she knows about this. She believes it looks like an old Glamazon archive known for their frescoes, and thinks there was one on this side of the island before it was given to the HOGs. It is a depiction of the first Glamazons who came to the island, who fled the spreading Taint on the mainland and founded Glamalala. The missing panel likely showed the history of the Glamazons after the founding. They make a note to tell Patrick, but as Butylene studies it, she recognizes it as the mural they saw on the dumpster ride through Wunderbred Manor.

They pick up the altar and head outside. Sir Throbardon and Jim-Jim hold the perimeter over the corpses of two more seaspawn. Karin greets them and asks about their new friends. As they prepare to leave, Karin remembers to tell them they all need to stop by Old Man Rufus's place. Augustus had asked them to pick something up from him on their way back from searching. The ghosts don't seem to mind, and woo.

Journeying southwest, leaving the castle behind, they pass more shipwrecks and debris on the sand as glama birds circle over head of the group of mortals and forty ghosts.

Butylene asks Ellen, opposite her holding the altar, for advice about their status with the Glamazons. He explains their treaty violation and death sentence. She says she noticed their trial uniforms, but offers a good news sandwich: Glamazon law says you can't be executed twice for the same crime, so surviving their execution means they served their sentence. Bad news - it probably soured them with the Glamazons, and the glama birds will be constantly observing them. Last bit of good news - the moths look great! She also believes the Beautificent Council would only exile all HOGs if the infraction was large enough to warrant it and suspects that is unlikely. This relieves Butylene's nerves for now.

Fraya ponders using the lack of massive seaspawn attacks to go visit the merfolk and get help searching for the ice scepter.

During the half hour walk down the beach, things are peaceful other than some thunderclouds far out to sea, and they approach an art installation, they also recognize from the Stone shrine map. Tall structures made out of glowing colored pipes. There are red crabs, green palm trees, and tall wyvern sculptures. The largest is a sixty foot tall statue of a glama bird. The ghosts ask to remain a little ways away to party for a bit while the living run their errand.

The group approaches a small shack near the glama bird sculpture. A goblin sits hunched over a workbench, but greets them. He is Old Man Rufus, Sculptor of Light, though he doesn't know where they get the Old part from. Karin asks about the package for Augustus, and he recalls the order for a ghost light. It is almost done, but he needs a Double D Arcane Iluminocitor, which is at the very top of the glama bird sculpture. Resting on the device is a glama bird in a nest.

Fraya asks if Ellen can approach the bird without violating the law. She says yes, but isn't sure how to get up there. Arson offers transporting her up the statue. Fraya wonders where the power button for the lights is. Rufus says it is halfway up. Arson heads twenty feet up to the switch and turns off the light. Ellen offers Arson a blessing. While they climb, Butylene asks Rufus what the ghost light does. He explains it keeps ghosts away, and can be turned off and on at will. Arson weaves some silk to help tie together the sculpture to keep it together as they climb higher. The glama bird side eyes the climbers.

Ellen asks for some spider silk to make a belt tied to Arson. She moves out along the sculpture beak but slides, and dangles from the side. Arson holds on and swings her a little. Fraya below uses *gust of wind* to push Ellen towards the nest. She apologizes to the bird and grabs the doodad, unscrewing it.

Arson weaves some webbing into a net and throws it don below for them to try and catch them. Once the landing pad is ready, the dryder grabs the part from Ellen and leaps off the sculpture. She bounces off the webbing but is safe. Ellen follows.

Old Man Rufus takes the device and finishes the ghost light. The group takes it, turning off the light, and prepare to depart.

They pick up the alter and travel for two and a half more hours south towards the Golden Palace. The queens debate how to handle giving the ghost light to Augustus while protecting their new friends. They can smell the sharp scent of thunder. As they get close, they hear cannon fire, and the clash of weapons.

From the direction of the Golden Palace they see a large plume of smoke as a battle rages.

### Characters

#### Party

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

#### NPCs

* Jim-Jim
* Patrick
* Cole
* Gnomi Malone
* Ellen
* Other rescued prisoners
* Karin
* Sir Throbardon
* Hattie and Adrian
* DJ Cyberpreppy and Wooo-Girl Rave Ghosts (debut)
* Old Man Rufus (debut)

## Episode Notes

### Lore

* Ghosts typically have to complete unfinished business in order to move on.
* The first wave of seaspawn attacks occurred on the night of the full moon.
* The Temple of Boom features a slightly expanded mural, showing a history of the Age of Queens, as the one in Wunderbred Manor, showing the spreading Taint, and the fleeing of three figures to Fire Island.
* Glamalala law states someone cannot be executed twice for the same crime if they survive it, but that criminals will likely be placed under strict glama bird surveillance.

### Inspiration Earned

* Fraya - using lights to simulate flashbulbs

### Memorable Quotes

* "She's sort of a goth princess at the Kentucky Derby." - Fraya Love on Arson Nicki
* "Are there any greek letters? Could be a frat house." - Butylene O'Kipple
* "What's the genre of the music being played? Because I am very picky and I need to gauge the taste level of the DJ who's spinning." - Arson Nicki
* "Are we going to hit the Interested button, or are we going?" - Butylene O'Kipple
* "Like an unpleasantly pleasant tingle?" - Fraya Love
* "What is the booking fee for forever and how many drink tickets does it entail." - Arson Nicki
* "How am I a cleric with a negative one on religion and arcana?" - Fraya Love

### References

* Cthulu
* Odyssey
* Jason and the Argonauts
* Red Solo Cups
* Kentucky Derby
* Valentino
* Genovia - Princess Diaries
* Kappa Kappa Psi
* Berghain nightclub
* Wizard of Oz - Man Behind the Curtain
* Facebook Events 'Interested' option
* Carol Burnett Gone With the Wind Sketch
* Jo Malone
* Darby O'Gill
* 8-tracks
* Uber
* Mary Poppins

### Name That Tune

* "Cotton Eye Joe"
* "A Thousand Miles" - Vanessa Carlton
* "We Could Be Heroes" - David Bowie

## Behind the Queens

* This is the first episode of the show to have less than four members of the party, with the departure of Harlotte O'Scara. Her departure in game is explained in the opening of the episode.
* DJ Cyberpreppy was named by listener and backer DJ Cyberpreppy.
* DM Matt thanks listeners for character names including DiceRefgemlin for naming Old Man Rufus, iamdeek for naming Hattie and DJ Cyberpreppy for naming Adrian.

**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**
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