Operation Watersport - Chapter Three

> "*Who needs Paris or Milan when you can have, um, Watersport.*"
> ― Arson Nicki
>
>

**Topped by a Lighthouse** is the nineteenth episode of Queens of Adventure. In it, the queens explore a lighthouse near the town of Watersport.

## Synopsis

The party emerges out of the jungle near the outskirts of the town of Watersport. Rocks nearby are covered in pulsing ooze. It is near midnight and they are begining to feel exhausted as they stand five minutes from town and from a lighthouse to the south east. The town's building look to be collapsing. The lighthouse on a cliff above sweeps its light back and forth across the town and not the sea, pointing often at the bell tower.

Only with the lighthouse light can they see three distinct buildings around town square. They decide to head to the lighthouse for a better vantage point, and try to make a performance of their climb. Seaweed and barnacles cling to everything around them as they approach the door, which is smashed broken, as if by an explosion. It is dark inside. Arson leads up a spiral staircase inside with her dark vision, finding a trap door at the top. Harlotte opens it a sliver and can see machinery and clawed feet. Someone says they heard something, and the feet begin to pace.

After signalling the others, Harlotte flings open the door into the top floor of the lighthouse. A shocked imp is staring at them, while another is on the catwalk. Harlotte casts *sleep* firing it off with a finger gun. Both imps fall asleep. Butylene takes control of the handles of the light, taking the heat of the flame while she tries to keep the light moving subtly. Fraya finds a telescope next to the sleeping imp on the catwalk. Looking out at the town, she can see buildings lit by the lamp light, and to the north, occasional flashes of light. She steps out onto the catwalk and slips. She dangles from the railing as she *shapes water* to freeze the mist around one hand on the railing and uses it again with her free hand, to create a step below her feet. She pushes off of it to climb back onto the runway before grabbing the telescope.

Peering through it, she can see the bell tower in town, on a building covered in growths of what look to be coral. Seaweed crawls up it. A sign outside reads Town Hall, and two imps stand guard. Across from it is a tavern, with a sign marked "The Loose Lips". Its windows are crusted over, but she can see sparks of light from inside. The third building in town square, on the western side, is a small temple with a triangular roof and a spire. A thick orange film spills out of it. The imps look towards the lighthouse, note the movements of the light, and shrug.

Arson emerges from the trapdoor (where everyone had pushed past her) and gives her spidersilk rope to Harlotte to tie up the imps. The rogue hoists the waking up imp into the air. The one near Fraya also comes to, and she uses *command* to make him Explain. He describes how to use the telescope and that the master told them to keep a look out for trouble. She pins him down.

The imp inside sees Butylene's horns and asks who they are. Remembering the imps and lava babies she met, she slips back into her corporate persona, claiming they are doing a check up. Outside, Fraya tries to headbutt her pinned imp, but it turns into a raven and flies away. Arson, seeing that sends out a *thaumaturgy* echo of 'nevermore'. The imp inside sees the raven fly away and tells the others they're in big trouble. Channeling Cher, Fraya casts *gust of wind* while running around the catwalk to try and pull the bird back towards them. It half works, knocking the bird towards the ground fifty feet to the north. Fraya slides down the side of the tower over the slick seaweed covered exterior, *shaping water* again to make a slight ice ramp to allow her to shoot into the air at the bottom.

Leaving the lamp, Butylene drinks a little potion, and uses *charm person* on the tied up imp. She grills the imp, who says the raven-imp is likely reporting to their boss, Barb, who works out of town hall and keeps everything of value. The group discuss what they should do with him, as the imp asks who Butylene's friends are, and wonders if they should go get help. She high-fives the imp and agrees. She *thaumaturgies* some distractions while the others play along and the tiefling grabs the imp and rope and book it down the stairs. The imp turns into a rat and scurries away.

Fraya lands in a pile of branches and twigs and leafs in some low scrub brush. She looks for the bird and finds some feathers that have a sulfurous order that she also notices coming from town. There's also a sweet cherry scent from town. Trying to stealth her way to town, she stumbles and falls into a pit in the ground. There's a lot of slime growing over everything and more of that sweet smell, and Fraya feels a squish on the wall. A slime monster emerges and attacks. The cleric calls upon *thunderwave* to strike the slime. A burst of heat and fire emanates from the blob, burning her, before the blob slaps her with a poisonous tendril.

Arson and Harlotte hear the thunder, and leave the lighthouse. The rogue rolls down the hill, past Butylene chasing the rat, and lands in the pit next to Fraya. Arson follows Butylene, shouting good luck to the two deep inside. Fraya jabs her trident about seven feet up into the wall and tries to jump on it to get out of the pit. She grabs the top and pulls herself up to the surface. Fraya shouts a warning to Harlotte about the blob which thrusts an attack, but misses. Harlotte *mage hands* her grappling hook into the air which thumps by Fraya, who grabs it and runs it to a nearby shrub. After another blob strike misses, Harlotte casts *colorspray* which creates a little prismatic light Harlotte uses to see the trident and climb to safety.

As they lie on the ground on the surface, the two queens here a slow thumping sound coming closer.

Butylene and Arson make it to town. In the square they can see the temple, the Loose Lips tavern, and the Town Hall with the patrolling imps. Arson can see muddy rat prints across the square heading to town hall. Butylene thinks she might want to go right inside. Arson turns invisible to go with her in secret. The guards stop as Butylene approaches. "I need to see Barb. There're intruders." The imps say they were just warned of a party outside town, but seeing Butylene's horns, they let her into the Hall. Arson steps on a loose stone in the floor, catching the imps's attention. They pull Butylene inside and slam the door shut.

### Characters

#### Party

* Arson Nicki - drow warlock
* Butylene O'Kipple - tiefling alchemist
* Fraya Love - water genasi cleric
* Harlotte O'Scara - human rogue

#### NPCs

* Imps
	+ Raven Imp
	+ Rat Imp

## Episode Notes

### Lore

* The town of Watersport is covered in growths of typically underwater plant and animal life like seaweed, coral, and barnacles. It also seems to be covered in slimy residues.

### Inspiration Earned

* Arson - using *thamaturgy* to say 'Nevermore'
* Harlotte - arguing that running around the tower will let Fraya move a stationary spell

### Memorable Quotes

* "Turns out Fire Island is vers." - DM Matt
* "There's no light on inside the White House, we know that." - Harlotte O'Scara
* "I could probably try to push it open with water..." - Fraya Love
* "Go to bed, wig!" - Harlotte O'Scara
* "Faking it so that you don't arouse suspicion describes like all of my sexual experiences from the last six months." - Arson Nicki
* "It's like good cop, weird cop." - Harlotte O'Scara
* "I am a very attractive force, just putting that out there." - Arson Nicki
* "You both hear a thunderous wave coming from town." "Fraya" - DM Matt and Harlotte/Arson in unison

### References

* Wuthering Heights
* Chaco Taco
* The Raven - Edgar Allen Poe
* Dark Side of the Moon
* Alice in Wonderland - raven and writing desk
* Kindergarten Cop - "Who is your daddy and what does he do?"
* Fabio
* Horror movies and the Last Girl
* Tie Fighters.
* Harry Potter
* Princess Bride
* Trident gum

### Name That Tune

* "Running Up That Hill" - Kate Bush
* "Pop Goes the Weasel" - as played by an ice cream truck
* "Oompa Loompa Song" - Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
* "I Feel Something in the Air" - Cher
* "Dancing Queen" - ABBA
* "A Thousand Miles" - Vanessa Carlton
* "I Can See Clearly Now" - Johnny Nash

## Behind the Queens

* DM Matt announces a live stream will be happening November 4th, 2018, as a charity fundraiser. This stream would become a bonus episode, "Enter the Wigsnatch".

**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