Drama in the Deep - Chapter Four

> "*I think I'm gonna swim towards that goopy looking anus.*"
> ― Fraya Love
>
>

**Vice Squad** is the fiftieth episode of Queens of Adventure. In it, the group continue to explore the chambers of Alighieri filled with vice enchantments.

## Synopsis

Under the sea, the party and their friend Gnomi have ventured inside the ailing dragonturtle, Alighieri, to find the source of what ails him, and to seek the help of Misty, leader of the merfolk.

The group emerge into a new chamber where a large group of the frog creatures gather around a pile of treasure. They shovel the coins and gems into their mouths and into carved out welts on their skin. Fatty worms surround the sphincter exit across the chamber.

The group feels an irresistible pull towards the treasure. Gnomi swims right towards the pile, muttering about looking for treasures of the Great Houses. Fraya scoops up treasure, as Arson tries to get that bread. Butylene tries to dump coins into her bag of holding. Londyn greedily tries to learn how to turn into every creature she can see. The merfolk, Virgil and Veronica, dive into the water.

A frog creature tries to steal from Fraya, and grabs her copy of The Rise and Fall of the Great Houses until Fraya *commands* him to drop it. She scoops up the book. Arson finds a gold brick, and narrowly defends it from another frog. Wrestling with another frog, Butylene drops her spice pouch.

Having acquired forms, Londyn feels the greed urge recede, but Gnomi keeps diving into the treasure pile. The other queens begin to snap out of it. Fraya decides to keep only the essentials, a few coins, her book, and a ruby studded sword.

Virgil and Veronica swim into the pile until the queens drag them out by their hair (clearly not wigs). Fraya looks for other merfolk, and finds a ragged fin in the pile. All but Londyn try to pull her out, but fail. Arson deceives the monsters into helping dig. This excavates the merfolk, who Virgil realizes is infected.

Londyn decides to use her second chance from her criminal past to cast *infestation*, with the belief it would infest the merfolk with good. Golden glowy parasites fight off the purple dark infestation. Virgil identifies her as Vivian. Londyn notices Gnomi is gone, so she dives into the pile, *wild shaping* into a worm. Once in the pile, she locates Gnomi and turns into a shark, bursting the pile apart. After recovering Gnomi, Londyn asks if Butylene found her pouch. A quick search and the alchemist finds her pouch.

The group (Virgil supporting his crew) swim towards the exit. One of the frogs sees that Fraya and Butylene still have treasure and moves to attack. Shark Londyn bites the frog. It slashes back, nearly knocking out Londyn, but the queen avoids being implanted with an egg. Butylene shoves Londyn out of the way, and blasts the frog with *firebolt*. Casting *light* on one of her jewels, Fraya throws it, distracting the frog.

Arson grabs the others and drags them through the sphincter. Arriving in the next chamber, she notices the hole of glory in her pocket rumbling. As Fraya explains the hole to the others, Arson puts her head through. The receptionist connects her with Patrick, looking tired, who wants to see if they found info on the Kracken. Arson consults with the others, and replies no, but explains the situation of an infested dragon turtle and worms and pods. It may be linked to the Kracken, but they aren't sure. She stretches the hole to allow the others to put their heads through. Fraya thinks something looks amiss with Patrick, but isn't sure. They ask him to research the parasites and frog creatures.

Ending the call, they assess the new room and realize that the treasures are only partially digested seaweed and fish. Virgil asks if they can *detect magic*. As Londyn says she can (in a fake whale talk), a bright shimmer appears in the water in front of her, but she can't identify it. As she eats the gross seaweed, she sneezes and accidentally uses *detect magic*. She sees illusory magic dissipating from the pile of stuff in her pockets.

Ahead there are two different fluids, aggressively churning water filled with monsters near the top. Near the bottom is a slimy oil with creatures floating motionless in it. The exit is blocked by a statue. Illusion and conjuration magic is throughout the chamber. To get to the exit, they have to swim through one of the two liquids. Virgil feels like this is in line with what they know about the biology of the turtle, but the chamber doesn't match the diagrams he has (but left at home).

The group swims towards the top part, and a strange pressure presses on them. Virgil and Gnomi both succumb to rage. Gnomi voices his resentment for being dragged to the island, not rescued for weeks, and then realizes he has been blinded. Virgil vents his anger at Misty for them coming to Fire Island and how he should be the leader.

Londyn brings out the Hole of Glory to contact Patrick, alarming the receptionist with her shark face. She quickly connects them as Patrick, humming a strange tune, appears. Londyn explains the current scenario and the scholar suggests they try to snap them out of the enchantment. He is also curious about them being inside Alighieri, the Far Traveler. After Londyn explains the various chambers, Patrick recognizes them as vices, sins. He thinks this might correspond to some folklore Alighieri has collected. As they disconnect, Londyn hears Patrick hum the song again. She describes it to the others after summing up the conversation. The others recognize it as the song they heard in the Kracken Priest's lair.

Fraya spent the call *shaping water* to create an ice barrier between their fighting allies, which helps them snap out of it. She then swims down to the barrier between the layers to try and see if anything is on the other side, but we cannot see through.

Butylene and Londyn decide to explore the oily half of the chamber, wrapped in spider silk from Arson. As they pass through the barrier, Londyn becomes passive aggressive and unable to move. Butylene yanks on Londyn's silk to signal being pulled back. Arson pulls, but it snaps. Butylene tries to punch Londyn, but misses. As her friend continues to say passive aggressive things, Butylene says calming things but swims away to look for a merfolk. She finds on and ties the spare thread to one she finds lying prone.

Fraya does an aerial silk dance to try and help Arson pull the three figures up from the bottom half of the chamber. The yank clears Londyn's mind, who apologizes. Fraya breaths (underwater with a water breather) *spare the dead* into the newest merfolk, stabilizes them too. Virgil calls her Viviana.

They navigate to the statue blocking the exit. Londyn investigates it, finding loose rubble underneath. The statue could possibly be moved. The face of the statue has tentacles, much like the idol in the Kracken Priest's lair. Fraya explains as Gnomi greets the statue. After the group fails to move it, Butylene chucks a bomb at the base while Fraya pushes the top to knock it over.

As the group pushes through the next sphincter, merfolk gather outside of Alighieri. Finneous mutters he doesn't think the dragon-turtle has much time left.

Meanwhile, at the Golden Palace, Patrick pulls a chair close to the aquarium in Belfry's office. He traces eldritch symbols with his finger in the water. A melodious tune thrums up through the aquarium as Patrick hums and looks at the elevator.

### Characters

#### Party

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

#### NPCs

* Alighieri (as environment)
* Gnomi Malone
* Virgil
* Veronica
* Vivian (debut)
* Vivianna (debut)
* Glamazon Receptionist
* Patrick
* Finneous
* Other Merfolk

## Episode Notes

### Lore

* Aligheri is known as the Far Traveler. He may have learned a story about various sins.

### Memorable Quotes

* "What's your spell save DC?" - "I dunno, what'd you get?" - DM Matt and Fraya Love
* "Are you making your own little DM screen with a sheet of paper right now?" - DM Matt
* \*gasping\* "A mermaid whose name starts with a V, probably!" - Londyn Bradshaw
* "Can I just do a dab?" - Arson Nicki
* "Anusthing is possible" - Londyn Bradshaw
* "Can I pop a pustule first?" - Butlyne O'Kipple
* "I can't believe we have reception in here." - Butylene O'Kipple
* "You want to double penetrate the hole you're stretching?" - Londyn Bradshaw
* "I can detect magic. Hello, Londyn Bradshaw here, the shark whale here." - Londyn Bradshaw
* "Have you actually turned back into yourself now?" - "I don't know what I am now" - "We don't either, dear." - Fraya Love, Londyn Bradshaw, and Butylene O'Kipple
* "I'm going to, unbeknownst to myself, use detect magic by..." - "I'm sorry, unbeknownst to whom?" - Fraya Love and DM Matt.
* "Can I roll medicine so I can hand her some sea Claratin. Claratin-Sea?" - Londyn Bradshaw
* "Those must be the gender fluids" - Butylene O'Kipple
* "Fantasy physics are hard" - Butylene O'Kipple
* "It's basically a lot of tentacles in a trench coat." - Fraya Love
* "Hey Gnomi, I think our backs are going to be hurting from carrying this team." - Fraya Love

### References

* Count Von Count's Laugh
* Les Miserables
* Disney's Uncle Scrooge swimming through money
* Scottie from Star Trek
* Jeopardy
* Magic School Bus
* Finding Nemo
* Claratin
* World Star
* Misty Elliot
* Mayhem Miller eyes
* Busby Berkeley

### Name That Tune

* "Baby Shark"
* "Shake it Off" - Taylor Swift

## Behind the Queens

\*DM Matt continues to plug the year end survey going on to help plan for 2020, and the offer of a set of enamel pins to 3 participants.

\*Gilda Rabbit is once again thanked for her creating the Kracken song.

**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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