Drama in the Deep - Chapter One

> "*An Adventurous Plan is Better than No Plan At All*"
> ― Belfry Ramshackle
>
>

**Follow Your Heart** is the forty-seventh episode of Queens of Adventure. In it the queens find the Kracken Priest's heart gone and rush off to find it.

## Synopsis

Arson, Butylene, and Fraya settle into their suite at the Golden Palace after their successful mission to recruit the drow, when Ramshackle arrives with Irene.

She tells her new friends that she has been tasked with a mission she cannot tell them about and will be departing for a few days. Butylene asks if she has told Lamont. Irene was waiting because saying goodbye to him will be the hardest. Ramshackle encourages Irene to set out on her preparations, and tells Arson that one of the drow wanted to see her. They depart, Irene heads downstairs.

Arson goes to the suites where the drow are staying and meets Loxosceles the Recluse, an elderly drow mystic. He thanks Arson, but is saddened that she is still cursed. Arson doesn't consider herself cursed. Loxosceles was going to propose trying to find a way to turn her back to her original form, and Arson finds her current body more practical currently, even after the mystic reminds her that she may be unwelcoming in many places in the world. Arson would rather be intimidating. Loxosceles asks her how it happened. Arson explains she was doused with 'sludge'. The mystic uses several spells to try and understand the transformation, as he is stunned it could happen without Lolth or perhaps one of her sisters. Fraya and Butylene begin to make comments, having followed and hidden poorly just barely not out of sight.

Deciding that Arson may be at the start of a journey, so he offers to help, and thank Arson for saving them, by offering to use some of her magic to enhance her powers: Either her pact weapon, her drow magic (dancing lights, fairy fire, darkness), or her curse powers. Arson, upon hearing that Loxosceles could increase her pact weapons power to be defensive as well as offensive, Arson whips it out. After a short incantation, the trembling wand balances. This taxes the drow who collapses gently on a divan.

Downstairs, Irene sees Lamont sitting alone at the bar, sipping an imperfect mint julep. Liir makes one for Irene. She breaks her news to Lamont, flirting as she goes. She will be gone for two days. Lamont gives her his shirt pin to remember him by and they hold hands. Irene downs her drink and departs the Golden Palace, heading across the beach.

In the early morning hours before dawn, a shadowed figure leaves the Queens' suite with a small item in their hands.

A few hours later, dawn comes and the queens arise (to their own surprise). They have eight days until the Kracken's arrival. Butylene notices her purse of holding is missing, including her recipes, castanets of illusion, pipe of smoke monsters, and the Kracken Priest's Heart. The group remembers she had it yesterday and instantly suspects it may be Gnomi, who they put to sleep the day before when the heart was affecting him too much. They crack open the door to his room and it is empty.

Karin in the main room of the suite tells them Gnomi woke up this morning and left to go for a swim. The group worries about the powerful object in the hands of someone under its sway, but acknowledge it may not be Gnomi who took it. Upon hearing about Gnomi's cursed transformation, Karin recalls Gnomi was going to Carmella La Mer for spa treatments.

The three queens head downstairs to the spa. They find the elven cleric working on a tourist. The group asks if she has seen Gnomi. She confirms he came in, concerned about his arm, but all of her rejuvenating treatments. He was not carrying a pouch, just a classic one-piece men's bathing suit. Carmella mentions again the rejuvenating mud the Glamazons are suspected to have. Arson uses their portable hole of glory and asks the dispatcher about the mud. The dispatcher connects her to an expert who agrees to look into finding some mud for them, but it might take one to two days. As the 'call' ends, the expert calls out to colleagues about their strange order.

Fraya decides she wants to use Locate Object and wants to lower herself from Belfry's balcony for dramatic effect. They head up, knocking nicely. Belfry welcomes them in to discuss today's mission. The group hurriedly tells her about the missing Gnomi and Heart. Arson provides her some spider silk which Fraya ties up and lowers herself from the balcony, where a young girl, Belfry's daughter, eats breakfast. Casting her spell, Fraya feels a tugging towards the beach just past the ruined lifeguard tower. As she excitedly tries to lower herself all the way to the ground, she loses control of the unraveling and crash in some bushes. Butylene and Arson arrive downstairs and find Fraya unconscious and revive her after a brief laugh.

Looking around the beach they see more fortifications, including some lava baby made spiky barriers. The storm at sea is getting ever closer. Hurrying down the beach, they pass a patrol of Glamazons, and draw close to the water where the seaweed has gathered and formed a spiral around a figure...

...it's Patrick, holding out the Kracken Priest Heart. The group greets him and he snaps out of what seems to have been a trance. He apologizes for taking the heart. He had ideas about how to harness its power. He thought he had been out here for a moment or two, not the hours it has been, and returns the purse and Heart. Butylene asks him what he remembers and what happened with the seaweed. Patrick doesnt know, just thought he'd see if he could use the Heart to locate the Kracken. When he came out he didn't see Gnomi. Fraya inspects him to see if he has transformed at all and they find he has grown gills.

Butylene notices the pattern of the seaweed is the same as the seaweed and barnacle growths in Watersport. She sketches it down, then recalls Belfry had a mission for them that they forgot about. As they head back, Fraya looks around for signs of Gnomi on the beach, but doesn't see him. But as they walk back into the palace in less of a panic, they spot their friend swimming in the giant aquarium tank that rises through the whole casino and hotel.

Fraya presses her face to the glass, and sees his arm transformation has continued. He waves and points downward and swims down below the current floor. The group wonder how Fraya can access the tank, and if there is an access point downstairs near the armory. They decide to go to Belfry's office where they know there is an access point, and can meet with her. They head back up and tell Befry they have the heart, but Patrick has grown gills. She is troubled by this and the risk the heart may have on others. They also mention Gnomi is in the aquarium, and Belfry suggests he entered through the maintenance access under the armory. Fraya dives into the tank, to Belfry's shock.

After swimming all the way down through the casino (surprising one Tabaxi) she arrives at the base where there is a set of hatches to allow people access to the tank and control ocean water intake. Beyond the airlock she sees Gnomi drying off. He helps her through the hatches and they begin to catch up. Gnomi thanks her for giving him a much needed sleep. After whipping up a terrible bow-tie from a piece of her clothes, they prepare to head out. Fraya shakes off the water, which splashes the machine pumps which grind to a halt. Fraya leaves a note of apology. The noises attract Lamont's attention, who brings them out.

Belfry is relieved to see Gnomi when they arrive. They ask him what he has learned about the heart. Gnomi believes the heart can receive communications from the Kracken telepathically, and might even be able to send messages back. The group worries the Kracken may have been listening to them. Gnomi can't be sure, but says it is quite comforting to be near the thrumming beat of the heart. The group worries that everyone but Butylene who has been near it have been affected. They devise a plan to lock the heart in a safety deposit lock box in the vault, possibly guarded by the Portable Party ghosts whose music may counteract the heart beat with their house music.

With the plan in place, Belfry directs them back to the idea of a mission, and her guest. She introduces them to Londyn Bradshaw who says hello.

### Characters

#### Party

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

and introducing

* Londyn Bradshaw - firbolg druid

#### NPCs

* Ramshackle
* Loxosceles the drow mystic (debut)
* Lamont Du Pont IV
* Liir
* Karin and Patrick
* Carmella La Mer
* Glamazon Operator
* Glamazon Expert
* Jo Ramshackle
* Belfry Ramshackle
* Gnomi Malone

## Episode Notes

### Lore

* True transformation into a drider can only be caused by extremely powerful otherworldly beings like Lolth, or her sisters.

### Memorable Quotes

* "I'm just more important than you and I have to go do something you're not allowed to do." - Irene Dubois
* "Irene is excited to announce an exciting new adventure." - "Start recording again. That's a much better way to do this." - Arson Nicki and Fraya Love
* "I wont see you for a while. I will probably be gone... for two days." - Irene Dubois
* "Did he seem strange at all?... Aside from his appearance." - "Aside from his untreatable crab arm." - Fraya Love and Arson Nicki
* "I can part the toilet." - Fraya Love
* "We're gonna cancel before the trial period is over, it's fine." - Butylene O'Kipple
* "I feel weird doing this. It feels like jumping into the lobster aquarium at a restaurant." - "Wait you feel weird doing *this*? 'I feel Weird Getting into Water'" - Fraya Love and Butylene O'Kipple
* "That's really gay is what that is." - Arson Nicki
* "Hello hello hello!" - Londyn Bradshaw

### References

* Rupaul's Drag Race - Contestant behavior when preparing to leave for the show while under non-disclosures
* Amazon Prime
* A Bug's Life
* Sandy Cheeks from Spongebob

### Name That Tune

* "My Heart Will Go On" - Celine Dion
* "Tell It To My Heart" - Taylor Dayne
* "Achy Breaky Heart" - Billy Rae Cyrus
* "Baby Shark"

## Behind the Queens

* Fraya Love voices the show's opening.
* DM Matt, at the end of the episode, announces there will be a year end survey going up online soon asking for feedback.
* This is the first regular episode to feature five queens.
* This episode was recorded over at least two sessions, as prior to the August 2019 live stream, the five queens had never been in the same room at the same time, and this episode features all five of them.
* The section with Arson and Loxocoles was recorded in a pickup session at a later date, according to DM Matt on Discord.
* Before the March 2020 renaming of the episodes, this episode was called 'My Heart Will Go On'. It is one of very few episodes to be completely renamed.

**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