Operation Watersport - Chapter Four

> "*So serious. I'm aroused and intrigued.*"
> ― Butylene O'Kipple
>
>

**The Belles of Watersport** is the twentieth episode of Queens of Adventure. In it, the party meets two new people as they continue to investigate Watersport.

## Synopsis

#### Fraya and Harlotte

As Fraya and Harlotte finish climbing out of a pit in the ground, pursued by an ooze monster below them, they hear a thumping noise coming towards them from town. Fraya hides behind some nearby bushes.

The glob of magical jelly emerges and shoots fire, burning Harlotte, before the rogue follows Fraya. The thumping gets louder.

They run towards the cliff and hide in some brushes. The thumping stops, and there is a metallic sound and the sound of fire. Peering out, they they see a figure in the flames. They decide to follow it, passing by the pit where the slime monster has been destroyed, and down to the beach. At last they see the figure, illuminated by moonlight:

Seven feet tall, broad shouldered humanoid. Body is made of intertwined vines and roots and metal plates. Their glowing blue eyes stare at them. The figure asks them to identity themselves, and notices Fraya is damaged. Harlotte demands to know who they are. The figure calls herself Cher Noble. The group gives a brief summation of their quest, including their lost Ice Scepter, and owing money to Belfry.

Cher Noble came here by sea and cannot leave, same as them, and suggests the documents they need are in the archive, which are guarded. It explains that first came the storm, then the looters, then the devils, and then the looters were gone and the ooze began. Cher Noble also seeks an item near town hall. Fraya and Cher Noble hug, and the paladin uses *lay on hands* to heal the wounded cleric.

They head towards town as, with permission, Harlotte rides upon the new friend's shoulders as Fraya takes her hand.

#### Arson and Butylene

Back in town, Arson (still invisible) uses her spider ring to summon a giant spider. An imp sees this and falls back in shock. The spider lowers itself so the drow can mount it before the arachnid climbs the tower. At the top she finds a platform and a shaft with a ladder heading down. Poking her head into the shaft, Arson sees an imp lead Butylene through a wrecked room.

Butylene, moving through the room, she sees wood carvings of an ocean battle between a large squid like creature and an enormous devil. The imp takes her through a double set of doors into a three story tall library. Tables are covered with lab equipment and a figure covered in spines, scaly skin and a robe mutters over it. The imp introduces their guest to its master.

"Well isn't this interesting," Barb says, turning with excitement. He says he has been wanting to meet Butylene, as all true alchemists know of her. Butylene shares a brief version of her story. He invites her to have a seat, and asks what he can do for her. Butylene tells about her debt to the Golden Palace and need to find old documents here in the archives. The devil thinks it might be in the wall safe and suggests a deal: Spend some time teaching him all she knows about her famous mutagen, and the devil will give her the documents in the safe. She is intrigued but has to be back in three days.

Looking around the room, on the third balcony, Butylene sees a feathered figure wearing leather in a cage. Butylene worries it is Jim-Jim's missing leather daddy, Sir Throbardon.

Still uncertain, Butylene accepts a one day trial. The devil gives her a bunch of slime to see what she can do with it. She sits at a station and intentionally makes the goo burst with light and color, so she can see the figure better. Butylene can see it is an aarakocra. Barb clarifies he doesn't want bombs, he's figured all that out, but he wants the mutagen and to test it on the prisoner. Butylene provides Peek-A-Boo, one of the imps, a list of items she needs to buy herself time.

Arson slides down the ladder into the atrium. She sees the imp Peek-A-Boo leave the library. A rat swirls up into another imp. Peek-A-Boo grabs the rat-imp and drags them away. Arson sneaks through the library door before it closes. As she taps Butylene's shoulder, she steps on a creaky floorboard, and Barb looks up and questions the noise. Butylene offers to make some mushroom tea, and starts talking out loud to cover for Arson who makes her way up to the third floor.

The aarakocra is slumped over, breathing barely. He has a bandaged arm and is in leather regalia with a cap. She whispers to him to keep quiet, and she is invisible and here to help, and offers to help him if he has info on the treaty documents. The prisoner says Barb always has the key on him, and wants to know who sent them. Arson tells him Jim-Jim told her about him, to his relief, and there are two others in their party helping, in addition to Butylene helping down below.

Suddenly, Barb's voice calls out in the invisible queen's head: "You're on the right track, Arson." The devil looks up at the cage and waves. "Tea?" Butylene offers nervously.

#### Fraya and Harlotte

Outside, Cher Noble pauses, hearing something. The warforged pulls the others into another building as a wyvern flies overhead. Cher Noble reboots suddenly, and wonders why the wyverns are circling over the town, and if something disturbed them. Fraya denies knowledge. While they wait, they answer their new ally's questions about the Golden Palace, including that it has food and water. They agree to take her there once they finish this mission. Cher Noble explains she is sworn to protect a person she swore protection to.

Harlotte changes topic to ask about all the seaweed and ocean growth over the town. Cher Noble says the town changed after the dead arose following the storm. She came to the island from the town of Elbowdeep.

They notice that a giant spider is a top the Bell tower of Town Hall.

#### Arson and Butylene

Back in the library, Barb pretends to Butylene that they are alone and accepts offer of tea, to Arson's psychic chagrin. The tiefling fumbles with the tea equipment and rubs one with her *Cucci's hideous laughter* extract. Barb must have seen it as he sets the cup aside, and deciding to have a conversation with his guest.

He was sent here from the Hells to breed fire elementals. The imps can take care of it themselves, they don't need him there. A week ago, a notebook found its way to Barb and he decided he could do more. Barb's bosses are all douches, and the head boss is an Archdemon who is an ancient rival with an old god known as the Kracken. Barb needs the mutagen to create a mutant army to beat off the Kracken, because his bosses plan is to use the fire elementals to blow up the entire archipelago to destroy the Kracken. Barb wants Butylene's help to prevent this firey fate for the island.

The devil gives his guest 24 hours to decide. Butylene mumbles a quick message in draglish to ask for help. Arson, realizing she cannot be sneaky anymore, decides to prepare three Molotov cocktails. She targets books, crates marked 'danger', and a bubbling cauldron in the room. One barely misses the books as she fades into appearance. She direct hits the danger sacks. The flames suddenly begin to turn into a tree, growing larger by the second. The cauldron is knocked to the ground and the bubbling goo rises up into a slime monster.

Barb stands. When Butylene asks what the blob is, Barb says it is a failed mutagen experiment. Barb says he admires Arson's planning and chaos.

Arson asks if Throbardon could fly if free. He says he could fly if he is healed. She hatches a plan, casting *eldritch blast.* The doors of the cage clatter to the ground. Arson hops onto his back.

Sir Throbardon unfurls his wings and plunges off the balcony towards Butylene as the slime stretches over the tiefling.

### Characters

#### Party

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

#### NPCs

* Cher Noble (debut)
* Imps
	+ Peek-A-Boo
	+ rat-Imp
* Barb (debut)
* Sir Throbardon (debut)

#### Monsters/Enemies

* Ooze
* Wyvern

## Episode Notes

### Lore

* After the big storm at the last full moon, looters came to the town of Watersport, then devils, and then slime monsters began to appear.
* Art in Watersport depicts a battle between a sea creature and a massive devil. The creature is the Kracken and the devil an Archdevil, its ancient rival.
* Devils occasionally use the slang phrase "munch my butt"
* Barb acquired Butylene's notebook through unknown means sometime during the ten day week between the shipwreck and Butylene waking up in the lava tubes.

### Inspiration Earned

* Arson - summoning a giant spider
* Butylene - making small talk to cover for Arson sneaking
* Butylene - attempting to make a tea cup a weapon
* Arson - for her plan to free Throbardon

### Memorable Quotes

* "I'm ready to slay some dudes and take some nudes." - Harlotte O'Scara
* "I'm not going to try to lie because I'm a little spooked and about to die. " - Fraya Love
* "I've had six shows all week, and I've never been more nervous." - Arson Nicki
* "Right now I'm invisible with a giant spider outside waiting, you know what I mean?" - Arson Nicki
* "I love you." - "This is all so sudden." - Fraya Love and Cher Noble
* "Worst case scenario she destroys the hotel and our mildly, possibly enemy." - Fraya Love
* "Just because she can lick your gem and heal your cracks doesn't mean she's trustworthy." - Harlotte O'Scara
* "Can I use a teacup as a weapon?" - Butylene O'Kipple

### References

* Ghost - "Molly you're in danger girl."
* ET
* King Kong
* Instagram
* Martha Graham
* The Land Before Time
* Squatty Potty
* Shangela's Drag Race Season 3 entrance
* Steven Universe - the events of 'Ocean Gem'
* Duncan Donuts
* Saks 5th Avenue

### Name That Tune

* "I Want to Break Free" - Queen
* "Running up the Hill" - Kate Bush
* "Bootylicious" - Destiny's Child

## Behind the Queens

* Sister Chrisie sponsored this week's episode
* DM Matt ended the recording session after Barb unexpectedly addresses Arson, leaving the queens shook for several weeks until their next play session.
* DM Matt announces at the end two live streams for Extra Life coming up, one is a sequel to the adventure released in Bonus episode 7 "The Lost Treasure of the Neverglades" and the other would be Bonus episode 8 "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