Trials - Chapter Three

> "*You must be here for the reading challenge. Just kidding, we're all gonna die.*"
> ― Gnomi Malone
>
>

**Trials - Chapter Three: "Below the Bottom** is the twenty seventh episode of Queens of Adventure. In it, the queens survive their death sentence but find themselves prisoners of the seaspawn.

## Synopsis

Glama birds circle overhead of the party in the middle of an ocean, near a rock shaped like a narwhal. Seaspawn surge over them as drag the queens down below the water.

They see light from a deep undersea thermal vent. Hundreds of undead scrape around the bottom of the ocean as the group is pulled through into a tunnel, twisting through passages. They can feel the tides calling to them as they all fall unconscious.

A voice calls to them. It's Jim-Jim. Each of them wake up. Harlotte asks what happened, barely making out the half-elf was dragged under water defending the casino. Torn fabric covers one of his eyes. Beside him is Patrick, clothes torn, and one of his arms bound in a sling, and Cole, the dwarf who had asked the party for an autograph. There is also a tall women in white and gold robes holding a glowing stone.

Their visions clear, they are on volcanic rock in an air filled chamber. Besides the people they've already seen are two humans and two halflings. There is a pool of water nearby which appears to be the only way in or out. The pungent smell in the air reminds them of Watersport. A song plays in the air. Patrick warns them they are still under the effect of the seaspawns sedative sting, but it will wear off soon. He believes they are in the lair of the Kracken Priest.

Jim-Jim asks them what happened to them since they never came back. Harlotte admits they got distracted from their goals, met the Glamazons, hi-jinks ensued and now they're here. The woman admits she is Ellen, cleric of the life domain, and she recognized the queen's prison clothes.

Patrick believes in twelve hours they will all be turned into seaspawn, at the next high tide. They are trapped as the tunnels are all filled with water. The group turns to Fraya who glazily looks at Ellen and introduces herself. Ellen recognizes her water genasi background, and thinks she is the answer to their prayers. Laying a hand on Fraya she pulls out three glass orbs in her other hand. Spinning them around on her palm, she invokes her diety, David Bowie, and casts *cure wounds*.

Arson spins a story to Patrick about how she got her new form, and Ellen says the Glamazons revere driders. The group realizes she must be a Glamazon, but all agree they can discuss that later. She has been tasked with dealing with the undead, and she and Patrick compared notes on how Kracken Priests lay out their lairs. There should be chambers with treasure looted from their captives, monster breeding chambers, and chambers where seaspawn are dormant between high tides. The priest will be dormant as well. The other prisoners were all gathered that morning, so they assume the queens were brought in at evening high tide.

Ellen recounts an old legend of a war between the Kracken and devils, that led to the Kracken being sealed away. Seemingly, the seal between the planes must have weakened, allowing the Kracken to return. Arson remembers seeing something that looked like a battle between a Kracken and a Devil in the shrine at Watersport. Patrick and Ellen are shocked to hear there may have been Kracken worship on the island and wonder if they were the ones to weaken the seal.

Recalling Ellen's mention of a treasure horde, Harlotte wonders if their missing Ice Scepter may be here. Arson reminds them they should focus on getting everyone out of there, as Patrick says there is likely an altar somewhere that creates and controls seaspawn. Butylene suggests the loot room first so they can find items to help them escape.

Ellen knows the formula for water breathing, but doesn't know alchemy. Butylene volunteers to make it should they find equipment. Patrick sketches an idea of how he thinks the layout should be to get to the loot chamber. This plan buoys the spirits of the other prisoners.

Fraya jack-knife swan dives into the water to search, barely making a splash. As she begins to explore she can feel sea anemones and hear the sound of lava in the rock as well as music, creepy throbbing music that might be a voice, but she isn't sure. In an alcove ahead is an inert seaspawn. She passes it without incident, as well a chamber full of crabs. Eventually she finds a chamber with an air pocket. She finds boxes, smashed crates, weapons, armor, and kits. A plank of wood says SS Salty Starfish. Fraya finds an alchemy kit and ingredients before gathering objects into a large net. After 20 minutes of gathering, she cannot find the scepter. She makes her way back to the prisoner chamber.

During the hour she is gone, everyone takes a short rest. Fraya emerges from the water with sparklers in her hair and synchronized swimmer make up. The group picks through her haul, which is mostly stuff from their ship. Fraya finds armor and a spear. Arson finds a shield and eyeliner, in a smokey pallet, which will help her resist the harsh light of day on her drider form. She also finds their copy of The Rise and Fall of the Great Houses. Harlotte reclaims her original rapier and short sword, and an arcane orb to allow her to use magic again, a bag of ball barrings, armor, and a crossbow. Butylene takes the alchemy supplies, armor, and a blow dart gun, plus other weapons. The other prisoners outfit themselves.

Ellen shows Butylene how to make the potion of water breathing and suggests Fraya find a new holy symbol to channel her magic through, as her locket and shield had been taken in Glamalala. Looking around for one, Fraya notices the sealife in the cave is the same as the type they found in Watersport. Among the vegetation she finds a dragon chess set and chooses the black queen from it, dubbing it the Dark Lady. Ellen asks Fraya to tell her about the deity Cher. Fraya describes her as a spirit of rebellion and travelling, and the figure begins to glow.

Butylene, finished with her potion, worries Barb may have infiltrated them here too. Fraya casts *detect magic* and is relieved that only people's magical foci show up. Ellen casts *cure wounds* with another song on the rest of the party. Patrick suggests they seek out the altar while they still have time. They drink the *water breathing* potion from test tubes after a cheers and dive into the water in a synchronized swimming peel off.

Under the water, Fraya leads the way with a nat20. She can tell the music is coming from the altar and follows it, casting light on herself so the others can follow her. They follow more alcoves with slumbering seaspawn. Arson makes a hard turn, and brushes a blowfish seaspawn. It awakens and starts to follow towards them. Arson shoots a web from her spinneret and ensnares it so it can't follow.

One by one, the group emerge from the water into the chamber the song has led them to. It is much larger than the holding cell. Giant starfish cover the walls that rise as high as a cathedral ceiling. Steps lead to an altar made of bone. The air around it shimmers. At the far end of the room is a 20 foot tall idol of the Kracken. Coins, gems, weapons, and armor surround its base. The stone tentacles grip a lightly glowing clam shell. Fraya heads towards the altar.

Off to the right of the chamber a figure sits at a desk, back turned. It is wearing a torn caftan, and flipping through books. Harlotte sneaks towards the figure. She finds it is their friend Gnomi, chained to the wall, and now bearing a large lobster claw for an arm. She uses *mage hand* to rest an invisible hand on his hand. Gnomi jumps and looks around, noticing the group and Fraya near the altar. He is excited they finally located him, but he doesn't have the scepter. Harlotte wants to undo his chains, but first returns to the group.

Fraya stands near the altar, and calls Ellen towards him. Gnomi sees this, eyes grow wide and he gasps in terror.

### Party

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

### NPCs

* Jim-Jim
* Patrick
* Cole
* Ellen (debut)
* Other seaspawn prisoners
* Gnomi Malone

## Episode Notes

### Lore

* Kracken Priests are all different, but their lairs follow similar layouts.
* After a war between the Kracken and an Archdevil, the Kracken was sealed away on another plane. Great magic of an unknown source set it free, possibly from the people in Watersport who maintained a Kracken shrine.

### Memorable Quotes

* "Also every single person gave me a look." - Fraya Love
* \*singsong\* "Those ball bearings would be really useful for a Showgirls moment." - Harlotte O'Scara
* "I don't have my grappling hook. What do I do if I have to get gnomes across a crevasse?" - Harlotte O'Scara
* "I am feeling very refreshed. My skin is feeling very plump, and I did not have any salty food items last night so I am not puffy." - Arson Nicki
* "Charisma is the patron saint of butts." - Harlotte O'Scara
* "Just call me spider-them." - Arson Nicki
* "Sometimes I get shiny object syndrome, you know me." - "And you know me, Gnomi." - Harlotte and Gnomi

### References

* Wonder Twins
* David Bowie
* Amazon
* Titanic - "It's been 84 years"
* Golden Girls - "Picture it, Sicily."
* Ben 10
* Elsa from Frozen
* Annette Benning
* Showgirls
* FCC
* Storage Wars
* "Oh Honey!" - Trixie Mattel
* Elmer Fudd
* The Craft
* The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia - Designing Women
* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
* Honey Mahogoney

### Name That Tune

* "As the World Falls Down" - David Bowie from Labyrinth
* "Let it Go" - Frozen
* "The Sound of Music" - The Sound of Music
* "Dark Lady" - Cher
* "Modern Love" - David Bowie
* Theme from "Spider-Man"
* "Midnight Train to Georgia"

## Behind the Queens

* This episode was released only one week after the previous episode, due to the special split nature of episode sixteen.
* This is the first episode to have a guest performer - New York Drag Queen Gilda Rabbit providing the haunting music in the Kracken Priest's lair.

**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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