Hellsbane

Fate's Chosen is preparing for the ball, when Leona gets a visit from Analena, offering her a gorgeous golden dress to wear for the evening, which she accepts. Aureo also stops by and asks Elden to keep an eye on Lady Celestia.

Andromeda Skyseeker welcomes everyone, and Leona immediately puls Aureo onto the dance floor. Alexander and Kesra and Elden quickly go to the bar. Kesra gets a drink called Pelor's Bane which makes her feel quite joyful. Meanwhile, Alexander asks Kesra about what she wants to do eventually, and she says she doesn't know.

As they mingle, Alexander winds up in a conversation with Aikaterina Knezevac and Justice Ever Hasan. Alexander asks Aikaterina about the symbol of Ioun around her neck, telling her that he has been investigating various tombs, and asking if there's a good way to enter Ioun's service. They go for a walk along with Kesra to discuss it, and she says that there is no knowledge that followers of Ioun are forbidden from seeking. The conversation turns to the Mad Lich King and the Veldahar, and she tells them that she heard a rumor that it is in the Heart of the Grimm, a dangerous forest not too far away.

Meanwhile, Leona, Elden, and Aureo chat. They realize that Lady Celestia is not present any more, and Aureo seems concerned. Elden and Leona stroll around the room, and Elden catches a glimpse of her leaving the hall, so they follow. She goes through several hallways and down two flights of stairs, and opens a heavy door into a secret crypt. They hear her knocking on a wall, looking for something. She says something in Celestial about family and blood, and the wall opens, revealing a vault with a LOT of gold in it.

As Celestia slips in, Leona contacts Aureo, but does not seem to have a connection to him at the moment. She and Elden creep closer, seeing an incredible hoard of all kinds of treasure, including 10 guns, plus an 11th gun hovering over a pedestal. Leona steps into the vault and loudly addresses Celestia.

Alexander and Kesra are enjoying the alcohol and the party when Aureo sees them and asks if they've seen Elden and Leona. He tells them that he's unable to reach her via their crowns, and he's concerned. As Leona steps into the vault, the heavy door closes behind her. Elden quickly finds his way back up to the party to find Aureo. Kesra tries to borrow a guard's sword, and he refuses to lend it to her but does come with her. At that point, Elden catches up with them, telling them what happened, and Alexander sends the guard to go get King Theo while they all rush down to the vault.

Meanwhile, Celestia is demanding to know why Leona followed her into the vault, and Leona is asking her what she's doing there. At an impasse, Celestia tries to banish Leona to another plane, but she manages to withstand the effect. She advances on Leona, and Leona Misty Steps across the room. Celestia grabs the floating gun and shoots her with it in the chest. When Leona opens her eyes again, she is no longer in the vault, but in a stone room, seemingly unwounded.

Elden, Alexander, Kesra, and Aureo arrive where the crypt entrance was, but it appears to just be blank wall. King Theo arrives, telling them that only his sister could open the door. He sends the guard to go get Xytharia and his mother's body.

One of the stone walls around Leona fades to black. The smell of smoke and vision of mangled bodies surround her, and she sees herself running to her friends' dead bodies to try to help them, but Sarenrae has abandoned her. Roman is standing there laughing at her, as he advances on her. Then the vision fades, and she is in the abyss again. Then she returns to the the moment in which she has just been shot with the gun. Celestia then modifies her memory to not remember any of the events after the door closed.

At that point, the door opens, and Aureo, Kesra, Alexander, Elden, and Theo are there. They find Leona a bit confused, with a slight burn mark on her dress, and Celestia gone. Alexander casts Remove Curse from her, and her memory is restored. She tells them what happened, and the King tells her that the gun she was shot with is called Hellsbane.

The King gets 20 guards to guard the area, and tells Xytharia to care for Leona. She takes Leona to her room, and tells her that Hellsbane was not designed to be used on humanoids, and they're not sure what the effects will be, but Xytharia is going to stay with her for the next 24 hours. She then steps outside and tells the others that Leona might suffer from some effects of madness.

While the others watch, Alexander goes and asks King Theo his plan for Celestia, and they discuss briefly what to do about Celestia. Aureo and Kesra discuss how Leona is going to be just fine, and they will continue on their quest to find the Veldahar, and she can retire in anonymity, and Leona is going to be fine.