Leondra Garon

Portrait of Leondra ( art by Midjourney V5 )

**Leondra María Paula Garon de Leon y Martini de la Vega** better known as **Leondra Garon de Leon**, also known as *"The New Lioness"* was a skilled and courageous Lady Knight who was born in the city of Cidaris in the kingdom of the same name. She was born into the noble family of de Leon and was trained in the art of combat from a young age by his father since her brother, Tristan de Leon, was more interested in becoming a ship's captain.

## Biography

Leondra became a Lady Knight when she was still a teenager around the late 1260s, an unusual feat for a woman. However, her skills with a sword were unmatched, and she quickly gained the alias "The New Lioness," a title that reflected her fierce courage and strength in combat and its similarities with the then recently deceased Queen Calanthe of Cintra.

Leondra's reputation continued to grow, and soon she was called upon to serve as a bodyguard for the king of Cidaris. She served in this role for several years, earning the trust and respect of the royal family.

During her time serving as a bodyguard for the king, Leondra met an exiled Ofieri mage named Yufal Saar-Akmani. Despite the social taboo of a noble lady associating with a foreign mage, the two of them fell in love. However, their romance was short-lived, and they eventually went their separate ways.

Leondra never forgot about Yufal, and she occasionally visited his bookshop, the Safanad Book Shop pretending to be just another customer. She was always curious about his quest to find the secret laboratory of Dorregaray, the sorcerer who used to counsel King Ethain. Leondra found Yufal's determination and passion for magic and knowledge to be admirable.

Despite their differences and their past relationship, Leondra and Yufal remained on good terms. She even recommended his bookshop to other knights and nobles who were interested in rare and exotic books.

As many women, Leondra faced many challenges due to her gender. A lot of men were threatened by her skills and resented her position not only as a bodyguard but also a Lady Knight. To remedy this, in May of 1277 she decided to participate in the tournament held in the city, being the only woman accepted and present in the tournament, due to her closeness as one of the bodyguards of King Ethain.

Leondra's participation in the tournament was a turning point in her career as a knight. Despite being the only woman in the tournament, she held her own against her opponents and proved her worth as a skilled and capable fighter. Many were impressed by her courage and skill, and she gained a newfound respect from her peers.

As the tournament resumed after the incident with the knight killer, Leondra continued to shine. She won many jousts and fights, each time proving herself as a force to be reckoned with.

In the end, Leondra came in second place after a hard-fought battle with Putnam. She defeated him with a series of quick strikes and expertly executed maneuvers, but was ultimately unable to best Charz, who proved to be a formidable opponent. Despite not taking home the top prize, Leondra's performance in the tournament had earned her the respect and admiration of all those who witnessed it.

## Trivia

* This character is derived from the NPC Tristan de leon created by u/EshinHarth in r /WitcherTRPG as a complement to his map of the city of Cidaris.
* She is also slightly inspired by the Lady Knight Bradamante from the poems *Orlando Innamorato* by Matteo Maria Boiardo and *Orlando Furioso* by Ludovico Ariosto.