Leona Rainlore

"*Power is curious. It is a rose. We reach for the pedals but are pricked by the sharp thorns, like swords in the dark. We gain the strength of the temptation we resist.*"
—Leona regarding power and war.

## Lady Leona Rainlore

### Date of Birth

1249 A.K. in Alderwood, Khanduras

Lady **Leona Rainlore** is a noblewoman of Alderwood and an accomplished diplomat. Leona's family played an integral role during the Skycutter Conflict, a war that escalated her to the head of her house and into a position of great power. She is also a professional writer.

## History

Leona was born the third child of Daniel and Vinatta in their family mansion. She was brought up with a proper education alongside her older brother Fredrick and her older sister Jayna. At age twelve she served as a handmaiden to House Corbray. She met and developed a close friendship with Hyle during his time as squire for Hans of House Corbray.

At age fourteen Leona was sent away to marry an Earl in southern Khanduras. The eve of her departure, Leona and Hyle shared a bed and had intercourse. The two lovers stayed in contact via letters. Leona later found out that she was in fact sold away to marriage to help pay of her family's debts.

Leona and her peers faced hardship during the War of the Mad King; her husband, Earl Augen, broke marriage with her and attempted to sell her to Westmarch in order to save his land and title. Before a deal could be brokered she fled via caravan alongside her loyal handmaiden Andrea and a young squire, a boy of ten, towards Alderwood. Shortly after her departure Augen was summoned by the Mad King King where he was later executed in Tristam.

Leona faced even greater hardship in her travels. The young squire died of a combination of illness and disease several weeks on the caravan. The caravan leader, who had smuggled them away from the Earl, began coercing sexual favors from Leona and the handmaiden, though Leona always denied him which would result in daily beatings. To compensate Leona's constant denial of the caravan leader's sexual needs, the handmaiden would make advances on him to keep him at ease from abusing Leona sexually. Eventually Leona caught on that the caravan leader was misdirecting them away from Alderwood and to an unknown location, alas she escaped but at the cost of Andrea's life at the hands of the caravan leader.

Traveling alone on the road and in the woods, Leona avoided dangers from all across the realm for nearly a week before she eventually found safe haven at a roadside inn called The Lion's Den. She kept her identity a secret, out of fears she would be kidnapped and ransomed by highwaymen, and worked as a waitress at the inn for several weeks. Leona eventually befriended Tylena of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye. Their friendship helped facilitate the owner of The Lion's Den to allow the Sisterhood to use the building as a secret base of operations.

Leona remained occupied in her time at The Lion's Den and found simple pleasure in helping the kind owner as well as serving members of the Sisterhood, including notable figures such as Grand Marshal Jayla Songbird. Her content with her life at the inn convinced her stay when she found out via the Sisterhood that Khanduras' monarch had imploded after the fall of the Mad King Leoric and that a demonic invasion had ruined the kingdom. By 1266 the Fallen Feathers with the help of their benefactors had cleared safe passage to travel through several main roads of Khanduras which prompted Leona to write to her family back in Alderwood.

Letters written to her from home confirmed the deaths of her father and brother years prior during the War of the Mad King, and that her mother was to send a convoy immediately to bring her back to Alderwood. On the morning of the convoy's arrival, the inn keeper and the few members of the Sisterhood present were shocked to find out her family background and power. Leona was both relieved yet sadden to leave The Lion's Den, a place she had called home for over two years, and gave her farewell to the innkeeper and their loyal patrons. Several members of the Sisterhood joined the convoy on her return home to guard her against any perils along the way.