Saint Leocadia

Leocadia de la Peña y Carvajal, more commonly referred to as Saint Leocadia the Tempest by members of the Chantry, is venerated as force of nature — unstoppable, destructive, but ultimately cleansing and transformative.
She is one of the few saints recognized with the epithet "Equal to the Divines", a title bestowed to figures who played the most significant roles in spreading Andrastianism in an effect comparable to that of the most influential Divines.

Personal History

Early Life

She was born vaguely in the region now referred to as northern Antiva and theological historians date her birth to be some time around the beginning of the Storm Age, not long after the end of the First Exalted March. She was the oldest of six sisters.
At the time, Antivan history was marked by ceaseless strife and the endless wars of the Drow tribes. Amidst all of this chaos, Leocadia was born to parents of Darian descent — a tribal affiliation that had grown into its own loose coalition of minor city-states. She was of no major significance in this hierarchy until she found the love of her life: Alessandro, a young Darian man who was the prince of a family closely related to the rulership of one of these city-states. The two fell madly in love and Leocadia found herself quickly into the good graces of her husband's family, notably the direct rulers over the city-state of Vélada.
A difficulty of living within this region was dwarven power beneath the land. These people had built Deep Road tunnels within the earth and they were in a period of their history where their connection to the Tevinter Imperium was strong. It was unfortunately common for dwarves to use these tunnels to kidnap and traffic large number of drow into slavery, especially as the Imperium's need grew exponentially over time.
During an excursion outside the city, Alessandro and some of his family were ambushed and kidnapped by dwarven slavers. While some of the family were able to escape this tragedy, Alessandro and the rulers of the city-state were never heard from again.

Regency

Beyond the immense personal grieving inflicted upon Leocadia due to the loss of her husband, this also meant Leocadia's niece — Paloma — was left as the sole-daughter of those who had ruled Vélada. Since Paloma was only seven, her relatives deemed her in need of a regent to act in her stead until she came of age. Leocadia, due to her intellect as well as Paloma seeing her as her favorite aunt, was selected to take on this role.

Leocadia's Response

Emboldened by her emotions, Leocadia sent the scouts under her command out in every direction in an attempt to find more of these dwarven slavers. Each carried a simple message: the now-regent was desperate to protect what little family she had left and was willing to work with the slavers so long as her family would be safe. Word eventually reached these slavers and a retinue was sent to speak with her. When they arrived, they were surprised to be escorted into the city on the shoulders of its citizens much like they were nobility. They were carried into Leocadia's court where they were immediately thrown into a recently dug pit and buried alive as she supposedly asked them "if the earth reminded them of home'".
Before all this could fully transpire, Leocadia had once more sent out her scouts to send another message. This time, she said she had changed her mind. Now, she proposed that she wanted to be taken a slave so long as she could be reunited with her betrothed. She demanded she be taken by the finest dwarven warriors, though, and they hastily obliged. When they arrived, she let them rest in the city's warm bath house. With them inside, she set fire to the doors and burned the whole building to the ground.
She wrote to the dwarves that her vengeance was satiated and she wanted one last feast to honor her husband, then she'd go. The dwarves again obliged, reluctantly. The feast was true; they drank without noticing not one of her warriors had a sip. At the head of the table, late into the meal, Leocadia commanded her warriors to massacre all the drunkards.
Furious about all of this, the dwarves made an unprecedented move by digging tunnels underneath Vélada and took the city by force. Leocadia had not expected this and had her people flee from the city-state. The next day, Leocadia tied sulphur-soaked cloth to a messenger pigeon's feet and set it alight. As it flew back to her court, molten sulphur rained down, setting Vélada ablaze. The city was lost, but countless slavers perished in the flames.

Conversion

Leocadia spent the next years of her life finding allies to help rebuild of Vélada. During this, she encountered Andrastian missionaries persecuted by the drow. Curious, she learned of this foreign faith from a prisoner held by one of her allies and eventually she became a devout convert. Upon returning home, she tirelessly worked to convince her niece to make Andrastianism the city-state's official religion. Never able to be fully convinced, her niece instead agreed to outlaw persecution of Andrastian missionaries and converts — giving the faith its first foothold in drow lands.
As a gift of gratitude to Leocadia, Paloma's first action when she ascended to rulership was to commission the first Chantry that'd be built in drow lands.

Legacy

In the wake of her actions, Chantry acolytes formed the Order of the Armadillo. This ancient group, which still exists to this very day, dedicated itself to Leocadia's legacy: balance between destruction and creation. Some warriors flock to their ranks, but to be admitted they must show incredible discipline and stillness of mind. When their job is done, the other half of the Society — those trained in peace-keeping, healing, leading, and building — helps ensure rebirth for struggling communities is completely possible.
There is also a civic decoration bestowed by Antivan government called the Medal of Regent Leocadia which is given to women who show extreme excellence and personal merit in the fields of state, science, education, and production.

Divine Classification

Saint

Ethnicity

Drow

Honorary & Occupational Titles

"Tempest"

Sex

Female

Aligned Organization

The Chantry

Other Affiliations

• Antiva

An Antivan amulet, made for a Sister who chose Leocadia as her patron saint.