Belandra Sand

Belandra Sand is the eldest child and bastard daughter of Garibald Martell and a whore he laid with on a diplomatic mission to Lys. Cousin and Paramour of the current Lord Martell, she has become one of his closest advisors. Working as his spymaster among other responsibilities. She has had one child with her lover, a series of miscarriages robbing her of anymore. Exclusively believing in the Mother Rhoyne, she continues this tradition with her child Teora Sand.

## Appearance and Character

Belandra Sand has an eclectic appearance, preferring the traditional clothing of the Orphans of the Greenblood with fine jewelry from both Dorne and Lys. Favoring her father’s look, she shares his Rhoynish complexion, along with jetblack hair that falls to her lower back. The only sign of her mother’s Valyrian ancestry is her eyes, which are a deep shade of purple.

Belandra is a woman enamored with life, wishing to see what the world has to offer before her time upon it has expired. She knows how easily life can take away those you love, and wishes to enjoy those she has left as much as she can. While she rarely enjoys thinking about what's to come, her house’s precarious position has made it a luxury she can little afford. Fearing for not only her children, but her child’s half siblings as well, Belandra has thrown herself into responsibilities given to her by her lord, seeing herself as the shadow hidden by Doran’s sun.

While largely acting as Lord Doran’s left hand, Belandra is not in perfect lockstep with her lover. She sometimes fears his rages will hurt his own standing, and she attempts to mitigate the worse of the damage it sometimes makes. This has caused her to act in ways that Doran would see as bordering traitorous conduct, but she does what she must to ensure House Martell will one day be the Sun over all in Dorne.

## History

Belandra Sand was born in Lys in 85 AC to Garibald Martell and a whore. Brought back to Dorne by her father without her mother, she would be raised as a member of the court in Sunspear. Beloved by both her father and Aunt, she would view her Aunt as a mother of sorts, spending time with her in the Water Garden and learning about the Rhoynish faith from a young age. Unlike her brother who led House Nymeros-Martell, Sarella Martell was a traditionalist, refusing the syncretism of the Mother of the Seven with their lost Mother Rhoyne. Belandra would follow her aunt in these beliefs, finding little appeal in the faith of the seven from an early age. It was during this time in the Water Gardens that she would first grow close to Doran and Gwyneth Dayne, both spending time in the Water Gardens. While Doran’s visits would be sporadic, she would grow especially close to Gwyneth, viewing her as an older sister.

As Belandra entered her teenage years, she would spend less and less time in the Water Gardens, forgoing her favored childhood home for traveling throughout Dorne. Her first residence was in the Shadow City, where she became a regular at the many taverns and brothels of the town’s winding alleys. It was here that she first made contact with many of the strongmen and malcontents that would benefit House Martell in her later life. After a few years in the shantytown below Sunspear’s shadow, she grew bored of staying in her family’s seat, and moved to Plankeytown, where she once again ingratiated herself amongst the seedier elements of the port town. It was here that she first came in contact with the Orphans of the Greenblood, sporadically travelling with different Orphan ships to see more of her native land. It was during this time that she took up with an Orphan named Garin, traveling with him and his group the most. Both dreamed of traveling to Essos, to see their homeland that Garin only knew from the stories. Belandra saw the charm in traveling the Mother Rhoyne, but also desired to see her native Lys, a city she was born in but could not remember. It was the outbreak of war that gave them the impetus to finally make the pilgrimage. Her Princely uncle breathed his last, and her aunt found herself in war with the Stormlords under the Iron Throne. Belandra Sand took off on a merchant ship with Garin and his band of Orphans in 99 AC. Wartime necessities meant her voyage was met with little fanfare, only her father making the trip to see her off. Her party landed in Lys after the short voyage across the narrow sea. Her trip had seen little adversity, no pirates or storms waylaying her on her way to her home of birth. The city did little to disappoint, and it was here that she first saw others share the violet eyes which was the only sign of her Lyseni heritage. Belandra made some attempts to locate her mother while in Lys, but her father had little more than a name to tell her, not even remembering the brothel that he had laid with her in. It was a fruitless endeavor, and she quickly moved on to helping the Orphans make enough money to travel the rest of the way to the Mother Rhoyne. The orphans worked the warehouses so common in any port city, making little in wages. It took a year before they would be able to move on, Belandra finding a deep appreciation for her city of birth in that time.

They finally found a merchant ship to take their group in 100 AC, arriving at the mouth of the Mother Rhoyne early 101 AC. The group met up with Garin’s brother, who had previously made the voyage here years prior. Belandra’s time on the Mother Rhoyne proved to be one of her fondest memories. She felt close to her ancestors along the riverbanks and ruins of her other ancestral homeland, traveling the river like the Rhoynish before Nymeria’s time. She learned much of boats and their construction during this time, having to learn to repair the ship she called home. Over a year would pass before she would grow antsy, not having realised Garin and his group of Orphans had no intention of returning to Dorne. They wished to stay on the Mother Rhoyne, as their ancestors had so long ago. This led to arguing between the young couple, and she left him to eventually return to her family. She used what little money she had to join a ship heading to Lys, stopping there to earn enough coins to pay for a voyage to Plankeytown. A few months of working in a shipyard earned her the necessary funds, having enough experience from her time among the Orphans to help in the construction of ships. It was 104 AC before her ship finally arrived in Plankeytown, where she learned of the tragic fall of her family. She returned to Dorne ruled by the Tolands and quickly made her way to Sunspear to see what had become of her childhood home.

Her return to Sunspear was a surprise to those who remained, having lost track of her whereabouts soon after her arrival in Lys. Prince Doran, now a man fully grown, welcomed her home with open arms, happy to see the cousin he was closest to in his youth. She was begrieved to find out her father Garibald perished in the sacking of Sunspear, defending the walls of their ancient keep against the Iron Throne and rebellious vassals alike. She quickly renewed her bonds with her lord cousin, becoming an advisor to the lord in 105 AC. Their closeness quickly grew into more, and she would soon find her cousin in her bed as often as his own. There was an initial awkwardness in her interactions with her old friend Gwyneth Dayne, but the two quickly came to an understanding. Belandra became a confidant of the Lady of Sunspear, and continued their closeness from their time in the Water Gardens. It was during the following years that she would renew her contact with the seedier elements of Dornish society, these old friends and criminals now being among the numbers of the smallfolk still loyal to an independent Dorne. Belandra Sand kept Doran connected to the various groups that would become the Children of the Spear. By no means an official member, but these connections would ensure the Martells had at least indirect contact with a group ostensibly loyal to her lord’s cause.

It would be Belandra, with Lady Martell’s help, that would convince Doran to be less intransigent in his dealings with the Iron Throne. To show this, Lady Gwyneth negotiated a betrothal contract between her second daughter and House Velaryon, a close ally of the Iron Throne. Lord Martell expanded her role as more than just his advisor, putting her in charge of the expansion of Sunspear’s navy, her time spent in the shipyards and amongst the Orphans proving useful in the endeavor.

Having had two miscarriages previously, Belandra was overjoyed to give birth to a daughter in 120 AC, mere months after Lady Martell had given birth to her third child. While she loved her lover’s children as if they were her own, having a child of her own meant much to a woman who has lost so many close family to begin with. While she would not be blessed with another child, she would be content with spoiling the one she had. She was given a manor in the Shadow City to raise the child in, still having a suite of rooms in the keep itself if her presence was needed for an extended time.

Belandra Sand had been a fixture at court for decades now, but little could prepare her for the scandal that would erupt 128 AC. Tyene, Doran’s heir, disappeared while on a visit to Plankeytown. Belandra quickly went into a panic, using her contacts throughout Dorne to look for any scrap of information on her whereabouts. She soon found a lead on a man and woman sighted near Godsgrace, and the lead proved to be a good one. Martell men found Tyene with Quentyn Toland, already several months pregnant. She tried her best to keep the information quiet, but the search had been extremely public, and word soon spread of the heir of House Martell giving birth to a bastard. Quentyn’s proposal and following challenge was a nightmare for the woman who had worked so hard to improve House Martell’s position. She begged Doran to allow the boy to leave with his life, but his anger could not be quelled. The duel could barely be called a fight, Doran ending Quentyn's life in seconds.

The uproar would prove to be manageable, as the High Justicar sided with Doran on the duel’s legality. Instead, she found her biggest concern to be her lover’s own reputation. He raged almost nightly about the insult of having a Toland bastard under his house, threatening the child as an enemy of his house. She leaked this information to the High Justicar of the time, ensuring its safety as he declared the bastard boy a ward of the Iron Throne.

Belandra tried to help Tyene earn some freedom for herself, but Doran’s paranoia grew after his child’s affair with an enemy of his house. By 130 AC, the best she had been able to accomplish was freedom to move about Sunspear, as long as she was accompanied by guards.

## Recent Events

She continues her duties at Sunspear, guiding Tyene Sand rule for the first time without her father's help.

## Stats

\*\*Auxiliary Character Name:\*\* Belandra, Sand

\*\*Starting Title(s):\*\* N/A

\*\*Age:\*\* 45

\*\*Physical Description:\*\*Belandra Sand cuts a statuesque figure, standing at 5’8 ft.Her skin tone is lighter than the typical salty dornishwoman, but shares the black hair color of her Martell father. Her distinctive purple eyes give away her Lyseni mother, it being the only trait she passed down to her daughter. Belandra favors silks and other lighter materials, wearing it in traditional Dornish and Rhoynish stylings. She often wears her emotions on her sleeve, a passionate woman who seeks to live life to the fullest.

\*\*Starting Location:\*\*Sunspear

\*\*Attribute:\*\* Sly

\*\*Social Status:\*\*N/A
**\*\*Skill Points:\*\* 14**

\*\*Skills:\*\*Espionage, Infiltration, Naval Engineering, Finances