Unella of Dorne

Unella present day

Unella as a young woman

Unella is an older woman of fifty-three years who has lived an eventful life. After escaping the bandits that killed her family and living a life mostly on the run, Unella found peace at the Nightingale Inn as a member of the Nest. Later in life, Unella became King Viserys' Mistress of Whisperers on his Small Council. Today, Unella is known as a very mysterious woman with any number of rumored backstories to explain her history but is feared as an unknown threat.

## Appearance

Unella has black hair that she wears straight down or in a tight braid. Her olive skin is evidence of her Dornish ancestry and brown eyes suggest nothing more. Rarely does Unella show emotions other than scorn, suspicion, or annoyance. However, years at court have taught Unella to act the part of noble when not doing so would cause unnecessary harm.

That being so, Unella adjusted to wearing dresses and gowns while at court or speaking with noble dignitaries. Often, they are accented with feathers of some sort. When she is working in a more professional capacity or enjoying herself, Unella wears cloth-lined leather pants and either a tight jerkin for the former or a loose-fitting blouse for the latter. With any outfit, though, Unella normally will have a small blade of some kind strapped to her person.

## Background

Unella was born to a young couple in a merchant family. Although it was at an inconvenient time, her birth soon was considered a blessing to her parents and kin. The family traveled all across Dorne from the Torentine to Plankytown. Along the way, Unella was doted on by her family and those they came across at villages, holdfasts, and anywhere they made stop with others nearby. They gravitated towards her, not for being cute or sweet like other little girls, but for her sharp sense of humor. Her family did not like the attention the strangers’ attention so, they began doing all they could to include Unella. Specifically, her Aunt taught her how to heal various wounds and ailments that were incurred during travel. This kept her occupied but Unella never developed an interest in her family’s true talents with gold to their growing disappointment.

By the time she was old enough to handle herself on the road, Unella was more of a hindrance than a help. That once charming humor became grating on those around her as she only cared for herself and her own affairs while traveling. Even worse, Unella would come and go on her own accord. On one of these journeys, though, Unella returned to find her family’s caravan destroyed and her family was killed. Before she could run away, she was tied up and captured.

The responsible fiends were members of a bandit group, the leader of which decided to sell Unella and the others captured to a slaver. Unella, especially, was spoken of to fetch a high price given that she was still young and pure. While the leader forbade any of his men from jeopardizing that, there was no such order against taking their frustrations out on her in other ways. Soon, the other bandits created a game where they gave her a dagger, forcing her to defend herself against their strikes with the flat of their blades, clubs, and other weapons. Every night she’d go to bed bruised and bleeding. However, after a month of it, Unella’s efforts to defend herself improved to the point of cutting one of the bandit’s arms badly. It was only her own healing skill that saved him, and as a result, saved her as well.

For the next four years, Unella showed that her value exceeded any amount of gold. Still very much a prisoner, Unella became the group’s healer and her budding skill grew along the way. No longer was she forced to endure the beatings they inflicted on her in her youth but since she was still young, the bandit leader always threatened to sell her every time right before she began working on someone if she failed. It was a terrifying life. Unella soon became dulled to the violent acts the group inflicted upon those they came across and rationalized saving these terrible men by valuing her own survival above anyone else’s.

Eventually, the group decided to stay in Sunspear for a time after a series of successful raids. One night, the leader had apparently had enough of his threats and set himself on Unella. Unella struck out and slashed him with a hidden dagger. She escaped, killing three of the bandits on the way. Luckily, Unella made it out of the city and set off west. Hungry and scared, she eventually found a holdfast and snuck into it. However, she was discovered in the hold’s vineyard eating grapes by none other than the lord of the castle, Lord Anders of Shandystone. Taking pity on Unella, he offered a bed and roof to her in his home, an offer which she hesitantly but graciously accepted. For the year, she became very familiar with the family and was starting to feel like she had found a home. Anders took Unella under his wing and taught her the family’s secrets in poisons. The Lord’s children interacted with her to varying degrees as the son tried charming Unella while the daughter ignored her in favor of books on the Seven. However, it was the Lord’s brother, Andrey, who took the most offense to Unella’s presence and advances. So much so that one day during Unella’s lessons, Andrey mixed with various ingredients while Unella wasn’t looking and having Anders take a taste of the supposed antidote, now-turned-poison. Unella was terrified when Anders collapsed and Andrey immediately accused her of murder, upon which she took off from the castle and never looked back despite Anders rising again later that night no worse for wear.

For a year, she was on the run. From village to village, she traveled in secret always looking over her shoulder. Although she never stayed too long at any one place, Unella made herself helpful when she did with her healing abilities. Eventually, upon entering a village on the lands near Dorne’s northern border, Unella was told to go away. She was shocked to learn that her skills had earned her a reputation, one which the bandit group followed like a predator seeks its prey. Each village she had visited was attacked by the bandits. It was all too much to handle but Unella accepted the villagers’ wishes and left without a fight. Realizing she was no longer safe in her homelands, Unella set off North and escaped from Dorne entirely.

Unella began her journey wary of visiting any settlements but it became too hard to live off the land on her own. When she arrived at a village near the border of the Reach and the Stormlands, cold, hungry and wet, she fell ill and was taken in by the family of the local lord’s huntsman. They healed her but she refused to give them any information about herself other than her name and that she had come from Dorne. The family was satisfied and, despite her heritage, hosted her for a time. Given that her healing skills weren’t desperately needed, they taught her other skills such as hunting with a bow and arrow, for which she showed a natural proficiency. The repeated practice of hunting made Unella feel empowered, being the predator for once rather than the prey. Although she was never as good as the huntsman, Unella felt proud in her newly acquired and still improving skill.

However, the village itself didn’t take to Unella’s presence as well as her hosts did. When word reached the village of recurring Dornish raids, they wanted someone to take their anger out on and Unella was the clear, unfortunate victim. One night, a mob of villagers approached the huntsman’s home and demanded Unella to come out. Although he cared little for the Dornish, the huntsman took pity on Unella and snuck her out the back of the house. With her dagger, a newly gifted bow with a quiver full of arrows, and the herbs she knew could create poisons or salves if needed, Unella fled into the woods. From atop a tree, she waited and watched. Then, in paralyzing fear, she saw the mob cut down the huntsman in their rage. His death set off a rage in her as well. However, it was quite different from the mob’s. Over the month, the villagers began quickly losing their own who went off for foraging, trading, or any number of reasons for travel. Then, individuals started getting deathly ill, dying within days. Some claimed it was a curse for their murder of the huntsman, however, those who survived pointed out that some of the dead included members who took no part in the senseless slaughter. The observation made no matter. Before the new moon was full, not a single villager remained.

Unella went off on her own after that. She got her first job from an Ironborn man to handle a succession crisis, something which Unella had never heard before. It was her first kill done for someone else. From it, Unella earned her first bit of notoriety and she has continued further along this dark path. No place was too safe in her eyes and certainly not safe enough to forget keeping an eye on the closest exit.

## History

Unella has lead an interesting life that started in the sands of Dorne, took her across the Seven Kingdoms, and serving all manners of people. Most significantly was King Viserys I as his Mistress of Whisperers. However, Unella always saw titles and rewards as steps toward her goals that changed with the new directions of a cool, morning breeze.

### The Catching of the Old Trout

From 98-100AC, Unella had partnered up with a veteran soldier, Benjicot Woods. Together, the two did a number of jobs throughout the Seven Kingdoms south of the Neck and north of the Red Mountains. However, their most notable accomplishment was the staged kidnapping of Agnes Tully on the orders of her grandson, Edmyn Tully. From it, Unella and Benjicot earned a fortune, which they used to finance a number of other operations. However, their actions concerning Agnes started a war that Unella found herself thrust into after Edmyn Tully got himself killed. With their new companion, Jallar Za, Unella and Ben traveled throughout the Riverlands gathering information and getting the lay of the land. This culminated in the three and a pack of hired mercenaries coming together outside of Riverrun with twenty-thousand soldiers of the Royal Army. It was here where Unella would meet Viserys for the first time.

In their meeting, Viserys deemed Unella a criminal and a traitor fit for death. However, Unella came to their meeting willingly and wasn't about to die after all she had been through. In the King's tent, she offered her services to him and he eventually accepted. In exchange for a pardon of kidnapping a Lady Paramount, Unella would kidnap a princess. Yet, despite meticulous planning, Unella failed in her attempt and barely escaped Riverrun with her life, along with the lives of her companions. Utter failure it was, however, she was alive to go forth to another day.

### Sowing the Seeds (100AC-109AC)

Upon returning to the Nightingale Inn, Unella laid low and worked only on occasion to keep her skills sharp and her name from disappearing completely. Those in the Nest were impressed with her work and she was raised to a Falcon within the order of chaos, completely skipping the rank of Osprey. However, her work with the Nest was the only work Unella did for many years, ignoring all requests from those visiting the Nightingale Inn and recommended to seek her out from those few who knew her well.

A few years of living a quiet but busy life kept Unella content for the time. Yet, Unella knew she wanted a greater purpose in life and was eager to seek out something more. The fortune she had built continued to grow, albeit more slowly. While Benjicot tried to convince her to invest that money in the land around the Nightingale Inn, Unella refused. While she had no problem spending double or triple for her meals so that the servers and cook would have a more comfortable life, she was not a farmer or carpenter. Instead, she continued to take jobs from the Nest and even started to take some jobs that came of her own accord. Generally, though, she still stayed away from the politicking of nobleman and women except on the rare request from one of the few she knew well enough personally to trust. Then, after one night of an especially loud argument with Benjicot in the back rooms of the Nightingale Inn, Unella disappeared for a little under a year. When she returned in 105 AC, Unella had a baby boy with her, a son, Benlar. The new mother also returned with a promise that the gold she had built for so long while living in the Nightingale Inn would go towards her new home.

As a result of Unella's newfound generosity, the Inn and the surrounding land began to flourish. A true brewery was built behind the Inn, crops were planted and a mill sprouted soon after. The beginnings of a town were forming and Unella could be seen smiling more, a much rarer sight than a simple fledgling town. Also, Unella's frequent bursts of time away from the Inn became rarer as well, whether from the trials of motherhood or a desire to see personally to the area's development, none could say. Yet, Unella seemed to be enjoying herself and the haven for the downtrodden that had grown from the Nightingale Inn.

### No Rest for the Wicked (110AC-114AC)

Despite her pseudo-retirement from work in the shadows, Unella still did the occasional job for the Nest. On one such occasion in Oldtown, in which she also took her son, Unella found that there were the makings of a trap with the city watch and quickly escaped the city. When she returned to the Nightingale Inn, she found only ash and ruins. The growing village was now nothing more than wooden tombs for the half-burnt bodies that represented what was left of her home. The makeshift hole she kept most of her gold in was gone as well. After a quick search, though, Unella found her worst fear to be true, her companion, Benjicot, was dead. Unella grieved in the ruins of her home for the rest of the night. The raiders did not return despite Unella begging every god that ever was or ever would be to send them back to meet her vengeance. The next morning when her pleas went unanswered, Unella gathered the rest of her gold that had been stashed away in hiding spots amid the surrounding area and Benlar before leaving the Nightingale Inn for good.

With nowhere to go, Unella fled north to the Vale, specifically the Gates of the Moon. While she didn't consider Jasper Arryn a friend, she certainly trusted him and that was exactly what she needed. Her former employer took her in immediately after hearing what happened and offered her refuge for however long. For many years, Unella lived in the Gates of the Moon as a guest of House Arryn. Jasper had a young son as well, Rodrik Arryn, who took Benlar under his wing at times seeing how the lonely common boy would only sit off to the side while watching the other children play. Unella was grateful for all Jasper and his family did for her and her son. However, when Jasper asked her if she would be willing to work, she refused. To his credit, Jasper didn't push her and Unella made herself useful when possible in other, less deadly ways.

Also during these years, Unella heard nothing from the Nest. She knew that the Nightingale Inn was a popular hangout for the organization but as time went by, she wondered if the attack hurt them as badly as it hurt her. Eventually, Unella decided to seek out whatever was left of the Nest and learned that it had, in fact, been struck hard by the raid of the Nightingale Inn as well as their attempts at retaliation. Carefully, she began to connect to the survivors, organized meetings, and helped the ones looking for work get it. Slowly but surely, Unella saw the Nest reforming before her eyes. One day, Unella found two Owls who had informed her that the Nest had all but disbanded before Unella started reconnecting all of the members. All of this was the happiest Unella had been in some time and then, one day when Jasper handed her a letter with the royal seal, it all changed.

### Different Kind of Work (115AC-125AC)

The letter from King Viserys offering Unella a grand favor, practically anything she asked, if she would perform a task for him. Apparently, Jasper had informed the king of Unella's presence in the Vale and Viserys already knew of Unella's talents. After much deliberation, Unella finally agreed and began to reach out to all of her connections to find the right people to make Vaemond Velaryon into Lucerys the Sea Bear, feared Pirate Lord of the Narrow Sea. Unella had experience with certain smugglers and pirates, however, it was her skill with sharing a rumor with the right barkeep or trader that really furthered the cause. By 117 AC, her job was done and Vaemond had taken care of the rest. His ferocity at sea and land against the Northmen solidified all that she had put out into the world as a possibility. With her task complete and an apparent success, Unella traveled to King's Landing with her son.

In secret, Unella had a meeting with King Viserys. Much was discussed well into the night and with the King's not-so-secret proclivity of bedding more woman than just his wife, rumors spread of what occurred. However, the next morning when Viserys held court, Unella arrived into the Great Hall with a splendid gown of silk and feathers. She knelt at the Iron Throne and Viserys bid her to rise as his new Mistress of Whisperers.

For over a decade after, Unella had three purposes in her life. The first was easy in her mind. Serving as the King's Mistress of Whisperers could be annoying at times but it was rather simple compared to the second task of a similar make. This second purpose was rebuilding the Nest. After establishing herself in the city, Unella held a meeting in the ruins of the Nightingale Inn and declared herself the new Nightingale. Although there were some uncomfortable with the connection she had to the Crown, Unella had already gathered the support she needed. In a twist of irony, only a select few knew the truth: Unella was asked to take up the mantle. Weeks before the meeting was called, the two Owls who had met Unella in the Vale had raised three more from the surviving Falcons and all agreed that Unella was best fit to see the Nest truly establish themselves as a force in Westeros. Unella refused at first but eventually realized the truth in her words. What motivated her to agree in the end was her third and most important purpose: her son.

Benlar had found himself in the Gates of the Moon with Rodrik Arryn. In King's Landing, Benlar was in awe of everything around him but Unella realized he didn't have the cunning ruthlessness needed to survive. While that was a blessing, it was also a curse for the world that she was forcing him to live in. With the backing of the Nest behind her, Unella ensured that Benlar would be protected even after her death. At least, that's what she told himself as Benlar grew up unaware of the dangers she kept away from him.

Where once Unella felt directionless, she now felt pulled in many different directions but it was ultimately what she wanted. The King valued her service and while she made enemies at court, there were more who appreciated her no-nonsense personality. Unella appreciated hard work and results from those she relied on, a respectable trait even from those with much richer blood than she. However, it was only richer in history as Unella's role with the Nest allowed her to rebuild her fortune considerably. This time, Unella didn't store her gold but used it. She put it in the right hands to spread her influence, establish a \_\_\_\_ in the city to increase her and the Nest's earnings, and the rest was used to make sure Benlar received the education he needed to succeed.

As the years went by, Unella was successful in all aspects to a certain degree. Her work led her across the Seven Kingdoms, although she focused mostly on Dorne at the King's request. In 118 AC, Unella had traveled there personally after hearing about a guerilla group known as the Children of the Spear. In the shadows, Unella met with Mariya Uller, and Timeon Dayne who had been funding the group in secret. Sensing that keeping House Toland in check from getting too powerful would be a good way to stabilize Dorne, Unella agreed to help fund the group as well. Although the other two were suspicious, Unella remained steadfast that the gold came with no strings other than for the group to continue doing what they were doing. In 120 AC, Unella aided the Vale to stay at peace when Jasper's wife, Ysilla Arryn fell ill. While the King pushed her to focus more on Dorne, Unella wouldn't abandon Jasper in his time of need and the same went for Rodrik as the young falcon began to rise. However, Unella wasn't good at keeping the peace and when the religious uprisings began, she felt helpless. This feeling reached its peak in 125 AC when a group of Poor Fellows murdered Jasper in retaliation for his suppressive actions. After this devastating tragedy, Unella finally listened to the King and stayed out of the Vale's affairs.

### Preparing for the Unknown (125-130 AC)

For the five years leading up to the King's death, Unella did not overreach herself. Religious uprisings continued throughout the realm, unrest boiled in the hot sands of Dorne, and the inevitable death of the King meant Unella needed to secure what she had. While Baelor didn't dislike the Mistress of Whisperers, Unella knew that the Prince of Dragonstone would seek to replace those on the council with his own advisors. While Unella would have the Nest to keep her busy, she mostly worried about her son. So, Unella eventually put some gold aside and helped Benlar establish a tavern in the city near the docks. Her son had already been exposed to certain aspects of her other life outside of serving the Crown. While he didn't have the stomach to sneak in the shadows, Benlar had a mind for tricks and puzzles. Surprised at his development, Unella slowly allowed him to work on the Nest's cyphers and codes. After he eventually created a completely new system for the group to use, Unella was satisfied that even if she were to pass, Benlar would be able to handle himself.

Finally, in 130 AC, the King passed. Unella was satisfied, though, as she felt prepared for what laid ahead, whatever that may be.

## Household

* Unella (b.77AC)
	+ Benlar (b.104 AC)

## Meta

Attribute: Sly

Skills: Ranged Weapons (COM), Precision (COM), Espionage (INT), Infiltration (INT), Propogation (INT), Contract Killing (STE), Home Turf (STE), Healing (EDU)

Mastery: Cloak and Dagger