Maellana Hornwood

Maellana Hornwood is the current Lady of the Hornwood. Born in 412 AC, Maellana's Family cast her into the woods due to their misfortunes. Three years later, she returned, sickly, half-dead and covered in healed bite marks on her left leg. She has since recovered, but still cannot walk far due to lasting effects of her injury, and suffers from chronic pain.

Due to her Father and Mothers' death at the hands of grey death, Maellana is currently the Matriarch of the Hornwood family. She is unmarried and not yet betrothed.

## Appearance and Character

Many who have seen Maellana have told of her beauty. She is short and thin, with long black hair and blue eyes full of sadness and thought. Her skin is pale, and her facial features are sharp.

Maellana has a brooding personality, constantly thinking and rarely speaking unless it is necessary. Pragmatic above all else, when Maellana speaks, her words are always chosen to have the most impact at any given time. Dry at times and somewhat bitter, She is known for being callous to men who speak carelessly.

## History

### Childhood

Maellana was born to Halister Hornwood and Naerisa Marsh. Her family were dogged with misfortune afterwards, and put the blame on Maellana, who was well-known for being a sickly, weak child, even contracting greyscale once, although it was swiftly cured. After that incident, her family grew tired of her and threw her out into the woods. She returned, three years later, with no recollection of the past three years, sickly, dying and covered in healed wounds, most of which fell on her left leg. She fell into a coma for three months, and when she came out of it, she seemed to those who knew her eerie.

She refused to speak for another year, and afterwards, when questioned, it was discovered she knew many things that had happened in those three years she could not have known. She could not stand for longer than a few minutes at a time due to her injuries. Her mother and father were far more caring after that, but always slightly afraid of her. It was a rare occasion she was allowed outside the walls of Hornwood Castle, and so her childhood was an unhappy one.

### Coming of Age

When Maellana turned sixteen, her family took her outside the walls of the castle and had her tour the north. It was a quiet affair, in the effort of allowing her to see what the people had to go through, in hopes it would make her a better ruler, as Naerisa was too old for another child, and she had had a child that only lasted a year during the time when Maellana was away. During this time, her mother contracted grey death. Some say it was because of contact with Maellana, but whatever it was, her father soon contracted it, and both of them died swiftly afterwards. For two years, Maellana allowed Maester Jon, her resident Maester, to do her duties until she grew older.

### Adulthood

Maellana has been governing her desmene peacefully for nine years, and in that time has developed a network of spies. Paired with her greensight, she has learned a great deal about the world around her, and is constantly plotting to extend her reach as far as she can, although has not made it far yet.

## Family and Household

Dorak Hornwood: Maellana's Uncle, who has been travelling the world for the past few years and returned to aid Maellana in ruling the land. Maellana is severely distrustful of him.

Maester Jon: Maellana's closest advisor and only friend, Maester Jon is a kindly man, younger than most Maesters, with a frowned-upon love for magic, hence is interest in Maellana.

Rodrick Hornwood: Maellana's younger cousin, who willingly allowed Maellana the rulership of Hornwood. Rodrick now serves as captain of her guard, and organises training of her soldiers.