![[Marcella.png]] **Basic Information** • **Name:** Marcella Vassari • **Race/Species:** Human • **Class/Profession:** Smuggler, Fixer, Information Broker • **Alignment/Morality:** Neutral (Leans Pragmatic) • **Age:** Late 30s • **Gender & Pronouns:** Female (She/Her) • **Appearance:** Tall and lean, with an angular face that always seems caught between a smirk and a scowl. Dark brown hair, often tied back in a loose braid, with a streak of silver at the temples. Wears practical, well-fitted clothing suitable for both high-society dealings and back-alley negotiations. A collection of rings—some decorative, some with hidden compartments—adorn her fingers. A faint scar traces along her jawline. **Personality & Traits** • **Personality Summary:** Marcella is calm, calculating, and unshakable under pressure. She exudes confidence without arrogance, carrying herself like someone who has seen every kind of trouble and knows exactly how to handle it. A pragmatist to the core, she prefers deals over violence, but she won’t hesitate to play rough when needed. • **Strengths & Skills:** • Expert negotiator and silver-tongued manipulator. • Deep knowledge of Mivon’s underworld and smuggling routes. • Proficient with daggers and hidden weapons. • A keen observer, capable of reading people’s intentions with unnerving accuracy. • Well-connected across various factions, from merchants to black-market dealers. • **Weaknesses & Flaws:** • Never does anything for free—everything has a price. • Distrustful of sentimentality; sees emotions as liabilities. • Has powerful enemies, including rival smugglers and crime lords. • A known name in the wrong circles, making it hard for her to stay off the radar. • **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** • Speaks in measured, deliberate tones, rarely raising her voice. • A penchant for dry humor, especially in tense situations. • Likes to toy with small objects—coins, rings, knives—while talking. • Often refers to people by surnames unless they’ve earned familiarity. **Background & Story Role** • **Backstory Summary:** Marcella was born into a minor merchant family in Mivon, but she quickly grew tired of the rigid trade laws and guild restrictions. She carved out her own space in the world of smuggling, using her wit and business acumen to turn minor contraband runs into a full-fledged operation. Over the years, she has become one of the key facilitators for discreet exchanges, specializing in moving high-value goods, people, and secrets. • **Current Motivations:** • Ensuring her operations remain independent of Mivon’s ruling houses. • Expanding her network beyond Mivon, particularly into [[Pitax]] and [[Rivermarch]]. • Keeping ahead of the authorities and rivals who want her either dead or working for them. • **Connections & Relationships:** • **[[Valerius Crowne]]** – A long-time associate. They’ve worked together in the past, moving sensitive materials across borders. • **[[Tybalt Rattigan]]** – Knows of him through Crowne and is intrigued by his ambitions. She respects those who know how to play the game. • **King [[Castruccio Irovetti]]** – Has done business with intermediaries in [[Pitax]] but keeps her distance from the king himself. • **The Mivonese Underworld** – Has many allies and enemies within the smuggling rings, and some former associates would love to see her taken down. • **Factions or Allegiances:** • Works with but does not belong to the major smuggling syndicates in Mivon. • Has informants in various River Kingdoms courts but remains independent. • **Notable Items or Equipment:** • **The Black Ledger** – A small, magically warded book containing debts, blackmail, and secrets of clients. • **Smoke-ring Blade** – A thin dagger concealed in one of her rings, laced with a slow-acting poison. • **Guild Coin of Mivon** – A mark of past (or current) dealings with the Mivonese merchant families. **Additional Notes** • **Recurring Themes:** • The cost of loyalty and trust in a world of deception. • The struggle of maintaining independence in a world of shifting alliances. • How much power knowledge and leverage can grant. • **Player/GM Notes:** • Marcella should be played as a cool-headed, calculating figure, always weighing risk and reward. • She respects competence and deals fairly with those who show intelligence. • Her involvement in the story should reflect the nature of the deal—she helps those who make it worth her while.