- "Corvo, if only there was someone else I trusted to send so that you could remain near. When you are near my heart is at peace... Hurry home, and bring good news."
- ―Jessamine to Corvo
Jessamine Kaldwin I is the late Empress of the Empire of the Isles, who is killed by the assassin Daud on the orders of the Royal Spymaster Hiram Burrows. Before her death, Jessamine watches helplessly as her daughter, Emily Kaldwin, is kidnapped by Daud's assassins.
As she passes, she charges Corvo Attano with the safe return and protection of her beloved child. Her body and circumstance are later used to charge Corvo with treason, kidnapping, and murder.