About Bellana
Bellana and her halfling family were born into slavery here in Cheliax, and as is standard practice she was separated from them when she was still a child. She grew up as a maid in service to Lord Jero Leroung, a petty baron with lands near the town of Longacre. His grandfather backed House Thrune during the civil war, and as their only local descendent he has been allowed to keep his holdings separately from his overlord Archbaron Fex.
Lord Jero is known to be a reclusive, bookish sort who dabbles in magic and alchemy, though like many aristocrats he is too unfocused to accomplish anything noteworthy. Only his servants know the truth about him: every year since he was a young man he has "adopted" an heir, usually an orphan girl of Chelaxian descent, who he brings in secret to his manor and slowly tortures to death. Like his other slaves, Bellana was sworn to secrecy and has always known that she can do nothing to stop these horrors from occurring.
The girls' chambers had to be extensively cleaned between occupants, but his desceased daughter's furnishings and possessions always remained for the new girls to inherit. Bella became obsessed with a doll that lived in the room and that like her always watched what happened there without a word. The doll began talking to her at night, in a quiet whisper that only Bella could hear. The doll said things that the baron had said to the girls, that she must do what it directed her to do without question. That it wanted to "play" with her.
Though it was almost unthinkable for her, Bella eventually succumbed to the doll's influence. It told her to draw upon the strength of the dead girls' spirits, and to use that strength to bring the baron to them. By taking his life, Bella would send him to join them, so they could take their turns playing with him, too. While she slept, she dreamed she was the doll, or perhaps the doll was her. It crept into Lord Jero's study while he dozed at his desk, and shot a crossbow bolt straight into his brain. Then she woke up standing next to his bleeding corpse.
That happened a month ago. Since then, through her, the doll has read most of the books in the former baron's library, and promised Bella that they will wield powerful magic. The doll believes it is Baron Jaro's heir, and Bella is as anxious to please it as she would be any new master. The other slaves are terrified; they know what happened but not how, and they know that eventually someone will find out that the baron is dead. Then they will be at the mercy of the archbaron, who will presumably seize them all. Until that happens, the doll has convinced them (through Bella) to remain and behave normally, as if the baron were still there.
For some reason, the doll instructed Bella to seek out a human woman in Longacre named Cimri Staelish. Bella found the woman, and when she agreed to hear Bella out the doll told her what to say: that she knew Cimri's great-aunt Annari, and that she "wanted in." Cimri was surprised and said that Rhona's younger sister had died thirty years ago. "Yes," said the doll through Bella, "and her spirit watches over you. You are planning something big with your friend at Ash House, and your great-aunt wants you to include me in your group."
Concept
Concept is a halfling slave possessed by evil spirits that reside inside a creepy doll. (At least, she thinks the doll is making her do things, but maybe the doll is just allowing her to do things she never could before?) After her master's death, she began overseeing the manor in the baron's place, and she likes it. She hopes that the Archbaron never finds out, or that if he does she can convince (or force) him to allow her to remain in charge as a sort of seneschal. One of the evil spirits in the doll is Cimri Staelish's great-aunt, and it has advised the character to seek out her niece in order to advance her goals.
Name Bellana (usually just Bella)
Race Halfling
Alignment Lawful Evil
Class Witch (Gravewalker)
Role
Like any good (er, evil) witch Bellana debuffs the enemy with her Evil Eye, Halfling Jinx, and spells like ill omen, hold person, bestow curse and eventually dominate person and hold monster. (She won't use these spells on her fellow evil party members, of course!) Bella will also buff and assist her teammates with her spells and magic items as she can.
(One fun idea I have is that when she communes with her poppet, she has a creepy little tea party.)
Gravewalkers get animate dead and the ability to magic jar into their undead minions at will, so she will likely focus on controlling only one or two animated creatures at a time. That way she-- or rather the doll, through her-- can possess a minion while leaving her body guarded by another minion. Some of her spells are chosen to allow her and her walking corpse slaves to blend in with polite society, so not to reveal the depths of depravity to which she has sunk. (Also so that she is not banned from going into town!)
Oh, just FYI-- she won't be taking the Slumber hex. A lot of GMs are wary of it, so I feel like it's good to state it up front. Gravewalker witches don't get very many hexes because of all their other cool features, so she will really only have room to focus on Evil Eye.
Str 8-2 (-2), Dex 14+2 (+3), Con 14 (+2), Int 18 (+4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 8+2 (+0)
HP 8 (1d6[6]+2[CON])
AC 14 (10+3[DEX]+1[size])
AC, touch 14 (10+3[DEX]+1[size])
AC, flatfooted 11 (10+1[size])
Initiative +9 (+3[DEX]+4[Improved Initiative]+2[trait])
Speed 20' (no armor)
Fortitude +2 (+0[base]+2[CON])
Reflex +3 (+0[base]+3[DEX])
Will +3 (+2[base]+1[WIS])
BAB +0
CMB -3 (+0[BAB]-2[STR]-1[size])
CMD 10 (10+0[BAB]-2[STR]+3[DEX]-1[size])
CMD, flatfooted 7 (10+0[BAB]-2[STR]-1[size])
Weapons and armor
light crossbow: +3 attack (1d6 P damage, 80', 19-20/x2)
Halfling Creepy Doll (can use Stealth without cover or concealment), Dimdweller (+2 Intimidate/Perception/Stealth in darkness or dim light), Fey Thoughts (Perception/Stealth class skills), Halfling Jinx (Will DC 10: -1 saves)
Favored class bonus (Witch) +1/4 CL with patron spells
Traits Good Slip (+1 Bluff, class skill; 1/day reroll Will when next to human), Reactionary
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Bluff 1+4, Craft (alchemy) 1+7, Intimidate 0+0*, Knowledge (arcana) 1+7, Knowledge (nature) 1+7, Knowledge (nobility) 1+4, Knowledge (planes) 1+7, Perception 1+4*, Stealth 1+10**
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Goblin
Witch (Gravewalker) CL 1, spells 3/1, aura of desecration (20'), bonethrall (Command Undead, Will DC 14 to control 1HD/level undead within aura), patron (Unholy Strength), possess undead (magic jar controlled undead within aura, no save), spell poppet
Spells (prepared)
cantrips (3): daze, guidance, message
1st (2): empty (2/2)
Spells (in spell poppet)
cantrips: arcane mark, bleed, dancing lights, daze, detect fiendish presence, detect magic, detect poison, grasp, guidance, light, mending, message, putrefy food and drink, read magic, resistance, spark, stabilize, touch of fatigue
1st: charm person, enlarge person, ill omen, infernal healing, mage armor, obscuring mist, reduce person
Equipment (105 gp) belt pouch (1 gp), crossbow bolts 20/20 (2 gp, 1#), light crossbow (35 gp, 2#), peasant's outfit (free, .5#), salt component 24/24 (12 gp), scroll of obscuring mist 2/2 (50 gp), spell component pouch (5 gp, 2#), spell poppet (free)
