Interlude--The Stowaway

This post is inspired by two characters, one from science fiction and one taken from history itself--Saffron from Firefly, and Abigail Williams from the Salem witch trials, as depicted in The Crucible.

-Nate


Interlude: The Stowaway
There's an old superstition that it's “powerful bad luck” to bring a woman on board a ship crewed by men. While the merits of that assumption could very much be debated, one thing's for certain—it is bad luck to sail with the young woman known as Martha Jones. This little lady is skilled in the arts of the bokor, and she knows how to use them to create pure hell for those around her.

Just how Martha—a name thought to be an alias—came to be so skilled is a matter of conjecture. Some say that she once lived in a proper English town, probably somewhere in the Colonies, and learned the magical arts from a slave or servant. Perhaps because of such an initial contact, or maybe just because she sought power from the start, it seems likely that she came to the Caribbean to learn from someone even more experienced. Clearly Martha has learned well, for she is adept at using magic to influence others.

Introduction
Martha could first come aboard the party's ship for any of the following reasons.
*She might simply appear as a stowaway, trying to avoid notice but eventually being discovered.
*Alternately, she could turn up while stranded on a desert island, having been left behind and now hoping to be rescued.
*Another possibility is that she approaches one or more characters with a tale of persecution and asks to be taken away before suffering some kind of misfortune. This option could legitimately be true, or it might all be part of her web of lies. Possibilities here include trying to flee an arranged marriage, being pursued by a vengeful clergyman or the like.
*For an added twist, Martha might come aboard disguised as a man.
However it comes to pass, this unexpected bokor quickly begins to make life difficult for the PC's.

Martha Jones
Bokor 5; CR 5; Size medium; HD 5d6+10; hp 30; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 Dex); Atk +1 (1d3-1, unarmed) or +4 ranged; SQ details; AL X; SV: Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 17.
Background: Colonist.
Skills: Bluff +14, Concentration +10, Knowledge (local) +8, Profession (whore) +3, Voodoo Ritual +11.
Feats: Combat Casting, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Bluff).
Fortunes: Favored Horse.
Equipment: Various items at the GM's discretion.
Wanga per Day: 2/2/1/1. (She tends to focus on charms in order to make others do as she bids, but—since she doesn't prepare spells and is familiar with all of them on the bokor's list—can break out more offensive magic if there is need.)

Martha (if that's her real name) is an attractive young woman, a little pale of complexion, with dark hair and eyes. This pleasant and appealing exterior hides wickedness on the inside, however, as she does not hesitate to exploit other for her own gain.