Laudna

Laudna is a human Hollow One sorcerer/warlock and a member of Bells Hells. She is played by Marisha Ray.

Originally named Matilda Bradbury, she was born in Whitestone and lived through its occupation by the Briarwoods, where she was killed and hanged on the Sun Tree as part of their message to Vox Machina. During the rebellion, she returned to a half-living state and escaped from the city. Wandering the lands for decades, she took the name Laudna and began hearing the voice of Delilah Briarwood in her head, who granted her additional powers. Eventually she traveled to Marquet, where she met Imogen Temult and later joined with the rest of Bells Hells in Jrusar.

Appearance
When she first appears, Laudna is fairly young, pale, and gaunt. Her big eyes have dilated pupils, and her lips are dark. Marisha further describes Laudna's features as "almost doll-like." She has long, thin, dark hair with a shock of white through her bangs, pulled up in a half-up bun with a rock chisel (depicted as a rock pick in official art). She wears tattered clothes, including a dark red blouse and a black skirt. She wears pointy gold cuffs on her ears to hide their edges, which were once shorn to points like an elf's. Her belt holds various tools, a dead rat with a raven skull named Pâté de Rolo, and other odds and ends.

When Laudna uses her Form of Dread, her extremities elongate and a black mourning veil comes across her face, hiding a stream of black tears pouring from her eyes. After her resurrection in, her Form of Dread takes the form of branches of the Sun Tree growing out of her arms and shoulders, constantly cycling through the seasons.

Her eyes glow green at times, notably when she uses Eyes of the Runekeeper or Cling to Life.

Personality
In stark contrast to her ghoulish appearance, Laudna is rather bubbly, personable, and easy-going. Laudna seems largely unaware of how frightening she appears (especially when she uses her Form of Dread power) and becomes offended when someone judges her based on appearances alone. She also shows insecurity when she feels as if she is lacking in purpose and thus tends to want to be helpful in any way.

When asked by Orym how she is the "happiest person" in Bells Hells, she comments that "the worst thing that's ever happened to [her] has already happened," alluding to her death. She prefers not to dwell on the past, beseeching others to do so in kind, that there is "no point in being sad over what can't be changed".

Background
Originally named Matilda Bradbury, she grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Whitestone in Tal'Dorei, and always had innate magical capabilities. Even as a young girl, she was thought of as the freak of the town. She once had a crush on a young boy named Andy, but he threw dirt in her face.

The Briarwoods took over the city when Matilda was a young woman. Shortly before the Whitestone Rebellion in 810 PD, she and her parents were invited to dine with the Briarwoods and told they were going to serve a greater purpose. In addition to the promise of festivities, she hoped that the magical Briarwoods would take interest in developing her natural sorceress magic. After the dinner, she was killed. Her ears were docked into points like those of a half-elf and she was strung up on the Sun Tree in effigy of Vex'ahlia.

Matilda woke up hanging from the tree when a burst of necromantic magic hit her and mingled with her natural magic. She left the city and never returned, and believes she is a cross between dead and alive. Although the Briarwoods are dead, Matilda began to hear the voice of Delilah Briarwood in her head around a year after Delilah died. She hears Delilah "every now and then."

Having been killed before Vox Machina's arrival in the city and left during the rebellion, Matilda was unaware that Percival and Cassandra de Rolo had returned to power in Whitestone, saying that she became "a bit of a recluse" after her time in Whitestone. She didn't talk to people much, and they didn't want to talk to her. She spent the next thirty years going from town to town, living in fixed-up abandoned shacks in the woods until being chased out by townsfolk denouncing her as an undead witch. During this time, she began to go by the name Laudna, and created a puppet out of a dead rat and a raven skull that she named Pâté de Rolo to keep herself company.

About two years before the start of the campaign, Laudna met Imogen Temult while passing through her hometown of Gelvaan. Imogen decided to join her, and they've been traveling together since. Upon arriving in Jrusar, Laudna and Imogen found a place to stay at Zhudanna's home in the Windowed Wall. They helped her with a shade creeper problem in her late husband's bedroom.

Campaign 3: Bells Hells
Laudna and Imogen met the rest of Bells Hells after a morning attempting to get into the Starpoint Conservatory to research Imogen's dreams. During a game of "What the Fuck is Up with That", Laudna revealed that she had died and come back to life during a coup in Whitestone, and that one of the Briarwoods speaks to her in her head sometimes. She later elaborated on her story to Orym as they traveled to the Heartmoor and revealed she had been hung from the Sun Tree.

Aboard the Silver Sun on the way to Bassuras, Laudna and Imogen discussed the latter's attachment to the gnarlrock shard. Laudna felt deep rumbles pulse through her, along with the urge to inspect it closer. She promised she wouldn't do anything to the shard, so Imogen agreed to let her hold it, whereupon Delilah seized control of her body and shattered the rock.

Laudna sought advice from Fresh Cut Grass and Ashton regarding her predicament. Soon after, Laudna and Imogen made up⁠, though not before being asked out to dinner by Dusk.

During the Deathwish Run, Laudna served as the second to Chetney. She was knocked out in the middle of the race, but was brought back to consciousness through Dusk's Lay on Hands.

While at the Calloway's hideout, Fearne put a gnarlrock shard in the dollhouse that Chetney had made for Laudna's dolls. Laudna reached for it upon waking up, only to be warned against doing so by Imogen, at which point Delilah spoke in her head again. Laudna had a conversation with her, in which Delilah told her that all of her friends would eventually betray her, but she never would as her continued existence depends on Laudna staying alive. She also, upon being asked, provided some information about the celestial solstice.

Shortly afterwards, FCG attacked the party, and Laudna cast Hunger of the Shadow, dealing a massive amount of damage and seemingly revitalizing herself. Delilah reiterated that the party would indeed betray her. After FCG was brought to unconsciousness, she withdrew into a corner, but later Mended their head. Imogen then took her aside and promised to help her get rid of Delilah, and assured her that what Delilah said was untrue.

Laudna was killed by Otohan Thull in combat outside of the Seat of Disdain, and the party was unable to revive her at that time. When they traveled to her home of Whitestone in order to see assistance from Keyleth's allies, Pike discovered that both Laudna's own soul and Delilah's soul were bound to her body. Bells Hells then Astral Projected, with Pike's assistance, to try to disentangle the souls. While there, Bells Hells saw various scenes from Laudna's life, including her hut being burned down, Andy throwing dirt in her face, her playing with dolls she had made as a young girl, and her getting ready to go to the dinner with the Briarwoods, before they finally reached a corrupted version of the Sun Tree in which her soul was imprisoned. After a successful plea from Chetney, Delilah permitted Laudna to briefly speak. She begged Imogen to set her free from Delilah.

Following the combat the rest of Bells Hells had with Delilah and the Sun Tree, Laudna's soul was broken free from the corrupted tree. She was successfully resurrected shortly after, and, after seeing the renewed Whitestone and spending some time with the Sun Tree, her Form of Dread became tree-like. She encouraged others, including Percy, to also touch the Sun Tree, and chose to sleep by the Sun Tree that night, where she was joined by the rest of the party. She also received her pact boon, and brought Pâté to life via Find Familiar.

Imogen Temult
Imogen is Laudna's closest ally, whom Laudna met while she was in Imogen's town a couple of years ago. They "hit it off really well" and decided to start traveling together. They share a goal: to try to enter one of the conservatories located in the Spires so Imogen can do research. They have been staying together in Jrusar with their landlady, Zhudanna.

Laudna will often wake when Imogen has a nightmare and sometimes observes Imogen without waking her up as it happens. After Imogen awakens, she comforts her and talks about what Imogen saw in the dream.

Delilah Briarwood
Laudna occasionally hears the voice of her patron, Delilah, in her head. Delilah appears to be her warlock patron, although it is unclear when after Laudna and Delilah's respective deaths the pact was made. After Laudna told the rest of Bells Hells about her pact, Delilah told Laudna to keep things secret. Laudna has also expressed to Imogen that she is not sure how she feels about Delilah and has floated the possibility of breaking her pact.

While Laudna was inspecting the shard that Imogen got from the Shade Mother's den, Delilah used her power to shatter the shard and transfer the magical essence into Laudna. This upset Imogen, who had asked Laudna not to do anything to the shard. Laudna in turn was quite angry at Delilah and screamed "What did you do?" Delilah later told Laudna that her party members would all betray her.

After Laudna was killed in the fight against Otohan, it was revealed that Delilah had chosen Laudna because of Laudna's natural sorcery abilities, and that their souls were entangled.

Fearne Calloway
She and Fearne clicked almost immediately. Fearne loved everything about her and was even fascinated when she saw Laudna perform her 'Form of Dread' for the first time. Laudna, Fearne, and Imogen all have bonded over being spellcasters, and call one another 'Witchy/Witch Bitches'.

Orym
Orym is one of the few members of Bells Hells that knows Laudna's cause of death. Laudna seems to trust Orym enough to tell him. Orym in return shows his empathy towards her in his repeated apologies about her death. Additionally Orym, due to his relationship with Keyleth, knew about the Whitestone atrocities.

Ashton Greymoore
Unlike many people she's encountered, including other party members, who seem off-put by Laudna's creepiness, Ashton seems to love her aesthetic. Laudna and Ashton have bonded over how they have been visually changed by their pasts, and by how they feel protective towards Imogen and FCG, respectively.

Yu Suffiad
Yu, as Dusk, showed interest in Laudna early into their time with the group, saying that Laudna may have cold hands but she also had a warm heart. Some time later, Yu told Laudna about their feelings for her. Laudna panicked and fled quickly.

During the Deathwish Run, Yu used Lay on Hands to bring Laudna back from unconsciousness. After the race, Laudna clarified that her awkwardness during the confession was from being caught off-guard, and that she didn't feel she was ready for that kind of relationship. Yu hoped for Laudna that when she was ready, she would "find somebody that will make [her] feel less awkward."

After Yu revealed their true self and attempted again to seduce Orym, Laudna remarked that she thought she was special. Yu said they did think Laudna was special. It is still left unclear as to whether Yu's interest in Laudna was real or an act.

Notable items

 * Thieves' tools
 * Pâté de Rolo, a puppet made by Laudna.
 * Sashimi, a faceless marionette with two sunken eyes given to her by Imogen and Ashton
 * Disguise kit
 * Wooden dollhouse from Chetney
 * A gold ring with two snakes and a ruby, given to her by Imogen
 * Ring of protection (+1), gift from Vex

Former items

 * Immovable rod, taken by Ashton.
 * Bloodwell Vial (+1), given to Imogen.
 * Pearl of Power, taken by FCG.

Hollow One abilities

 * Ageless
 * Cling to Life
 * Revenance
 * Unsettling Presence

Feats

 * Spell Sniper

Sorcerer abilities

 * Spellcasting (Charisma-based spellcasting)
 * Sorcerous Origin (Shadow Magic)
 * Eyes of the Dark: Darkvision 120 ft.
 * Strength of the Grave
 * Font of Magic
 * Sorcery Points: 4
 * Flexible Casting
 * Metamagic
 * Quickened Spell
 * Twinned Spell

Warlock abilities

 * Otherworldly Patron (The Undead)
 * Form of Dread
 * Pact Magic (Charisma-based spellcasting)
 * Eldritch Invocations (2)
 * Agonizing Blast
 * Eyes of the Rune Keeper
 * Gift of the Ever-Living Ones
 * Pact Boon: Pact of the Chain

Spells
Some spells Laudna knows are available to her through both of her classes and are listed as "unknown" until their source is confirmed.

Behind the scenes
Laudna's creation indirectly stems from a nightmare Marisha had where she encountered the jaw-less flower girl (which Laudna later conjured with Silent Image in ). This made her want to play a creepy character for Campaign 3, and she initially wanted to play a little girl who had died and been resurrected, but ultimately believed it could get weird and decided to play an adult instead. Marisha knew from the outset that her character would have died during the Briarwoods' insurrection of Whitestone and been resurrected, and through discussion with Matt, the idea that she was the effigy of Vex'ahlia hung from the Sun Tree came to be. From there, she decided to multiclass as a sorcerer/warlock, and would thus need a patron, for which she suggested Delilah Briarwood.

Laudna's name derives from laudanum, an opium tincture historically widely used as pain medication or to induce sleep. Its use is often featured in especially 19th century Gothic and horror literature.

Laudna's birth name, Matilda, originated from Marisha's research rabbit hole over silk flowers and the girls who painted them (due to her flower girl nightmare). One of the factory workers who had died from the arsenic-laced green paint was a 19-year-old girl named Matilda Scheurer. Her death received press coverage, alerting people of the dangers of that pigment. Thus, Matilda Bradbury was named after her.

Appearances and mentions

 * Campaign 3, every episode except and, both in which only her corpse appears. She is played by both Marisha and the Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer in

Quotations
Imogen: Laudna, you’re scary-scary. Dorian: When you're using their body parts, I think so. Laudna: Wow. Don't tell Pâté. Laudna: (in Pâté's voice) "Well, you see, Laudna here was quite alone for quite some time, and she kind of needed somebody to keep her company or else she would go insane. Especially because it was just me and that voice in her head." (in her own voice) He's so silly. Ashton: It's a very broad word, isn't it? Laudna: I'm not entirely sure. I think so. [...] I think I'm some cross in between life and death. Not totally alive, but not totally dead. I definitely died! I died, and then I woke up. I woke up, and I was surrounded by a lot of other corpses, and all of Whitestone was in a complete panic, run amok, just death and disease and nightmare everywhere, and I didn't know what happened so I ran. I haven't really aged. Fresh Cut Grass: How long ago was that? Laudna: Thirty years. Laudna: Hm? I would hope a great deal of many things. Orym: Well, there's the obvious, but you're the happiest person in this bunch. Laudna: Of course! The worst thing that's ever happened to me has already happened.
 * Laudna: I'm fun-scary!
 * Laudna: Is it rude to ask about dead people?
 * Orym: So why are you puppeteering a dead rat?
 * Laudna: You know, I don't think I've ever been in love either. I mean, that's not true. I deeply love Imogen.
 * Fresh Cut Grass: Are you dead? What the fuck is up with that?
 * Laudna: (giving the "book jacket version" of her life to Chetney) I was alive, but then I was dead, and now I'm alive again. I'm originally from Whitestone and this is Pâté, my pet rat. (as Pâté) "Hello, Chetney!"
 * Laudna: Nightmares are just fun dreams. They're inspiration, right? I've pulled many of my tactics from nightmares that I've had. They keep you on your toes.
 * Orym: You know what's interesting about you?

Trivia

 * The animation on her stat card features black smoke and black ooze dripping from the top of the frame.
 * When using the Message spell, Laudna's voice is accompanied by eerie whispers and otherworldly sound effects created by the rest of the cast. This began as a joke when Laudna tried to spook Orym with a Message and has become a running gag. Prior to this event, her Messages had no echoes.
 * During the masquerade ball in Jrusar, Laudna used the alias "Lorelei de Rolo", combining the name of the werewolf family in with the last name of the rulers of Whitestone, her former home. Her stuffed rat Pâté de Rolo also bears the de Rolo name.
 * The word "lorelei" was also mentioned by Laudna as an abusive name hurled at her by mobs when she was driven out of various towns. In this context, it refers to a siren or mermaid who lures men to their doom, particularly one associated with stories surrounding the Lorelei rock in the River Rhine.
 * Until Chetney Pock O'Pea's introduction in, Laudna was the only member of Bells Hells to have darkvision.
 * In, in The Legend of Vox Machina, the Briarwoods receive in Whitestone Castle the group they will disguise as the members of Vox Machina, including a dark-haired woman that would represent Vex'ahlia who loosely resembles Laudna. While this minor character has the same role and position than Laudna, the Amazon show has its own continuity and it was in production well before Campaign 3 started, so it is unknown how much of Marisha's eventual character was being represented in the animation.
 * Sprigg, Liam O'Brien's dog, was dressed as Laudna for Halloween in 2022. The costume was made by @Cat_Cosplay.

Notes and references
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References:

Art: