Help my "cousin" Bob fit in?

[Jack Simth]

Well, someone unbelievably close to him did die....

Disguise him. Use the skill. Have your friend the Rogue/Bard do it. Keep to the mechanics. Unless "Bob" draws attention to himself, the only ones who get a roll to see through it are people that are, by default suspicious (guards, et cetera).

The specifics are up to you (and are probably needed to mitigate the Undead -> Living ad-hock transition) - fullplate? Sure. Perhaps he's just a particularly devout monk, always looking at his feet, in that very, very full robe, with the hood down.

Eventually, you'll be able to use Polymorph... but that's a ways off yet.

 

[RonYon]

Not cousin. Wife. Full body burka, with veil.
Sure it will make you look like a jerk, but that is...acceptible, in most society.
Its also cheaper than armor.
Now the Skeleton sounds like one of the necromancer alt class features available from Unearthed arcana. Its also available here.
I like "official stuff" so I would ditch the familier for this.
He progresses with you, and he has a defined replacement mechanism.
Still cant talk, but that could be explained a vow of silence, a cut out tounge(by the peple you rescued "her" from of course), or your cultural beliefs.

If you can, get a hold of the Complete Mage before you level. There is a cool necro specilaist class in there.

When you arm your skeleton , consider a Hide Sheild, for a cheap 3 AC,plus the Full Cover option of a Tower sheild, with a lot less weight.