Heroes & Companions
Twelve named heroes can accompany a party, each with their own training and history. Their dialogue covers past work, beliefs and disagreements with their companions. Trust and morale change as they travel and fight together.
Warrior · Tank
Sworn Blade of Aurin
Hadrik began with the wagons outside Aurin, organising porters and helping shift loads when a wheel stuck. Escort work put a shield in his hands. He still talks like a man used to shouting over a crowded yard, and a quiet evening seldom stays quiet once he starts recounting a fight. In company he takes the front, where he can put that shield to use.
Ranger · Ranged
Arrow of the Wind
Maeve learned the country while guiding travellers between settlements. Finding water and a place to sleep mattered as much as following a trail; a route was little use if her charges could not finish it. She asks practical questions before a journey and watches the ground as she walks. With a bow in hand, she looks for room to shoot and a way to keep it.
Mage · Nuker
Master of Elements
Lucan began by copying magical exercises, then altered them to see what would happen. He keeps records of his experiments, including the unsuccessful ones, and is seldom content to repeat a demonstration exactly as he learned it. A travelling party supplies conditions a study cannot. He enjoys a conspicuous spell, particularly when there is someone present who will ask how he did it.
Necromancer · Minions
Shepherd of the Dead
Severin once kept burial records, entering names and occupations for people he had never met. The work led him to study what persists after death. He now binds and commands remains, treating each success as grounds for a more ambitious attempt. His interest in a body can outlast the condolences of the mourners, and he makes few concessions to those who object to his work.
Healer · Support
Healer of Loralei
Ambrose spent thirty years tending patients in Aurin before taking his work onto the roads. He asks where a wound came from, checks the dressing and expects an answer when he gives instructions. His faith in Loralei accompanies the practical habits of the ward. On a journey he brings that same attention to supplies, rest and the injuries a companion would rather conceal.
Bard · Hybrid
Bard of the Wandering Road
Florian learned his trade in small rooms, where a performance had to earn its supper. He watches an audience closely and changes his programme when a song fails to hold them. Travel gives him fresh subjects and people willing to dispute the old verses. His talk often runs towards a story, though the price of the next meal remains a practical concern.
Thief · Assassin
Blade of Shadows
Vesna first carried valuables through crowded rooms, learning which faces drew attention and which passed without comment. She plans an entrance and an exit before committing to a job. In conversation she is controlled and attentive to what has actually been agreed. She works readily with companions who keep those terms; hurried improvisation earns a closer inspection of the plan.
Cleric · Support
Voice of Loralei
Aveline began by carrying messages for a temple. Her vows followed as that work brought her into the lives of people who needed more than a delivered letter. She serves Loralei through prayer and practical duties, and speaks of obligations to particular people. Questions about faith have a place in her conversations, including questions for which she has no ready answer.
Paladin · Tank
Shield of Kranos
Osric heard recruits swear their oaths before service taught him what those promises required. He follows Kranos and takes an exacting view of duty, including the limits on his own authority. Orders deserve a reason, and protection can require restraint. In company he attends to the people he has agreed to guard and expects disputes to be settled on their particulars.
Rogue · Skirmisher
Whisper in the Crowd
Nell ran errands through crowds for employers who sometimes denied knowing her afterwards. She learned to settle the fee and choose her company with care. Quick speech suits her as well as quick movement; she asks questions while keeping track of the way out. A new job interests her, but an employer who will not explain it can expect questions about the pay.
Psion · Control
the Quiet Mind
Ilse Varn began hearing thoughts that nobody had spoken aloud. Training gave her ways to control the intrusion, and she learned to ask before examining another mind. She keeps written accounts to check her recollections and distinguishes what she knows from what she suspects. Her measured questions can make a conversation slower, especially when someone presses her for certainty she cannot offer.
Templar · Tank
the Iron Vow
Cassia Thorne learned shield work and gate duty before taking command of others. She gives each person a position, explains the duty and makes arrangements for relief. Her instructions tend to be brief; she expects questions about an order to come while there is time to answer them. Years of watchkeeping show in her attention to who is present and who should have returned.
Living companions
Trust changes through shared victories, healing and deaths. Dismissing a hero does not reduce it. A companion's standing with their leader affects their responses.
Victories and setbacks change morale, which affects how a companion performs.
Each hero has their own dialogue, habits and responses to events. Speak with them to learn about their work and beliefs.
Some companions disagree about methods and beliefs. Their exchanges change with the members of the party.
Recruitment
Use the in-game companion commands to view recruitment, availability and the heroes already in your roster. Hard mode prevents new hero grants; heroes owned before enabling it remain available. The wiki explains how to equip them and give orders.
