Party Companions, Henchmen & Retainers

Companions

	Yandel Clink Cedrick's valet and bodhran player. Yandel aspires to become steward to Cedrick's household and is determined to do everything in his power to assist his master in making this dream come true. Fastidiously neat and detail oriented, Yandel seeks to take care of all the lesser things in Cedrick's life, so that he will be able to better spend his time on greater matters (and getting him that manor he dreams of managing). Yandel's mother works for the Guild of Coin and Commerce. His father is one of House Timaryn's coach drivers.
	"Kodiak" Cedrick's groom, porter and bell ringer. Ben, better known as Kodiak, and his family have loyally served House Timaryn for generations. His mother is cook and his father serves as the household steward. Ben, while never a particularly bright boy, is dedicated to his charges in the stables and possesses considerable skill with other animals as well. He is a large, heavily built boy and strong, able to easily carry about large objects for hours without any hint of tiring.
	Kyla Cedrick's naturalist companion and ocarina player. Kyla grew up on a farm until her family was killed and their home torched by bandits claiming to be soldiers during the war. She was a pretty young girl, so they chose to keep her for unsavory uses. Kyla eventually managed to escape and fled into the forest. She was later found near death, having eaten poisonous berries, by a local hunter. Upon hearing her story after her recover, the old hunter ended up taking her in and taught her his trade. Kyla had met Cedrick's father recently while trading at an outpost that he owned. He had heard mention of her skills and was impressed by her personality upon meeting her. He hired her to attend his son on the journey west into Katrica Forest.
	Gloaming Gloaming is a purebred Valexi courser and Dame Martinique's constant companion.
	"Hey, you! Bird!" Griffin's indignant hawk familiar. Due to his memory loss, Griffin is unable to recall his familiar name. Every name he has since attempted to saddle the bird with has been met with an empathic sense of cold indifference or agitation from the grumpy avian via their telepathic bond.

Greeph Victor's porter and translator. Greeph's family has served the Swiftstriker family for many generations. They were part of the first of the goblin tribes to recognize the authority of and join the Striker nation, which extended the nations treaty as a shield to protect them from future attacks from their human neighbors to the east. Greeph is surly, but has a mind for inventory and spatial organization. Greeph is also fluent in Nokol, Conox, Threxantran and Darshinian and uses these languages in order to deal with merchants for his master.

Andi Victor's clerk. Andirisilana Soli IV, she prefers Andi, is the third daughter of the wealthy glass production and exportation Soli family, one of the oldest gnomish families in Striker. Andi apprenticed under her mother, who oversaw the clerks and scribes that worked for the family. Upon completion of her apprenticeship she found employment working as a personal scribe for one of the younger Swiftstriker sons. When Victor announced his plans to leave Tranzconox and travel the world, she was excited at the prospect of the journey. This sort of trip would require all sorts of accounts and bookkeeping records, Victor would certainly not be able to survive without her skills, he would be swindled out of all of his wealth and dead within a week...at least this is how she presented her argument to him. His wealth didn't actually turn out to be that mighty a task to keep track of, as his family were ill amused at the prospect of the trip, knowing that foreigners only bring trouble, and only allowed him a rather small purse and a couple of servants for the journey. Her family were much more intrigued by the potential trade prospects this journey could create, granting him free passage upon any of their ships, mounts for his retinue, samples of their wares and blessings to take their daughter with him on the journey, also her hand in marriage if he chose to accept it now or at a later date (if not her, they also have another unwed daughter and two unwed sons that are available).

Bosworth Victor's cabin boy. Bosworth was the cabin board on the ship that carried Victor from Tranzconox to Threxantra. His mother had raised him on tales of adventurers and heroes. Knowing some of the legends of Swiftstriker, he was excited to meet Victor and quickly became rather enamored of the gnome. When the ship arrived, Bosworth quit his job and swore an oath to follow Victor wherever he traveled, to serve him loyally however he could. Victor did particularly enjoy the boys cooking and Greep was a terrible servant and messenger and it will be convenient having one of the tall folk in this land tailor made for them. So Bosworth joined Victor's entourage. Besides, Andi pointed out that as smitten as the boy seemed, he would likely follow them anyway. Bosworth is a young Threxen from Talaria. His parents were both weavers, though they were killed several years ago in a fire. His uncle found him work on the ship as cabin boy. He wasn't terribly fond of the ship, but he does love to cook.