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Phaedro

"You're awake. Good. We have things to do, you and me."

Role: Your starting companion. He finds you in the tavern on Day 1, walks you through the bones of the world, and then stays - not as a hired merc, but as a presence you carry forward through the whole run.

At a glance
Where to find Rusty Tankard (tavern) - Ghelmyon. He approaches you.
Cost Free. Phaedro doesn't take wages.
Best paired with All classes - he's class-agnostic
Persists across Save / town / run. The whole campaign.
Bond tier Sworn from the start (he chose you, not the wage)

How it works

  1. He shows up on his own. Fresh chargen drops you in the Rusty Tankard. Phaedro is the first non-tavern-staff NPC who'll speak to you. He delivers the orientation pass - what the world is, what your skills are, where the notice board lives. You don't have to hire him; he's just there.

  2. You can dismiss him. If you'd rather walk alone, dismiss phaedro works like any follower. He'll go back to the tavern and keep his own schedule. He doesn't take it personally.

  3. The two-day seek. This is the bit that surprises people: if you haven't talked to Phaedro in roughly two in-game days, he'll come find you. He has a behavioral hook called phaedro_seek that locates your current location and walks him to it. He'll open with something casual, but he's checking in.

  4. He doesn't fight like a merc. Phaedro isn't a damage-dealing follower. He's a guide, a sounding board, and an occasional intervention. If you're about to do something the engine can't talk you out of, he sometimes will.

  5. Story weight. Phaedro is woven through the main story arc. Acts 4–7 reference him whether he's in your party or not. Treat him well; the run is longer with him in it.

Why bother

  • The cleanest source of "what do I do now?" guidance in the early hours, without breaking the fourth wall.
  • Persistent - he's still around at Day 30, Day 60, end of run.
  • He won't loot-grub, won't quit over wages, won't object to your class choice.
  • The two-day seek is on by default. Want him to stop checking in? Tell him so in conversation - he'll back off.

See also