Feb. 13, 2015: Hire a Companion

After the next server reset, your PC will have the option to hire an NPC companion. Several, actually.

Take 10,000 gp to the main lobby of the adventurer's academy (in the forest south of the Leaf Market in Valorian's Vale). Purchase a contract from the guy there.

Use the contract. Within a minute, an NPC will appear next to you and be added as a henchmen. Each time you use the contract after that, it'll be the same NPC that get's sent to you.

The contracts are for a specific class and gender. You can purchase multiple contracts, but only one per class will function. So you could buy a contract for a warrior, a rogue, and a bard, but not for 2 or more rogues. Only one such companion can be in use at a time, no matter how many different contracts your PC carries (so you'll have to send one away before sending a summons for another).

The companion will automatically be bumped up in level as your PC progresses in level. The NPC goes in 5-level jumps (levels 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35). PCs of level 1-9 will get the 1st level henchman, 10th gets a 5th level, 15th gets a 10th level, and so on to a 35th level henchman for a 40th level PC.

In regards to gear...like a companion dragon, you can give the companion gear! They'll keep using that gear until you give them something to replace it. These companions will be able to use 1 helm, armor, weapon, shield (if weapon isn't a 2-hand weapon), ring, belt, amulet, cloak, boots, arm gear (bracer/glove), arrows, bullets, bolts.

The NPC's patron deity will match the PC's. Certain NPC companions will have a different class based on the PC's patron deity. In the case of a hired mage, the class can change based on the PC's class.
priest: most PCs will get a cleric, followers of Andra will get a druid
warrior: most PCs will get a fighter, followers of Andra will get a ranger, Dalix a paladin, and Ragnor a barbarian
mage: most PCs will get a sorcerer, wizard PCs will get a wizard (maybe the companion is the PC's apprentice?)

No VC commands for these. The contract is used to send a summons. A conversation option sends them away.

Will subraces match up as well? As in if your drow PC hires an elf henchie, will he or she also be a drow elf?

And.... they no worky

Used a contract, and no henchman showed up.  A few minutes later, I tried another contract, and got the error message that I must first send away the 1st henchman before summoning a different one.

Of course. I will figure this out. Busted them out (all 176 NPCs and the scripting), and put them on the server (untested, of course) minutes before we took the kids out of town for a 4-day weekend. 

This ... sounds ... delicious!

Still ... delicious?