This write up is assuming a Leadership score of 20, for 18 ECL and +2 charisma bonus. If you're going by hit dice instead of ECL, or if any bonuses/penalties apply, let me know and I'll make the necessary adjustments.
Cohort: Dirge - 6th bard / 8th level human assassin
Dirge would be euphemistically called an 'asset' by modern intelligence agencies. She plays taverns and inns, gathering information and passing on what seems significant to Silhouette. On occasion Silhouette will have her follow up on a lead that she doesn't have time for, but requires skills in excess of what her other followers are capable of. Dirge is also a very capable and ruthless assassin; a calling which Silhouette asks her to fulfill infrequently...but sometimes. She represents one of the three major information "feeds" available to Silhouette, the other two being her network of eyes and ears (1st level followers) and her investigative company. Dirge also has authority over the company, though only as an extension of Sil. The network is kept completely separate, and Sil actually takes some pains to ensure that Dirge won't learn of them or how to recognize them.
Followers:
1st level - 50
2nd level - 5
3rd level - 3
4rth level - 2
5th level - 1
Follower breakdown:
40 of the 50 1st level followers are various NPC classes, and are in fact relatively ordinary people all around the Cage who keep their eyes and ears open for interesting tidbits of overheard conversations, drunken or afterglow confessions, who's meeting who, and so on...and report these to Silhouette via anonymous drops, or to anyone who gives them the appropriate passphrase. They are serving wenches, bartenders, whores, maids and butlers, smiths, touts, and people gathering deaders for the Dustmen.
The other 10 are functionaries for Devil's Eye Investigative, doing the bureaucratic work and such necessary to run the business. Mostly experts and some commoners for more brutish labor.
The 2nd level followers are 'junior investigators' for Devil's Eye. They do the boring stuff like canvass neighborhoods with likenesses, do screening interviews and so on. Social skill experts and rogues.
The 3rd level followers are 'senior investigators' for Devil's Eye. They do somewhat more interesting work; stakeouts, records searches, interviews with screened witnesses/sources, and other detective work. Two rogues and a wizard that helps with arcane matters.
The two 4rth level followers are "special investigators," at Devil's Eye, and are assigned tasks by Dirge or Silhouette. The lower level investigators, while they can be co-opted if needed, typically do the day to day investigative work that keep the business running. One is a warlock, the other is a rogue.
The 5th level follower is a beguiler, and is the public manager of Devil's Eye. He reports directly to Silhouette, though Dirge can and does give him orders as well. He generally devotes himself to running the business, though lends his aid when and where needed for a given mission. He spends a lot of time coordinating and dealing with the lower level employees.
-- Still to come: Names and some personality/motivation details for each of the 'major' followers!--
