First of all to Uriel and Argent, please welcome our new player, Seonaid!
Second, to Seonaid, thanks! This is my first time DMing either Dungeons and Dragons or PBP for anyone but my little brother (who tends not to be too picky about plot or such

), so I'm always open to any suggestions.
The way I'm trying to run this game is open-ended; I find I get more attached to a character when I'm doing something besides just Killing Things (tm), so I try and mix it up so that there are social things to do as well as combat. Of course, if you want more combat feel free to request it here and I'll try and work it in.
Also, thanks for giving me some ideas of your character's long-term goals! I'll work it in as soon as I can.
As for your familiar, I think we can go for a mix. If the familiar is close enough to give you the Alertness bonus, you can just play it as if it is an extension of your character (after all, that's exactly what it is). If you send it off to scout or something, however, I'll run it. How's that sound?