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If your Watcher, or other Pillars OC, was a recruitable companion instead of the main character, how and where would they be introduced to the main party?
She’d be found in Defiance Bay, most likely hanging out in one of the parks with her antelope. However, she’d be a late recruit - someone who didn’t join the group until shit hits the fan in the city. She’s ultimately a misplaced corsair with a good heart and would be helping innocents escape the city as best she can. The Watcher can help her, at which point she offers to tag along once they’re outside the city.
In Deadfire, she’d be the opposite - an early recruit, or quite possibly one of the starting crew on The Defiant. I’d be hard pressed to not believe Edér wouldn’t seek her out for her sailing knowledge when forced to take the Watcher to sea.
What would their companion quest involve?
In PoE1, Idralia would be seeking out a sibling whom she never really grew to know. As an unwanted child who occurred as a result of a passing tryst, she had no place in her Aedyran family of minor nobility, nor any claim to her lineage, so she left at the youngest age she could manage with some coin and a bow. After spending time at sea and eventually finding her way back to Defiance Bay, she has heard her sibling may be passing through the Dyrwood and feels an uncomfortable obligation to see them. Hers is a story of struggling with duty and propriety of a family that never wanted her and barely acknowledges her, and learning that the shipmates and now party members she travels with are really the family she deserves to have.
In PoE2, after developing substantial trust with the Watcher, Idralia shares a treasure map she’s had since her original adventures in the Deadfire. She’s never been brave enough to track it down, but she trusts the Watcher and their companions and asks for help seeking it out. The treasure very much ends up being real, a pile of gold and gems in a forgotten trove left by an ancient pirate captain, and she gladly shares the booty with her crew family.
What traits would affect their approval, positively or negatively?
Idralia is a fan of loyalty, but not necessarily familial obligations. She is also brutally honest and abhors lying; while she’s not the most upright individual herself and pockets the occasional spare coin, she’s always true to her word. As a ranger, she loves animals. Lastly, she finds clever wordplay attractive.
Which other companions would they get along with, and which would they bicker with, in Party Banter?
In PoE1, she runs neutral-friendly with Edér, Aloth, Pallegina, and Hiravias, as they all have qualities she likes and dislikes. There’s a lot of agreeing to disagree. Sagani is a kindred spirit and she appreciates her dedication to a larger community rather than just her blood relatives, as well being a fellow ranger. She likes Kana’s dedication to both exploration and knowledge, something she can relate to even if not in quite the same manner (and hey, she doesn’t think his poems are that bad). Durance and Grieving Mother she is often at odds with, though for different reasons. Not sure I have to give much of a reason for Durance (lol), but Grieving Mother straight up creeps her the fuck out.
In PoE2, she’s naturally friendly with Edér, Aloth, and Pallegina, based on events from the first game. Tekēhu makes her uncomfortable as she’s not a fan of his boastful nature (”You assume much, shark boy”). She and Serafen share a ton in common and she gets along with him quite well, though she hates it when he lies. She respects Maia (and Ishiza!), but often wonders if her loyalty is blind. Lastly, she has a mild crush on Xoti until she starts getting weird with the soul reaping stuff. Think of it similar to how Xoti crushes on Edér until she realizes he’s not interested; the innocence was charming, but she gets a little too real for Idralia’s more light-hearted and free-roaming nature.
Would they be romanceable? Would they end up in a romance with another companion, if both were left unromanced (à la Maia & Xoti)?
Certainly romanceable, but the Watcher would need to be largely trending benevolent and never cruel. If left unromanced, she initially shows interest in Xoti but quickly loses it the more bloodthirsty Xoti gets. She has an unrequited crush on Aloth, largely because he isn’t aware of it and she’s too shy to act on it; she doesn’t want to upset the balance of her precious family and has to be pushed to act by the Watcher. She may develop a sort of fuck-buddy relationship with Serafen, but it’s clear neither want anything long-term with each other.
Would anything make them leave the party, or would they be there for the long haul?
Idralia could not abide a Watcher who is particularly cruel. Decisions like sacrificing the Orlan baby in PoE1 or cutting off The Gullet’s supplies would push her away from the Watcher. She might be convinced to stay by a particularly silver-tongued Watcher, assuming they are Diplomatic rather than good at lying. Frequent dishonesty (though not necessarily legerdemain as a whole) would also turn her away.