I'd really not ditch Grace if I were you. Not only is her healing power very useful, she's also much more interesting than Nordom from a plot perspective.
Vhailor is not a robot... he's something else entirely... But he is a tank!
Joining a faction has some advantages yes. For instance if you're a Godsman you can wield the awesome Ascension, and also, you'll get another benefit in the Curst underground area (do you have the Godsman Token?)
