I feel once we're meeting people who haven't just been in a crashed spaceship and found a tadpole in their heads, we'll get companions who aren't as stressed and hostile off the bat Once we hit towns there should be adventurers who want to sign up, because theyre adventurers or to do a quest not all high stakes
Minthara is the best character and she NEEDS to be recruitable if you side with the grove! Also- I support the important thread in the suggestions: Let everyone in the Party Speak