So Jonah, would you be interested in a Companion for Alexei? The idea of a kind of martial rival that is basically honor bound to him might be workable. What do you think?
I would totally be interested - were it not for the fact that I've already been going through a PM exchange with Peregrine, putting together a companion for Fiona.
But look, the honour-bound captive of Alexei sounds like an awesome companion idea. I can imagine having heaps of fun with that. If there's anyone who doesn't want to play a companion, then I'd be thrilled to step in and play two 
Oh OK, I was going by what I saw in this thread and didn't realize you were already set. That's fine.
Anyone else interested? Also, I want to start designing a companion for someone. I'll go through the list of magi again and see what jumps out at me.
Okay, so looks like we've got a lot of the companions set. I think. Let's see
I've got Fiona ex Miscellanea, and the woodsman/hunter companion for Silviatos.
Zlorfik has Silviatos ex Miscellanea.
Jonah has Iosephus ex Criamon, and the shield companion for Fiona.
Qcipher has Alexei Von Kroitsau of House Flambeau.
Mad Max has Onesiphorus ex Verditius.
So...looks like I was mis-remembering. Only have companions claimed for Fiona and Silviatos. Still plenty of opportunities out there, methinks.
Do mine! do mine! 
(no real pressure, of course - you should do what appeals to you. But there's plenty of concepts that would work for Iosephus' companion, so you shouldn't feel too constrained. See my post on the previous page for ideas, if you like!)
Be careful what you wish for. 
I'm suddenly struck with the idea of a Companion that is a test of sorts to the enigmatic Criamon. Someone who provides temptations away from an apt life, someone who questions the wisdom that he has spent so much time trying to achieve. A person that helps take care of the Magus certainly, in ways that he needs it (socially, protection, basic necesseties perhaps). I'm suddenly thinking of the new show (in America) starring Elijah Wood where his neighbor's dog can speak with him and turns his life upside down.
So not necessarily a magical talking dog or something, but someone who seems normal and even 'cool' to others, but seems to be a constant test on the magus...often the way a good friend or sibling can be. How does that sound?
This would be a challenge for me as well, since Criamon are difficult for me to understand, I advise new players away from taking them as it is unlikely they'll be done justice. But you seem to have a good hand on them, so perhaps someone to shake up his worldview a bit?
This idea is solid gold. By all means, shake it up!
The risk with my character has always been that he's got very few ways to actually get involved in any adventures with anyone else - his whole mystical journey is towards a kind of complete renunciation of all worldly interactions, towards a strange form of solitude, complete physical and emotional self-sufficiency, and so on. He's been living alone in a cave for thirty years, and he doesn't even need to eat or breathe - so how the hell's he going to get involved with anything that's going on?
So I had two thoughts on this. Iosephus has two big reasons to get involved in adventures. (big hook thrown out to Jonathan, if he wants one! )
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The ruins. His visions are showing him that he has to go and explore something about the ruins. He's sure they're going to be significant to him in some deep way; he just doesn't know how yet.
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The other people in the covenant. He's joining a covenant for the first time because he feels he's ready to live in closer proximity to others - he feels he's learned all he can alone, for a while; now he wants to learn what it can teach him to be part of a group. But he's never done that sort of thing before, so some things are definitely going to surprise him. He's already surprised that Apollodorus doesn't share his very idiosyncratic idea of 'clarity" and 'plain speaking"!
Thus your idea totally fits, from where I'm sitting. The bit I like most is when you say "A constant test the way a good friend or sibling can be". That sounds perfect to me.
That matter is well in hand.
I can see Iosephus being all comfortable in his new digs, seemingly having them in exactly the apt way, when in like a tornado his companion comes in, touching everything and messing it up.
"What do you mean you don't need to eat or breathe? If you don't breathe how do you live?" what seems like an oddly absurd question might in fact be treated as a profound riddle to him. "Are you saying you'd rather not be able to breathe than smell and taste this glorious piece of pie I nicked from the kitchen? What's wrong with you?"
Basically everything that Iosephus might be tryig to cut himself off from, the companion is trying to reintroduce.
OK, I'll start putting something together and send som PMs to you regarding him. You had an idea of the companion being a lifelong freind, but conisdering how long magi live that might not work. Plus it's also interesting if he acts as a lifelong friend but really has only just met him? I'll send some more detailed concepts.
Excellent! This sounds very promising.
Edit: As do all those ideas you just posted, qcipher. This is going to be fun!
If anyone reads Girl Genius (and if you don't, you really should), today's strip, particularly the last panel, I think would make an awesome Companion concept for Alexei 
(for those who, unfortunately, aren't familiar with the Girl Genius-vers, the Jagers are the baddest bamfs in all Europa.)
Is it office safe? If not, I'll check from home.
A bit of cleavage, some animated violence. No bad words. Note: this applies only to this strip.
Yes, pretty funny stuff. And safe! (today)
On a more serious note, a concept like that could work to an extent, it's basically what I've been leaning towrds. A combat master maybe in the service of Alexei, but he really doesn't want to be in his service and might be actually looking for his chance to beat him. Right now though he has to play along, perhaps from a sense of honor or maybe something that Alexei has over on him (like an Arcane Connection or something). He'd need some honor though, but he could be a barbarian type or a knight, either one would honor a bargain or a victor perhaps.
But it's known that at some point the two will have another round. How does that sound?
I guess i would like to play the companion for qciphers magus Alexei. Unless theres any PMs that i am not aware of.
That would leave us both without a companion by Mad Max and without a companion for his magus. But i read no word from Mad Max and i think the mentioned concept for qciphers magus sounds much more interesting than a venditore.
Also i am still looking for someone to (co-)design and play Silviatos' apprentice. Any taker?
I think I can handle it. If you want, send me a pm so we can decide what he has to have, can't have, what you want/don't want in your apprentice, how much he's learned so far, what he has to have in his background (I'm assuming he's German as well, but you never know...maybe he's Russian or something).
I would like to be involved in the discussion of Virtues and Flaws. I likely won't veto any, but their realization may be delayed. For example, if Silviatos initiates him in the Diedne Magic tradition, I'd imagine that this is one of the last things a Diedne would do in the apprenticeship process, only after he's absolutely sure his apprentice can be trusted.
I'll be sure to cc you any pm I send zlorfik.
So, I thought I'd post my first draft of Fiona's Companion here, just to get some feedback. (Particularly from you, Fiona!)
EDIT: Updated in line with feedback.
[size=150]Ivor MacBride, Bodyguard to Fiona ex Miscellanea[/size]
Ivor is a dour Highland swordsman who serves as Fiona's bodyguard. He's a normal-sized man, not a giant-blood, but he's a very fine swordsman - someone of normal size has got to be a pretty fine swordsman to be of any use at all as a bodyguard to a 7'3'' maga. A life of raiding amongst the various Highland clans, both normal-sized and giant, has taught him to use his big two-handed sword with grace and skill.
Ivor is accompanied by a magical bird - a starling - called Ceallach, who can twitter in something resembling human speech. Ceallach was originally his mother's bird, but passed to Ivor when she died. Ivor chats to Ceallach when he's alone, and uses him to send messages and to spy out the land.
He likes Fiona, but doesn't serve her entirely willingly - see his background.
Background
Ivor was born to a hedge-witch in the remote Highlands of Northern Scotland. When he was just a baby, his mother tried to work a curse on a local Giant clan, believing (wrongly) that the giants had plundered her livestock. The curse backfired, killing her, and compelling Ivor, her only child, to serve the Giant Clan until they see fit to release him.
So Ivor grew up as the only normal-sized man in a clan of giants.
This strange upbringing did much to shape his character. On the one hand, giants and the children of giants love to fight and play rough games - so Ivor couldn't help but grow up tough, warlike, and fearless. He certainly didn't get much of an intellectual education. On the other hand, he was always considered the 'runt of the litter,' and he quickly learned that life wasn't going to let him actually win at anything. He was naturally a strong, broad-shouldered lad, and in normal circumstances he might have become an imposing and dominant man - but growing up as the 'runt of the litter' made it impossible for him to make his natural strength count for anything. In military terms, his solution was to learn to fight with speed and skill. In social terms, his solution was to make himself useful as the Clan's travelling agent, getting himself sent out on errands to far-off lands as often as he could.
The current head of the giant clan is Angus mac Ossian - Fiona's mentor. Angus has sent Ivor to watch over Fiona in both senses of the term - to serve and guard her, surely; but also to keep any eye on her, and report back to the clan if she does anything amiss. He is her bodyguard, yes; but he's also a kind of spy. He doesn't feel right about underhanded dealing of this sort - and will feel even less happy about it as he comes to know and like Fiona - but his curse compels him.
Personality:
Ivor is as grey and cheerless as a Highland winter. His rough upbringing as the only human-sized person amongst the Giant clans has made him fearless, as well as deeply pessimistic and fatalistic - he never, ever thinks things are going to turn out well, but he goes ahead and tries anyway. Long years being considered the runt of the litter have given him a secret sympathy with the underdog in any situation - especially if they're still trying, against the odds. He has it in him to become fiercely loyal to Fiona and to the Covenant - but he's not there yet, by any means.
He doesn't mind the giants - they are the only family he knows - but he resents having no choice but to serve them. One day he would like to find a way to break the curse.
Description
Ivor is 23 years old, but he looks older - his skin has been through some pretty tough winters, and it's starting to show. He has brown eyes, has hair of a deep mahogany brown, and usually wears a thick beard. His face would be an open and pleasant one, were it not for the fact that he scowls when he thinks about all the ways things could go wrong - and he's thinking about that almost all the time.
His build is medium-to-tall, with broad shoulders. Some tall people seem long and lanky. Not Ivor: his precise co-ordination makes him seem more compact and dense than he really is. He seems powerful and compact from a distance; it's only when he gets alongside you that you realise he's quite tall.
Characteristics
Intelligence 0
Perception 0
Presence 1 Intimidating
Communication 0
Strength 2 Forceful
Stamina 2 Weathered
Dexterity 3 Coordinated
Quickness 2 Highly-trained
Virtues
Improved Characteristics x3 (Minor x3)
Affinity with Great Weapon (Minor)
Puissant Great Weapon (+2) (Minor)
Clear Thinker (+3 to resist lies, confusion, befuddlement, or subterfuge) (Minor)
Tough (+3 soak) (Minor)
Warrior (Minor)
Custos (Minor)
Well-traveled (Minor)
Flaws
Ability Block (Severely dyslexic) (Minor)
Poor Student (Minor)
Greater Malediction: Cursed to Serve the Giant Clan (Major, Supernatural)
Weakness: Plucky underdogs (Personality, Minor)
Pessimistic (Personality, Major)
Magical Animal Companion (Ceallach, the talking starling) (Story, Minor)
Abilities
Athletics (Running) 2
Swim (Ice-cold water) 2
Survival (Hills) 2
Ride (In battle) 3
Brawl (Dodge) 5
Great Weapon (Greatsword) 5
Single Weapon (Sword) 4
Bows (Short bow) 4
Folk Ken (Peasants ) 2
Scottish (Giant-dialects) 5
Latin (Hermetic usage) 3
French (bar-room conversation) 4
Current age: 23