#iphik

Neygau didn't really have many people outside her immediate family. She was cut off from them when her parents decided to move outside the city of Mentre.

Neygau isolated herself for a very long time during the civil wars, which took place on-and-off nearly 300 years of her lifetime. Her first close friend and mentor was Ula, whom she might consider an uncle of sorts - not quite close enough to be her father, but still someone she looks up to. If you want a basic idea of what he looks like, he kind of looks like a hybrid between a mantis and a grasshopper. I'll have to draw him sometime.

After initial hostility, Ula was the one who began to teach her about crafting spells, specifically the ones his old deceased friend, Tavek, had created. Tavek's death was partially Neygau's own fault, so at first, it was all about "Let's see you fill his shoes." But he eventually realized his rage was wasted on the lost, new and depressed Aetherial, and after a few days of backing off, offered to be a proper mentor. Neygau accepted instantly, too deep in the throes of guilt to really notice the difference, but eventually the two grew close, and began sharing stories of their past lives, something that was usually taboo to speak of in Aetherial society, and eventually moved on to all kinds of discussions. When Ula rose to the higher council, she hardly saw him anymore, but visiting her at least annually is a high priority for him.

Another person whom she would almost consider family is Iphik - probably as a nephew. Though their relationship began pretty roughly, she respects him and looks out for him, should he require any assistance. He visits her on occasion, usually when Neygau isn't busy - it's hard to tell, she can't give any indication on whether she is or not, but nowadays, she'll send Cigul or Miral with a message, as they're usually very discreet. She's a little protective of him, even when he's an adult and raising a kid of his own (Kesonym). It's probably a result of long-suppressed maternal instincts and the fact that Iphik was the first thief (he stole some of her ingredients) who apologised for his deeds, which broke down this aloof barrier she'd had for a while. Regardless, she will flatly state when she disapproves of something. (e.g. "You've gained weight." "I smell hachivus smoke on you." ("HOW?!") "Have you been drinking?" "You haven't slept.") They'll still sit around with tea and discuss things - Neygau's charted out a lot of the inner forests, and Iphik's always interested in exploration. Sometimes they just talk about their lives.

Cigul and Miral are kind of like her troublesome children. While she trusts them to do important tasks, try hurting one of them before her and she will cut you. Their mental age shifts depending on the situation, so sometimes she has to treat them like bickering children, and other times, like responsible adults. She will never send them into certain danger unless she absolutely has to. And even then, she will equip them with a temporary means of self defense (In Cigul's case, supercharging his gem and allowing him to shoot things). Though she initially approached them to ask for their assistance for helping the main three characters, and intended them to remain as assistants, she eventually grew close to them through their shenanigans. Though Cigul and Miral were initially a little uncertain on whether they should assist her - having only accepted joining her due to wanting to help Kallas, Crosshatch and Kesonym - they pledged their loyalty after an incident nearly costing their lives. 

Miral is the rebellious, cheeky teenage daughter who doesn't always take Neygau seriously, and will sometimes only grudgingly carry out the more boring orders, as Neygau will occasionally be a 'killjoy' and won't allow her to do the riskier missions of delivery and messaging. Still, she'll occasionally chatter away to Neygau, asking many questions about the outside world. She'll also ask questions on how to help Cigul, and keeps reminding Neygau to never be harsh on him. She has a habit of plopping herself down upon Neygau's head when she's bored. 

Cigul is the mommy's boy who wouldn't dare go against Neygau's word. He will always perform deeds without question, but prefers the mundane tasks over the risky ones - he always asks if Miral can accompany him for those. Though he himself sometimes is a handful - if he gets settled enough in an environment, he will poke around in it, and this has caused a few smashed vials of Neygau's on his behalf. (He is usually mortified in these situations, but if both he and Miral are involved, they usually point the blame on one another.) If Miral isn't around, he'll kind of dwell close to Neygau's shoulder for security, being tense and nervous, until Miral returns.

NOW - for the main three characters!

Neygau considers Kesonym a grandchild of sorts. Though Kesonym fears mages, she overcame that fear just to thank her for her efforts, and Neygau's pretty grateful for that. She's fluent in Arsan, Kesonym's language, so she's one of the few people on the road Kesonym can communicate with. She has cared for Kesonym since she was very little, even when the kid had no awareness of it. More discussion of her help would be spoilers, however.

Crosshatch is someone she can see on an equal level, much like Ula. He's well-travelled, and more aware of the events of the world than your usual person, much like she is, and they openly discuss Neygau's motives and what this would mean for all of them. (Which is, again, spoiler material.)