Each player can choose one member of the Company as their Player-hero’s Fellowship Focus (players can also opt for choosing their Fellowship Focus later, at any point during a game).
Players are free to indicate any other Player-hero as their choice, even one that has already been chosen by someone else. The bond doesn’t have to be mutual: a hero who has been chosen by another hero as a Fellowship Focus is free to choose any other character as their own.
In game terms, Player-heroes provide a greater advantage when they help their Fellowship focus:
- Player-heroes providing support to their Fellowship Focus make them gain (2d) instead of (1d)
But the benefit of caring for someone comes at a price:
- Player-heroes gain 1 Shadow point whenever their Fellowship Focus is Wounded, suffers a bout of madness, or is otherwise seriously harmed (this Shadow gain cannot be prevented with a Shadow Test — see page 137).