Could be interesting... although I should note an awakened animal would lose many of the attributes of an animal companion and count as an NPC it'd fall under under the DM's control. :P And there's a little blurb in the spell describing the pros and cons of it.<br/><br/>But I say you should go for it. :P Not sure about the bard bit, though.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">Land Mammals (Large): Relishing their brute size and strength, large mammals—such as bison, lions, and rhinoceroses—tend to divide along predator/prey lines. Herbivores tend to be generally docile but easily spooked or enraged, while predators are aggressive and cunning, constantly seeking social dominance. Whether they're among cowering villagers or in a raiding party, these animals love to tell stories of their physical prowess, and awakened large animals tend to be the worst kind of braggadocios.<br/><br/>In combat, most large animals gravitate toward brash, volatile tactics, becoming barbarians or fighters who enjoy wading into battle before thinking. The exceptions are those hunters like the great cats that rely on stealth and tracking, who are just as likely to become rogues or rangers as they are to become barbarians. Some large mammals, however, have been known to become samurai, replacing their natural affinity for recklessness with precision and discipline.<br/><br/>Large mammals recognize the value in using their natural weapons, and augment those weapons in any way they can. For a rhinoceros, that might mean sharpening its deadly horn, while a lion might tip its claws with poison and a bison might overrun its enemies with spiked chainmail affixed to its chest.</div></div><br/>Also, asking an intelligent animal to follow you into the blight is a multitude more harrowing than asking thirteen adventurers to do so. If he does think of her as a sister/best friend/pseudomate, then that'd probably be the only reason any sane intelligent animal would do so. I imagine unintelligent animals like dogs are simply trained to obey and may even enter the blight fearless for their master (though they'd run away very fast if their master wasn't around) ... it'd vary from animal to animal, like your hawks or some of the NPC's horses.