[Molly]

You should have a look at 4Dimensions.

Apart from the usual pets we have also a very special type of followers, known as Golems.

These are small stauettes, that can be carried around, but once you drop them on the floor, they become alive, and start to follow you.
They are trainable and will level and increase in strength while fighting with you. They can wear all kinds of equipment. and obey a number of simple commands. They can also be healed in battle, in fact this is advisable.

When you tire of your golem following you, or when you want to log out from the mud, just pick it up, and it will return to the statuette stage.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think our Golems are pretty much unique in the Mud world.