So I've been running this sweet Dark Elf archer build for the past two months and the whole time I've had Jenassa as my one and only follower. I'm ignoring all major quests until I can get the strongest Nightingale Equipment and do the Thieve's Guild Quests and finally the Dark Brotherhood ("The Thieve's Guild trained me; the Dark Brotherhood perfected me.")

If I carry her through the Thieve's Guild quests, will there ever be a time where she is forced to leave me? Cause I know you get mandatory followers on some of those quests. Will she still accompany me or will she leave?

While I'm at it I may as well go ahead and show off how awesome Jenassa is:

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/ande012/IMG_0903.jpg

Isn't she awesome? Dual scimitars, gold-colored elven armor, and that Forsworn headdress really fits her. Can't wait to pop some Nightingale armor on her later. She's pretty cool when she's fighting with those dual scimitars; sometimes I just like to sit back and watch. There's also this glitch that after she uses lightning staffs (she usually carries my staffs around cause I don't want to have them in my inventory) her hands have this cool lightning effect in her palms as she grips the scimitars.

EDIT: I don't know why those pics always end up upside down.

According to the UESP website, any follower will be forced to leave you on the quests Speaking with Silence and Blindsighted, which are both major missions in the Thieves Guild questline.

You also want to avoid followers where your goal is to Sneak. Sneak and Followers is kind of mutually exclusive to each other.

There are also no quests in the TG that really need a follower, so send your follower home for a while. Besides, they might rat you out to the guards.

Your follower can't actually follow you, but they don't leave your service - they just wait for you at the end.

Depends on the follower and equipment they have.

Derkeethus with 100% muffle boots on is really good at staying undetected. (heck a higher level Reaver on Solstheim walked right past both me and him in a dark cave without even spotting either one of us).

There are two quests in the Thieves Guild faction that force 1 and later 2 followers into your group. This will force your follower to wait at the point these followers are added. Your follower should rejoin you upon completing those tasks.

I know I took Illia with me when I went to deal with Mercer. As soon as I was joined up with Karliah and Brynjolf then Illia dismissed herself. I got a "follower can not follow) or something message. But at the end of the quest when we popped back up for some fresh air, Illia was waiting and rejoined me automatically.

@Korthurn: Thanks; guess I'll leave Jenassa behind for a while.

@CCNA: Well Jenassa seems to be alright about sneaking; and usually I can just tell her to Wait for a little while until I assassinate the enemies in that immediate area. I just like having followers with me.

@Brit: Are you saying Jenassa will wait at the Thieve's Guild until that particular quest is complete?

@Jusey1: Jenassa works okay with a sneak character; not like Faendal, but she's alright.

No, I mean Jenassa will not actually be with you in those crypts/dungeons/ruins (I can't remember what they are right now) but she will rejoin you right after you leave that place.