Well, in Drakensang you can have only up to 3 (or 4 ?) party members at the same time in your group. The rest waits for you where they were going to after you have dismissed them.

I assume that you aren't very far into the game, so I fear that everything I write might become a spoiler …

- The focus of the story that was seemingly based upon my class choice. (Origins like in a way…)

Yes, but the main story is the same for every character.

You're seemingly in the very first stages of the game. Everything opens up as you proceed with the story.