Interesting NPCs add a ton of followers but it can be buggy for some people. It would probably be fine for you but, without fail, I get a bug at 40 hours in that makes it unplayable for me.

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1461\]Inigo\[/url\] is a badass khajiit with a ridiculous amount of immersion who adds a little area that needs to be [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/58317\]patched but only if you have Bloodchill Manor CC[/url] which you would if you got AE. Honestly, just use him. He hasn't been updated in a hot minute but he is still possibly the best companion mod for skyrim period.

Inigo pairs well with [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/20035\]Lucien\[/url\] who recently got a big update to his CC interaction and has a quest that adds a ruin in Solstheim. He is a scholar from cyrodiil and a rather happy guy. Him and Inigo have a good amount of interaction

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/19075\]Kaidan 2[/url] is a giant, smoking hot warrior with a smoking hot voice who adds a new quests. If you don't want to romance him don't ever wear an amulet of mara and talk to him. I think he is the only one on this list with a romance. He has interaction with Lucien. Has a, I believe, [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63348\]fan made dialogue expansion[/url]. Never used it myself.

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/44967\]Lucifer\[/url\], depsite the name, is a friendly argonian who I don't know much about myself but he has 6k+ custom voice lines. He has some interaction with Inigo.

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/62893\]Xelzaz\[/url\] is an argonian mage with a lot of features. Don't know much about this one, either. Has interactions with Lucifer.