One further note re: the problems with low level progression in aelena skills.
So, you need to be disciple first. You get certain combat skills in disciple.
Well, the aelena progression in those skills starts right back over from the
bottom. Examples:
Disciple 10 gets 30 dodge. Aelena 1 gets only 20.
Disciple 10 gets 50 sblades. Aelena 1 gets 35.
Disciple 10 gets 75% attack. Aelena 1 gets 40%.
As a basic start, maybe fix the aelena skills/spells to start from where
disciple left off, that'll give a small boost in capability. But I still say
that aelena also needs a basic non-reagent offspell; non-reagent because it
isn't until later in the guild that one has any possible chance of getting
reagents. Or maybe add a very weak poison to sting of aelena that has Race
Any, Organ Any as a reagent.

And, one edit to previous posts, my previous posts, i said i invested 23
levels so far, I mis-added, it's only 22 levels...sorry for the confusion.