Merunga travels where-so-ever whim takes her. The caravan that she keeps is a collection of monsters and secrets, a hoard captured, stolen, and bought. None in the caravan know where they are going next, or what they will find along the way, Merunga's reasons are known only to herself.
The Frank's second apprentice, a boy the Frank found, or who found the Frank, and now Vitor studies at his master's side. But where the Frank seeks to create something like life, Vitor has loftier goals in mind.
I’m guessing the zombie-looking fellow is actually a flesh golem; a Frankenstein’s Monster, as it were.
Close but not quite, although flesh golems are on somebody’s drawing board.