Magic
A Study of Familiars & their Companions
Written by Ibis-Commander Filip Blagoy Abadjiev-Zhivkov
Appearance
Although the exact physical characteristics of familiars vary wildly between individual specimens, each shares two components; stone-like plates over a glowing, smooth substance underneath. Both are of an unknown material.
Familiars are fundamentally magical creatures, not properly alive, more akin to living statues than flesh and blood animals. Their shapes mimic animals oftentimes, but they may also take on inorganic forms, like that of a stylized sun or triangle.
Their physical forms are impervious to all tested forms of harm; steel, magic, fire, electricity, although fellow Familiars could do minor damage to each other. They did not present any signs of pain during these tests, although interviews showed that they were able to pick up on the physical and emotional stress of their human companions. They range in size from about that of a mouse to 9’6 tall on average, with some unusually massive individuals getting up to 12’ in size.
While some Familiars possess mouths that can open, they have no guts or throat and do not need to (and cannot) eat. They do not need to and are incapable of sleeping as well, although if they have a bonded human companion they can share their dreams for the night.
They are physically sexless; some identify with concepts of gender and prefer masculine, neutral or feminine forms of address, and some do not care whatsoever. Familiars all appear to be aromantic and asexual, with no desire to reproduce or form romantic bonds. They are more than capable of forming close friendships with their bonded human companion as well as individuals they are not bonded to, though.
Familiars are fundamentally magical creatures, not properly alive, more akin to living statues than flesh and blood animals. Their shapes mimic animals oftentimes, but they may also take on inorganic forms, like that of a stylized sun or triangle.
Their physical forms are impervious to all tested forms of harm; steel, magic, fire, electricity, although fellow Familiars could do minor damage to each other. They did not present any signs of pain during these tests, although interviews showed that they were able to pick up on the physical and emotional stress of their human companions. They range in size from about that of a mouse to 9’6 tall on average, with some unusually massive individuals getting up to 12’ in size.
While some Familiars possess mouths that can open, they have no guts or throat and do not need to (and cannot) eat. They do not need to and are incapable of sleeping as well, although if they have a bonded human companion they can share their dreams for the night.
They are physically sexless; some identify with concepts of gender and prefer masculine, neutral or feminine forms of address, and some do not care whatsoever. Familiars all appear to be aromantic and asexual, with no desire to reproduce or form romantic bonds. They are more than capable of forming close friendships with their bonded human companion as well as individuals they are not bonded to, though.
“Glowstuff”
The glowing parts of a familiar have been deemed “glowstuff” by my colleagues, and while it is hardly a scientific term I can hardly say it is inaccurate; it does glow and as we have no idea what it is made of, “stuff” may truly be the best word for that for the time being. I attempted to research old ruins and records to see if there were ever proper terms for the parts of a familiar, but although there are plenty of visual representations of them dating back to before the Elder Drake period, if there were any written accounts of that from before the A.E.Ds they’ve long been lost to time.
“Glowstuff” has a smooth, glassy texture, not unlike ice. It is hard to the touch but cannot be permanently damaged; if hit hard enough, though, it will hold an indent for a minute or two before un-denting. Every familiar has a different colour glow, either of a singular pure colour or fading into white; they cannot change the hue, but they can dim it or turn it off entirely. There seems to be no limit on their glow’s colour save for the fact that it’s a highly saturated or very pale hue, with no visible markings.
It does not conduct electricity and instead acts as an insulator. When exposed to fire it loses the heat quickly, becoming cool to the touch soon after the source of the flame has been taken away. Under a blacklight, the “glowstuff” fluoresces a brilliant white.
“Glowstuff” has a smooth, glassy texture, not unlike ice. It is hard to the touch but cannot be permanently damaged; if hit hard enough, though, it will hold an indent for a minute or two before un-denting. Every familiar has a different colour glow, either of a singular pure colour or fading into white; they cannot change the hue, but they can dim it or turn it off entirely. There seems to be no limit on their glow’s colour save for the fact that it’s a highly saturated or very pale hue, with no visible markings.
It does not conduct electricity and instead acts as an insulator. When exposed to fire it loses the heat quickly, becoming cool to the touch soon after the source of the flame has been taken away. Under a blacklight, the “glowstuff” fluoresces a brilliant white.
“Stone” Plating
The plated sections are often simply referred to as stone or armour by those who study familiars, for obvious reasons; they give familiars their living-statue type appearance and feel like they’re made of stone when touched, with a matte texture. However, unlike stone, it doesn’t appear to erode, and cannot be carved into or worked with even using a moonviper’s venom - which normally allows them to reshape stone as though it were clay. Although humans cannot damage it, the plated areas of a familiar can be scratched or even (in a singular case) cracked. Moss, plants, and algae can grow on these sections if a familiar sits around long enough.
Appearance-wise, the plated sections of a familiar can take any form, although are always connected to “glowstuff” underneath, and there are no limits to the range of colours and patterns that they can take. Their elemental abilities have no impact on their physical appearance; a fire familiar could be all soft blues and greens or a lightning familiar entirely grey-brown.
They can shift their colours to camouflage with their environment, including mimicking the appearance of other living creatures, like the animals they resemble or even humans they find of interest. Although rare, these plated sections can have an iridescent or opalescent look to them.
The stone plates do hold heat and can be painful to touch if one doesn’t wait long enough before doing so, but act as an insulator when exposed to electricity.
Appearance-wise, the plated sections of a familiar can take any form, although are always connected to “glowstuff” underneath, and there are no limits to the range of colours and patterns that they can take. Their elemental abilities have no impact on their physical appearance; a fire familiar could be all soft blues and greens or a lightning familiar entirely grey-brown.
They can shift their colours to camouflage with their environment, including mimicking the appearance of other living creatures, like the animals they resemble or even humans they find of interest. Although rare, these plated sections can have an iridescent or opalescent look to them.
The stone plates do hold heat and can be painful to touch if one doesn’t wait long enough before doing so, but act as an insulator when exposed to electricity.
Token Form
When they have a bonded human companion, a familiar can take on a token/trinket form that resembles a small (usually under 2’) mundane, inanimate object. The reasons for this are unknown, but it is useful as it allows for stealth and, if a familiar is rather large, for them to accompany their companion into smaller spaces.
Some examples are rings, bracelets, hair clips, a knife, a spearhead (a custom shaft had to be made in this case), or a single die. They usually have the same colours as the familiar themself, but can be camouflaged to better pass as a mundane item. A familiar cannot move or speak (externally) while in this form, although they can still see, hear, and communicate telepathically with their bonded companion, as well as generate their element if at the right bond level. Without a bonded human, they cannot take on a token form. If their human dies or severs their bond while their familiar is in their token form, the familiar will revert to their full form rather than be stuck as a small object. Token forms are usually different with each new bond a familiar makes and reflects the personality of both them, their bonded, and the nature of their relationship. It can change if the same individuals break and then re-form their bond at a later date. |
Locomotion
There are three main methods familiars have to move:
- Most have some form of legs and use those to walk around. The efficiency of the design there depends on the individual; some are quite fast while others are not suited to walking whatsoever, and better off hitching a ride on their human companion’s shoulder. Familiars can swim and are surprisingly buoyant in water.
- Some can hover. This is an… odd ability, made even stranger by the fact that they can’t control what height they do this at; they always float at the same level off the ground, and can never ‘touch down’ unless someone shoves them downwards.
- Others without legs are stuck rolling around like an enormous, living tennis ball. I have only encountered this once and would have found it ridiculous, were said familiar not a 12’ tall ball of eyes and spikes.
- Some familiars possess wings; these range from purely decorative to fully functional pinions that allow for powered flight. The speed depends on the size of the individual and their wings.
Senses
Familiars have an interesting manner of perceiving the world around them.
Their sense of sight and hearing are about as keen as the average human’s, however, they are capable of using their entire bodies as a sort of… eye and ear to pick up on what’s going on around them. Thankfully they do not possess full 360° vision, and must instead focus on an area about equal to a typical human’s field of vision, but they can use any part of their body to do so - allowing them to do something like poking their tail through a gap in a door and spying on someone.
They have a sense of touch but cannot feel pain themselves, even if they touch a burning-hot surface. They can pick up on the pain their human companions feel and do experience emotional distress. Familiars completely lack a sense of scent and taste and only experience those secondhand through their bonded human companion.
Familiars are capable of speech when projecting their voices through any part of their body, although when in their token form are limited only to telepathic communication with their bonded companion.
Their sense of sight and hearing are about as keen as the average human’s, however, they are capable of using their entire bodies as a sort of… eye and ear to pick up on what’s going on around them. Thankfully they do not possess full 360° vision, and must instead focus on an area about equal to a typical human’s field of vision, but they can use any part of their body to do so - allowing them to do something like poking their tail through a gap in a door and spying on someone.
They have a sense of touch but cannot feel pain themselves, even if they touch a burning-hot surface. They can pick up on the pain their human companions feel and do experience emotional distress. Familiars completely lack a sense of scent and taste and only experience those secondhand through their bonded human companion.
Familiars are capable of speech when projecting their voices through any part of their body, although when in their token form are limited only to telepathic communication with their bonded companion.
Although their odd ‘biology’ is certainly fascinating, the real point of interest for most when it comes to familiars is their ability to manipulate the elements - the non-scientific sort - that they share with their chosen human companion. Familiars come in five (arguably six) ‘breeds’, each with an affinity for a singular ‘element’. These are fixed in each familiar, and they cannot change what element they have the talent for nor learn to manipulate a different one no matter the time that passes or how much they try.
Familiars without a bonded companion are unable to manipulate any of their element, even if they try; their abilities are dependent on having a connection with another and grow stronger as their friendship with that person improves. Someone who has known their familiar for a long time and is comfortable with them will have far stronger abilities than someone who has just met or is actively hostile towards their companion.
We have studied several other bonded pairs over the following years, including some volunteer Talons, which has confirmed the following pattern:
The progression of abilities varies on an individual level, but here are some rough notes on that:
A few exceptional individuals presented this ability years earlier than expected, but this is not common, and only appears in the cases of those who either developed a very close friendship quickly or knew each other for many years before bonding.
Familiars without a bonded companion are unable to manipulate any of their element, even if they try; their abilities are dependent on having a connection with another and grow stronger as their friendship with that person improves. Someone who has known their familiar for a long time and is comfortable with them will have far stronger abilities than someone who has just met or is actively hostile towards their companion.
We have studied several other bonded pairs over the following years, including some volunteer Talons, which has confirmed the following pattern:
- The strength of abilities directly correlates to the strength of the friendship between the human and the Familiar. This does not negate the need for time and practice, and the strength of one’s abilities progressing faster than their ease at controlling them can be… dangerous at best.
- On average, they begin to develop useful abilities after one year (ability to manipulate their ‘element’ but not generate it) but only become able to generate their element after five at the very earliest.
The progression of abilities varies on an individual level, but here are some rough notes on that:
- This is based upon the basis that most bond with their familiar immediately or within a year after meeting them. Those who have known their familiar for many years or even decades before bonding progress far, far faster through these stages.
- At their most basic, a pair with a fresh bond gains the ability to move through their associated element slightly more efficiently and to cause almost imperceptible changes in it. For example, water familiars may cause small ripples in a glass of water, and walk more quickly through wet areas, while an air familiar’s companion can breathe easier in smoky or high-altitude areas and cause very subtle winds.
- After six months, most have the discipline to resist their element for a few minutes. Only a few, though. Increased resistance to altitude, fire, or lightning, or even the ability to breathe underwater for a few minutes.
- For every year bonded, familiars and their companions generally get the ability to ‘resist’ their element for 1-2 additional minutes. The exception to this is at the start; by six months they usually have 1-2 minutes of endurance and by 1 year 2-3 minutes. For example, an earth (plants) bonded pair of 10 years could remain immune to plant-based toxins or harm from thorny plants for 20-30 minutes.
- After a year, the pair usually gains the ability to manipulate small amounts of element, if slowly. Not particularly impressive, but the researcher conducting that test did get water dumped all over their head.
- A few months of practice allows most to gain enough mastery over this new talent that they become capable of inflicting some actual, serious harm. Research after this point needs to be done with care.
- After five years or more the ability to create their element appears. Interestingly enough, the element they create can sometimes take on a hue unique to the familiar and their bonded; green fire, for example, or red-tinted water. It appears to be the ‘signature’ of the pair and their element reverts to its natural hue once they’re finished
A few exceptional individuals presented this ability years earlier than expected, but this is not common, and only appears in the cases of those who either developed a very close friendship quickly or knew each other for many years before bonding.
Familiar Elements
Familiars come in five (arguably six) ‘breeds’, each with an affinity for a singular ‘element’. These are fire, water, air, lightning, and two divisions of earth: plants and minerals.
Symbols representing familiar elements, designed by MetaphysicalMonsters.
These are for decorative purposes and do not represent iconography present in-universe.
Fire
Water
Air
Nature/Plants
Minerals
Lightning
Fire
Familiars with an affinity for fire specialize in manipulating flames, but may also learn to manipulate light, raw heat, and after sufficient time, magma.
Like all familiars, from six months to around five years after bonding with their companion they are limited to manipulating only existing flames around them. At five years they gain the ability to generate fire, as well as to manipulate existing sources of heat and light. By seven years they are capable of generating light without heat and seeing in UV or infrared light at will. By eight years they can condense a small amount of flame into a ‘blowtorch’ for use in welding or other purposes, as well as project UV-A light. By ten years they can generate raw heat and manipulate existing sources of lava. By fifteen years they can generate magma, and by twenty-five, they can walk on the surface of lava without harm for brief periods. Those with fire familiars are granted resistance to heat and fire-related injuries, as well as increased resistance to bright light. With sufficient time they can avoid damage from even the extreme heat of lava, as well as walk on its surface for brief periods without sinking or being harmed. |
Water
Familiars with an affinity for water specialize in manipulating liquid water primarily, although with sufficient time and skill may learn to work with ice, steam, and other materials that are primarily made of water. Other liquids, like alcohol, may only be manipulated if watered down. Anything that’s less than 80% water is largely off-limits to their control, and things that are near that limit are only something those who have been bonded for an obscenely long time can command.
Like all familiars, from six months to around five years after bonding with their companion they are limited to manipulating only existing water around them, and usually only get the ability to mess with steam or ice - even existing samples in their environment - around the four to five-year point. At seven years they get the ability to create ice, steam, or manipulate the temperature of water to the freezing or boiling point. Terrifyingly, they can create icy ‘bullets’ that are sharp and fast enough to pierce flesh. By around eighty years, they begin to gain the ability to manipulate blood (and also potatoes, for some absurd reason) and by ninety years they have more refined control of that ability. This ability is only available to familiars and their bonded who have known each other for decades and have a very, very close friendship. Over time, water familiars and their bonded companions gain increased resistance to water-based damage. They can breathe underwater, potentially walk on the surface of a lake as though it were solid ground, avoid getting wet during rainstorms or being bruised by hail, as well as repel ice and snow to help keep warm. |
Air
Familiars with an affinity for ‘air’ primarily control air currents and manipulate the oxygen levels in the space around them. They are some of the most commonly found in the high mountains, perhaps drawn to the sky.
Like all familiars, from six months to around five years after bonding with their companion they are limited to manipulating only the existing air around them, which, given that there’s air just about everywhere save for underwater, makes them some of the most powerful bonded pairs at early levels. By five years they can create very powerful bursts of wind, and use it to power a glider, ship, or other wind-powered methods of transportation. Although they can’t control steam or airborne dust directly, they can manipulate the air currents carrying it to achieve similar effects. By ten years they’re capable of compressing air and using them in attacks similar to what windwyrms can do. By thirty to forty years they can ‘cancel’ out the gravity on small items or use the ability to reduce the weight of larger loads temporarily. By seventy to eighty years they’re capable of doing that to themself, another person, or any other human-sized object. By ninety to a hundred they can walk on air; after this point, their abilities cease to grow. Those bonded with air familiars gain resistance to low-oxygen environments, airborne chills and heat, being unbalanced or harmed by strong winds, as well as airborne toxins. As always, their level of endurance grows with time and the strength of their bond with their familiar. |
Nature/Plants
Although they’re both considered parts of the element of earth, plants and minerals are two distinct specializations for familiars and do not overlap; an individual familiar can control one, but not both.
Those with an affinity for plant life find living plants the easiest to control. Dead fibres, processed wood, and clothing made from plant life are far more difficult to manipulate. The more processed or the longer it’s been dead, the harder and harder it gets to work with. Like all familiars, from six months to around five years after bonding with their companion they are limited to manipulating only existing plant life around them. As time passes they gain additional skill and move from living to recently dead wood. At five years they can begin to cause plants to bloom or create them from nothing, and as years pass they gain the ability to create harder, larger, and greater amounts of plant life. Those bonded with plant-specialized familiars gain the additional ability to resist damage from plant-related sources, such as toxic flowers, falling branches, thorns, splinters, etc. They also have better traction when walking on wooden or plant fibre-based surfaces, and after being bonded for fifteen years are capable of walking vertically up tree trunks (though much earlier of this are able to climb plant-based inclines with ease). |
Minerals
Although they’re both considered parts of the element of earth, plants and minerals are two distinct specializations for familiars and do not overlap; an individual familiar can control one, but not both.
Those who specialize in manipulating rocks and minerals find less solid, less refined minerals easier to control at the start. The harder or more something’s been melted down and reforged the more skill and time it takes to learn to control. Like all familiars, from six months to around five years after bonding with their companion they are limited to manipulating only existing minerals around them and are limited to existing dirt, sand, and rocks. By five years they can create stone or dirt projectiles and begin to be able to manipulate glass and slightly more refined materials. By ten years they can create small stone ‘bullets’ that are sharp and fast enough to pierce flesh, and by fifteen to twenty years begin to be able to manipulate less refined metals, such as ores, copper, tin and bronze. By twenty-one, to twenty-five years they can control steel and other similarly refined metals, and by thirty create deadly steel bullets. At around eighty or so years, bonded pairs can, at the very greatest extent of their ability, create large sinkholes. Those bonded with minerals familiars gain increased resiliency to damage taken from stone or mineral-based toxins. They also have better traction on loose soil and, after being bonded for fifteen years, are capable of walking vertically up stone/metal surfaces (though much earlier of this are able to climb minerals-based inclines with ease). |
Lightning
Familiars with an affinity for lightning specialize in controlling and creating electricity, although after sufficient time has passed they are capable of extending that ability to other types of plasma (though not blood plasma) like auroras.
Like all familiars, from six months to around five years after bonding with their companion they are limited to manipulating only existing electricity around them. In non-industrialized nations - anywhere but Ironbrook, stormherald territory and urban Meros - this can be an issue, as the only natural source of lightning are storms, and waiting on bad weather for the use of your abilities is not particularly reliable. Runes and potions can help with this, but not everyone has access to those. Insulated wiring can interfere with the ability to manipulate the electricity within, although any opening or damage done to the coating allows for easier access. Starting at around five years of being bonded, they gain the ability to create small amounts of lightning and can start doing damage. At seven to eight years they can create small, harmless auroras, as well as produce fluorescent light. Between eight and fifteen years bonded pairs become capable of (at will) seeing bioelectricity, although they are never able to manipulate it. At twenty years they can create small plasma ‘torches’ for use in combat or work. They may also interfere with electric-powered items and cause small-scale blackouts after sufficient time has passed since meeting their companion. Those bonded with lightning familiars gain increased resistance to electrical burns and damage from lightning strikes. As they get stronger and unlock more abilities with their companion, that resilience extends towards damage caused by other types of plasma as well. |
Perhaps the second most fascinating aspect of familiars is the mental bond formed between them and their single, chosen companion. A friend - provided that neither party breaks off the bond - for life that you can share your thoughts, feelings, and memories with directly.
After interviewing a few Talons agents with familiars, those outside the organization, and attempting to bond with a feral familiar myself, there are a few things that have been made clear to me about the nature of this connection.
After interviewing a few Talons agents with familiars, those outside the organization, and attempting to bond with a feral familiar myself, there are a few things that have been made clear to me about the nature of this connection.
Forming the Bond
The initial formation is described as a reaching, that the human companion feels a mental prod and then ‘reaches back’ somehow. The exact nature of this reaching is uncertain; how does one do it? Is it some innate ability that we have and use on instinct in this situation, or something enabled by the familiar? If one is uninterested they don’t have to reach back, and nothing can really force a familiar to bond with someone, aside from another familiar, perhaps.
When the bond is formed, most describe it as - not painful - but the brief sensation of a cord or rope tightening around their thoughts that fades almost immediately. At first, the connection between the human and the familiar is weak, and just like their abilities it grows with time and how companionable they are. As the bond grows, a familiar and their human can generally only travel 1-3 kilometres apart before the physical distance between them starts to cause discomfort. The stronger one’s bond, the stronger their abilities.
When the bond is formed, most describe it as - not painful - but the brief sensation of a cord or rope tightening around their thoughts that fades almost immediately. At first, the connection between the human and the familiar is weak, and just like their abilities it grows with time and how companionable they are. As the bond grows, a familiar and their human can generally only travel 1-3 kilometres apart before the physical distance between them starts to cause discomfort. The stronger one’s bond, the stronger their abilities.
Communication
In the start, they only may perceive only emotions, faint but steady, through their telepathic link. Around six months they begin to receive images and a few scattered words of thoughts. In a year, they were able to have some back and forth of mental conversation, and after three years communication flowed easily. Now, again, this is in the case of individuals who were near strangers with their familiar before bonding; those who have known eachother for many years tend to progress quicker in terms of the complexity of communication they gain access to.
Familiars each have a distinct, individual personality; some are well-disciplined and respectable, while others are rude and like to name-call.
Familiars are only capable of communicating in this manner to those they have a bond with, although they all possess a voice that they can use to communicate with whoever they see fit.
Familiars each have a distinct, individual personality; some are well-disciplined and respectable, while others are rude and like to name-call.
Familiars are only capable of communicating in this manner to those they have a bond with, although they all possess a voice that they can use to communicate with whoever they see fit.
Memories
Familiars lose their memories of events prior to their current bonded companion, gradually while unbonded and faster when with a new partner. I am not sure what the cause or purpose of this is; perhaps, if familiars are artificial constructs, their creators wished to have a sure way to safeguard their secrets. Or perhaps it is a natural adaptation to the stresses of living through untold lifetimes, so they are not crushed by the weight of their own memories.
A familiar who has not been bonded at all in a two-hundred-year period can recall that time with some clarity, although events from more than a hundred years ago are somewhat foggy and vague even for those with the clearest minds.
Those who have a new companion can recall approximately the past one hundred years before meeting their current companion, though anything more than fifty years ago that tends to be severely lacking in detail.
A familiar who has not been bonded at all in a two-hundred-year period can recall that time with some clarity, although events from more than a hundred years ago are somewhat foggy and vague even for those with the clearest minds.
Those who have a new companion can recall approximately the past one hundred years before meeting their current companion, though anything more than fifty years ago that tends to be severely lacking in detail.
A collection of notes regarding the views, attitudes towards and superstitions surrounding familiars across the Realm.
Human Nations
In Dutoria familiars are viewed with respect, especially those with the ability to manipulate plant life. Probably something to do with how cold it is and how useful that must be in their northern climate.
Hovell’s Warlords see the value in the abilities familiars grant their companions and will attempt to ‘claim’ those who pass through their territory for their army. They are smart enough to know better than to bother wild, unbonded familiars.
Ironbrook views familiars as useful and interesting, for the most part, but also with a touch of wariness due to how much destruction they and their bonded companion are capable of causing if they go against the government. Scientists in the nation have been conducting studies on the creatures for generations. Most who bond with a familiar in Ironbrook are convinced to join the Talons, and admittedly, often enough they don’t know better than to not bother feral familiars wandering the wilderness. This has resulted in more than a few incidents of said familiar becoming hostile and harming those who bothered them.
The more superstitious humans (and dragons) who call the Land of Rivers home have a peculiar view of familiars, seeing them as “shaped by the Moon Sisters themselves and animated by moonlight” and the precursors to flesh and blood life. Those with the ability to manipulate water are viewed as especially sacred.
Familiars are of interest to Merosians; they find the creatures fascinating and due to their ties with the rest of the Realm’s nations, often have them and their companions pass through for various reasons. While the official military of Meros and each city-state are happy to leave them to their own devices for the most part - although of course if they offer to join the army, they’ll be pleased - mercenary groups often try to hire them. Air and Water Familiars are of interest to captains, who often try to bargain with them to gain their assistance on voyages.
Familiars are viewed as odd but not threatening or unwelcome creatures in Padwellan society. Should they prove to be an ally, they are accepted readily enough into communities and villages and treated like a part of their bonded companion’s family.
In Xocrium familiars are viewed with respect, or at the very least as powerful and dangerous creatures that shouldn’t be annoyed without good reason. Those who are bonded with familiars have that same respect extended to them, as they share their abilities.
Hovell’s Warlords see the value in the abilities familiars grant their companions and will attempt to ‘claim’ those who pass through their territory for their army. They are smart enough to know better than to bother wild, unbonded familiars.
Ironbrook views familiars as useful and interesting, for the most part, but also with a touch of wariness due to how much destruction they and their bonded companion are capable of causing if they go against the government. Scientists in the nation have been conducting studies on the creatures for generations. Most who bond with a familiar in Ironbrook are convinced to join the Talons, and admittedly, often enough they don’t know better than to not bother feral familiars wandering the wilderness. This has resulted in more than a few incidents of said familiar becoming hostile and harming those who bothered them.
The more superstitious humans (and dragons) who call the Land of Rivers home have a peculiar view of familiars, seeing them as “shaped by the Moon Sisters themselves and animated by moonlight” and the precursors to flesh and blood life. Those with the ability to manipulate water are viewed as especially sacred.
Familiars are of interest to Merosians; they find the creatures fascinating and due to their ties with the rest of the Realm’s nations, often have them and their companions pass through for various reasons. While the official military of Meros and each city-state are happy to leave them to their own devices for the most part - although of course if they offer to join the army, they’ll be pleased - mercenary groups often try to hire them. Air and Water Familiars are of interest to captains, who often try to bargain with them to gain their assistance on voyages.
Familiars are viewed as odd but not threatening or unwelcome creatures in Padwellan society. Should they prove to be an ally, they are accepted readily enough into communities and villages and treated like a part of their bonded companion’s family.
In Xocrium familiars are viewed with respect, or at the very least as powerful and dangerous creatures that shouldn’t be annoyed without good reason. Those who are bonded with familiars have that same respect extended to them, as they share their abilities.
Dragon Nations
Most dragons don’t tend to be very focused on familiars due to the fact that they either will not or simply cannot form bonds with them. Exceptions include curious researchers and military recruiters, and others who might be eager to acquire the services of familiars and their bonded.
Dragons may rarely even be intimidated by familiars, be it due to their size or abilities. This tends to be a phenomena limited to those who have had personal negative encounters with them.
Familiars themselves do not appear to harbour animosity towards dragons, or at least that would not be justified by their individual experiences.
Dragons may rarely even be intimidated by familiars, be it due to their size or abilities. This tends to be a phenomena limited to those who have had personal negative encounters with them.
Familiars themselves do not appear to harbour animosity towards dragons, or at least that would not be justified by their individual experiences.
This is the end of my report, for the time being. Although the length of this document suggests otherwise, there is still much we don’t understand about familiars; most notably we have no idea what their origins might be. Were they, despite appearing and acting more as living statues, born somehow? Or were they created, and by what means?
These answers may remain forever lost to history, but we remain determined to continue our research and perhaps unlock at least parts of these secrets. Until that time comes, however, this is a comprehensive record of our current knowledge of familiars and their abilities.
These answers may remain forever lost to history, but we remain determined to continue our research and perhaps unlock at least parts of these secrets. Until that time comes, however, this is a comprehensive record of our current knowledge of familiars and their abilities.