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SNEAK PEEK - PATREON EXCLUSIVE - Nota Vulpes Daemonium
🕑 Added 2018-08-03 01:48:31 +0000 UTCNOTE: This is a Patreon Exclusive Sneak Peek! Please do not share this content with anyone outside of Patreon. The following should not be regarded as any kind of definitive statement about witchcraft, but rather as a fictional narrative.
Witches have familiars.
This is not a matter of debate, but a well known fact. However the concept of what precisely a familiar is has been a subject of some debate and may in fact differ depending upon ones particular witchery traditions. On the other hand the matter of how one is made is not often discussed, as the foundation of witchery is a certain adherence to tradition. The matter of a familiar is one of the final trials a fledgling witch must preform before she is considered a respected member of the sisterhood and entitled to all the privileges and protections that comes with. It is a simple ritual from the perspective of an observer, but the intricate complexities of preforming thaumaturgics on this level is best left to those within the practice.
An untried witch spends years in the tutelage of an elder, assisting them both in the running of a household and learning the serious business of witchcraft. This is usually begun at an early age, before puberty begins to distract the mind with physical concerns. But it is not entirely unheard of for a mature woman to begin her studies. Once the elder witch feels their pupil is ready, they will send their familiar to speak to the council, which will send a representative to give the fledgling witch her trials.
Preforming the rite to raise a familiar spirit is always counted among these trials.
It requires the young witch to have mastered the art of perceiving the incorporeal and making it physical, which is to say they must be aware of and in communication with entities which are not of this world. Some call them natural spirits, others say they are a sub species of daemon not unlike an imp or fiend. Others have theorized that they are old, old, intolerably old animals, who have become so learned in their wizened state that they have become minor gods of some kind. If witches know, they aren't keen on imparting this information. Professional courtesy, as it's understood.
The fledgling witch must display proof that she has been in communication with one of these entities for some time and has gained their trust. She will often preform multiple small magics with their aid, enforcing that they have entered into a contract in which the young witch will offer up their blood in exchange for assistance. Once this connection is established, they will ask the entity if it wishes to serve as a familiar, thus being given a body in the physical plane. The agreement is reached for a length of years, often the extent of the witches natural lifetime, and then the ritual begins.
Familiars often choose an animal form to take on, as it is much easier to remain hidden to the uninitiated in a form that is 'natural'. Their shape however is usually transmutable, often depending upon the skill and power of their witch. The familiar will demand the corpse of the animal, freshly dead, for it to take over and maintain. The witch will provide this, and along with a summoning inscription painstakingly made over many days and their own blood to seal the accord, they will bring the familiar into this world and allow it to take up residence in the animal form and their homes.
Maintaining a familiar is a difficult task, even for an experienced and knowledgeable witch, as they are testy and demanding creatures. In exchange for their knowledge and assistance, they demand blood from their witch on a regular basis in order to keep their presence solidified. They often have odd appetites, and are known for having wicked tempers when provoked, sometimes causing damage if they've been insulted. However, any witch will tell you it's worth the trouble. They operate as everything from messengers to enhancers, and can communicate across long distances seeing as how they aren't from the mortal plane. Witches are often thought to ride on the back of their familiar to the sabbat, or to take it's form when finding it necessary to shape shift. Familiars can carry curses or blessings to the intended target when their witch can't get there themselves, and will protect their witch at all costs until her death. It's well known not to harass a witches familiar, and they are often given the right of way even in a crowded street.
You can tell a familiar by several signs, thought not always all together at once. They will often have an unusual coloration for their chosen species, they will often seem to be reading something, or nodding along in conversation. They may be unusually large, or have a missing body part (as accidents do happen to corpses). Other animals, even of their own species, will avoid them, and may even be outright afraid of them. They may frequently be seen carrying a pouch for their witch, and it's best not to impede them in their task. Though it's been said that helping them might well earn you good favor in their eyes and their witch's.
The most common forms of familiars are the traditional ones; cats, ravens, rabbits, owls, goats and serpents are always popular choices. But it's not unheard of for wilder creatures to be used, such as foxes, badgers, bees (notable difficult as they aren't just one familiar but several working together), spiders, rats, and alligators. They aren't as popular given how easily noticeable they are, and some witches prefer to work in secret.
What exactly the relationship between a witch and their familiar is might be considered debatable. While they clearly work for the witch, it should be noted that they won't stand for being treated like servants! Nor are they pets, as trying to pet them is highly inadvisable if you are not their witch. As they can change form, it has been suggested that they may be capable of indulging in very human (and possible very inhuman) physical exchanges. This may in fact be one of the ways that a witch compensates her familiar for their service.
