Excerpt:
Guide To The Soul Bound
Introduction To Familiars, Soulmates and Guardians page 1-3
What are familiars? Well, to answer that question you have to think about animals. Animals others then humans that is. A familiar is a creature of different species that is soul bound to another different creature. A familiar is never bound to the same creature. If that happens, then the creature is not a familiar, it would be a Soulmate or Guardian. A cat cannot be a familiar to another cat.
A Soulmate to put it simple is a creature bond to another for life that is of same or similar species. A cat cannot be Soulmate to a horse but a were creature can be bound to a human. But say if a species is compatible in a way, a dog and dragon, could be Soul Mates. They would have compatible genes and both similar in ways. Very, very rarely does this happen with Soulmates. Though in some cases if a creature has/had magic somewhere in the bloodline like a familiar or mystic creature blood a strange case will happen. A creature such as a horse and a dragon then could be able to be Soulmates. Soulmates can have some exceptions to the rules.
A guardian is a creature bound to another creature. This is a more or less one sided bond. One creature is the protected and the other the protected. They both feel the bond, one more then the other. A familiar can be a type of guardian but not a Soulmate. A Soulmate can be a type of guardian but never a familiar.
All of this is very confusing. The best way to start is from familiars, guardians, then Soulmates. So, into the world of familiars.
The classes of familiars;
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very Rare
What these classifications are not how special a creature is but how likely they are to be paired and if they would bond. As you know some creatures do not, as on average, answer The Call. On this scale, it shows how likely a creature is of excepting and keeping a bond. Some creatures can reject the bond after a period of time and the bond will pass onto another creature that is a secondary compatible. After a strong bond is formed, the it cannot be broken until death. Well, death of the witch. A bond is made by fate but strengthened by magic. The witch's magic can keep the familiar from being destroyed.
The most common creatures to except the bond are small creatures like rodents and insects. Canines are common most of the time, unless they are bolder, like alpha wolves. Felines, as more independent, border on common and uncommon, but form very strong bonds because of them usually being more solitary, trusting less then dogs. Small birds and other creatures mostly are common.
Uncommon creatures are mainly the medium or larger creatures. Deer border on common and uncommon depending on personality. Horses, and medium sized animals like hawks fit in this group.
Rare creatures are proud most of the time. Sometimes to proud to allow themselves to be bonded. Creatures in this group are Griffons, Pegasus, Unicorn and other such creatures. Surprisingly Bees are in this group as most do not like to leave the hive. Usually myth like creatures are in this group. Dragons border on Rare and very rare.
You might be thinking now, what is rarer then a dragon? They are prideful, powerful and strong. Many dislike, distrust or think themselves to much on a high respect. Though respectable creatures, some think themselves bringing down their greatness by bonding. Yet, they're more rare creatures that bond then dragons, hybrids.
Hybrids are a crossbreed of two species of creature. A snow leopard and a timber wolf for example. These creatures are either prideful or fearful. Some witches and creatures dislike hybrids, causing many to be fearful of bonding. Some hybrids ignore this bashing and think themselves better than most.
The Three Types Of Familiars;
Witch Bound or Magic Bound
Forever Entwined
Soul Dust
Witch bound and forever entwined are almost the same thing. A witch bound familiar was a creature called to the caster by a spell. The spell being most commonly called The Call. After the creature comes, they seal the bond with The Call's left over magic. This creature, after bound, cannot be destroyed as the witches magic and soul keeps it alive. A witches bound is a type of forever entwined.
A forever entwined is basically the same thing but they happen naturally without magic. The bond is not sealed with magic and soul but only soul. This means this familiar can be bound to any creature. The creature can be destroyed, but will be reincarnated and will repeat meeting their counterpart. The familiar and counterpart keep each other alive by soul. A forever entwined is what a witch bound is but without magic to put it simple.
A soul dust is a type of familiar that happens when a creature bonds with another creature. Unlike other familiars, it can bond with the same type of creature, even if it already has a familiar. It is not considered a familiar by most but it is best if I put this knowledge here.
A soul dust and the other creature's souls merge to form a deep bond with one another. This is one of the most powerful bonds. Not much is known of the soul dust, but it can also be any of the other soul bounds. This creature by itself can me destroyed physically, but a piece of its spirit will always be with the other creature.
Every creature has a forever entwined. The other two are just types of forever entwines. One with magic and one voluntary.
The Link And The Bond - For Familiars
For all familiars, all three types, a bond is formed if both parties except. A witch bound and a forever entwined are different with bonding than a souldust. With all though, the bond is intuitively felt any feeling of connection to another creature should be nurtured so it can continue to grow.
This one is mainly for a forever entwined. The creatures that do not know about familiars, say a lion and a gazelle, will subconsciously decide the bond. Depending on creature, personality, intuition and age. The lion might except the gazelle without knowing and just care for the other creature or decline the bond, the gazelle suffering a most tragic end.
As stated before, a bond can be broken for a short period of time. I have only heard of a handful of this happening. Now for a long holding bond to be broken, this is extremely painful process for both parties, worse than the magic snap. It is literally the ripping of one soul from another, unwinding the knot tight bindings. It is very much worse then the snap and the force of will it takes is almost impossible. Almost but not impossible. I have only seen this once done by a dear friend who had no choice but to.
Also as stated before, a usual rejection or a break is caused by a dislike of the persons character or of a creatures insecurities. Whatever the reason, it is something large scale. A bond has a chance to be renewed in certain instances.
An excepted bond is very strong. It grows with time and the right nurturing. The strongest bond is a souldust, with can be of any of the soul bounds. This bond takes time and is a strong, deep, true love of another. Quite similar to a dog laying down its life for its friend. I use the term friend for humanoid as well as other creatures as the term pet is inaccurate. There is no such thing as a pet, it is a degrading word for companion, usually for non-human animals.
The best way to understand more of the bond is to experience it. The act of understanding this cannot be explained in mere words.
The link is easier to explain. The link is the shared understanding and powers that come with the bond. One of such major powers is feeling.
Feeling, you might say in confusion, wondering if I mean touching the creature. No that is not of what I speak. I mean it in the simplest since. The feelings of emotion from the bonded, the feeling of placement of where the bonded is. Things such as this.
One branch-off of feeling is spiritual and behavioral intunement. Have you ever heard of when you are with 'the wrong crowd' your start acting like those people? Well, this is very similar. That is more of behavioral intunement, rather than spiritual. Spiritual is such as spirit animals and guides.
With the intunement, you may act more like the creature you are around. For hanging about felines, you might be called 'cat-like', a type of intunement of which behaviors of the creature imprints upon you.
In familiars, this intunement causes you to pick up on more traits of said creature permanently. This happens normally with non-familiar creatures and humans. These abilities mostly stay for life, usually with spell casters. Other aspects of this intunement are the mind speaking. The ability to speak mind to mind, not read them. All bonds can do this, just some creatures do not know how or are afraid to.
These are the basic powers. Keep in mind there are also others and that each familiar has their own special power(s). Think and be patient with your creature. Blessed be and blessed part!
Size;
Yes you heard me, read me, size. The familiars size and their bonded are connected. As they bind, everything is connected. Say one is younger, usually with the familiar and not the 'summoner', the size will match up with the others. Their physical ageing or how they look, will become a rough draft the casters or other creatures age. So say a familiar is a kitten, how it appears to others will become older, say in it prime while still being a kitten. It sounds confusing but really it is not. Accelerated ageing to sum it up.
The top acceleration is up to ' in its prime', for humans, about eighteen or so. It will not age for example, eighty in acceleration.
For a caster, once meeting their familiar, the process speeds up faster than normal. It is best to keep an eye on the creature to be sure they are developing well. You don't want a hatchling falling too much as it grows into its paws.
Unfortunately, as this process is great, it leaves both the summoner and the summoned vulnerable. You might be asking why? Or why the caster?
It is quite simple. The familiar is going through many changes. Changes require energy, and lots of it. Some changes hit when first met or a short while later. The energy amount is at the very least, double the amount a normally ageing creature uses. Some handle the transition better that others but in the end, every creature hits at least on of the spouts if going through the acceleration.
Most creatures transition in the ageing process. Be forewarned, and watch the creature. For all those that do transition, it will hit. The less it hits, it is the worst.
The reason the caster is vulnerable is of course because the familiar is vulnerable and because of the energy needed. The familiar needs more energy then it has so it takes from its bonded. When the ageing spout happens, be careful because that is when the energy sap will be the most strenuous on the both creatures.
Guardians Of The Realm:
Guardian - Swarm
This Guardian is one of many, very many. They take the form of insects and live in large groups called swarms. This is the reasoning for their name. A swarm is not only a guardian of the realm but a guardian of a specific species and a few select individuals. This species is of the magic people or casters. Witches, Wizards, Warlocks, and a group know as Healers fall under this category. Healers are not just doctors and such but a people with specific abilities that are associated with care taking.
A Swarm lives in many temperate climates and usually migrate frequently to help their protected. They are know to venture into cold climate in dire situations. They live of normal insect food groups but when needed can live off small energy pockets found in the earth or off of individuals that they formed a protected bond with. A protector bond is the typical bond when a guardian becomes the protector of a creature and in turn share a bit of energy. The protector can access that and is the protected is willing, the protected's life energy.
These creatures, Swarms, are mostly friendly but you do not wish to be on their bad side or harm creatures that care for. This goes for most guardians, the protective part. They will go to great lengths and use the full extent of there abilities to protect those under their protection. One of their trademark abilities is to teleport via means of flying around an object or creature.
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