Familiar

**Familiars** (使 (つか) い魔 (ま) たち, *Tsukai Matachi*?) are the bodyguards/servants of witches or warlocks.

These are usually animals but due to the use of their magical powers some familiars acquired human form, thus creating the current species.

In each generation, the power of the familiars decreases but sometimes a member is born whose abilities surpass those of the previous generations, because of this several familiars of the same generation can come together to protect a witch or warlock. This phenomenon is known as Atavism/Throwback.

Due to the passage of time, most species were losing one of their characteristics, for example, ogres lost their horns, tengus their wings, werewolves their ability to change shape and vampires the ability to absorb blood.

## History

During the witch hunt from a distant place, the witches fled to Japan around the year 1600 with their familiars, among the familiars who accompanied them was a horned monster (which would adapt to the legends of that country and would become known as Ogre), a winged familiar (later to be known as Tengu) and a wolf-like familiar (later to be known as Werewolf).

Centuries ago the familiars used to be animals who were chosen by the witches at the end of their training, some time later some familiars used their magical powers to obtain human form, some mixed their blood with human blood resulting in evolution.

## Types

### **Animals**

Despite mythological beings existing and being used as familiars, there are still several animals that can be hired to be familiars.

1. **Canaries**
2. **Monkeys**
3. **Rabbits**
4. **Horses**

### **Yokais**

Due to the fact that several familiars obtained human form, this gave the creation of different species. Unlike other familiars, these types of familiars retain their human form permanently. They are known as **human-form familiars**.

#### Ogres

*Main Article: Ogre*
Coming from a mix between the **bulls/tigers/cows familiars** and humans. The mixture between some of these familiars and humans resulted in the creation of the ogres, over time the ogres obtained human form but retaining their abilities such as super strength and enhanced reflexes.

#### Tengus

*Main Article: Tengu*
Coming from the **crows familiars**, they are a species capable of controlling the wind and speaking with crows.

#### Werewolves

*Main Article: Werewolf*
Coming from the **wolf familiars**, they are a species capable of becoming a wolf by increasing and improving their abilities. They are a territorial species so they have developed their fighting skills. They are currently considered extinct.

#### Vampires

*Main Article: Vampire*
Coming from the **bat familiars**, they are a species capable of absorbing the magical/vitality energy of a person. Due to their weakening most of these became exorcists.

### **Mythological**

They are mythological beings known as legends, they are rare to have as familiars so they cannot be obtained by any witch. By coming from a high plane they are capable of obtaining human form.

#### **Dragons**

*Main Article: Dragon*
Known as legends, ultra-rare familiars that are not easy to find.

### **Artificial**

This type of familiar is created from magic or some supernatural element.

#### Shikigamis

*Main Article: Shikigami*
Unlike the other familiars, these are created by humans and are usually familiar with the Onmyoji.

## Recruitment

At the end of their training the witch can choose a familiar. When the familiar is chosen the **Familiar Contract** is created which is a contract between the familiar and the witch that binds the familiar to obey the witch's orders, when the witch dies the familiar will also suffer the same fate. It's not necessary to make a **Familiar Contract** for a familiar to be hired, which is the case of Nico and her familiars.

There are two ways to make a contract with a familiar:

### Negotiation

Negotiation is a type of contract where the witch chooses a specific familiar, where both parties reach an agreement. This type of contract is typically used with human-form familiars.

### Summoning

The invocation is a type of contract where the witch performs a ceremony where they can summon a familiar that fits their personality. Ban and Cheke have this type of contract.

## References

1. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 1, Page 10
2. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 79, Page 19
3. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 91, Page 6
4. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 9, Page 19
5. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 27, Page 10
6. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 44, Page 10
7. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 63, Page 5
8. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 28, Page 2
9. ↑ Witch Watch Manga: Chapter 135, Page 10