A Familiar is the physical manifestation of a Mage's connection to their magic. Familiars take the form of animals. It is unknown how one awakens their Familiar, although they commonly awaken during a significant moment in a person's life. Some Mages summon their Familiar when they are a child, others do so on their deathbed. The mysteries of Familiars are without measure.
Although a Familiar is born from one's heart, they have their own intuition and mind. They are different from animals as both humans and mundane animals are able to immedieately sense when a creature is a Familiar.