Familiars

Familiars are beings used by humans in casting magic. They are typically sentient beings, and may include demons, demibeasts, and imps.

Use
Familiars allow for mages to cast more powerful magic. Magic

Concerns
Most casting forms call for a familiar to stand still while their mage is casting, letting the magic build up inside them until it is channeled out again. However, this form of casting causes extreme pain for the familiar, and could lead to them even passing out.

While it is dangerous to let them move during casting, a familiar trained in dance may move with the flow of magic, rather than against it. Doing so allows for more magic to be conserved and for no pain on the familiar's part, overall resulting in a stronger spell with no health problems for any parties involved.

Prevalence
It is typical for a familiar to be a demibeast, especially in Visaunra. However, not everyone needs a demibeast familiar-- in Durian, demons may be used instead, and an animal could also work as a stand-in for the more common types. Some mages do not use familiars at all.