BoM/TWS Message Forum

> First: is there a spell to bind a creature, such as an animal, into service as a familiar?

Not in the Libra, no. That doesn't mean there couldn't be such a spell, but it is likely to be a dark kind of magic that the Stellae dislike.

> Second: if there is such a spell, would it use the magician's essentia?

There are probably multiple ways of creating something like a familiar. Use of essentia is likely to be one method.

> Third (and important one): if there are spells to bind familiars, and they require the magician's essentia...would that mean that a familiar is a valid target for any of the Libra's spells?

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "a valid target" for Libra spells. If you mean, can Libra magic be used to create familiars, see "Magic: The Libra Personae" , particularly "Extensions". Relevant passages:

"Most of the items made by the Libra contain a sub-sigil that restricts them so that they can only work on humans. So, when you put a blank mask on someone, the first thing it does is check for human essentia. If it doesn't find essentia, then it fails to execute, and just continues inertly. That's why a mask won't copy the air, or the desk it's sitting on; nor will it copy an animal or plant. If it finds human essentia, then it draws a boundary around the imago associated with that essentia; it does so by finding the anima and tracing out the physical pathways that lead to the creation of mental states associated with that anima. Those pathways will terminate at the skin (where the nature of the causal pathways will change to light and air waves), and that's where the masks draws a boundary and copies everything within it. That's why they copy bodies but not clothes.

... The Libra spells are designed only to work on humans by checking for human essentia before executing. Removing or modifying this part of the sigil would allow the copying/disguising of other objects, including animals, plants, clothing, furniture, etc. ... The masks work well at copying humans because after finding essentia they are easily able to find the boundaries of the object that needs copying by tracing neural pathways. Something similar could be done for animals ... Copy an animal into a mask; attach a mind band of yourself to the mask; set it on a golem. The result would be a familiar: an animal that can look like an animal but think and act like the magician."