Familiars are small creatures in Ars Nouveau that follow you around and give you a bonus while they’re out, like extra speed, cheaper spells or picking up items for you. There are six of them, and each one comes from one of the mod’s creatures, which is turned into a familiar using the 
Ritual of Binding.
Only one familiar can be out at a time, and while it’s summoned it keeps 15% of your maximum mana for itself. You’re able to swap between any of the familiars you’ve unlocked whenever you like, though, so it’s easy to pick the one that suits what you’re doing at the time.
The Ritual of Binding
The Ritual of Binding tablet is crafted from a 
Vexing Archwood Log, a 
Blank Parchment, an 
Ender Pearl and three 
Source Gems. It’s placed on a 
Ritual Brazier like any other ritual, and it doesn’t use any Source, so the only cost is the tablet itself.
When the ritual starts, any creature that can become a familiar within 5 blocks of the brazier is turned into a Bound Script after a few seconds. That includes tamed ones, so make sure your working Starbuncles and Drygmys are well out of the way, or you’ll lose them as well as the one you meant to bind.
Using the Bound Script unlocks that familiar for good, and it’s then able to be summoned from the Familiars tab in your spell book’s crafting screen. There’s also a key for summoning and dismissing your last familiar, which you’re able to set in the controls menu, and casting 
Dispel on your familiar sends it away too.
Every Familiar
Here’s what each of the six familiars does while it’s out with you. They all have to be bound from their own creature, so you’ll need to find or summon one of each kind before you’ve got the full set.
| Familiar | What it does |
|---|---|
 Starbuncle | Gives you Speed II, and feeding it a  Gold Nugget lets you see  Gold Ore through walls for a short time |
 Drygmy | Earth spells do 2 more damage, and it gives you an extra level of Looting |
 Whirlisprig | Earth spells cost half as much mana, and food gives 40% more saturation |
 Wixie | Potion effects last 20% longer, and it puts harmful potion effects on enemies you’re fighting |
 Bookwyrm | Picks up items and experience within 5 blocks of you |
 Amethyst Golem | You take half as much knockback and attackers get knocked back, and giving it an  Amethyst Shard gives you 3 minutes of Shielding |
Which Familiar to Use
The Starbuncle is usually the first familiar players get, since Starbuncles are easy to find and Speed II is useful all the time. For mining trips, feeding it a Gold Nugget also helps you find Gold Ore, whereas the Bookwyrm is great for picking everything up while you mine or fight.
If your spells use a lot of Earth glyphs, like 
Harm, 
Break and 
Grow, the Whirlisprig and the Drygmy are both worth having. The Whirlisprig halves their mana cost, so it’s better for spells you cast a lot, whereas the Drygmy makes them hit harder and also gives you better drops from mobs.
For fighting, the Amethyst Golem stops you being knocked around, which helps a lot against mobs like Ravagers or bosses that throw you back. The Wixie is the one to bring if you’re using a lot of potions, as it makes every good effect on you last a bit longer.
Getting Each Creature
Each creature needs to be close to the Ritual Brazier when the ritual starts, so it’s often easiest to bind one you’ve already tamed and summoned from its charm. Keep in mind that the creature is used up, so you’ll need another charm if you’d like one working in your base as well.
| Creature | Where to get it |
|---|---|
 Starbuncle | Found on grass all over the Overworld |
 Drygmy | Found in the Overworld, tamed with a  Wilden Horn or another Wilden drop |
 Whirlisprig | Found in the Overworld, tamed by growing a tree nearby |
 Wixie | Cast Dispel on a Witch at half health |
 Bookwyrm |  Ritual of Awakening with a  Book and Quill |
 Amethyst Golem | Ritual of Awakening next to  Budding Amethyst |
Frequently Asked Questions
Perform the Ritual of Binding with the creature within 5 blocks of the Ritual Brazier. It turns into a Bound Script, and using the script unlocks the familiar in your spell book.
Open your spell book’s crafting screen and pick the familiar from the Familiars tab. You’re also able to set a key in the controls menu to summon or dismiss your last familiar.
No, only one familiar can be summoned at a time, and summoning another one sends the first one away. Each familiar also keeps 15% of your maximum mana while it’s out.
The Starbuncle is the most useful all round because of Speed II. For spellcasting, the Whirlisprig is usually the best choice if your spells use Earth glyphs, as it halves their mana cost.
