Editing Familiar (section)

==Ritual==
The most commonly used form of the ritual gives the familiar the option to guard its secrets or share fully with its new partner.<ref>“I give you this with no expectation of secret knowledge or revelations,” I said.<br><br>“I- I-”  Evan stuttered.<br><br>I glanced over.  There were two options, common answers for the Familiar.<br>[...]<br>“Then, um.  By the compact, I share what I have, regard- regardless,” Evan said, behind me.<br><br>I nodded, smiling as I turned around.  He wasn’t an Other with knowledge he had to safeguard.  It made sense. - [https://pactwebserial.wordpress.com/2014/04/17 Excerpt] from [[Conviction 5.4]]</ref> 

Circles are often used to indicate the intended relationship between the pair; a small circle within a big one for a tyrannical relationship where one eclipses the other, separate circles to keep them very distinct, partially-overlapping circles with what is and isn't inside the overlap indicated when it's important to make very clear what should and should not be shared, or a single circle around both to indicate that they are sharing as much as possible (which can be risky if there's an imbalance of power). Performing the ritual without any diagram is possible, but makes the bond more fluid, possibly leaving the bond more open to certain forces.<ref>“Yeah, Snow, alright.  And the circle… there are different options.”<br><br>“I don’t like the moon one.”<br><br>“The eclipsed circle is a Tyrannical familiar relationship, the Other eclipsed by the Master, Snow. [...] Not going to happen, so let’s not talk about it.  There’s the option of the two of us in a circle, but that’s very open and I’d worry I’d crush you with my Self.  Or each of us in separate circles… but that’s almost too distinct.”<br><br>“You’re a Finder and I’m Lost and we need those circles in a place like this,” Snowdrop said.<br><br>Avery raised her eyebrows.<br><br>“We have to do it my way,” Snowdrop said, firm.<br><br>“No, um.  It works, I think.  And I want to use your input.  It’s a neat observation.  I just worry how fluid things might get, if we don’t use any circle at all.  Is it doable?”<br><br>“It’s doable,” Tymon said.  “But it ''is'' fluid.  And you’d be open to… this.”<br><br>He indicated [[Path|the surrounding landscape]]. [...] <br>“Is that a bad thing?” Avery asked.<br><br>“No.  Dreg and I did a set of overlapping circles.  Venn diagram style.  We used the ritual itself to decide what went in the overlapping area and what was distinct.” - [https://palewebserial.wordpress.com/2021/03/27 Excerpt] from [[One After Another 10.1]]</ref>

Like the [[Awakening]] ritual, some versions of the ritual use the original [[Babylon]]ian language of [[Suleiman bin Daoud]], but this is not required;<ref>“None of this Babylonian stuff?” Avery asked.  “That okay?”<br><br>“I’m an opossum who can’t read.  I’d rather keep the babble.  You’d pronounce it really well, I bet.”<br>[...] - [https://palewebserial.wordpress.com/2021/03/27 Excerpt] from [[One After Another 10.1]]</ref> in fact, participants may find clear and formal wording they wouldn't usually use springing to their lips.<ref>“Let it fall from the heart,” the mouse at Tymon’s shoulder said, in a man’s voice.<br><br>“Like awakening,” Tymon told her.  “Did you run into that?  Where words felt natural?”<br><br>“So long as I went with the flow, yeah.  Okay.”  Avery drew in a breath. - [https://palewebserial.wordpress.com/2021/03/27 Excerpt] from [[One After Another 10.1]]</ref> 

The ritual almost always involves binding the Other by the [[Seal of Solomon]]. If they choose to forgo this, but make frequent use of the Seal later, it may devalue the Familiar bond.<ref>“Is there any way around binding her?” Avery asked Tymon.  “The whole point is to give something up and lock us in as partners, but the books outline it as dependent on getting the seal applied.”<br>[...]<br>“Are you going to not use the seal at all?” Tymon asked.  “Because if you skip using it here but then start using it on the regular elsewhere, that hurts the impact of this arrangement.” - [https://palewebserial.wordpress.com/2021/03/27 Excerpt] from [[One After Another 10.1]]</ref>