Board Thread:Custom Lore Development/@comment-26535281-20170528171257

Within the Empire are many creatures of strange origins from vat grown clones, genetic splicing, artificial births, but they all have one purpose to serve the master to which they are bonded.

They are considered at the same level as Servitors (Machines) and are below even lowly slaves. They are (The artificially made ones at least) primitive intelligence like that of a 'smart' dog or primate. Most are made in vats and are later cybernetically enhanced for a variety of roles others could be clones or criminals condemned to enslavement and cybernetic enhancement.

Familiars have a wide variety of roles in the Empire these roles are grouped into two overarching groups those being Military Familiars and Civil/Administrative Familiars. Mainly Military Familiars are cybernetic monstrosities unleashed upon the enemy, battle slaves, or mindless drones.

Civil Familiars are far more diverse as each adepta has it's own Familiars for different roles and some private families own hoards of Familiars. Most familiars take the appearance of what we would call a cherub. Others are used as spies and look like common beasts like birds or rodents.

No matter what form they take each Familiar is bonded to a master to have a group of bonded Familiars is a high status symbol in the Empire a example being the Cardinals who have thousands of Familiars under their control who act mainly as scribes and messengers. 