Arylu/Lumian/Gorgue

Arylu/Lumian/Gorgue are familiars that were sent to Professor Kontos' Natural Studies class from Companion Breeding Company for Your Character and other Penderghast students like Shreya Mistry to choose. They are first seen in The Elementalists, Book 1, Chapter 4. A second Arylu appears in Book 2, Chapter 3 in the late Dean Goeffe's home.

The player can choose an Arylu (💎 20), Lumian (💎 20), or Gorgue (free). The default name for the Arylu and Lumian is Butterball, but is customizable. The Gorgue's name is set as "Tim" and cannot be changed. The second Arylu, which was Dean Goeffe's familiar, can be adopted (💎 20) or left in Elise's wrecked home. Her default name is Navi, but is customizable.

Appearances
The Arylu is described as a small, dog-like creature with predominantly black and white fur. It has purple fur in its neck area, the tip of its tail and ears, as well as a patch of purple on its forehead. The Arylu also has a purple tongue and eyes of the same color. It has what appears to be icicles sprouting across its back.

The Lumian is described as an elegant, serpentine creature who coos softly and coils itself around itself. As its wings rustle, the air around it ripples as though charged with energy.

The Gorgue is described to appear as a lifeless rock at first glance... until Your Character realizes that one of the aforementioned rocks is moving and breathing.

A second Arylu appears in Book 2, Chapter 3 and is similar in appearance to the Arylu that was seen in Book 1. However, this one has some cyan fur in its neck area, the tip of its tail and ears, as well as a patch of cyan in its forehead. This Arylu also has a cyan tongue and eyes of the same color. It has what appears to be icicles sprouting across their back.

Personality
Professor Kontos describes the Arylu as a fierce and independent companion, If you build its trust, it will subsequently fight tooth and nail, even when no magick is required.

The Lumian is described by Professor Kontos as being wary of danger and it will alert you at the first sign of trouble, thus making them highly prized as both guards and companions.

The Gorgue is described by Professor Kontos as a simple but effective creature, although these types of familiars have a tendency to be quite stubborn.

The second Arylu takes a liking to Atlas, Your Character and your respective familiar in Book 2, Chapter 3.

Companion Magick
In Book 1, Chapter 1, Professor Kontos explains how many spells can be cast when an Attuned combines their magick with that of another magickal being. If there aren't any other Attuned around, he goes on to explain that you can find yourself in quite a situation, and thus the need for companion magick arises.

The Ether
In Book 1, Chapter 4, Beckett tells Your Character that you can just tell your familiar to go off to the ether, where he'll be perfectly happy with all the other off-duty familiars. Moreover, he tells you not worry as he will come back when you call.

Your Character
Your Character forms a close bond with your familiar and regardless of which one you pick, they'll protect you from any harm such as when the third shade attacked you in Chapter 6, or assist you during your Thief matches. In Book 1, Chapter 10, you can choose to evolve your familiar (for 💎30) in the Mirror Dimension. After defending you in Book 1, Chapter 10, your familiar doesn't return until Book 1, Chapter 13, showing you that it is completely healed from the attack. Your familiar also follows you to the Roost in Book 1, Chapter 14, in case you need back-up for the “surprise attack”. In Book 2, Chapter 14, you can choose to evolve your familiar (for 💎30 or 45).

In your familiar's third and final form, it becomes big enough to carry a couple people on its back.

Atlas
Atlas calls the Arylu that was previously under Elise's care pretty cute and that he/she wouldn't mind keeping her around if the two of you can.

Trivia

 * The Lumian is shown on the cover of The Elementalists, Book 1.
 * Shreya picks her familiar at the same time as you and she goes with a Lumian whom she names Chichi, after the clothing brand Gucci.
 * In Book 1, Chapter 4, Beckett tells Your Character that familiars aren't allowed in the library, and that there's a sign that explains this.
 * The familiars seem to pay homage to Pokemon. They are three creatures that the player can choose one of to be their companion, they have special powers, they bear a resemblance to real life animals, and they can evolve during the story to become stronger.
 * Also, the achievement for evolving your familiar in Book 1 is called "The Very Best", a reference to a line from the original Pokemon theme tune that goes "I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was".
 * Evolving your familiar in Book 2 if it wasn't evolved in Book 1 costs 45 diamonds. This is one of the most expensive premium choices in the Choices franchise together with the subscription in Baby Bump (also 45 diamonds), only falling behind the choice to have Iris get the dossiers for you in Endless Summer, Book 1 if you have only gotten the two free ones (50 diamonds), choosing to talk to the jury in America's Most Eligible: Season 10 if you have no allies (50 diamonds), the five-way scene in Bloodbound, Book 3 (also 50 diamonds), and choosing to equip the Rune Armor in It Lives Beneath if you have no rune items (75 diamonds).
 * The evolved Gorgue character model is used in Blades of Light and Shadow for kromps.
 * The initial Arylu character model is also used in Blades of Light and Shadow for voxpers.