grimoires ::
OVERVIEW
An introduction to GrimGrimoire's gameplay mechanics.
GRIMOIRES & TYPES OF MAGIC :: how do they work?
Magicians utilize spellbooks called grimoires to exploit the varied classes of magic that exist in their world. They use them to draw magical bases called "Runes" into existence, and then use those Runes to summon beings to obey them. There are four types of magic: Glamour, Necromancy, Alchemy, and Sorcery. Each type of magic has its own particular strength and weakness; a class that's strong against one can be weak against another. There are three different grimoires for each type, which determines what kind of rune a magician can draw. The type of rune, in turn, determines what kind of creature (described as a "familiar") can be summoned. For example, the Chaos Nest Grimoire falls under the Sorcery category. It can only draw the Chaos Nest Rune, which can only summon Grimalkins and Dragons - two specific kinds of Sorcery familiars.
MANA :: why do you need it?
However, just having a grimoire and/or a functioning Rune isn't enough; you need an energy source to fuel the creation/upgrading of Runes and the summoning of familiars. This energy source is called "mana" and it must be mined from nearby Crystals and deposited in the Runes by low-level familiars. The cost of summoning and creating Runes depends, again, on the type of Rune and the type of familiar, as well as how many Runes/familiars are being created/summoned at one time.
RUNES & FAMILIARS :: what do they do?
On that note, neither Rune nor familiar appear instantly. A Rune will be slow to finish being drawn, and if it is destroyed in the middle of the creation process, the magician will lose all the mana spent summoning it. This also holds true for if a completed Rune is destroyed; once it takes enough damage, it will dispel into nothing. Runes are incapable of being moved once they have been drawn and are vulnerable to enemies with both physical bodies and ghostly, spiritual forms.
MISCELLANEOUS IMAGES :: visual aids
Screencaps of battles:
Fairies fighting Demons.
Demon attacking Elves.
Chimera battling a Dragon.
Fairies attacking a Dragon.
Fairies and a Unicorn attacking a Guardian.
Screencaps and official art of familiars, runes, etc:
Elves and a Glamour Sanctuary.
Fairy Ring Rune.
Grimalkin, Fairy, Imp, Blob.
Hell Gate Rune (left) and Chaos Nest Rune (right).
Wicca Rune, Hell Gate Rune, and a Laboratory Rune.
Fanart of familiars, runes, etc:
Grimalkins, a Homunculus, Blobs, and a Unicorn.
Lillet and a Demon.
CREDIT :: sources of information
PulcineAura's GameFAQ.
WishingTikal's GameFAQ.
Images from Google and assorted video game review sites.
SORCERY
"Summon the rebels of god who dwell in the abyss. Force them to fight for you with this magic!"
"Sorcery will force those who rebelled against god to work for a magician...for a price.
Do no fear if your heart is pure. You shall handle them as god wills.
But if you are tempted by darkness, even once, the caster will also be branded a treacherous betrayer to god.
Devils are shrewd and tricky, so you must always be careful when using them."
STRONG AGAINST ::
Sorcery is strong against Alchemy. Chartreuse Grande, Alchemy professor, states that is this because "created lives are not of God's fate, thus seen as fragile and easy to manipulate." In addition, Sorcery familiars have a higher amount of HP compared to units of the other magics.
WEAK AGAINST ::
Sorcery is weak against Necromancy. Opalneria Rain, the Necromancy instructor, states that this is because "the power of sublimated spirits is similar to the greater power that evil fears." The following phrase is inscribed within the grimoires themselves: "The magic works with the enemies of god, but no method can fight against the pure wills which still look to god in the deepest of darkness."
GRIMOIRES :: levels and mana cost
{ Hell Gate Grimoire } "This grimoire opens the doors to Hell. From there, cruel devils can be summoned forth."
[Level 1] - Imps (cost 50 Mana to summon)
[Level 2] - Demons (cost 200 Mana to summon)
[Level 3] - Imp: Attack (Imps become able to attack)
[Level 4] - Demon: Power Up (movement speed of Demons increased)
[Level 5] - Demon: Power Up 2 (max HP of Demons increased)
{ Chaos Nest Grimoire } "This grimoire brings forth the deep chaos from within. It can also call upon the large, powerful dragons."
[Level 1] - Grimalkin (cost 150 Mana to summon)
[Level 2] - Dragon Egg; Dragon (cost 500 Mana total to summon and hatch)
[Level 3] - Grimalkin: Mana Burn (turn enemy MP into damage)
[Level 4] - Grimalkin: Power Up (Max MP of Grimalkin increased)
[Level 5] - Demon: Black Curse (Curses the attacked enemy, doing damage over time)
{ Gehenna Grimoire } "This grimoire can awaken the spirits of Hell. They can strengthen the powers of the devils themselves."
[Level 1] - Advent - Guardian (Imps become able to advent the Guardian for a cost of 100 Mana)
[Level 2] - Long Scope Effect (the devils get a wider viewing range)
[Level 3] - Imp: Power Up (attack speed of Imps increased)
[Level 4] - Dragon: Power Up (max HP of Dragons increased)
*It costs 100 Mana to level the Rune each time.
FAMILIARS :: description and abilities
[ Guardian ] "Capture a selfish succubus who lives in the flames, and chain them down. These ladies will fuss and toss around their flames, burning those who come close. The Imps know how to trick and keep them in place, so ask them to summon these Guardians for you."
Guardians are used to defend the sanctuary from enemies. Although they're rendered immobile once they've been created, they can be very effective if put in strategic locations.
[ Imp ] "Small demons that play tricks from the shadows. They make good slaves and appear with their jingling jester hat. But do not underestimate them. A group of high level Imps can ravage their prey in an instant."
Imps are mainly used to harvest Mana from Crystals and to create Guardians.
[ Demon ] "Rebels of god who live in the fires of hell. They are always in search of ways to tempt men. Those who can be summoned by magicians are those who lost in the battle against god and are bound by the ancient pact."
Demons are the effective footsoldiers of any Sorcery army. While not nearly as strong as the dragons, they're much quicker and can be commanded to patrol the area when not attacking.
[ Grimalkin ] "Devils of darkness transformed into black cats. They can cast strong hypnotic magic that can leave you defenseless and asleep. It is said that high level Grimalkins can burst the opponent's magical power, and kill them."
A single well-placed Grimalkin can turn the tide of a battle with their Sleep and Mana Burst spells, although they're incapable of inflicting great physical damage. It's possible to converse with Grimalkins if one has mastered mid-level Sorcery.
[ Dragon ] "A strong fearful being which looks like a lizard. It has sharp talons and wings, and can blow fire from its mouth. They were born on the edge of Hell, and so are not as evil as demons, but are still fierce, vicious beasts."
Originally summoned as an egg that requires a period of incubation to hatch (and which can be destroyed during those vulnerable few minutes), dragons are incredibly powerful- if slow -familiars.