What do the various types of familiars do?

[KenU]

I have a beard that gives me a soul of a compassionate familiar. It's green and it floats around me which makes me think it should heal me, but I don't seem to get any healing from it.

[Lefty_Spurlock]

checkout the wiki if you have any questions about item effects, the community here is pretty good at updating it http://vagante.gamepedia.com/Vagante_Wiki

from the wiki:

Soul of a compassionate familiar.
Familiar heals you when you are damaged.

Soul of a demonic familiar.
Familiar fires three small fireballs in a spread.

Soul of a retaliatory familiar.
Familiar strikes back when you are damaged.