Mindbender

Archetype: Elf Sorcery (Manipulation) Aspect Mage

Perhaps the scariest elf you will ever encounter, Mindbender stands over 2 meters tall, with long red hair and rippling muscles.  It would be easy to speculate that that she is actually some kind of troll/elf hybrid, but it probably wouldn’t be wise to do that within earshot of her (or “mindshot”, as the case may be).  Unlike many magicians, Mindbender has no problems using her abilities while wearing heavy, or even military grade, body armor.  Mindbender (as well as Enigma) are part of a rare breed of aspect magician who found themselves limited to one class of spell, allowing them to become very powerful with that class.

Ever since she discovered her ability to manipulate people at age 8, Mindbender has worked tirelessly to hone her skills, traveling the world on to learn magic from different nations and cultures.  It would be routine for her to visit a town or tribe, train for a while, and then be kindly asked to leave when the hosts discovered that she was practicing her mind control on their residents.  Now in her early 30s, Mindbender has evolved into a smug mage for hire, living in what appears to be a fortified residence, but which always has its front door wide open.

Enigma

Archetype: Human Sorcery (Illusion) Aspect Mage

Enigma’s size, or even race, is sometimes rather difficult to gauge because she usually has a spell up that makes her appear as a blur.  With it down, one can see that she is a petite short haired blonde with Asian heritage who could easily be mistaken for a child.

Enigma’s primary purpose is to break down the will of strong minded individuals so Mindbender can place her whammy on them with less effort.  She met Mindbender in Vietnam, hiding in a half destroyed house, her village nearly obliterated by the events of the Third Siam War.  Realizing the potential of a team up, Mindbender brought her back home and made sure that she received the best training possible.  While once concerned of Mindbender’s more, well, ‘evil’ endeavors, Enigma has willingly allowed her to adjust her memory, and today Enigma only has the vaguest memory of her village and virtually no reservations when executing Mindbenders more nefarious schemes.

Warbow

Archtype: Ork Physical Adept

Warbow has dedicated almost all of his adept training to strength and, man, does it show.  With monstrous muscles and the stance of a cement column, Warbow is prized by Mindbender simply because she knows Warbow can come to the rescue if traditional magic fails.  Armed with, of course, a bow, Warbow also has a cache of heavy weapons that he can tote around like they were tinker toys.

Warbow was recruited by Mindbender after a magical anomaly (the source of which was never found) shut down all casting magic at her compound, resulting in a successful runner raid that left two of her cohorts (one of whom was her lover) dead.  Warbow was hired after an ‘audition’ that drew many from the shadowrunner community, during which he came out on top.  The only reservation Mindbender has is that, for some reason, she can’t get into Warbow’s mind.  And the only reservation that Warbow had about taking the job was that he was the one who killed her lover during the raid.

Clay

Archetype: Human Mage

Kind of a downer, Clay stands a mere 1.5 meters tall, has a gut so large he probably can’s see his own dick, and speaks in a tone so depressing it is as if he is pondering just which bridge to jump off of.  This is actually Mindbender’s fault, having fried his brain a bit in an attempt to make his more obedient.  It worked, in a way, as Clay is mentally unable to plot against her, though it left him feeling inexplicably (to Clay) ‘empty’.  Thankfully, it didn’t damage any of Clay’s magical abilities.

Clay is around to kind of ‘fill in the blanks’ left around by only having aspected magicians on your payroll.  He takes care of magical security, pops in and out of astral space, toys around with elementals, quickens spells, creates foci and all those other fun things the others can’t do.  Many a dead person has underestimated Clay’s abilities, considering he is a high level initiate and, thanks to Mindbender, has no morals to speak of.

Nirvana (Ruben Whatley)

Archetype: Human Former Commando

So named because Mindbender thinks he looks like Kurt Cobain, Nirvana is one of several mind controlled pseudo zombies she keeps around the compound for security.  While the quickened mind control spells do deaden their senses a bit, she usually aims high in choosing her victims so it all kind of evens out in the end.  (Emphasis on the ‘usually’.) The mind control in place focuses on loyalty, not personality, so when interacting with others the guards still possess the same kind of mannerisms and personality they have while not under control.   In addition to the mind control, Enigma will sometimes tag the guards with an illusion spell or two to keep them quiet or hidden.

Military trained with assault rifles and small arms, Nirvana was pretty clean cut until Mindbender ‘allowed’ his hair to grow out.  His head is loaded with detection gear, including a prototype sonic detection system installed when he was in the military.  When tied in with the tagged grenades he carries around, the system allows for pinpoint accuracy when he throws them.

Two Ton (Sherry Byrns)

Archetype: Troll Former Bodyguard

Two Ton eventually lost her Bodyguard gigs when her immense weight made it nearly impossible to fit both her and her hire in a limo at the same time.  Mindbender came across her during a run when she was sleeping in a gutter.  It appeared at first that Two Ton wasn’t going to need any manipulation at all, until she overheard some of the more gory outtakes of one of Mindbender’s runs and tried to head for the door.  Now the 272 kg woman is happy to stay at her position at an enormous armored desk a dozen meters or so inside the open front door.  Armed with an array of stun weaponry, she also has access to an bevy of heavier weapons under the desk.  Two Ton has a steely personality and often discusses weaponry with Nirvana.

Darksight (Kimberly Imako)

Archetype: Elf Former Runner Assassin

Perhaps the most difficult of Mindbender’s minions to control, Darksight’s mind races around so quickly it’s hard to get a lock on her long enough to cast a spell.  Darksight is always on edge, especially at night, sprinting around randomly both inside and outside of the main compound, checking on every noise her cybernetically heightened senses detects.  Also a hindrance is her bloodlust, and it’s almost like Darksight is in constant withdrawal if she hasn’t killed anybody lately.  Also, also she is loaded with reflex and sensory cyberware, making it more difficult for a mind control spell to take in the first place.  But Darksight has proven her worth on multiple occasions, even though there is the occasional occurrence when Mindbender has to lock her up for a bit if she feels her control waning.

Howard Martino (Dwarf Former Gang Member). Angella Dederick (Human Former Prostitute), Jamilah Tonoyan (Human Former Gang Member), Emily Silvas (Ork Former Bouncer)

Not all of Mindbender’s minions are ‘worthy’ enough to receive a street name.  Some she views as merely disposable, acting as armed roadblocks when somebody attacks the compound, or as cannon fodder during a run. Some simply go insane from all of the manipulation.  Should one fall, all it takes is a quick trip into the barrens to acquire another one.