Everything

It’s an archetypal scene: the mad doctor bellowing com­ mands as his deformed assistant scurries around the lab, lightning flashing and thunder crashing as some obscene experiment reaches its horrible conclusion. And while that scene involves melodramatic exaggeration, the name “Igor” has become associated with debased and often impaired ser­ vants whose bond with an abusive master is based more upon

desperation than upon respect, loyalty, or pay. Officially, this sort of “Igorism” is frowned upon within the ranks of the Nine Traditions and the Disparate Alliance; behind closed blast doors, however, it’s still kind of a thing where certain mages are concerned.

In the old days, wizards and artisans of noble lineage could compel service from their lessers simply because they held the rank to do so. Especially if those unfortunates also suffered from grave illness or debilitating physical conditions, appeared to be “not in their right mind,” were outcasts, or had some other condition that prohibited them from working alongside “normal” people, this sort of demi-slavery could even have been considered kindness of a sort. Thus, a tradi­ tion developed in which mages of various sorts gathered up servants who really had no place else to go, and then used and abused them into performing the dirty work that would be considered beneath that mage’s station. Because the Igor had no better options, such service tended to be a lifetime deal. Rebellion would be punished with exquisite sadism, and resentment was managed through an alternating system of rewards, promises, and grotesque punishments. Mad scien­ tists, in particular, had a habit of using their Igors as guinea pigs, often after death — occasionally before it. The rise of humanistic and democratic philosophies drove this practice often literally underground, but — like the slavery detailed

below — it’s still practiced by certain mages today although few folks are willing to admit that publicly.

To a modernistic mindset, the whole Igor thing is gross­ ly exploitative. Even in technologically advanced cultures, though, the practice has defenders. “What else would they be doing,” goes a typical argument, “if they weren’t able to work for people who have the tools and resources to deal with their handicaps?” Some defenders of the practice compare Igorism to the employment of impaired people as baggers, greeters, custodians, and so forth in mainstream corporations, forgetting the abusive element that seems near-inevitable in Igor-type relationships. The practice takes advantage of people whose health, for whatever reason, brands them as “crippled” in the eyes of mainstream society, and it demands absolute servitude from them in return for whatever food and shelter an Igor’s “master” provides. And so, though it may be “traditional,” Igorism is, at the very least, ethically questionable.

That said, it still exists. The hallmarks of an Igor-style consor include some drastic form of Impediment (as per the Flaw of that name; see The Book of Secrets, pp. 39-40) or other Physical or Mental Flaws, desperate circumstances for the consor in question, and an abusive relationship with “master.” Secrecy is essential, espe­ cially in an era where such abuses are considered unethical

and typically illegal, yet despite the cruelties rained down upon the servant’s back there’s a distinct element of codependence in such relationships. The Igor has some skill or talent “mas­ ter” needs, and that service earns a certain type of support (possibly even twisted affection) from “master” that the Igor wasn’t getting elsewhere. In a world where social networks crumble, governments slash public funding, and people must constantly “prove their worth” or else wind up on the streets, such arrangements are not nearly as rare as they perhaps should be. Indeed, it’s been argued that groups like the Syndicate deliberately impoverish people so as to create a large pool of potential Igors, while Etherites and Progenitors are said to actually create their own Igors with specific services in mind. Voodoo has a legendary history of such arrangements too, while religious orders employ the “charity” of giving orphans and other discarded children “something useful (and typically illegal) to do.” And so, while few mages will introduce an Igor as such, that sort of associate remains a dirty little secret in more sanctums and laboratories than most mages like to admit.

What about the person behind that archetype? In most cases, an Igor-style companion suffers not only from physical or mental conditions but also from a debilitating lack of con­ fidence. That person may have been raised or even bred into this role and might not even realize a different life is possible. Years — more likely decades — of abuse have convinced this servant that he deserves his station. He could feel affection, even love, for his master, perhaps making eloquent arguments in favor of continued servitude. Then again, an Igor might hate his master’s guts and look forward to the day when a lock is not fastened correctly, or a gate is left ajar. This sort of Igor sabotages his master’s plans whenever possible, abuses the master’s other creations, and takes his fury out on anyone who happens to be nearby. Whatever form it takes, regardless of the person on the receiving end of the arrangement, Igorism does not breed healthy partnerships. Near-inevitably, an Igor’s tale comes to a nasty end. Until that time, the consor does what he’s told, takes whatever joys he can manage in this world, and avoids the real and figurative whips that signal displeasure in a master’s hands.

Given the abusive nature of an Igor relationship, this sort of situation is potentially risky content. You should probably check in with the rest of your group before bringing Igor-style consors into your chronicle. See the sidebar regarding “Triggers, Limits, and Boundaries” in Mage 20, p. 345, and its associated entry about “Problems, Boundaries, and the Three-Strike Zone.”

Suggested Traits: Igor-type servitors have some form of infirmity that sets them apart from the people around them. In game terms, this could be a Flaw (or a collection of them) that suits the character’s concept and origins. Contrary to Universal Studios lore, an Igor doesn’t have to be physically impaired, nor — and this is vital — are all impaired consors Igors. The idea that handicaps make a person “twisted” is the sort of thinking that allows Igorism to flourish in the first place.

In addition to that infirmity, an Igor consor also suffers from one or more Flaws that reflect his psychological depen­ dence upon the master and the abusive bond they share. That Igor character could be a Ward, might feel True Love for the master, may be Cursed, a Ghoul, a construct (with those attendant challenges), or simply so beaten down by life and Master than he accepts the arrangement for what it is… for the present time, anyway.

Traditionally, an Igor has several unusual capabilities that make him useful to the master’s purposes. Such capabilities could include great strength or stamina, uncanny perceptions, an ability to phase through walls, inhuman stealth, and so forth. Higher-than-usual Attributes cover the obvious talents, and the Special Advantages in this book’s final chapter can provide options for other unusual abilities.

Suggested Templates: Regardless of their individual nature, Igor-type consors tend to be unusually competent in some degrees and unusually deficient (if only in their own minds) in others. Template-wise, a Thug, Professional Badass, Hardcase, Homeless Survivor, Human Resource or Subculture Devotee would be perfectly appropriate for an Igor, with the possible addition of a Special Advantage or appropriate Merits and Flaws.

Riddhi

Riddhi was born to a family of fruit-sellers in Srinagar, Uttarakhand, India. The youngest of six children, she seemed like a burden on her poor family. To make a hard situation worse, Riddhi’s nose was deformed and her head was disproportionately large… so large her mother died soon after she was born. Her father struggled to support his family — even taking on a new wife to help out with the girls. Never, though, could he forgive the child who had killed his first love, and Riddhi’s siblings blamed her for taking their mother away.

When she reached the age of three, Riddhi’s family sold her to a temple run by reputed “holy men.” At the temple, the young girl was expected to act as a living avatar of Ganesha during rituals, thanks to her still-overlarge head. Despite that supposedly blessed role, however, Riddhi was also expected to work at all tasks put before her at any other time. She found herself questioning the rightness of such a dichotomy early on, and regularly stood up against her “masters” in the temple. Her impetuous nature was not exactly encouraged by the “holy men,” of course, and regular beatings they inflicted upon her left Riddhi sullen and emotionally broken.

As a living embodiment of generosity, Riddhi is ex­ pected to bear the abuse and smile, offering pretty blessings to people who come to the temple seeking guidance from Ganesha. Such blessings seem to please a devotee known as Arjunachrya. A poor man with subtle yet noticeable power, Arjunachrya lurks around the temple, siphoning off energy from the worshippers. Riddhi has noticed him feeding, has recognized a selfish soul within him, and understands that

he needs her. She also realizes that Arjunachrya employs a subtle talent for influence which has lessened the severity of the beatings inflicted upon Riddhi by her masters. Thus, she feels caught between hatred and appreciation. Without her, he would have left this temple long ago; without him, she probably would have died.

Riddhi resists her masters in subtle ways. She takes her time with simple tasks, she drops rice, and she stumbles and falls at inopportune moments. Her masters view her as dull, but she is not. Amidst their taunts and insults, the servant catalogs a list of the abuses she has faced. Riddhi has a list for every cut, for every beating, for every missed meal, and for the name of the person behind each one. Ultimately, she’s storing up her hatred, planning for the day that she finally receives the power to strike back. Until then, Riddhi does as she is told; to do otherwise would be to face pain and humiliation that no human being should bear.

Although she still prays to the god she supposedly em­ bodies, Riddhi doubts in his benevolence. How could a god who personifies prosperity and mercy let his mortal servant suffer this way? Despite her lack of faith, Riddhi has noticed a slow but potent surge of energy within her, washing away her aches and lessening the pain of beatings. For a time, she thought that power might come from Arjunachrya; now she’s beginning to believe it comes from somewhere else. Like the elephants who labor for their human masters, Ganesha is slow but mighty. The time may come, perhaps soon, that she truly will embody the power of that god. When that day comes, Riddhi will crush her masters as the elephant crushes the grass beneath its feet.