i couldn't help but feel helpless

Vanadi uses the Cape Cadaveral: A metallic cape made of many sections rather like feathers. Said 'feathers' can be imbued with the wearer's mana and shot off like bullets; each 'feather' is capable of more or less control over the target it hits according to how much mana is put into it. Control may vary from taking over a limb to stopping a target in their tracks, but the more targets are struck, the less fine said control is. With practice, the number of controllable targets may increase to a maximum of 5. The cape itself may also be used as a blunt force weapon.

Vanadi himself would be very against using this to control anything sentient, and obviously I will never have him use it like that on a PC in a thread without checking in with the player first, but here is a permission post to explain it a little more fully! Feel free to let me know here if you are or are not good with this being used on your character.