Minions are NPCs that work for, or are 'owned' (ie, slaves) or 'created' (ie, zombies) by a particular PC. Many of them possess talents, skills, or abilities that put them outside the normal range of the extras that appear in the background during RP. Minions are created and tracked through the +minion code, which contains the base stats or abilities.
Minion characters can only be gained through certain forms of magic, as well as through certain on-grid groups and organizations. In the former, while the minion may be created to protect or defend the character in question, for the most part they aren't the most reliable sources.
Demons summoned into servitude, hired, or forced to work for a PC may be doing their best to break the contract binding them (and thereby go after the summoner), or are only good for certain tasks (such as zombies). They are reliable only to a point - all minions come with some sort of vulnerability or drawback. Minions may be able to be captured, interrogated, killed, or may decide that self-preservation comes above serving their master or boss.
Whichever form it takes, a hired minion is under the purview of the Plot department. A PC approaching the relevant group may try to hire a minion, provided they have the right contacts, resources, or ability to see this through. Ultimately it's the Plot Staff who determine how many minions have been hired, what their 'story' is, and what their stats are. Staff will then use the +minion code to set the relevant Minion stats onto the character.
In addition, IC actions and consequences can cause a PC to lose the minion they've hired/summoned/etc. If you approach Group A about a minion, then renege on your agreement later, the minion can be taken away as easily as it was given.
