OWbN Malkavian Clan Genre Packet
August 26th, 2013
This document is an entirely unofficial use of the “Vampire: The Masquerade” and “A World of Darkness” gaming materials published by White Wolf Game Studios and not intended as an official or profit making venture in any way, shape or form. Although the use of these concepts, rules, etc., is unauthorized, no infringement is intended. The creator of this document is not affiliated with White Wolf Games Studios in any way. Relevant elements are (c) 2013 CCP, hf, and all rights are reserved 1
Acknowledgements A lot of time, effort, love and -- of course -- insanity were put into the creation of this genre document. We would like to acknowledge the many contributors to this project, all of whom were instrumental to its creation: The OWBN Malkavian Staff: Chaya Smith (Admin), Stephen Thomas (Anarch), Chris “CeeAy” Allen (Sabbat), Bruno Lemos and Sérgio Henrique Cunha Zica (Brazil), Angela Allen (Lineage), Megan McCrady (Justicar), and Brendan Ammerman (Legacy). ●
Dr. Michael Bernstein and Callie Paar: for their excellent pieces on the diagnoses of Derangements and roleplaying hints from the perspective of a Psychology professional and academic.
●
Andrew Sayman, Kory McJannet and Sonic: for their wonderful contributions to the original Derangements section.
●
Chris “CeeAy“ Allen: Our illustrious Webmaster and Wearer of the Epic Tinfoil Hat What Blocks Out the Intarweb Mind-Control Rays.
●
The Administrators of UnMasqued: for generously sharing their amazingly comprehensive Lore Guide and encouraging us to adapt and edit it to fit the parameters of OWBN.
●
The Malkavian Players: for play-testing the new ideas within this document and for all of the excellent feedback/advice we've received throughout the process.
●
Leigh Anne Reger: for her help with editing
Many enthusiastic thanks to everyone who helped make this genre document possible!
Note From the Coord WARNING: This is not your average “binding genre packet.” As with the previous incarnation of this packet, it is not our intent to stratify or control the Malkavian Clan, that is counterproductive to the nature of the Clan, but instead we have tried to present ideas, information and opportunities for players and characters to gain a new perspective or deeper understanding of the Clan. Our intent remains to not stifle or pigeonhole, but to clarify and assist the depiction of the genre. Brendan Ammerman Malkavian Coordinator 2006-2010 Megan McCrady Malkavian Coordinator 2010-2012 Mark Koenig Malkavian Coordinator 2012… Images in this document credited to: Casey Wullner, Rik Martin, Sandro Del-Prete, Peewee Gonzoid, EOD, Salvador Dali, Sam Cox, Narcolepsy Association UK, Pablo Picasso, Twisted Visions, Egon Schiele, Something*Positive, White Wolf Publishing, www.bdd-info.nl, www.cartoonstock.com
2
Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................. 2 Note From the Coord ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Section I: Binding ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Section II: The Malkavian Madness Network ........................................................................................................... 6 Communication and the MMN ............................................................................................................................ 7 Malkavian Time .................................................................................................................................................... 8 Death Screams (Coordinator Approval) ............................................................................................................... 8 Babel, Babble, Babble .......................................................................................................................................... 9 A Final Word......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Section III: Prestige ................................................................................................................................................ 10 Granting Prestige to Non-Malkavians ................................................................................................................ 10 Handles .............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Enlightened Ones ............................................................................................................................................... 10 Section IV: Oracles and Seers................................................................................................................................. 11 Starting As a Seer ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Buying the Merit Later On .................................................................................................................................. 11 Seers in Other Clans ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Hints and Advice ................................................................................................................................................ 12 Section V: Lore ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 Lore Levels ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 Malkavian Lore: A Detailed Breakdown ............................................................................................................. 13 Lore Levels: Alternate Version ........................................................................................................................... 20 Malkavian Lore: An Alternate Detailed Breakdown ........................................................................................... 20 Section VI: Extras ................................................................................................................................................... 27 Malkavian Games ............................................................................................................................................... 27 Puzzles and Enigmas .......................................................................................................................................... 28 Why Malkavians Are Valued .............................................................................................................................. 28 Malkavians within the Sects ............................................................................................................................... 28 Teaching Dementation to Others ....................................................................................................................... 29 Dominate Malkavians (Coordinator Approval) ................................................................................................... 30 Section VII: Malkavians in One World by Night ..................................................................................................... 31 Well Known Malkavians ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Lighting the Fire ................................................................................................................................................. 48 Section VIII: Merits / Flaws .................................................................................................................................... 51 3
OWBN Merits and Flaws .................................................................................................................................... 52 Section IX: Combination Disciplines ....................................................................................................................... 57 Dementation Combination Disciplines (and non-Malkavians) ........................................................................... 57 Section IX: Options ................................................................................................................................................ 72 Character Creation ............................................................................................................................................. 72 Dementation ...................................................................................................................................................... 72
4
Section I: Binding
Okay, so if you don’t want to read the rest of this packet, that’s fine. Here are the rules that will be binding in OWBN. 1. Any character that is not a Malkavian, but has Dementation in-clan, requires Malkavian Coordinator approval. 2. The Ability Babel requires Malkavian Coordinator approval to learn. (p. 9) 3. Any character that has Dementation must have a Derangement. If the character ever possesses zero Derangements, then the Dementation cannot be used. This also applies to combination disciplines using Dementation or requiring a Dementation prerequisite. (p. 30) R&U Bylaw 6.A.xii.1 4. All home-grown combination Disciplines that include Dementation are Coord Notify (p. 57) 5. Any combination Disciplines that include Dementation are Coord Notify for non-Malkavians (pg 57) 6. Death Screams on the national MMN are Malkavian Coordinator Approval (p. 8). 7. Malkavians with Dominate instead of Dementation in-clan are Malkavian Coordinator Approval. (p. 30) R&U Bylaws 4.F.xi.1 8. The old Malkavian Prestige system is NO LONGER binding.
5
Section II: The Malkavian Madness Network “He appears mad indeed but to a few, because the majority is infected with the same disease.” - Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) Trying to rigidly define the Malkavian Madness Network is like trying to define infinity: it just can’t be done. Even so, there have been many requests from both players and storytellers to at least clarify some of the parameters of the MMN. The Malkavian Madness Network is different everywhere you go because Malkavians are different everywhere you go. Every Chronicle has a different way of running the MMN, and that mutability is a perfect testament to the dynamic nature of the network itself. In a way, it’s a quality that helps Suppressing the MMN keep the Network truly mad. In the following section, we hope to It should also be noted that a clarify the MMN a bit – not by placing rigid boundaries on what can be done within the MMN, but by explaining what cannot. Malkavian cannot just “disconnect” from the Madness Network like The Clan Advantage pulling a plug or flipping a switch. The Malkavian Advantage (Laws of the Night: Revised pg 33) indicates With a great amount of difficulty a that Malkavians can often recognize each other on sight. In the past Malkavian could suppress the this has been handled by players in the following manner. Network for a short time, but this is not the norm. It is also possible Adam : Hey, you ping? (though extremely rare) for a Bob : Yeah Malkavian to start unlife without Adam : Cool… (and then walks away) any connection to the Madness This dismissal of the Malkavian Madness Network as nothing but a Network. However, it is still machine that “pings” undermines the flavor and importance of it to possible – and should be a plot or Malkavians in the World of Darkness. goal for the character – for this sort of Malkavian to eventually become Ideally Malkavian players can still use their Clan Advantage, but in a connected to the Madness Network. more dynamic and story-driven way that allows them to feel the In many cases such Malkavians are effect of the MMN on their everyday existence. The Madness viewed as defective and either Network is a reflection of the inherent mental link shared by almost all destroyed or outcast. (Continued on of the Children of Malkav, not a computer network that allows an IP pg 7) ping to determine whether a Malkavian is “legitimate” or not. In truth, the parameters required to make it into an effective “infiltration detection device” are antithetical to the very nature of the Madness Network. Nothing so dynamic and mutable should ever be that dependable. There are Malkavians that are Disconnected, have hidden themselves on the MMN or whose signature is subtle and may be overlooked. However, Malkavians can – with the appropriate Malkavian Time ability – use Malkavian Time on another Malkavian to discover whether their madness is reading in the pattern of the Malkavian Madness Network. To do this, a Malkavian must succeed at a static Mental Challenge against 7 Traits and may retest with Malk Time. Note: this may take up to 15 minutes of in-game time to resolve. This must be used within close proximity of the subject (i.e., not be used across cities). To help understand how this works, think of the following: An orchestra is composed of many instruments, each contributing to a sound that is greater than the mere sum of its instruments. The Madness Network is, in essence, a symphony – and each Malkavian is an instrument. With the right amount of time and concentration, you can pick out the trumpet in the fourth row. You always have to take the time to find it, though. 6
(Continued from pg 6) Disconnecting from the Network is akin to cutting off a limb, blinding oneself or turning off color. Malkavians are almost always awash in another layer of reality that is both a part of them and outside of themselves that reacts to their emotions, thoughts, and environment. To break off this connection isn’t just like hanging up a phone or changing the channel on a television, but it is a life altering event. As a general rule Malkavians with Malk Time x3 might be able to accomplish this for a scene. Those with Malk Time x4 might be able to do it for an entire evening. And those with Malk Time x5 could probably accomplish it for a few weeks at most. Regardless of the Malkavians skill at disconnecting themselves, it is a strange and uncomfortable feeling and they may suffer from an inability to regain Willpower, Nightmares, Negative Mental Traits or just general irritability.
What should not happen is a Malkavian player walk up to another and say “Do you ping?” and walk away when the player says “Yes” or “No.” There should be some element of roleplaying and discussing / addressing the feeling, impressions that one receives when searching for another Malkavian on the Cobweb.
Communication and the MMN Telepathy is a Discipline possessed by Malkavians, not what the Madness Network is. Malkavians can show emotion on the Network (distress, pain, hatred, joy, etc.), however it cannot be used as a form of Telepathy. Coherent thought is not something that the Madness Network will pass along from one Malkavian to another. That’s why the Malkavians have three very separate and distinct org-wide email lists: OWBN Malk (coherent, traditional communication), OWBN-Moon (coherent, traditional communications for non-Sabbat Malkavians) and the MMN (emotions, disjointed messages, flash images). However, if a Storyteller wishes to allow it, bursts of more coherent communication across The Network could be allowed within a single Chronicle. That said, it should be highly imperfect and require some effort. The sender could attempt to target a specific individual (which should be even more difficult) or just send a message to anyone nearby on The Network. Regardless of the numbers, only one message is sent. It is even possible for two different Malkavians to receive the same message differently from one another. A Malkavian’s personal Derangements can have a “filtering” effect on the images/messages received as well as those that are sent. The emotions are the same, just interpreted differently by the mind of the individual Malkavian. Here are some suggested ways of how to use the Madness Network to allow information to be passed between Malkavians at a game:
At the start of every game, have the Malkavian players or the Storytellers write down six unrelated sentences on six different item cards. When a Malkavian attempts to use the Network as a communication device, take their number of Malkavian Time and remove that many of the pre-made item cards from the stack. Then have them write what they’re attempting to communicate and scramble words from their communiqué and the remaining item cards you possess. This will help represent the inaccuracy of madness. As needed, have the Malkavian players or the Storytellers create a “stockpile” of random words that are common to your game. Each of these would go on a separate item card. When a Malkavian attempts to send a coherent message out on the Network, they write each word on a separate item card. For every dot of Malkavian Time the character possesses, they are able to send two words. For every word over this limit you randomly remove word card and replace it with one from the stockpile (the replaced words may then become a part of the future stockpile). All the words are then placed into a random order and delivered to each of the other listening Malkavians within range. Each receiving Malkavian may even receive them in different orders from each other. Again this is to represent the inaccuracy of the Network and not a requirement.
7
A third example uses more Storyteller involvement. When a Malkavian wishes to send an image to the other Malkavians in the game, then they describe it to a Storyteller. They then make a Malkavian Time test (difficulty decided by the Storyteller) using Malkavian Time as the retest. This will determine if the message is sent coherently to begin with and thus the difficulty to receive and understand it. Then the Storyteller goes and makes a Malkavian Time challenge with each of the receiving Malkavians (Malkavian Time is again the retest). If everything is passed successfully, then the image is sent with little to no distortion. However each tie or failure in the process will distort the image from replacing objects with other nonsensical ones or even changing what is occurring in the image Using Malk Time in Game entirely. With all of these statements about what Malk Time isn’t (telepathy, The Call, etc) the question might be “Well then, what is it?” That is a difficult question to answer as a lot of the answer depends on the characters, players and storytellers of an individual game. The MMN may be used in any of the following ways or more at the discretion of STs and players. 1. Empathetic images being communicated amongst Malkavians in the area. 2. Clues, hints, and ideas coming to the characters from their own minds, elders, or other things that they pick up on via their own strange methods. 3. An alien “landscape” that Malkavians can use to learn things, though derangements, psychological flaws, and “issues” are prevalent and often permanent when used. 4. Unconscious (or for elders conscious) manipulations and minipossessions of Malkavians by other Malkavians. 5. Confrontations by Malkavians from different sects, coteries, or just people who don’t like one another. Perhaps cleverness, riddles, or just straight up craziness wins the day.
Malkavian Time Malkavian Time works as per the book, except for uses cited in this genre document. It is highly suggested that Levels 4 and 5 are set as long-term goals for Malkavian PCs to attempt to achieve. No Malkavian should ever have more than 3 levels of Malk Time at character creation. Malkavian Time is not designed to duplicate or replace elder level Dementation powers that call Malkavians.
Insight For games that do not wish to or unable to deal with the MMN as a separate entity that allows for ideas, communication, help, and occasionally problems to come to the Malkavians connected please recall that the Malkavian Clanbook (pg 58) offers that Insight (Anarch Guide pg 110) might be an alternate way to provide Malkavians with the touch of vision and understanding that is sometimes provided by the Cobweb. Some storytellers may wish to allow for both the MMN and Insight to be used in their Chronicles to provide Malkavians with a rich breadth of options. If this is used it is suggested that Malkavians be limited to Insight x3 whereas true thin-bloods not be limited to the amount of Insight that they may purchase.
Death Screams (Coordinator Approval) In some cases, the final thoughts of a Malkavian tear chaotically through the Madness Network; other times they just fizzle away without a trace. Any player wanting to have a “Death Scream” projected upon the death of their PC must write up an initial draft of the desired MMN-style post and send it to Team Malk to be reviewed. The staff holds the right to make necessary alterations to preserve continuity. After review and approval, the Coordinator will post the scream to the MMN.
Aesthetically speaking, Death Screams function just as any other MMN post. They may not include overly clear imagery or statements. The dynamic and usually-unstable nature of the cacophony of the MMN means that Death Screams are less about warnings or passing on particulars about how one died, and more about the last few seconds of mental/emotional/ spiritual intensity from the Malkavian in question: a final flare of brightness before the light is snuffed out.
8
Babel, Babble, Babble Babble is a level six Auspex power, a level six Dementation power, and a Knowledge. Regardless of the power or ability in question, the use of these are founded upon the connection that the Malkavians share. Babel was largely the purview of the various Ordo and has, largely, been lost in the modern world. As such, learning the Ability Babel requires Malkavian Coordinator approval. Dementation 6 : Babble - Clanbook (2nd ed) 27 Auspex 6 : Babble - Clanbook (revised) 60 Knowledge: Babel - LS4: 93, 112; PGttLC: 38, 82
A Final Word The Malkavian Madness Network is meant to be a tool to help the players and storytellers have more fun with the game. Storytellers are encouraged to use the Madness Network to involve Malkavian players with their game. It does not have to be a plot device every time it is used, but it does add a lot of enjoyment to the game when Malkavian characters become engrossed with trying to fit the visions into their viewpoints. Likewise, Malkavian players are encouraged to involve their storytellers and other players with the madness. Players can write up or otherwise tell the storytellers how their characters understand or view the Madness Network and fit it into their unlives. Sometimes a vision from the Madness Network could trigger a Derangement. This can lead to some fantastic roleplaying scenes. Players can also help and encourage their storytellers to utilize the Madness Network as a tool for storytelling. The true advantage of the Madness Network is in its ability to encourage good roleplaying, further plot, and have fun!
9
Section III: Prestige “Insanity in individuals is something rare, but in groups, parties, nations and epochs it is the rule.” - Friedrich Nietzsche As with many things in the world and the Malkavian Clan, prestige has changed and continues to change throughout the ages. At times in the past each city had its own rules for how this was handled. At other times the Clan held a more democratic approach whereby various individuals had to support an individual for Prestige to be granted. In these modern days, it seems to have returned to a more laissez faire method. Individual Malkavians may decide on their own to grant Prestige to another Malkavian or anyone else. Similarly, individual Kooks may or may not decide to grant this Prestige any weight or merit. One thing to keep in mind is that Malkavian Prestige often has multiple meanings and/or warnings. “Enlightened” may be a recognition that someone sees the world in an enlightened manner, but also that their enlightenment may frequently affect you and their own actions. “Feared” may recognize an individual’s ability to deal with the foes of the sect, but may also point out that they are someone who can kill their “allies” as well as their “enemies.” Similarly, Malkavian Prestige is generally more colorful than many other clans’. While “Enlightened” and “Feared” may be used, more often they are mini-phrases like, “King of the Faeries,” “Strength of Bull,” or “A Mirrored Rose.” These, even more than the standard adjectives, often have multiple meanings for the Malkavian granting it, the target, and those who hear it later. Sometimes Malkavians call upon Enlightened Ones to recognize and/or acknowledge Prestige given to an individual. The Enlightened Ones may offer insight, suggestions, or cautions regarding granting the Prestige.
Granting Prestige to Non-Malkavians Unlike most other clans, there is no special procedure or stigma associated with granting prestige to “outsiders.” As with many things, there need not be any rhyme or reason for the granting of prestige to a non-Malkavian. Perhaps someone has proven useful to the Clan; perhaps they are a dangerous enemy to the Children of the Moon. Regardless of the reason, there is no special method for the granting of such prestige. The recipient may or may not be informed of the prestige. Note: Granting positive prestige to a non-Malkavian should NOT be confused with the Clan Friendship Merit.
Handles In some areas of the country Cousins may adopt monikers based upon recent activity in the Domain, their Enlightenment, the song of the Cobweb, or an inner muse. As they and their Clanmates speak of the world and each other they might ask someone to, “Ask the Director if he can help with our Queen Bee’s problem please.” These names may stay the same for months, moments, or years depending on the world an individual or group find themselves in.
Enlightened Ones Malkavian Enlightened Ones are essential to the internal Malkavian social “order”. They are the shepherds of their regional flocks, the figurehead to whom the local Clanmates look. Nearly every region of the world plays home to a Malkavian Enlightened Ones, though this by no means implies that all other local Malkavians are less respected, quite the contrary, in fact. The position of Enlightened One is simply that: a position. Appropriately enough, it carries with it the Prestige of “Enlightened” – a Prestige that is gained upon elevation to the title and lost when removed from the title. In North and South America, the following regions have long since been established: Northern Midwest, Southern Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, West Coast, Southeast, and Brazil. The Enlightened Ones are generally chosen by the majority of the Malkavians in an area.
10
The role that Enlightened Ones most often play is that of facilitation. They are able to facilitate “Cousins” visiting or contacting each other across the country when someone is looking for aid, knowledge, or just a new place to look up at the night sky. Within their regions, Enlightened Ones are often the contact point for visiting Malkavians, a rallying point in times of trouble, or sometimes something to rebel against. Enlightened One Prerequisites: Support from the majority of Malkavians in his/her region.
Section IV: Oracles and Seers “The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us.” - Paul Valery Many Malkavians are gifted with insight into the world around them. Through their shared madness and the powers of Dementation, many are able to glimpse little bits of the future or the past. Oracles and Seers, however, go beyond these common talents. They are blessed (or cursed) with strong visions that come upon them without warning. Some embrace their powers and attempt to channel them, using tarot cards, rune-stones or other divination methods. Others cringe back from Fate’s regular assaults upon their minds, and suffer each intruding image with a singular dread. Being a Seer does not give a Malkavian all the answers. It does not allow them to automatically unravel every riddle, see around every corner. For every moment in time, there are infinite possibilities about what might happen next, and while a Seer may be able to glimpse one or more of the options, there is no guarantee that circumstances will not change and render her vision utterly useless. Seers often suffer for their visions. Headaches, dizzy spells, phantom pain and even outright unconsciousness are all common side effects to particularly powerful visions. Additionally, even when the Fates speak to a Malkavian, that Malkavian’s mind is the stage for the vision, and everything they see must be interpreted according to their madness and perceptions.
Starting As a Seer If your start your character with an Oracular merit of some kind, then you should consider in your background the effect of this talent on her life. Did she see visions as a child? Did she have prophetic dreams all her life? Or perhaps it was the Embrace itself that woke a latent talent, and your Malkavian had to learn about this power along with all the others that came with the blood of Malkav.
Buying the Merit Later On Some chronicles will allow the purchase of Merits after character creation. If your Storytellers allow you to purchase an Oracular Merit later on in your character’s story, you should roleplay out the adjustment that the character must make to their new powers. It can be very unsettling, even frightening, to become an Oracle later in life. 11
Seers in Other Clans Malkavians are not the only people in the world who have a talent for divination. Oracles and Seers can be found in any clan, and some, particularly those that dabble in magic or sorcery, seem to have a special interest in those who show this talent. The Malkavian Clan has no monopoly on Fate.
Hints and Advice Play it out! When a storyteller gives you a vision, roleplay out the effect. Your character isn’t getting a phone-call; they’re having an oracular episode. You should not just shrug and then repeat what the storyteller says – roleplay it out!
Cassandra Syndrome – Just as nobody believed the Prophetess of Troy, remember that not everybody is going to believe in your character’s visions either. Seers are more often seen as babbling Cassandras then they are viewed as valuable sources of information. The stigma is part and parcel of being a Seer. It’s part of the story, so try not to get upset out of character if other characters brush off your visions.
Try not to go overboard – If you are spending every game shrieking and rolling around on the ground because of visions, consider that there are other players in the game. Other people want to play too, and while visions and seer-related plot can be very dramatic and fun to play out, try not to make yourself the center of attention of every scene or every game. Other players may become frustrated and your character will get a reputation as a one-trick pony.
Do Not Pester the Storytellers – Oracular merits are not an automatic plot solution. Your Storytellers are under no obligation to give you the answers to every plot or otherwise give you special consideration in solving mysteries just because you ask them to. The exact usage of Seer-related gifts varies by chronicle, so please check the house rules and consult with the storytellers about their views, both at home and when traveling. Please remember that the Oracular Merits and Abilities are just those – Merits and Abilities. Just as Sanctity is not a cheap form of Majesty, Oracular Ability will not give your character a key to every plot your Storyteller wants to run.
Be Creative – Enjoy this part of your character’s story! Ask your STs if you can write up your own visions, or add things into your background to explain how and why the character became a Seer. Use your imagination and have fun with the mystical aspect. Oracular Ability isn’t just about avoiding surprise or untangling plots, it can be a big part of a character’s make-up and story.
OWBN has a YahooGroup devoted to Seers. To subscribe, please click here.
12
Section V: Lore “Now you understand the Oriental passion for tea,” said Japhy. “Remember that book I told you about? The first sip is joy, the second is gladness, the third is serenity, the fourth is madness, the fifth is ecstasy.” - Jack Kerouac
Lore Levels This section provides insight into what sorts of things a player with that level of lore might know. Please keep in mind, however, that having a particular level of lore does not necessarily mean that they know everything that level of lore has to offer. They have a chance of knowing it, based on the character’s background and how they learned the lore. Otherwise a static test may be required by the storytellers to determine if the character knows a specific piece of information covered by this lore. ●
Malkavian Lore 1: Newly Embraced Malkavians / Non-Malkavian Neonates You can spot a member of the Clan with reasonable accuracy. You believe the well-known stereotypes of the Clan. You also believe some of the myths about the Clan.
●
Malkavian Lore 2: Neonate Malkavians / Non- Malkavian Ancillae You know how the Clan is set up on a local level. You know myth from fact through personal experience. You know the leader of the Clan in the local city.
●
Malkavian Lore 3: Ancillae Malkavians / Particularly Knowledgeable Non- Malkavian Ancillae You know how many of the local Malkavians work. You also are in the know about many of the more prominent Malkavians in the region and can name the Elder. You can see the truth in the games.
●
Malkavian Lore 4: Prestigious Malkavians / Non- Malkavian Elders You have gleaned information on the true secrets of the Clan through knowledge of its history. You know most if not all the Malkavians in the region. You control many of the Malkavian games in the area.
●
Malkavian Lore 5: Malkavian Elders / Obnoxiously Knowledgeable Non- Malkavian Elders You know more about the Clan than most of its members do from its historical origins to the present day. You also know about the more powerful coteries and cults in the Clan.
Malkavian Lore: A Detailed Breakdown We have been granted permission by the UnMasqued team to post (and slightly modify for OWbN use) their wonderful Lore List! Book citations and page references are listed in parentheses after each entry. Note:
Lores are not automatically “known” ICly at any level. Rather, the level of Lore possessed by a character reflects the potential depth and range of their learned knowledge. Lore Tests are still the preferred method in most OWbN chronicles, so please check with chronicle Storytellers before assuming that your PC knows any of the information below.
Also, please note that the following Lore Level descriptions are not the sole pieces of information available at each level of Malkavian Lore. The Lore List is designed to provide examples of appropriate information by level. It is not meant to be a full and definitive list in and of itself.
13
Lore: Malkavian x1
You might know that the primary Malkavian Disciplines are Auspex, Dementation, and Obfuscate, and that Dementation is unique to their Clan. You have heard, however that some Malkavians possess Dominate as a Discipline, and know that until recently it was only the Malkavian antitribu in the Sabbat who practiced Dementation. (LotN [Rev]: 33; VtM [Rev]: 73)
You might know that all Malkavians are permanently and incurably insane. You may know that this insanity, however, is also said to provide insight and premonitions. You might also know that most Malkavians do not consider themselves to be insane, but “enlightened”. (LotN [Rev]: 32-33; VtM [Rev]: 73)
You might know that the blood of a Malkavian carries some of their curse and that ghouls and thralls of Malkavians often display some form of mental instability. (CbM [Rev]: 64-65)
You might know that Malkavians traditionally engage in the practice of “pranking”, in which they play elaborate jokes on others. You know that not all of these pranks are particularly funny. (CbM [Rev]: 43)
You might be aware that Malkavians have some rudimentary mechanic by which they can mysteriously gather seemingly without having communicated beforehand. (LotN [Rev]: 33; CbM [Rev]: 41-42, 58-59)
You might know that Maris Streck is the current Malkavian Justicar of the Camarilla. (CotN: 43-44)
You might know that Lucian, the previous Malkavian Justicar of the Camarilla, is now the Prince of the North Aegean Islands. (OWbN)
Lore: Malkavian x2
You might have heard of the Malkavian progenitor, Malkav, and know that he was reputed to be a great seer or prophet. (LotN [Rev]: 33; CbM: 17; CbM [Rev]: 12-13)
You might know that at some point in history all Malkavians practiced Dementation and that in 1997 it was somehow spread from the antitribu back to the rest of the Clan, who apparently forwent its use at the time of the Treaty of Thorns. You suspect that the Network might have played a role in this process of “re-infection”. (CbM [Rev]: 27-29, 34)
You might have heard that some Malkavians claim an indescribable sensation known as The Calling leads Malkavians toward their childer. You have also heard that the type of madness that plagues a Malkavian is sometimes seemingly passed onto those whom they Embrace, and that broods of Malkavian childer tend to share similar insanities or sometimes even mass delusions. (PGttLC: 137; LS4: 87)
Further, you might know that historically the Clan is said to have strong ties to the region of Greece and Mesopotamia. (PGttLC: 37-39)
You might know that the Malkavians were allied with Ventrue Rome during the Punic Wars and that the Clan incited and aided in the destruction of Brujah Carthage. (CbM [Rev]: 20-21; PGttLC: 37-39)
You might have heard of the Malkavian Madness Network (Also known as the Cobweb, the Tapestry, the Greater Dreaming, the Weavery, Metatron, et cetera). You know that it is a sort of rudimentary psychic hive mind that connects all members of the Clan together, although it is not really organized, definite or predictable in any way. (CbM [Rev]: 41-42, 58-59) 14
You might know that Malkavians tradition of “pranking” is intended to demonstrate to others the absurdity of the universe and/or to shatter their perceptions of it, in the hopes that they might come to a more enlightened view. (CbM [Rev]: 43-44)
You might be familiar with the Reality Buster movement, which seeks to disrupt conventional perception. The general modus operandi of the group is to employ Disciplines to evoke all manner of hallucinations, delusions, and other sensations not in accordance with accepted “reality”. (CbM [Rev]: 38)
You might have heard of “The Gnawed;” Malkavians who do not successfully make it through the Embrace and are rendered comatose or nonfunctional through insanity. (CbM [Rev]: 39-40)
Lore: Malkavian x3
You might be aware that after joining the Camarilla, the Elders of Clan Malkavian saw fit to “dampen” the violence of their innate Discipline and chose to adopt Dominate in place of Dementation. You have heard that through some sort of manipulation of the Network, the Sabbat Malkavians managed to “reinfect” the main Clan with it in 1997. (CbM [Rev]: 27-29, 34)
You might have heard the legend that Malkav was a notorious liar, and that through his deception of the other Antediluvians he nearly caused the death of Zillah, Caine's beloved. You have heard that Caine, in a rage, cursed him and his line, telling him that he should have an infinite number of “truths” to utter thereafter. (PGttLC: 37)
You might know some parables common to Clan Malkavian such as “The Fable of Clever Grandsons”, in which Malkav pleases Caine through a sacrifice of his ego, and “The Blind Bats and the Elephant” which is supposed to illustrate the Malkavian understanding of objective reality. (CbM: 19, 33)
You might be familiar with various theories regarding the Malkavian Madness Network, including that it is the Antediluvian's method of spying upon all of his children. You also have probably heard some of the debate as to whether or not Malkavian-sired Caitiff can experience the Network. (CbM [Rev]: 42, 58-59)
You might be familiar (or at least as familiar as you can be) with the bizarre cosmological constructs that underpin the sentiments of the Reality Busters. You know that it is claimed that empirical reality has been cut off from the infinite possibility of true reality, due to various godlike creatures destroying their connection to the rest of the universe, and therefore disrupting the flow of potential which powers magical phenomena. You know that it is the aim of the Reality Busters to restore this connection as fully as they are able, and that there are frequent claims that the Fae also attempt to serve a similar function. (CbM: 17)
You might’ve heard rumors that the “Gnawed” are often taken to the lairs of the Clan elders who can no longer subsist on simple human vitae, although you have no means of verifying this. (CbM [Rev]: 39-40, 52)
You might’ve heard of the Malkavian Orders of Mystery, most notably the Ordo Aenigmatis, which seeks to understand Malkavian madness through riddles and symbolic enigmas, and the Ordo Ecstasis, which seeks ecstatic experience as a means of enlightenment. You know that these mystery cults are, as a rule, never spoken of outside of the Clan. (LS4: 89; PGttLC: 219)
You might have heard that each Clan's traditional “coat of arms” was originally created by a mute Malkavian child named Pelinka during the Middle Ages. (CbM [Rev]: 27)
You might have heard of the “Language of Babel”, an argot of Malkavian origin consisting of codes and symbols allegedly only decipherable to their Clanmates. You might also hear that it is no longer in wide use, though there are rumors of Malkavians who are researching this ancient art. (LS4: 93, 112; PGttLC: 38, 82, OWbN) 15
You might’ve heard that the Malkavians once had strong roots in the Christian tradition, and that certain heretical and widely dismissed claims have been made that the Clan had some sort of direct connection to the personage of Jesus of Nazareth. (LS4: 95-100).
You might be aware that the Malkavians have been credited with embracing such historical figures as: Olympias, Sennacherib, and the personage behind the Roman goddess Cybele. (CbM [Rev]: 19; KmW: 81-83)
You might have heard that Rasputin was a Malkavian, although this is disputed by other Clans. (CbM: 60-61)
You might have at least heard, in passing, of famous Malkavians such as: Anatole, the legendary prophet of Gehenna; Fabriza Contreraz, the influential Archbishop of Miami; Dr. Douglas Netchurch, the famous Kindred hematologist; and Alessio Rinaldi, the “Peacock” Prince of Ravenna. (CbM [Rev]: 96-100; CotN: 28-30)
You might have heard of the Eater, a being of Malkavian origin that apparently is capable of devouring the names of things and people, removing them from collective memory as a result. (CbM: 26; CbM [Rev]: 17; PGttLC: 37)
You might have heard of Jane Pennington and the Ankou, two figures who seem to be connected to Clan Malkavian, but would be better called “apparitions” than Kindred. You know that “Crazy Jane” is said to appear in visions to young neonates in the throes of the Embrace and to assist in their transition (some have linked her mannerisms to those of the Plague-Bride, and consider her a modern incarnation of the Methuselah). You know that the Ankou is a horrific figure that resembles the Grim Reaper and is said to leave a trail of dead Malkavians in its wake. (CbM: 8-10, 63; CbM [Rev]: 19, 100)
Lore: Malkavian x4
You might have at least heard, in passing, of legendary Malkavians such as: the Dionysian, an ancient Greek Kindred with ties to the Bacchic cults of old and allegedly to the Fae; Unmada and his childe Vasantasena, two Indian Malkavians who were instrumental at the Convention of Thorns and in the foundation of the two Sects; and Tryphosa the Sybil, whose prophecies directly incited Rome to attack Carthage. (CbM: 18-19, 61-62; CbM [Rev]: 1921, 26, 98-99; CotI: 29-33; PGttLC: 38)
You might have heard that Malkav's influence in the area of Jerusalem has helped to augment its religious mystique, and that such incidents as the seemingly mindless butchery of the First Crusade, or the prevalence of Jerusalem Syndrome have been linked to the Antediluvian by Malkavian scholars. (FoBC: 5-7; 27-28)
You might have learned that some elders of the Clan claim that Malkavians are behind a disproportionate amount of the baalim, or city-gods, of the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Akkadian civilizations, and that it is claimed that similar practices amongst other Clans were done in imitation of this phenomenon. (PGttLC: 37-39)
You might have heard the various historical arguments as to whether Malkav was descended from Ynosh, Irad or Zillah, and are aware of legends from around the region of Nineveh that allude to one of the Second Generation beating its childe for either saying or refusing to say something of import. You have furthermore heard that Malkav was one of the more active participants in the diablerie of the Second Generation. (CbM [Rev]: 13)
You might know that Camilla Banes was the Malkavian representative amongst the founding members of the Camarilla, and that she sat on the original Inner Council. (GC1: 51-61; GC2 17-20; GC3 15-16) 16
You might have heard of the Plague-Bride, an ancient Methuselah who was said to have been Malkav's consort, and who is said to still walk the earth and spread infection and madness where she goes. (CbM [Rev]: 15-16; PGttLC: 37)
You might have heard of Nissiku (also known as the Clever Prince), and know that he was an ancient Malkavian from the region of Mesopotamia. You have heard that the Babylonian god Ea, or Enki is sometimes given the epithet of nissiku, meaning “far-sighted”, and that rumors apparently endure that Nissiku is also related to the Lakota spider-God Iktomi, the anonymous prankster “Malk Content”, and various other identities including: the Devil Hanse, the Fool-Eater, and Old Man Hate. (CbM: 64; CbM [Rev]: 16-17; PGttLC: 37 )
You might be aware that the Malkavian Discipline shift was not, in reality, a matter of choice, and that a massive conclave of Malkavians was held in the city of Domazlice, where six Methuselahs (Ademar, the Black Hag, the Dionysian, the Plague-Bride, Tryphosa, and Unmada) caused a “block” to be placed in the minds of their brethren, psychically shutting them off from the powers of Dementation. You are aware that people in the know about this “prank” historically regard the Camarilla Malkavians as the technical antitribu of the Clan. You further know that, in spite of propaganda to the contrary, it is unlikely that Sabbat Malkavians were the true cause behind the “reawakening” in 1997. (CbM [Rev]: 27-30, 34)
You might know that some truly believed that the “Language of Babel” was, in fact, related to the biblical myth of its name, and that at the time that the tower of Babel fell, Duma, the archangel of silence, descended upon the earth and blessed seventy-seven members of the Clan such as that they would remember the first tongue. (LS4: 93, 112; PGttLC: 38)
You might have heard of two nearly unknown and utterly minuscule bloodlines of Clan Malkavian: The Mnemosyne and the Jocastatians. You know that both groups are said to specialize in Noddist scholarship and to practice ritual diablerie, but you know little else. (CtB: 47)
You might have heard of Elmolech, a demon bound into a human body by a gathering of Malkavians after it had tried to possess the body of Geneviève of Limoge, an elder of the Clan. You know that Elmolech has hence been cursed to wander the earth eternally, and that several Malkavians claim to have had brushes with it. (CbM [Rev]: 22)
You might have heard of Adonijah, the Biblical son of David who allegedly had (and has) some manner of relation to Clan Malkavian and its founder. You have heard all manner of contradictory rumors about this individual, but know that he is said to still be wandering the earth - albeit not as a Cainite. You have heard that he was entrusted with something extraordinarily precious. (FoBC: 23-25)
You might’ve heard of some of the fairly obscure Malkavians of note, such as Lamdiel, a famous prophet of Jerusalem, and “Le' Enfant Perdu,” the former Prince of Antwerp. (CbM [Rev]: 19; LS4: 94)
Lore: Malkavian x5
You might have heard that Malkav's Sire is disputed, but that he is often attributed as being the brother of Set and Saulot (the Setite and Salubri Antediluvians). You further know that Malkav was apparently physically ripped to shreds during the battles that destroyed the Second Generation, and that his childer at the time were said to have collected his body and drunk of his scattered blood. Others claim that this is false, and that he left the Second City intact and travelled to the region of Petra or Jerusalem, where he is still said to slumber today. (CbM: 18; CbM [Rev]: 15, 17-18; FoBC: 5-7)
You might know that the Plague-Bride, the Clever Prince and the “Eater” were held in archaic times as being the three foremost of the childer of Malkav, or the Coronati; and that they are said to be the three who first drank the blood of the sundered Malkav, eating the red clay of the earth wherever his blood had been spilled. (PGttLC: 37) 17
You might be aware of the contents of the legendary dialogue between Caine and Malkav in which Malkav sought to redeem him, and you know that key to the argument was Caine's refusal to answer the question “Why?” when it was posed to him by Malkav - presumably in relation to his motivation for killing Abel. (LS4: 100; 117)
You might have heard in Jerusalem in the late 12th century, the waterways and fountains of the area were said to have turned red with blood and that many elder Cainites report having had strange and terrible dreams at the time. You may have also heard scant reports that it was during this time that something was discovered beneath the city, and have heard rumors to the effect that Malkav was active at this point in history. (FoBC: 19; 27-28)
You might have heard legends relating that prior to Malkav's rending he was visited by an angel or angels of the Lord, who imparted unto him certain revelations that were meant to secure Caine's repentance, and that he then approached Caine and spoke to him. Caine, in rage, was said to have struck him down for this attempt and to have then cursed his descendants with insanity. (LS4: 101, 117)
You might know that one of Malkav's childer, similar in power to the Coronati, was diablerized beneath Jerusalem, and that the Antediluvian was on the verge of potentially waking in 1197 AD as a result. You have heard that Malkav himself does not lie beneath the city, but rather that the riddle to his final resting place is somehow related to the Latin phrase “Et in Arcadia Ego,” made famous by the painting 'Les Bergers d'Arcadie' by Nicholas Poussin - a notable puzzle piece in many conspiracy theories. You can suspect that this clue might be related to the ocassional brushes the Clan is said to have with the Fae. (FoBC: 27-28, 31)
You might have heard that the pure blood of Malkav is said to have miraculous qualities, and that imbibing it can heal the injured and mad, even to the point where it may turn back wassail. (FoBC: 25 32)
You might know that Camilla Banes was alleged to have been involved in some way with the Antediluvian of the “Clan of Death”. (GC2 17-20; GC3 15-16)
You might be familiar with the Mnemosyne, and are aware that they possibly can claim some manner of connection with the Dionysian. You know that their interest in scholarship has some manner of mystic compulsion to it, and that they have a seeming rivalry with the Jocastatians. You have heard of Aristotle de Laurent, who is amongst the most prominent of their line and works with various Camarilla notables on issues of research. (CtB: 47; EV: 202; Nod: 6)
You might be familiar with the Jocastatians, and are aware that they do, in fact, practice ritual diablerie upon their elders as a means of obtaining knowledge (not entirely dissimilar from acts ascribed to the Salubri). You know that several Jocastatians claim membership in the Sabbat. (CtB: 47; Nod: 182-183)
You might’ve heard of the obscure Biblia Negra, a Spanish translation of certain works set down by an Arab author. You are aware that it is said that the text has certain startling Noddist sentiments to it regarding the intentions of sixty seven beings of great power that sleep beneath the earth. You are aware that the original translator was a Malkavian, and that all known owners of the text have succumb to some form of insanity or paranoia. (LS4: 95)
You might have heard stories of some Malkavians who have managed to transcend their bodies and “download” themselves onto the Network somehow. Although you have no idea how this is possible, you know it would account for stories regarding the Plague-Bride, Crazy Jane, and the Ankou. (CbM: 8-10, 63; CbM [Rev]: 64, 100)
18
NPC-Level Lore: Malkavian Lore x 6 or Above
Even if you are not a member of one of the Orders of Mystery, you might know of the rough ranks of progression through one of these groups. You know that the each order is led by a deacon, a Malkavian who claims to have been present at Malkav's original “rending”, and that the majority of each order is made up of mystai who graduate from the entrant's rank of initiate after a year of study. You also have a fair amount of familiarity with the litany and practices of both the Ordo Aenigmatis and Ordo Ecstasis, and you've heard tell of the (hopefully) now defunct third order, the infernalist Ordo Maleficus. (LS4: 95-100; PGttLC: 219)
You might have heard that Camilla Banes had contact with the Antediluvian Cappadocius and that certain prophecies she has made about him have proved eerily accurate. (GC4: 97)
You might have heard a story, Bahari in origin, that Malkav and Arikel (the Toreador Antediluvian) were the children of Lilith, and that they had a third sibling named Nahema, a woman called the Dark Muse or the Demon Queen of Madness. You have heard that after the deaths of these three, Nahema was said to still speak to the blood of her siblings, and that it may be her whispers that actually transmit the Madness Network. (CtB: 64)
You might have heard some versions of the story of Malkav, in which he is driven mad after either sleeping with Lilith or after having her unveil to him certain forbidden “truths”. You know that in these myths that feature Lilith, Malkav is said to have infected Set and Saulot with his madness as they tried to comfort him. (CbM [Rev]: 13; CtB: 47; PGttLC: 37)
You might have heard that the Malkavian Madness Network is not just the device of Malkav or a part of the Clan curse but rather that it is Malkav himself, who exists now in shards throughout the minds of all his progeny. You might have heard that the Coronati, by devouring Malkav's blood, allowed him to exist in them and in all they Embraced. You might have read that they are said to never meet, such as that should something attempt to kill them, all of the original fragments of Malkav will not fall at once. (CbM [Rev]: 12-13, 42, 58-59; PGttLC: 37)
You might be aware of the ritual diablerie practiced by (presumably) all three of the Ordos in the event that initiates prove themselves unworthy. You also have made some connections between the three Coronati and the three orders of Madness. (LS4: 95-100; PGttLC: 219)
You might’ve heard of the Book of Andreas, a lost religious text that makes the claim that Christ had a Cainite disciple in his company - a Malkavian named Andreas who was exhorted to seek Caine out and beg forgiveness, and thereby achieve redemption before God. You have heard that this scripture formed the basis for a highly heretical military-religious sect known as the Brotherhood of the Crooked Cross, which claimed to worship the divine trinity in the form of Caine the Father, Christ the Son, and Malkav the holy ghost. (LS4: 89, 93; PGttLC: 39)
You might have heard the parable regarding Malkav, Set and Saulot. In this story, Saulot goes on a journey to settle an argument between Set and Malkav over the origin of truth. Gifts are exchanged between the brothers. Saulot gives Set his sword, and in return is given Set's staff. To Malkav, he gives his crown, but Malkav, having nothing to give in return, bites his thumb and draws an eye on Saulot's forehead, hence giving the Salubri their characteristic third eye. (CbM [Rev]: 15)
You might be aware of Tremere's diablerie of Saulot, and perhaps that Clan Malkavian nearly joined in the War of Omens along with the Gangrel and Tzimisce to destroy the Usurpers on account of the Malkavian kinship to the Salubri. (CbM [Rev]: 23-24; LS4: 100)
19
Lore Levels: Alternate Version Many games use an alternate Lore system whereby anyone within the group, in this case any Malkavian, has a phantom two free dots in the Lore, which changes the Lore levels from the typical 1-5 to a 1-7 scale for PC Malkavians. This section is a suggestion of how this interpretation of Lore might be handled. Please keep in mind, however, that having a particular level of lore does not necessarily mean that they know everything that level of lore has to offer. They have a chance of knowing it, based on the character’s background and how they learned the lore. Otherwise a static test may be required by the storytellers to determine if the character knows a specific piece of information covered by this lore. ●
Malkavian Lore 1: Newly Embraced Neonates You can spot a member of the Clan with reasonable accuracy. You believe the well-known stereotypes of the Clan. You also believe some of the myths about the Clan.
●
Malkavian Lore 2: Newly Embraced Malkavian / Neonate Non-Malkavian You know how the Clan is set up on a local level. You know the leader of the Clan in the local city.
●
Malkavian Lore 3: Neonate Malkavian / Non- Malkavian Ancillae You know myth from fact through personal experience. You know how many of the local Malkavians work. You also are in the know about many of the more prominent Malkavians in the region and can name the Elder.
●
Malkavian Lore 4: Ancillae Malkavians / Particularly Knowledgeable Non- Malkavian Elders You can see the truth in the games. You have gleaned information on the true secrets of the Clan through knowledge of its history. You know most if not all the Malkavians in the region.
●
Malkavian Lore 5: Prestigious Malkavians / Non-Malkavian Elders You control many of the Malkavian games in the area. You also know about the more powerful coteries and cults in the Clan.
●
Malkavian Lore 6: Malkavian Elders / Obnoxiously Knowledgeable Non- Malkavian Elders You know more about the Clan than most of its members do from its historical origins to the present day.
●
Malkavian Lore 7: Knowledgeable Malkavian Elders / Only the oldest and most knowledge of Non-Malkavian Elders There is not much about the Clan that you don’t know.
Malkavian Lore: An Alternate Detailed Breakdown
Lore: Malkavian x1
You might know that the primary Malkavian Disciplines are Auspex, Dementation, and Obfuscate, and that Dementation is unique to their Clan. You have heard, however that some Malkavians possess Dominate as a Discipline, and know that until recently it was only the Malkavian antitribu in the Sabbat who practiced Dementation. (LotN [Rev]: 33; VtM [Rev]: 73)
You might know that all Malkavians are permanently and incurably insane. You may know that this insanity, however, is also said to provide insight and premonitions. You might also know that most Malkavians do not consider themselves to be insane, but “enlightened”. (LotN [Rev]: 32-33; VtM [Rev]: 73) 20
You might know that Maris Streck is the current Malkavian Justicar of the Camarilla. (CotN: 43-44)
You might know that Lucian, the previous Malkavian Justicar of the Camarilla, is now the Prince of the North Aegean Islands. (OWbN)
Lore: Malkavian x2
You might know that the blood of a Malkavian carries some of their curse and that ghouls and thralls of Malkavians often display some form of mental instability. (CbM [Rev]: 64-65)
You might know that Malkavians traditionally engage in the practice of “pranking”, in which they play elaborate jokes on others. You know that not all of these pranks are particularly funny. (CbM [Rev]: 43)
You might be aware that Malkavians have some rudimentary mechanic by which they can mysteriously gather seemingly without having communicated beforehand. (LotN [Rev]: 33; CbM [Rev]: 41-42, 58-59)
You might know that at some point in history all Malkavians practiced Dementation and that in 1997 it was somehow spread from the antitribu back to the rest of the Clan, who apparently forwent its use at the time of the Treaty of Thorns. You suspect that the Network might have played a role in this process of “re-infection”. (CbM [Rev]: 27-29, 34)
You might have heard of the Malkavian Madness Network (also known as the Cobweb, the Tapestry, the Greater Dreaming, the Weavery, Metatron, et cetera). You know that it is a sort of rudimentary psychic hive mind that connects all members of the Clan together, although it is not really organized, definite or predictable in any way. (CbM [Rev]: 41-42, 58-59)
You might know that Malkavians tradition of “pranking” is intended to demonstrate to others the absurdity of the universe and/or to shatter their perceptions of it, in the hopes that they might come to a more enlightened view. (CbM [Rev]: 43-44)
You might be familiar with the Reality Buster movement, which seeks to disrupt conventional perception. The general modus operandi of the group is to employ Disciplines to evoke all manner of hallucinations, delusions and other sensations not in accordance with accepted “reality”. (CbM [Rev]: 38)
Lore: Malkavian x3
You might have heard of the Malkavian progenitor, Malkav, and know that he was reputed to be a great seer or prophet. (LotN [Rev]: 33; CbM: 17; CbM [Rev]: 12-13)
You might have heard that some Malkavians claim an indescribable sensation known as The Calling leads Malkavians toward their childer. You have also heard that the type of madness that plagues a Malkavian is sometimes seemingly passed onto those whom they Embrace, and that broods of Malkavian childer tend to share similar insanities or sometimes even mass delusions. (PGttLC: 137; LS4: 87)
Further, you might know that historically the Clan is said to have strong ties to the region of Greece and Mesopotamia. (PGttLC: 37-39)
You might know that the Malkavians were allied with Ventrue Rome during the Punic Wars and that the Clan incited and aided in the destruction of Brujah Carthage. (CbM [Rev]: 20-21; PGttLC: 37-39)
21
You might have heard of “The Gnawed,” Malkavians who do not successfully make it through the Embrace and are rendered comatose or nonfunctional through insanity. (CbM [Rev]: 39-40)
You might be aware that after joining the Camarilla, the Elders of Clan Malkavian saw fit to “dampen” the violence of their innate Discipline and chose to adopt Dominate in place of Dementation. You have heard that through some sort of manipulation of the Network, the Sabbat Malkavians managed to “reinfect” the main Clan with it in 1997. (CbM [Rev]: 27-29, 34)
You might know some parables common to Clan Malkavian such as “The Fable of Clever Grandsons”, in which Malkav pleases Caine through a sacrifice of his ego, and “The Blind Bats and the Elephant” which is supposed to illustrate the Malkavian understanding of objective reality. (CbM: 19, 33)
You might be familiar (or at least as familiar as you can be) with the bizarre cosmological constructs that underpin the sentiments of the Reality Busters. You know that it is claimed that empirical reality has been cut off from the infinite possibility of true reality, due to various godlike creatures destroying their connection to the rest of the universe, and therefore disrupting the flow of potential which powers magical phenomena. You know that it is the aim of the Reality Busters to restore this connection as fully as they are able, and that there are frequent claims that the Fae also attempt to serve a similar function. (CbM: 17)
You might’ve heard rumors that the “Gnawed” are often taken to the lairs of the Clan elders who can no longer subsist on simple human vitae, although you have no means of verifying this. (CbM [Rev]: 39-40, 52)
You might have heard that each Clan's traditional “coat of arms” was originally created by a mute Malkavian child named Pelinka during the Middle Ages. (CbM [Rev]: 27)
You might’ve heard that the Malkavians once had strong roots in the Christian tradition, and that certain heretical and widely dismissed claims have been made that the Clan had some sort of direct connection to the personage of Jesus of Nazareth. (LS4: 95-100).
You might be aware that the Malkavians have been credited with embracing such historical figures as: Olympias, Sennacherib and the personage behind the Roman goddess Cybele (CbM [Rev]: 19; KmW: 81-83)
You might have heard that Rasputin was a Malkavian, although this is disputed by other Clans. (CbM: 60-61)
Lore: Malkavian x4
You might have at least heard, in passing, of famous Malkavians such as: Anatole, the legendary prophet of Gehenna; Fabriza Contreraz, the influential Archbishop of Miami; Dr. Douglas Netchurch, the famous Kindred hematologist; and Alessio Rinaldi, the “Peacock” Prince of Ravenna. (CbM [Rev]: 96-100; CotN: 28-30)
You might have heard the legend that Malkav was a notorious liar, and that through his deception of the other Antediluvians he nearly caused the death of Zillah, Caine's beloved. You have heard that Caine, in a rage, cursed him and his line, telling him that he should have an infinite number of “truths” to utter thereafter. (PGttLC: 37)
You might be familiar with various theories regarding the Malkavian Madness Network, including that it is the Antediluvian's method of spying upon all of his children. You also have probably heard some of the debate as to whether or not Malkavian-sired Caitiff can experience the Network. (CbM [Rev]: 42, 58-59)
You might’ve heard of the Malkavian Orders of Mystery, most notably the Ordo Aenigmatis, which seeks to understand Malkavian madness through riddles and symbolic enigmas, and the Ordo Ecstasis, which seeks ecstatic 22
experience as a means of enlightenment. You know that these mystery cults are, as a rule, never spoken of outside of the Clan. (LS4: 89; PGttLC: 219)
You might have heard of Jane Pennington and the Ankou, two figures who seem to be connected to Clan Malkavian, but would be better called “apparitions” than Kindred. You know that “Crazy Jane” is said to appear in visions to young neonates in the throes of the Embrace and to assist in their transition (Some have linked her mannerisms to those of the Plague-Bride, and consider her a modern incarnation of the Methuselah). You know that the Ankou is a horrific figure that resembles the Grim Reaper and is said to leave a trail of dead Malkavians in its wake. (CbM: 8-10, 63; CbM [Rev]: 19, 100)
You might have heard of the “Language of Babel”, an argot of Malkavian origin consisting of codes and symbols allegedly only decipherable to their Clanmates. You might also hear that it is no longer in wide use, though there are rumors of Malkavians who are researching this ancient art. (LS4: 93, 112; PGttLC: 38, 82, OWbN)
You might have heard of the Eater, a being of Malkavian origin that apparently is capable of devouring the names of things and people, removing them from collective memory as a result. (CbM: 26; CbM [Rev]: 17; PGttLC: 37)
You might have learned that some elders of the Clan claim that Malkavians are behind a disproportionate amount of the baalim, or city-gods, of the Sumerian, Babylonian and Akkadian civilizations, and that it is claimed that similar practices amongst other Clans were done in imitation of this phenomenon. (PGttLC: 37-39)
Lore: Malkavian x5
You might have at least heard, in passing, of legendary Malkavians such as: the Dionysian, an ancient Greek Kindred with ties to the Bacchic cults of old and allegedly to the Fae; Unmada and his childe Vasantasena, two Indian Malkavians who were instrumental at the Convention of Thorns and in the foundation of the two Sects; and Tryphosa the Sybil, whose prophecies directly incited Rome to attack Carthage. (CbM: 18-19, 61-62; CbM [Rev]: 1921, 26, 98-99; CotI: 29-33; PGttLC: 38)
You might have heard that Malkav's influence in the area of Jerusalem has helped to augment its religious mystique, and that such incidents as the seemingly mindless butchery of the First Crusade, or the prevalence of Jerusalem Syndrome have been linked to the Antediluvian by Malkavian scholars. (FoBC: 5-7; 27-28)
You might have heard the various historical arguments as to whether Malkav was descended from Ynosh, Irad or Zillah, and are aware of legends from around the region of Nineveh that allude to one of the Second Generation beating its childe for either saying or refusing to say something of import. You have furthermore heard that Malkav was one of the more active participants in the diablerie of the Second Generation. (CbM [Rev]: 13)
You might have heard of Nissiku (also known as the Clever Prince), and know that he was an ancient Malkavian from the region of Mesopotamia. You have heard that the Babylonian god Ea, or Enki is sometimes given the epithet of nissiku, meaning “far-sighted”, and that rumors apparently endure that Nissiku is also related to the Lakota spider-God Iktomi, the anonymous prankster “Malk Content”, and various other identities including: the Devil Hanse, the Fool-Eater and Old Man Hate. (CbM: 64; CbM [Rev]: 16-17; PGttLC: 37 )
You might have heard of two nearly unknown and utterly minuscule bloodlines of Clan Malkavian: The Mnemosyne and the Jocastatians. You know that both groups are said to specialize in Noddist scholarship and to practice ritual diablerie, but you know little else. (CtB: 47)
You might have heard of Elmolech, a demon bound into a human body by a gathering of Malkavians after it had tried to possess the body of Geniveive of Limoge, an elder of the Clan. You know that Elmolech has hence been 23
cursed to wander the earth eternally, and that several Malkavians claim to have had brushes with it. (CbM [Rev]: 22)
You might have heard of Adonijah, the Biblical son of David who allegedly had (and has) some manner of relation to Clan Malkavian and its founder. You have heard all manner of contradictory rumors about this individual, but know that he is said to still be wandering the earth - albeit not as a Cainite. You have heard that he was entrusted with something extraordinarily precious. (FoBC: 23-25)
Lore: Malkavian x6
You might know that Camilla Banes was the Malkavian representative amongst the founding members of the Camarilla, and that she sat on the original Inner Council. (GC1: 51-61; GC2 17-20; GC3 15-16)
You might have heard of the Plague-Bride, an ancient Muthuselah who was said to have been Malkav's consort, and who is said to still walk the earth and spread infection and madness where she goes. (CbM [Rev]: 15-16; PGttLC: 37)
You might be aware that the Malkavian Discipline shift was not, in reality, a matter of choice, and that a massive conclave of Malkavians was held in the city of Domazlice, where six Methuselahs (Ademar, the Black Hag, the Dionysian, the Plague-Bride, Tryphosa and Unmada) caused a “block” to be placed in the minds of their brethren, psychically shutting them off from the powers of Dementation. You are aware that people in the know about this “prank” historically regard the Camarilla Malkavians as the technical antitribu of the Clan. You further know that, in spite of propaganda to the contrary, it is unlikely that Sabbat Malkavians were the true cause behind the “reawakening” in 1997. (CbM [Rev]: 27-30, 34)
You might know that some truly believed that the “Language of Babel” was, in fact, related to the biblical myth of its name, and that at the time that the tower of Babel fell, Duma, the archangel of silence, descended upon the earth and blessed seventy-seven members of the Clan such as that they would remember the first tongue. (LS4: 93, 112; PGttLC: 38)
You might’ve heard of some of the fairly obscure Malkavians of note, such as: Lamdiel, a famous prophet of Jerusalem and “Le' Enfant Perdu,” the former Prince of Antwerp. (CbM [Rev]: 19; LS4: 94)
You might have heard that Malkav's Sire is disputed, but that he is often attributed as being the brother of Set and Saulot (the Setite and Salubri Antediluvians). You further know that Malkav was apparently physically ripped to shreds during the battles that destroyed the Second Generation, and that his childer at the time were said to have collected his body and drunk of his scattered blood. Others claim that this is false, and that he left the Second City intact and travelled to the region of Petra or Jerusalem, where he is still said to slumber today. (CbM: 18; CbM [Rev]: 15, 17-18; FoBC: 5-7)
You might know that the Plague-Bride, the Clever Prince and the “Eater” were held in archaic times as being the three foremost of the childer of Malkav, or the Coronati, and that they are said to be the three who first drank the blood of the sundered Malkav, eating the red clay of the earth wherever his blood had been spilled. (PGttLC: 37)
You might have heard in Jerusalem in the late 12th century, the waterways and fountains of the area were said to have turned red with blood, and that many elder Cainites report having had strange and terrible dreams at the time. You may have also heard scant reports that it was during this time that something was discovered beneath the city, and have heard rumors to the effect that Malkav was active at this point in history. (FoBC: 19; 27-28)
You might have heard that the pure blood of Malkav is said to have miraculous qualities, and that imbibing it can heal the injured and mad, even to the point where it may turn back wassail. (FoBC: 25 32) 24
You might know that Camilla Banes was alleged to have been involved in some way with the Antediluvian of the “Clan of Death”. (GC2 17-20; GC3 15-16)
You might be familiar with the Mnemosyne, and are aware that they possibly can claim some manner of connection with the Dionysian. You know that their interest in scholarship has some manner of mystic compulsion to it, and that they have a seeming rivalry with the Jocastatians. You have heard of Aristotle de Laurent, who is amongst the most prominent of their line and works with various Camarilla notables on issues of research. (CtB: 47; EV: 202; Nod: 6)
You might be familiar with the Jocastatians, and are aware that they do, in fact, practice ritual diablerie upon their elders as a means of obtaining knowledge (not entirely dissimilar from acts ascribed to the Salubri). You know that several Jocastatians claim membership in the Sabbat. (CtB: 47; Nod: 182-183)
Lore: Malkavian x7
You might be aware of the contents of the legendary dialogue between Caine and Malkav in which Malkav sought to redeem him, and you know that key to the argument was Caine's refusal to answer the question “Why?” when it was posed to him by Malkav - presumably in relation to his motivation for killing Abel. (LS4: 100; 117)
You might have heard legends relating that prior to Malkav's rending he was visited by an angel or angels of the Lord, who imparted unto him certain revelations that were meant to secure Caine's repentance, and that he then approached Caine and spoke to him. Caine, in rage, was said to have struck him down for this attempt and to have then cursed his descendants with insanity. (LS4: 101, 117)
You might know that one of Malkav's childer, similar in power to the Coronati, was diablerized beneath Jerusalem, and that the Antediluvian was on the verge of potentially waking in 1197 AD as a result. You have heard that Malkav himself does not lie beneath the city, but rather that the riddle to his final resting place is somehow related to the Latin phrase “Et in Arcadia Ego,” made famous by the painting 'Les Bergers d'Arcadie' by Nicholas Poussin - a notable puzzle piece in many conspiracy theories. You can suspect that this clue might be related to the ocassional brushes the Clan is said to have with the Fae. (FoBC: 27-28, 31)
You might’ve heard of the obscure Biblia Negra, a Spanish translation of certain works set down by an Arab author. You are aware that it is said that the text has certain startling Noddist sentiments to it regarding the intentions of sixty seven beings of great power that sleep beneath the earth. You are aware that the original translator was a Malkavian, and that all known owners of the text have succumb to some form of insanity or paranoia. (LS4: 95).
You might have heard stories of some Malkavians who have managed to transcend their bodies and “download” themselves onto the Network somehow. Although you have no idea how this is possible, you know it would account for stories regarding the Plague-Bride, Crazy Jane and the Ankou. (CbM: 8-10, 63; CbM [Rev]: 64, 100)
NPC-Level Lore: Malkavian Lore x 8 or Above
Even if you are not a member of one of the Orders of Mystery, you might know of the rough ranks of progression through one of these groups. You know that the each order is led by a deacon, a Malkavian who claims to have been present at Malkav's original “rending”, and that the majority of each order is made up of mystai who graduate from the entrant's rank of initiate after a year of study. You also have a fair amount of familiarity with the litany and practices of both the Ordo Aenigmatis and Ordo Ecstasis, and you've heard tell of the (hopefully) now defunct third order, the infernalist Ordo Maleficus. (LS4: 95-100; PGttLC: 219)
You might have heard that Camilla Banes had contact with the Antediluvian Cappadocius and that certain prophecies she has made about him have proved eerily accurate. (GC4: 97) 25
You might have heard a story, Bahari in origin, that Malkav and Arikel (the Toreador Antediluvian) were the children of Lilith, and that they had a third sibling named Nahema, a woman called the Dark Muse or the Demon Queen of Madness. You have heard that after the deaths of these three, Nahema was said to still speak to the blood of her siblings, and that it may be her whispers that actually transmit the Madness Network. (CtB: 64)
You might have heard some versions of the story of Malkav, in which he is driven mad after either sleeping with Lilith or after having her unveil to him certain forbidden “truths.” You know that in these myths that feature Lilith, Malkav is said to have infected Set and Saulot with his madness as they tried to comfort him. (CbM [Rev]: 13; CtB: 47; PGttLC: 37)
You might have heard that the Malkavian Madness Network is not just the device of Malkav or a part of the Clan curse but rather that it is Malkav himself, who exists now in shards throughout the minds of all his progeny. You might have heard that the Coronati, by devouring Malkav's blood, allowed him to exist in them and in all they Embraced. You might have read that they are said to never meet, such as that should something attempt to kill them, all of the original fragments of Malkav will not fall at once. (CbM [Rev]: 12-13, 42, 58-59; PGttLC: 37)
You might be aware of the ritual diablerie practiced by (presumably) all three of the Ordos in the event that initiates prove themselves unworthy. You also have made some connections between the three Coronati and the three orders of Madness. (LS4: 95-100; PGttLC: 219)
You might’ve heard of the Book of Andreas, a lost religious text that makes the claim that Christ had a Cainite disciple in his company - a Malkavian named Andreas who was exhorted to seek Caine out and beg forgiveness, and thereby achieve redemption before God. You have heard that this scripture formed the basis for a highly heretical military-religious sect known as the Brotherhood of the Crooked Cross, which claimed to worship the divine trinity in the form of Caine the Father, Christ the Son, and Malkav the holy ghost. (LS4: 89, 93; PGttLC: 39).
You might have heard the parable regarding Malkav, Set, and Saulot. In this story, Saulot goes on a journey to settle an argument between Set and Malkav over the origin of truth. Gifts are exchanged between the brothers. Saulot gives Set his sword, and in return is given Set's staff. To Malkav, he gives his crown, but Malkav, having nothing to give in return, bites his thumb and draws an eye on Saulot's forehead, hence giving the Salubri their characteristic third eye. (CbM [Rev]: 15)
You might be aware of Tremere's diablerie of Saulot, and perhaps that Clan Malkavian nearly joined in the War of Omens along with the Gangrel and Tzimisce to destroy the Usurpers on account of the Malkavian kinship to the Salubri. (CbM [Rev]: 23-24; LS4: 100)
26
Section VI: Extras Malkavian Games Malkavians are always wont to play games of one sort or another. These games provide insight into the participants for the Malkavians involved. In many places other Kindred do not want to participate, so the Malkavian will hide the fact that it is a game in order to get more participants. How can this work? One easy way is to just stand and stare at something. A crack in the wall, the pattern of the tiles on the floor, or the tiles on the ceiling, a doorknob, anything at all. Start a conversation with a large group of Kindred and keep being distracted by this. When the others look as well, then you know that they are paying attention. The ones that don’t are the ones in need of “help”. This game is sometimes called “Made Ya Look.” Other games can always be developed by the Malkavians in play. In all cases they help the player to learn about the motivations of other characters in the game, such as the collectively designed “Game of Madness” (found in the combination discipline section). Even a simple puzzle left out for others to ignore or solve will lend insight into what makes other vampires and ghouls “tick”.
Malkavian Poker In the Midwest a variant of poker has developed, aptly called “Malkavian Poker”, which was devised by Jessica Kesch prior to becoming an Archon, Adrian Serra and Malachai. The number of players is not set, the number of cards does not matter (some masters of the game play with no visible cards at all) and the rules are always different. Usually Eyes of Chaos is used first to see if the Storytellers want to give any collective information about the game that night. In most versions of the game, all the cards are dealt out to the players (sometimes the dealer will throw out unnecessary cards as well). Some prepared family will use their own deck of cards, making for a larger outcome. Then one of the players will play a card or cards in the center either face up or down, of any orientation, or stacking. The play continues to the next player (who does not have to be next to the first one) and goes until everyone is out of cards. Some players will take time and thought to placing their cards; others will just literally toss them out there. The way a person plays can give much insight into how they think. And this is the true point of the game. At the end of the game, the Malkavians who played or observed the entire time may test with Eyes of Chaos on an individual's cards in the pile to try and find out the Nature of that player. This is most often used on non-Malkavians playing the game. In some places during the course of the game, those non-Malkavian players that are being less than revealing in their method of play when playing cards to the pile will be referred to as “bluffing”. Some of the Malkavians present will then either Empassion or use The Haunting on the subject to distract them into revealing more about themselves. This is viewed as something done in cutthroat games, not friendly ones.
27
Puzzles and Enigmas Both players and storytellers should find puzzles and enigmas to be their friends throughout the game. Storytellers can use them to provide clues and entertainment for the Malkavian players. Malkavian players can use them to share their insights and knowledge with others in the game. In some places, a game of competition can be started between two Malkavians as they try to best the other with a new puzzle or riddle. The winner can then claim the minor title of “enigmatic” amongst their peers. In cities with many Malkavians, this title can be passed around quite a lot. In any case, it is a good idea for storytellers and players alike to find and purchase a book of puzzles or riddles to augment your own capacity in these areas. Not only are they fun to read, but they will help you to see new ways to approach and solve problems. This is not only useful at game, but in real life as well.
Why Malkavians Are Valued Every Domain that has been around for any length of time has discovered that Malkavians are usually the ones to notice things first. Why is this? It’s because they’re always looking! While other Kindred are tied up in their endless political machinations and boring repetitive behaviors, Malkavians are out learning as much as possible about everything. Malkavians have an uncanny ability to learn just about anything they want to about other Kindred and Kine. By playing games on Kine in power, they can find clues into who controls that Kine. For example, you make the chief of police do something unusual. Then when Kindred talk about it at Elysium, you now know which Kindred have interests in the Police in town. You can also cause a disturbance at a local bar or club. Then when others become concerned about it, you will know who either owns the club or feeds there. Combine this knowledge with the insights gained from your nightly games and you will be able to know who does what and why. You will be able to know how to manipulate anyone in your city. No other clan can so easily do this.
Malkavians within the Sects
Malkavians in the Camarilla As with many things, there is an upside and a downside for the Malkavians in the Camarilla. The Clan lives under the stereotype that we are all flighty, maybe psychotic or crazy, sometimes as nihilistic or sadistic, and unable to be serious. However, it is the actions of the few that sully our reputation. We are Princes, Archons, and have held every position in the Camarilla, all you need to do is look around and there are shining examples of Malkavian success in the Ivory Tower. Many of our numbers are known and respected, and some are even feared. Sure, some of us may be inclined to short attention spans, but it is usually due to inspiration and insight, garnering our reputation as premier investigators and problem solvers. Sometimes our jokes and pranks give needed levity and our hope renews morale. Our enlightenment has given us the gift to see past the normal means of looking, and has allowed us to find unique perspective. We often surprise people, our so called insanity is not always the first thing you would notice about many of us, our gifts hide in plain sight, and instead of destroying our minds it can be a source of wisdom and the solution to many enigmas. We are the seers, the solvers and the lore masters. Many of our numbers are moving up in the Ivory Tower, solidifying the 28
impression of the Children of the Moon, and we are making a difference in their courts and domains, our vision is leading us to a bright future. ~Pixi
Malkavians in the Anarch Movement Malkavian Anarchs are often stragglers or those whose voices in their heads told them to stop being doormats and try to change the world. Malkavians bring a kind of inspired lunacy to the activities of the Anarch Cause, formulating masterful strokes of sheer chaos that defy prediction and leave onlookers forever changed by the experience. Malkavians are often seen as visionaries within the Movement and sometimes treasured by their brothers and sisters of the Cause. Malkavians within the movement are very similar to those that reside within the Camarilla. However many find the structures of the Camarilla too confining for the enlightenment that they seek. Others find that their form of madness is often frowned upon with the Tower. And it’s less dangerous to play pranks and games when there is no Prince breathing down your neck.
Malkavians in the Sabbat Wild fanaticism, unpredictable rage, obsessive behavior, inhuman codes of ethics, shrieking prophecies of doom, that “lean and hungry look” - all these things are common among True Sabbat. So what makes a Malkavian in the Sword of Caine special? Sure, Malkavians antitribu are feared by the pawns of the Antediluvians, and they deserve their reputation. It's not because they easily realize their combat potential, because let's face it, there's a reason human armies don't outfit their troops with straight razors and hallucinogenics. And it's certainly not because of their numbers, because Malk shovel-heads are especially unlikely to survive the first 72 hours as part of a siege, and their Costello converts often have a surprisingly difficult time adapting to unlife as proper Cainites. But there's something more to a successful Malkavian antitribu. Not the ones that go out in a blaze of pointless sadism or get lost inside their own minds; I'm talking about the really scary kind. Malkavian antitribu who survive their first few risky months have a purity to their faith, to their malice, that you have to admire like a force of nature. The Sabbat is a religion, an army, a revolution. The best of our Malks contribute to that with everything they have - like other Sabbat, but more so. They give us a vision of who we really are, and who we would be if every one us were free to praise Caine and dance and kill until the stars burn out.” - Rusty Markham, Ductus of Hate Sex
Teaching Dementation to Others It is often said that Dementation can only be learned by those with the gift of insight. Some have found this gift to be a double-edged sword that their minds are incapable of handling as it shatters their grasp of reality. In the end, it’s the teacher that determines if a candidate is capable of dealing with the insights revealed by Dementation or not. In most cases, the teacher will evaluate the student over a period of time, looking for clues into the being of the pupil by asking him to do some very odd things. The student’s performance reveals things about him in these tasks (which do not usually lead to any fathomable goals). Things such as fears, hopes, morality, flaws, 29
proclivities, and even Derangements are found during this process. This sort of information will usually be shared with other Malkavians as they may also participate in and assist the process. Finally, if the pupil lives up to the expectations of the Malkavian teacher (his mind is sufficiently open to the enlightenment of Malkav), then he can be granted the insight that is Dementation. For those who fail the evaluation but still insist on learning, there is a more difficult road to follow, though it requires breaking their mind and then rebuilding them again. After all, it was built with such a huge “blind spot” to begin with that it needs to be fixed. Each Malkavian handles this process in their own way, but the pupil will invariably attain a Derangement if not multiple ones. When this occurs they may finally be taught Dementation. In the end, not everyone can handle the Discipline of Dementation and should their mind resist enlightenment, then they cannot learn the Discipline. This may be because while the character is interested in learning Dementation the player is unwilling to accept a Derangement or the Storytellers have ruled for whatever reason that it is inappropriate. This should be a rare situation and only with a good reason. Should an individual not be able or willing to become more Enlightened (gain a Derangement), then they cannot learn Dementation and will either have to give up or change. To clarify – in order for any character to have Dementation, they much have a permanent Derangement on their sheet, which includes any Combination Disciplines that include Dementation. If a character is ever without a Derangement on their sheet they may not have Dementation or Dementation combination disciplines. System for Learning
Optional – Those who already have at least one Derangement may learn Dementation as normal, per their chronicle's House Rules. For those with a 'clean slate' in the psychological department (i.e., no Derangements), something needs to give. Before learning the first level of Dementation, prospective students must lose a static Willpower Challenge versus their teacher to accept developing a Derangement. If the student of Dementation fails to acquire a Derangement, the teachings fail to take hold and they are incapable of learning the Discipline for the time being. During this time -- when the student is still in the process of opening their mind to all manner of new vistas, but before a Derangement has been gained -- they may, at Storyteller discretion, back out of the instruction before any other permanent damage sets in. A Malkavian with sufficient skill in Psychology (at least 3 dots) may direct her student to develop a specific Derangement of her choosing. By making a Mental Challenge versus the student, retest Psychology, the Malkavian may attempt to guide the way that their mind cracks. On a win or tie they may make suggestions for the specific Derangement or the general tenor of derangement that the student learns ie. something to do with visions, or a phobia. At the end of the day Storytellers are the ultimate decision makers on what Derangement is gained.
Dominate Malkavians (Coordinator Approval) In 1997, Madness swept through the majority of Clan Malkavian, restoring their lost gift of Dementation. Some, however, remained untouched by this “reinfection.” Perhaps some were in the deep slumber of torpor, perhaps some were somehow less connected by blood. Whatever the reason, there are still a small number of Malkavians who retained Dominate instead of Dementation; the largest concentration of these is among Malkavians in the Anarch Movement. Such characters are rare in the extreme. More than a few Malkavians have taken to killing those with Dominate instead of Dementation, keeping the numbers low. There is also no guarantee that this “flaw” will breed true: a Dominate Malkavian’s childe(r) may have Dementation instead of Dominate. Because of this Rarity, any Malkavian Character (PC or NPC) starting with Dominate instead of Dementation requires Malkavian Coordinator Approval.
30
Section VII: Malkavians in One World by Night Malkavians in One World by Night have had their own unique history and it shapes the past and the future of the Clan. There have been a variety of well-known (and infamous) Malkavians as well as events that have shaped the World of Darkness.
Well Known Malkavians
Adrian Serra “She is herself with a few people only. She has it in herself to become whatever she is believed to be.” ~Edith Wharton~ “The House of Mirth” In times gone by, the eyes of songbirds were ripped out in order to make them sing more beautifully. So too, Adrian's mind was maimed by her Sire, that it could experience and unleash greater works of art. She mastered the art of song to such a degree that she could move the heart of another in any way she desired. But at what cost? If a curious Kindred were to ask ten of his kind who Adrian Serra was, they would hear ten very different answers. Even basic elements of her identity, such as her gender, remain an open debate. Those few that truly understood this mysterious Ancilla seldom, if ever, speak of her openly. She made her way to a dramatic height of power before vanishing into obscurity. Adrian survived the battle between the Syndicate and the Dead Man's Hand by playing both sides, ascended to the position of Archon, then seized control of one of the most famed cities in the United States. She reigned as Prince of Los Angeles for just a single year, and slipped away suddenly and has not been seen since. She left behind a host of unsolved mysteries, unanswered questions strange clues, letters and gifts. Some Kindred say that Adrian has died. Others, that she was running from something. Perhaps her broken mind had mended at last, she may have unearthed secrets of the Blood, or she could have finally been dragged deeper into madness by the relentless undertow of music in her soul.
Cristian Wolfgang It is certainly not a comforting thought for the Camarilla that Christian Wolfgang still walks freely around the world. The son of an English sea captain and a French noble, he was born at the beginning of the fifteenth century in the Normandy region, acting as a double agent during the Hundred Years War. Accused of treason for his actions during the War of the Two Roses, he was sentenced to death by King Henry VIII of the Tudor Dynasty. His real name, as well as his sire’s, is lost to History. An expert in disguising himself, even his true face remains unknown due to the constant use of powers that allow him to change his physical appearance as well as his memories. It is estimated that he has assumed dozens of different identities in the second half of the last millennium. There are those who swear they have destroyed him, which hinders those who try to discover more information about his remote past. 31
In his recent past in the Camarilla, Christian Wolfgang, as he is now known, assumed the office of Seneschal of the Principality of Princess of North after the death of his predecessor, Elvira da Lua, who was dismissed the following year after accusing Prince Ragnar of having performed pacts with the Black Sect. He then moved to Campinas where his knowledge of the rival sect helped to suppress the Rebellion in the region. He remained aloof from politics within the Sect since being drafted at the end of 2011 to the city of São Paulo by Miss Sophie – back then the eldest of the Malkavian Clan – as she was aiming to repeat his achievements in Campinas. He was appointed by the then Prince of São Paulo, Erdota Urmen Corazon, in 2012, to become the city's Scourge; he would remove all status and declare Christian as a member of the Sabbat in the following year. It is not possible to determine when Christian Wolfgang had joined the Sword of Caine. Some say that he would have participated in the anarchist revolution and remained undercover in the Camarilla since the foundation of Sabbat. In August 2012, after the death of Aureula Vykos (then Archbishop of São Paulo) and Taylor “The Cain’s Fist”, Wolfgang was appointed Archbishop of São Paulo by Cardinal Andrew of Normandy, thus taking control of the largest Sabbath city of the world, and blowing his work as an undercover member. Patient and methodical, he prioritizes espionage at the expense of open combat, and attacks the internal political structure of the Camarilla, sometimes using guerrilla methods to ambush enemies of the Sect, leading to the destruction of princes and elders. Holder of great knowledge in several areas and having an intimidating personality, he seems to be aware of all the movements and war policies of Cainites of both the Sabbat and the Camarilla, sometimes even before they occur. His ability (just like his obsession) with chess is legendary. Considered virtually invincible in this game, Christian views everything as if it were like chess match where everyone is just pieces to be moved on the board, or removed, according to his interests. Hunted by the Camarilla at large, especially by Clan Malkavian, Ventrue and Brujah, he has also conquered enemies within the Sabbat due to facing some elders of this sect. His refusal to serve as a lamb among these wolves makes it impossible to determine what he had done out of devotion and courage or simply by his madness and megalomania. In modern nights, some say that he has joined a little known Sabbat Faction called the Occult Underground, in which he would have gained access to some kind of witchcraft practiced by Clan Tremere. But, like everything else related to this Cainite, one cannot distinguish the truth from mere speculation.
Delilah Delilah is known for being a fortune teller, an Anarch, a party goer, a diplomat, a mediator, and a herder of cats. She has been known to both respect and disregard sect lines regarding information, deals, and parties. She regards clanmates as her giant family of brothers and sisters that she can play with wherever she goes, even if they don't want to play with her. Although if ever she asks you to open a box that she is carrying around, it's safer if you don't.
Gabriel Wesson Yves Lawrence He was a Lord. He was a bum. He was an explorer. He was a tomb-raider. He is old. He is a neonate. He is a Knight. He is a monster. The truth oscillates with the point of views, and little can be said with certainty about who is GW. His first public appearances in Brazilian lands go back to mid 1990s, with discreet appearances in the Court of Sorocaba. There are, however, reports of his presence in some Courts in Europe, and in some of the eastern territories. 32
Since his arrival in Brazil much has happened, and our Society started to become interested in the, theoretically, newly arrived english noble. Much has been said about his origins, but almost nothing is for certain. Some rumors tend to point that Gabriel was part of Henry the VIII´s Court, back when his name was another, erased from the history books. The manners and perfect education of this Son of Malkav indicate a noble birth, but there are some who say that there is no GW, as it is just a codename used throughout the history of Clan Malkavian by a Secret Society dedicated to the study of the occult and the apocalyptical prophecies of the Gehenna. His past is obscure, but his presence glitters with great ostentation, as he is actually one of the most prominent Malkavians in the world scene, being called “the most influential Harpy of Brazil” on several occasions, apart from the fact that for a long time he was the only Enlightened One in Brazil. GW is a prisma, and the light seems to bend and twist easily around him, muddying or revealing it, in a masterful game of light and shadows. Prestige: ~ Sage ~ Son of Justice ~ Last of the Honored ~ Old One ~ The Spine of Solomon ~ Enlightened One
House Malice The enigmatic Sabbat pack known as House Malice has undergone many changes in the last 20 years. Originally formed as a siege pack called The Skinriders based north of Chicago to eventually crusade against Chicago and Milwaukee, the group became quickly known for their occult knowledge and ability to infiltrate the Camarilla seamlessly. Always masters of the art of possessing the bodies of others, the true visages of these twisted puppeteers have been seen by very few. Led by the enigmatic Black Hand Dominion, Malice, it is rumored that several members of his “family” are not even Malkavian by blood, simply claiming such out of solidarity. While many members have come and gone, these nights only four individuals claim to be part of the pack, with Elijah Benzion serving as Ductus, Titus as Pack Priest, and Virus as Abbot. The fourth member, Simon Nightmare, as yet to make his presence in public known.
Jacob Black Jacob Black has served the Malkavian Office since 2006, shortly after Justicar Streck took Her Office. Appointed an Archon in 2007, Black is a political tactician, skilled in interrogation, psychological analysis, tactics, and political operations. Prior to his appointment as Archon, he served as a Consigliere for hire, as it were, and now his services are for Maris Streck alone. He trades information for prestation debts. He trades services for prestation debts. He has been rumored to trade in services that walk the line of Camarilla legality, all for prestation debts. Some believe he purchased his position as Archon using many of these debts, though if it is true, it is fitting given his employer. He has consulted for multiple Princes, Primogen, Sheriffs and Keepers and even a Harpy or two all on various issues of Camarilla law and political advice, though he never speaks to anyone about specifics and is even wary of sharing with whom he has done work in the past.
33
The Blacks Lady Black Lady Kavia Black is considered by many to be an Elder of Clan Malkavian. She is married to Archon Jacob Black and is the mother of Joseph Black and Step Mother to Corrine Black. She has been the Seneschal of Cincinnati for many years. It has been said of her that “She gets more play out of being the wife of an Archon then any Archon ever got for being one” She is considered to be one of the most beautiful people in the world. Oddly this seems to have nothing to do with her enlightenment, it just seems that it is. Aside from being wife to an Archon and beautiful she is well versed in corporate law, as well as being a much celebrated poet. Her most important work is that of being a therapist to the Cam. It is said in hushed voices that she is the last hope for those in the throes of madness. RIP May 5th, 2013 Corrine Black Corrine Black is the Childe of Jacob Black. Her most notable feature is that her left hand is missing. When asked about said hand, all she will say is that it is missing as a consequence of her Embrace. She has never held major office in the Camarilla, typically preferring to advise those with position. She is calm and mild-mannered, not openly displaying any “insanity” that some claim Malkavians possess. She is prone to what she calls seizures, which give her occasional glimpses into the future. She has been in very sporadic contact with the Clan and Camarilla in the past few years, working on something in private, though her presence on the Madness Network has never wavered. Joseph Black Son of Jacob and Lady Black, Joseph worked in the Law firm for most of his real life. He quickly rose to the position of Senior member. This is when he caught the eye of the Blacks. They needed someone to take care and expand the business, so he became their childe. Mostly seen more of a servant to Jacob and Kavia, Joseph runs the daily tasks for all branches of their law firm. Little else is known about Joseph. If asked, Joseph doesn’t know who is his sire, just that he is the Childe of Jacob and Kavia.
Jan Dvorak By his own choice Jan Dvorak remained locked in a room for fifteen years without contact with another person. After all those years, he died and was embraced in the winter of 1860 in Praha and was Acknowledged ten years later in Yekaterinburg. During his first years in Camarilla, he travelled all over Europe studying various societies, their fears and anxieties. During World War II he was in Poland watching the suffer of Jews from inside the concentration camps, but left before the end of the war and came to America. Seeing a boat going to “America” he embarked, only to find himself in the Seaport of Paranaguá, South of Brazil, instead of in the “Land of the Free”. As the region was the new home for a lot of Europeans he established himself. For decades he was not active in kindred society, only with the arrival of the new millennium did he begin to occupy prominent positions as Primogen, Seneschal and finally an Harpy. His personal experiences led him by crooked paths and Jan flirted with the Beast several times until he suffered an epiphany. He gave himself up to the Malkavian office sure of 34
his end, and despite everything he returned as Archon. From that moment he decided to save his fellows, so they would not commit the same mistakes he had made. Nowadays discretion is the rule of Jan's existence. He remains in silence most of the time, the few words that come out of his mouth received the same attention of a watchmaker working on a small gear. Contemplative, pragmatic and always willing to emphasize what he knows to be wrong. He never does anything to draw undue attention to himself. His steps are meticulously calculated, weighed, measured and then implemented. Sometimes he allows himself to play with those around , but few people are able to understand his jokes.
Lorraine Baudelaire Surrounded by a truth that the adults couldn't handle, Lorraine dealt with it since her first minutes of life. Maybe her life was made a little bit easier as her parents died when she was ten, but the spirits became her family, along with her grandmother. Those were difficult times as the people didn't accept those who were different and called them witches. At eighteen, she died and discovered her freedom, though her new mother vanished very quickly. Decades passed as she continued to search for something until she left France and came to Brazil. It was there that she stabilized; in a manner of speaking… her home had never been fixed until she met someone to help minimize this, but the eternal search never ends. Lorraine was the Brazil North-Northwest 'Enlightened One' from 1998 until 2011, was Clan Primogen in Natal/RN for eight years and is now Fortaleza/Ce Prince since 2011.
Jessica Kesch Jessica Kesch was the Malkavian Primogen in Chicago for more than two years before she was called to service as an Archon for Justicar Maris Streck of Clan Malkavian. After serving several years as an Archon - during which she was heavily involved in the effort to re-take San Diego for the Camarilla - she was dismissed from service and claimed Praxis of that domain, where she focuses her efforts on rebuilding and strengthening the city. (OOC: Reputation merit Camarilla Loyalist) She's got a reputation for an irreverent and aggressive attitude that only barely masks a devious and clever mind underneath. Somewhat prone to violent or loud outbursts and sudden mood swings, kindred who know her tread lightly when Jessica is around. Though she is Malkavian and proud of her heritage, Jessica is well known for her atypical stance on her own Clan. She loudly and insistently claims that she is not crazy, and that while the Clan has a tendency toward insanity because of “powerful blood,” Jessica insists that “strong minded” Malkavians can weather the embrace without going mad. Taking her philosophy to heart, Jessica demands that all Malkavians not further the stereotype of Malkavians as incompetents. She's executed - with proper permission - nearly a dozen of her own Clanmates who “couldn't handle it” or “went bad.” Jessica is known among American Malkavians as the “Queen of Hearts,”and is infamous for a standing offer she's made to the entire Clan - if you have a clanmate in your area who is incapable of functioning on their own, and yet, you cannot reclaim their blood yourself, she will do it for you. Just give that person a Queen of Hearts playing card from any deck, and instruct them to give the card to Jessica. Many Malkavians - even ones not from her bloodline - call Jessica “mom” and she takes this role very seriously. She goes out of her way to mentor young Malkavians who show potential, and she can be fiercely protective of those with whom she's bonded. She has learned a great deal of Malkavian history, and freely shares what she knows with others to keep the information from being lost. She has perfected the art of playing Malkavian Poker, and often runs informal games at various events. 35
The Kesches Angela Snow “We have nothing to fear from the dead, it's the living that we need to worry about.” I tell this to all my colleagues at the NCMEC, I might as well have it on a T-shirt. The crime scene photos, collected evidence, they never bother me. That guy in the soup aisle at 3 am, that's who worries me. The woman yanking her kid into the car just a little too hard, she worries me. But the dead? Never. He has me in the trunk, plastic zip ties around my wrists and ankles. It's dark and it smells like oil, like dirt. There's a shovel next to me, I can't see it, but I can feel it, the handle with my fingers, the head digging in to my back. I wonder if he will use it to bury me. I have always wondered what this felt like, and in the darkness I am patient. I can hear the medals around my neck jingling. St. Anthony, patron saint of the lost, the missing. On the television a middle-aged woman is crying, saying, “We just want to know where Amanda is. We want...to not know, for so long...what happened. We want her to come home.” Amanda has been missing for sixteen years now, the announcer intones somberly. He informs the audience that today, she would be a young woman of twenty. “Your mommy and your daddy miss you very much”, I whisper to the empty room. “I know”, the little girl says quietly. “I miss them, too.” I make myself the victim. I do everything I can think of. I pull my car over on lonely highways in the middle of the night, my blinkers on, I get out and raise the hood. Only highway patrol ever stops. All the cases I've done, it seems so easy, so commonplace. Mall parking lots. Forest preserves. Outside of bars. Walking down the sidewalk in a nice suburban neighborhood, for Christ's sake. As of last year over half a million people were reported missing in the United States. Half a million! Me, I want to become one of them. I manage to track her down to St. Louis, a place where no one had thought to look. Seven years ago, she had jumped from the eighth floor of the sixteen story Regency building, six days before Christmas, crashing through the glass atrium below. She had taken off her thin jean jacket, folded it neatly, taken off her glasses, set them on top, and climbed the railing. They said she'd eaten a lemon poppyseed muffin at the cafe before taking the elevator up, that she'd paid for it in change. The woman tending the register said she appeared perfectly calm, no indication that anything was wrong. The muffin was the only thing she'd eaten in at least a day, it was found in the analysis of her stomach contents. What was it like, Michaela? I think. It was cold, that night, bitter cold according to the data we'd pulled, windy, and you'd come in to the hotel, someplace to be anonymous, somewhere you could pretend to be a guest, get warm. Outside all the Christmas lights were twinkling in the windows of the buildings, cheerful holiday decorations mocking the blackness in your head, everyone else walking around oblivious to your despair, laughing, crushing your spirit. It was cold outside and you wanted to get out of the cold but the cold found you, didn't it, Michaela? You simply could not get warm, not inside. I wonder why she didn't jump from the top floor, choosing to go only halfway. “I wasn't sure”, I hear her say, disembodied. “I thought it would have been easier to change my mind.” 36
I shake my head sadly at this notion, that the pull of gravity would somehow be lessened by a shorter fall, and put my hand on the railing, the second to last place she touched before she landed on her head eight stories below. The fall had shattered her skull so badly she had been in the Jane Doe file up until now, facial identification being near to impossible. She had been carrying no identification with her. She'd run away from home, had been missing for three days before the date of her death and when she'd last been seen. What had transpired in those three days, enough to make her jump, no one would know. A week later I sign off on the case. Identified: Michaela Watkins. Age 24. Her parents make the eight-hour drive to retrieve her remains from the potters' field where she had been buried with nothing more than a number marker. To finally take her home. “Thank you”, she says as I slip the paperwork into her file, and I don't hear from her again. When he takes me from the trunk, he removes the blindfold, the gag from my mouth. “I want to hear you scream”, he says savagely, and I can see, oh god, he has a pair of fangs? All the missing persons data clicking through my head, all the unexplained disappearances, all the unidentified bodies I've helped locate over the past decade, “You're a fucking vampire?” I ask, and this is so unexpected and yet such a rational explanation that I start to laugh uncontrollably. It should figure that with such a significant portion of the populace disappearing every year that there is only one real conclusion: predators picking them off from the herd. Predators of a different sort, a more literal sort. He hits me hard across the mouth, I bite my lip, but I can't stop laughing. It makes perfect sense. Perfect, eerie sense. Charlie Kesch Appearance: Tall, thin and generally well kept. Apparent age: late 20's Detailed Status: Acknowledged Feared as Sheriff of San Francisco Influential from the former, late Prince Book of San Francisco Loyal from the former Chicago Primogen Jessica Kesch Sibylline from Prince Vigil Deems of San Francisco Charlie has been active in the San Francisco for the almost a decade. And similar to his Sire Jessica Kesch, he is loyal to the Clan and Camarilla to a fault. The stronger the Camarilla, the safer he feels. He is currently serving as Sheriff to Prince Virgil Deems of San Francisco. Allies: Mark Richardson Janet Blackthorn Virgil Deems Childe: Beatrix Kesch Rumors: Charlie spent a year in Australia and came back different. Charlie is wound up too tight 37
Beatrice A. Kesch Appearance: Beatrice does not like spending too much time on her appearance. She typically wears her very frizzy brown hair in a large puff puff, and prefers casual, practical clothing. She is of average height, and curvy of build. Apparent age: 27 Status: None. She is still under the Accounting. Known History: Prior to being embraced in May of this year, Beatrice was another underemployed graduate working in San Francisco. Although she loves fantasy and fiction to pass the time, she is a rational individual who prefers a scientific approach to observing and interacting with the world. Beatrice feels that the Masquerade is obviously the best defense Kindred has against the mortals, and very much supports the Camarilla. Sire: Charlie Kesch Rumors: Beatrice was embraced in May of this year, right? Janet Blackthorne-Lyndon Janet has been active in the United States for the past several years, although she is not native to North America. Similar to her Sire Jessica Kesch, she is loyal to the Clan and Camarilla to a fault. Her desire to see the Camarilla, its citizens and her fellow clanmates excel has made her both friends and enemies due to her strong opinions and assertive presentation of said opinions. Janet recently married TJ Blackthorne of Clan Gangrel and working with him to fine tune their joint efforts in both kindred affairs and humanitarian causes among mortal society. Jessie Kesch Jessie Kesch, Malkavian Seer: OK. tap tap tap Is this thing on? I'm kidding, but seriously, where am I? By where I do mean specifically as a point in space and time...it is all relative you see. Our concept of time is limited by our perceptions and most people perceive time as a linear construct of their own making, though some do imbue it with determinism like that whole teleological vi... What? Who is...? Ohhh...THAT'S why I'm here? You could have just sai...well I...oh...no one else can hear you right now? Man, am I going to look crazy... So...Malkavians...Sons and Daughters of the Moon...or Moon People, depending on who you....fine...sheesh...I'll take this seriously.... We are all broken by the universe in different ways because of what we see and what we know. Yeah...some people say we're crazy, but that malarky doesn't cover it....
38
Some of us were tuned in to the show behind the curtains beforehand and some of us got the bite and a full bore lookieloo... In any case, what was a human mind is just not made to see those things or to know this much of the truth, so it copes. Let me tell you about me...what?...of course I have time...as amusing as that sounds....you aren't going to cut me off yet...I already did this once before... So anyway...like with most of us, my gift is my curse. Imagine the universe and all of the possible outcomes past, present and future...now put it into an infinite-sized blender...now set to frappe...so...really...you don't want to work it too hard, you might blow an infinite circuit breaker...I kid...anyway...now take the largest funnel your mind can picture and multiply it to the power of infinity. Now have it shrink at the end to about the size of a human head. THAT'S a headache and sometimes I am actually forced into what we lovingly call “The Past,” “The Present,” and “The Future.” It ain't pretty and sometimes I just show up places ahead of myself or behind myself. It's a real balancing act because of that whole Butterfly Effect. Yeah...horrible movie. The concept is right though. If I do too much with it, then shit gets real wonky and usually gets me blown up, stabbed, shot, bitten by crawly things, etc...you get the picture. So it makes me a little distracted sometimes and the seemingly random stuff that comes out will make sense to someone somwhere somewhen. It just gets a little awkward when you are “predicting the past” and...oh...say there is a Kindred of note that does NOT want everyone to know about the diablerie they committed lade century. The future is worse because everyone expects easy answers...crap...gotta run...here I come... ______________________________________________________________________________ Hey...where am I....? Huh? No longer needed for what? Oh, I was already here? Cool...I'm going to go grab a chai in Milwaukee then. I have to send the Prince a message about my visit I have coming up and apologize for some stuff that happens after.
Kitty Kat (Catherine Jones) "Her visions are good. She is 13 and 0, I think and she's only been here for two years!" -Former Prince Bradly Lazarian Gatto Giordano, Kitty Kat, now known as Catherine Jones is a long time resident of Columbus, Ohio. She woke in 2008. While she is an elder by age, she is not an elder by blood and her frustration is apparent anytime she is approached by a true elder. But that doesn't stop her from being overly protective of them and any other Malkavian. Having two clan prestige, (Malkavian Killer and Malkavian Protector), she uses the first to aid the latter. She is protective to a fault. She 39
Chose to spend a month in and half in the Shadow Lands with plenty of outs and pressure to leave, on the mere threat of her clan mates lives. She is blunt and not afraid to tell someone they are being stupid. Likely due to her friendship with the clan Gangrel her entire time being a Kindred. It's obvious to any that doesn't know her she would rather be one. She certainly fights like one! Don't expect her to remember she's a Malkavian in a real fight. Kitty is plagued by visions such as most Malkavians, but she is usually accurate. Kitty's main goals at this time is to make sure Columbus isn't going to fall, as she was "tasked" to protect it, hunt down and kill her sire, and find her Gangrel Mentor from when she was embraced. While she can seem cool and collected, she is good at hiding her Derangments for a while, she is not a shining example of controlling her Derangements. Never ask her about the Umbra. "I know about the Umbra then any Tramere will ever give me time for!" -Kitty Kat
Joaquim Manoel Carneiro da Cunha Those who hear his soothing voice and see his calm, controlled behavior are often surprised by the fact that this man was once a revolutionary. Joaquim Manoel Carneiro da Cunha (or “Da Cunha” as he is better known) has been deeply involved in politics ever since he was a mortal. During his days as a living man, he acted as a parliamentary, always defending his ideals against the Emperor of Brazil. Opposing the ruling system caused him to be imprisoned, to lose his possessions, and to become reclusive, spreading his opinions through manifestos. After his embrace, he not only saw the righteousness of his ideals, they became even stronger. Becoming a vampire brought him even more into politics, something he was already pretty good at. He made many alliances, granting him a good number of well-positioned allies. After years acting as Primogen, while being the 'power behind the throne,' acting as counselor to many Princes and granting them political support, he finally understood that this role wasn't enough to make a difference. So he declared Praxis, and now is the Prince of the Domain of Parahyba. Inside the Clan, he is always trying to better understand the motivations of other kindred, and assisting other Malkavians who show potential to improve the situation of the Clan, especially those who seem to share and are able to help with his long-term plans. He has been helping, counseling and mentoring other Malkavians for a long time now, and this was reflected in the fact that he was recently chosen by his clanmates as the 'Enlightened One' of the Northeast of Brazil. Now, he works to forge his Domain into what he sees in his dreams, into his personal utopia... No matter the costs.
Ladslaw Marjorie You learned to be responsible too early since you are the eldest of many brothers. A childhood devoted to your family. Days became difficult when you discovered that the Lord which your sister had been promised to marry was a violent and wicked man. The attempt to save her condemned you to slavery. After several seasons of slavery you lead the escape along with all the other slaves, which you protected as they were from your own family. Gradually those people spread the word about the healing powers you have when you took care of them. It created an unwanted fame. These rumors attracted the attention of your sire, a vampire and a former lunatic who admired your work since the beginning. He believed in your integrity and wished you to continue your acts in favor of humanity. 40
After the Embrace all your dreams, wishes, and goals took hold in your immortal conscious for all eternity. In the chaos your life has begun and you started to wander the most needed cities, moved by your thirst to help.
Legion A series of Malkavians who each seem to be focused on some particular aspect of academic knowledge. Some appear to be focused on broader topics such as Theology while others address very specific elements such as Siege Weaponry. This group (brood, bloodline, Methuselah?) all have prodigious memories and seem to be related to one another more so than most Malkavians. What their goals, methods and connections are is a mystery to those not of Legion.
Lucian Lucian was a little known kindred during his rumored start as either a roman emperor or the close relative of one. In later nights he presented himself to be named Justicar to Clan Malkavian. Serving from 1994-late 2007. During his tenure he presided over multiple conclaves and helped set may of the current conclave edicts and decisions currently apart of Camarilla Law. Lucian's archons were all known to be “broken”. He himself often times “breaking” the Archons as they entered service. Notable Archons included Bark and Cheerful. After years of service to the sect Lucian was replaced as Malkavian Justicar. Utilizing his sway and some well-guarded boons, Lucian secured himself the praxis of the Northern Aegean Greek Isles.
Maharbal Having awoken to pain and sorrow in the spring of the year 2011, Maharbal’s voice and agony spoke to the entirety of Clan Malkavian for the Year of Fire. Dedicated to the ideals of the Carthaginian movement he arrived at Kindred gatherings throughout the world to speak of his vision and encourage others to consider moving beyond the shackles of the Masquerade. In the end his vision and his love were unable to make a change in the world and questions still remain as to his future, his past and whether or not he had fallen to the Pit along with some of the others who championed the Carthaginian movement.
Madeira Clayborne “Midnight” Madeira Clayborne is the Matriarch of the Clayborne lineage. Her name came to prominence as a wellknown and famed Scourge of the Wild West. After several years in service as a Scourge, she was granted Progeny. Madeira had many faces and many minds in her and each took to creating a different childe over the years. The first was a Navajo Shaman that came to be named “Jericho” Jesse Clayborne. Several others were made: “Justice” Jasper Clayborne, “Richochet” Robert Clayborne, “Gorgeous” Gus Clayborne, “Chastity” Chase Clayborne and “Mad Dog” Miles Clayborne. Having been Embraced by (and then fleeing from) a Sabbat monster named The Waker, Madeira had only one rule for her childer: You join the Sabbat, you die. Each childe went on to make their own way. Some found solace under a cactus for the better part of a century. Some followed in Madeira's footsteps and joined the Camarilla, yet others found a home among the Anarch Movement. Over the years, Madeira and her brood rose to some prominence. She became a Prince, her eldest childe served the Camarilla in varying capacities. Eventually, adoptees came into the family, such as Madeira's long lost brood mate, and Izarra Getzi, who renamed herself Syeira Clayborne.
41
Jesse Clayborne Archon to Justicar Lucinde Jesse, along with his Sire, Madeira, are the progenitors of the small Malkavian family known as the Claybornes. Madeira was the matriarch of the line, siring half a dozen childer over the years (of which, Jesse was the first). Her name rose to prominence when she ascended to the throne of Philadelphia. Over the years, she server the Camarilla in a variety of duties before finally being destroyed by those she hated most, the Sabbat. Her eldest continued in that belief and his name also rose. Over the years, several other Malkavians have shown up bearing the Clayborne name, most notably is one of Jesse's closest ally, Syeira Clayborne. The exact nature of their relationship is often wondered about but both continue to aid those of the Clan and the Camarilla whenever they can Syeira Clayborne Syeira joined the Mid-Atlantic in 2006 under the name Izarra Getzi; those who pay attention can try to place her age by the tell-tale number tattooed on her inner wrist. Those who do not, or who didn't know her before she changed her name? Well, given that she took up the name Clayborne they often wonder if she is Jesse's broodmate or childe. When asked such a question, she often laughs and leave it to the imagination of the inquirer. She can currently be found in Annapolis.
Orillian Rainstorm Orillian Rainstorm or affectionately known as “Oro” for short is a North American Indian. He is known for his charm, wit, and ability to move among social circles even though his garb and demeanor should banish him to the corners of Elysium. He has been known as a problem solver and a patient kindred. Taking years, decades, and even centuries to watch his schemes hatch. A warrior in the fight against the Sabbat. He is known to have slain dozens of members of the hated rebellion and has been instrumental with incursions into New York. He has countless allies in every clan throughout North America. He has held every position with the exception of Prince.
Piscin Piscin: “If they bring up any of the Gangrel stuff, you tell them to fuck right off. That is my business. I'm the one *In Abstentia, not you. You are Malkavian, Aleya…blooded in a fit of fire and madness, a vision made flesh.” Pixi: “Yeah... your Gangrelness thing. I don't even pretend to understand. Can you explain what happened? Is this why you and the Clan are at odds?” Piscin: After a long pause, as her wolf’s eyes glow softly, and begin to swirl impossibly bright colors… “We grew frustrated with each other. We could not disagree in ways that taught anybody anything. I...embraced the madness. That wave carried me to the cliff’s edge, where I kept company with the echoes of my own laughter. I was unapologetic for it. I considered it sacred, enlightening.” “There are those of our blood who put down Malkavians who go 'too far.' I tried to show them, but my attempts were wild. They were as much about me lashing out as they should have been instructive, just as their responses were as much about defending their own paradigms as they could have been a dialogue. We all failed each other, I think.”
42
“It was halfhearted on my end, anyway. Years before Kelly claimed me I had begun to walk with the Gangrel. I felt more at home at their fires than I ever had, anywhere else. Their customs, while often brutal, made sense to me. And Kelly was ever guiding me - usually with riddles and by example, rarely with clear answers. “The parting seemed natural when it came. Originally, they named me *Inspirational, In Abstentia. When the time was right, I kept the *In Abstentia part and left their company behind.” Pixi: “So, they are disdaining you because you decided to choose your family? Or because you were getting too batshit? And I guess there’s no coming back from the Gangrel.” Piscin: “They disdained me long before that, in their own way. I don't know. I wasn't cast out, like Johnny G was. It's not like that....our blood is always moonlit no matter whether we are on speaking terms or not. I just....wandered away. “ Pixi: “Do you still hold any part of us in your heart?” Piscin: “Yes, I do. Gangrel is my Clan. It is the way of life I have chosen and the family that has chosen me. My blood is Malkavian; you're proof enough of that. Though even that evolves as I do. The tip of her tail begins to twitch and swish. Pixi: Wow, I guess Clan takes Clan seriously. Any diversion from the 'norm' is apparently met with extreme prejudice.” Piscin: “Even in a Clan that claims to venerate deviation. The short answer to your question, childe, is that I disappointed them as much as they disappointed me. I remember, but have left much of my ill-will behind. Some call me the halfblooded of the Half-Blood. In spirit and by blood, I walk both paths. My understanding of what that means is always becoming, and you...are another piece of that journey for me.” Pixi: “And my choice of Sect?” Piscin: Laughs aloud, long and hard. “…Is none of my concern, and a story for another time. The Clan has its beef with me, and so does the Tower. BUT. Anarchs believe in Free Will. Your choices are your own, as mine have been. Choose well, because the potential of what could have been will always echo.” RIP September 1st, 2013 Pixi Piscin embraced and left Pixi in the Angeles Forest, near Anaheim, CA, mere weeks before the nuke destroyed that city. Many months and miles later, she found her way to Mount Clare, ND where she earned her acknowledgement and Archon Black heard of her existence and who her infamous sire was, and went to check her out. Pixi’s blood was verified and Archon Black brought her back into society and re-introduced Piscin and Pixi. Since then, Pixi has chosen to reside in Cleveland, OH, where she has gained status and position. She always had her camera with her, trying to catch echoes of moments.
Preston Nevermore The family patriarch. The Nevermores Most, if not all, of the Nevermores are diehard Camarilla-loyal. Many of them are also very high Humanity. They seem to go everywhere and know everybody. Nevermores are remarkably lucid for Malkavians. As a rule, they acquit themselves well in public though they are often very informal. Interestingly, 43
many powerful Kindred –including archons and Justicars- take this in perfect stride, and treat them with equal informality. Alexander Exquemelin Nevermore Alexander is a researcher and a crafter. Splitting his times between books of the occult and his workshop, where he creates many gadgets, he is in a never ending search for knowledge about the supernatural side of things. In contrast with many occult scholars he also is fascinated with science and fact, especially when his machines are the subject. The last book he read was a XVIII-Century treaty on pendulums, and the last “creature” he built was a dirigible (so far, flying and well). Alexander was born to an English family living in Jamaica, but his home is Brasília in the city created by the Malkavian Clan in the mid-20th-century with the high ideal of having a city of everlasting peace, where anyone looking for a safe haven would be welcomed. Nonetheless he left the city for many years while the Domain was held by a Ventrue Prince and many local Malkavians began to mysteriously “vanish”. Even after the Malkavian Elder Jan Andre Van Eyck brought the peace back, Exquemelin didn´t return to Brasília, there was too much blood in Brasília´s lands, good memories tainted but bad memories. However that changed in 2012. In 2012, Jan Andre Van Eyck was killed and Exquemelin returned to the city, as if answering a call from the past. He needed to find out who did killed Van Eyck and bring them to justice. All the Malkavians that vanished throughout the years, Malkavians that he never had the chance to save, were now symbolized in this elder´s death. Following his dreams of justice, Exquemelin claimed praxis in Brasília, and has been successful so far. As a Prince his goals are to keep the Domain´s order and Peace, choosing agreement over punishment when possible. He has proclaimed that in his Domain fighting the Sabbat wouldn’t be the only goals, but that supporting the arts, cultivating humanity and seeking harmony would be rewarded as the higher goals. Ann Nevermore (aka Black Mariah) Black Mariah and Anna Nevermore was the same person; she never made an effort to hide it. She was the most recognizable and well known of the family, having held the throne in Washington DC and served twice as an Archon, to two separate Justicars (first to Lucian, then to di Zagreb). Christian Nevermore Resident of the Mid-Atlantic. Elias Nevermore Resident of San Fransisco. Jordan Nevermore Served his Halcyon Excellency, Justicar Art Morgan of Clan Gangrel for many years and was released honorably from service. Kate Nevermore Resident of the Mid-Atlantic. Solace Nevermore Resident of Florida.
Dr. Rorshack Tour Bus 44
Here on our right, ladies and gentlemen, is the Enigmatic DR. Rorshack. Yes he is THAT DR Rorshack...or rather, That Dr Rorschach was HIM. The little known, out of mainstream, researcher whose work with Ink Blots and the interpretation thereof was in fact a persona created with influence of the day. Having put the identity to rest, the good Doctor was amused that his work as that identity became famous post mortem. He changed the way he spelled it in day to day activities and moved on. On, but not away from the medical field or away from research on the mind, human or supernatural. But rather deeper into it, moving from Mental ward to Mental ward and Asylum to Asylum, Rorshack claims to have influenced or created all modern psychology. As Asylums go, perhaps the one he built in Westchester, NY where he came to prominence in kindred society is the most famous...or Infamous. A known bastion of both the Camarilla and Clan Malkav, the Asylum is known to have withstood many assaults both supernatural and mundane. The Doctor has recently vacated the Asylum...leaving to a relatively Unknown Malkavian. Without the good Doctor will it remain the edifice of insanity it was? That’s is another tour entirely. Where is the Doctor now? Please save all questions for the end of the tour in the Curiosity Shop and submit them in writing...
Samuel After his Sire's death in Chicago, Samuel, or “Sammy” as most refer to him, relocated to Florida, with a goal of reshaping the way the southeastern States thought of Malkavians. Under the tutelage of Orillian Rainstorm, Sammy served as Keeper of Elysium in St. Augustine for what is probably the second longest term for any Keeper in the modern day Camarilla. Despite his stutter, many ticks and terribly unstylish fedora, Samuel's success and leadership has allowed the Clan to begin rebuilding its presence in the Southeast. Samuel is very organized, reliable and lucid despite the chaotic nature of his Malkavian Blood. He constantly challenges others to find new ways to look at things, to consider alternative view points, and to “mix-it-up” even though he himself seems to live an incredibly plain unlife. He is publicly known to be kind and genial, though those that know him more personally have caught glimpses of the vicious and unforgiving attitude he has towards enemies of the Camarilla.
Shenevir Du Bois A long-time resident of the Mid Atlantic area, Sheniver duBois has survived and thrived in an infamously volatile and unstable region for quite some time. A former Prince of Washington DC and well-known adviser to city officers throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Sheniver is best known for her abilities to gather intelligence and solve complicated mysteries, as well as her ties to numerous Kindred, from powerful Camarilla Elders to Notorious Anarchs. Often considered an unlikely or even reluctant leader amid her clan as well as the Camarilla, Shen has persevered through numerous trials and tribulations, from inter-domain hostilities, to praxis conflicts, to full out Sabbat invasions. As famous for her curly mop of hair as her vast knowledge of lores and politics, while not always at the forefront of the Camarilla, or even her home Domain, Shen has been a patient sentinel of the Camarilla, Mid Atlantic and Clan Malkavian for a long time. Currently she resides in Northern Virginia as the Clan Primogen at this time.
St. Peter A song plays low and quiet in the back of the cobweb when he is near, a salutation, a warning. The angel is coming. His mad eyes reflecting the fire light, as the world around him burns. “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come and see!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.” A hero to the most fanatical of a sect of fanatics, he has spent most of his unlife waging war up and down the east coast and beyond. His burning great sword and passionate speech inflaming others, whipping them into frenzy, filling them with the need to burn, kill and destroy. “When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come and see!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.”
45
Known to be a member of the dangerous sect with in a sect, The Black Hand, he now spends most his nights slipping in and out of enemy domains for unknowable reasons. Whispering to those on the edges of society warnings of Gehenna., Occasionally helping or hindering the domain seemingly at random. “When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come and see!” I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” He raises armies in quiet places. Secret places. He stares into heaven, his locked on his red star. He waits for the world to end, for his war to come at last.
Dr. Thornton Emerging late 2003, this psychologist served as a Primogen from '04 to '06 in Springfield, Illinois. He wore a silver long coat, which quickly earned the nickname Dr. Shinycoat, which has become a reputational reference. In December of '06, he was accused of being in league with the Sabbat and took into hiding after he willingly confirmed joining them. Since then, he has earned a Bloodhunt in Cedar Falls, Iowa and openly calls himself a Necronomist. His social activity caused many to have mixed feelings about him despite the various rumors from kidnapping other Malkavians to helping them. Thornton also willingly discussed his experiments with whomever was courageous enough to ask. Allegedly RIP April 21, 2013
Tristão, the Damned Actor Depressive, bitter and dramatic; this is Tristão. This Malkavian seems to have come from the place where the saddest play by Shakespeare and the darkest tale by E. A. meet. This is the type of comment that comes from those who have heard his long and boring discourses, full with two or three centuries of anachronism. Anyone who has seen the Actor, even by a glimpse, would associate his bare feet and extravagant clown make up with some lost member of some troupe of “Théâtre des Vampires.” He seems to see the world as some big stage, where he is the protagonist and all the “others” are merely assistants, committed to give anything, even their (non)lives, for the glory of the show. He is French, but what else is true in this his story? Tristão tells a new dramatic version of the moments of his life, removing and adding facts, increasing and decreasing his age, and changing the identity of his Sire every time a Kindred asks about his past. In the end, the whole thing looks like a puzzling mix of elements from a horror movie with the theatrical classics, creating more doubts than certainties. As any good actor (“The best of all time,” in his own words) does, Tristão changes the character he is interpreting from time to time: child, monster, prophet, vampire, Malkavian; it has been like this for years. He made his curse a gift, to learn something new with every character done, becoming one of the most versatile Kindred of Society. But at the same time, his gift became his curse, for when all the masks are removed, all that is going to be left is a pile of nothing.
The Twilight~ Judge Inquisitor of the Sabbat “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Revelations 6:8 Woe to those who cross its path. Woe to all regardless of sect, who find themselves in the ire of such a creature. Its name is whispered across the salons of the Camarilla and with equal trepidation, across the esbats of the Sabbat. The Twilight~ is come, and death comes with him.
46
Though its reputation has grown greatly within the past decade, it is unclear just how old this creature is. Most believe it to have risen from some time long past in the forgotten epochs of history, but others go so far as to say that it is the embodiment of the Revelation’s passage that herald such a creature; if not he personally, then surely his pack. The Twilight~ is a Malkavian of curiously modest height and frame, but his prestige towers above most of his peers. He serves as the pack priest of the world renowned pack Pale Horse, and is the close person friend and comrade of another horrifying Malkavian St. Peter. It is reported to be a very devout Catholic, and shows a willingness to slay any in the name of “God and Caine”. Unlike St. Peter though, this creature doesn’t seem to pose much of a threat to the Camarilla, as it spends most of its time in Montreal, Mexico City, or the many grand esbats called across the globe, scourging heretics within its own sect, in Caine’s name with his beloved Iron Reliquary. Those of the Sabbat would do best to fear him, for even his Inquisitor colleagues suggest he calm his fanaticism. Other Malkavians know him by another presence though. When he is not actively trying to suppress the network around him, he appears as a shroud-covered chainwrapped blood-soaked reaper, loudly condemning the network itself. All in all though, this creature is best avoided, as its madness shall never be truly sated. This world will never be what The Twilight~ believes Caine wants to see when he finally rises, and as the final nights draw closer, the Malkavian’s attempts to cleanse it, will surely consume anything in its path, before finally taking The Twilight~ with it.
Vinicius 'the Writer' Rosenbaum Writer, a.k.a. Vinícius Rosenbaum (:~1800) Brazilian archon. Romantic poet, a rose gone mad before the harvesting. Always writing his notes, about the past, the present and the future. No one knows how Maris convinced him to become archon, but he doesn't seem happy about it...
Zack, the Jack What about Zack? If you ask, he will talk and talk and go on and on and digress and eventually after much being said nothing comes out. Or if you ask him about some kindred embraced as a noble that burps about his blue blood everywhere, particularly some Ventrue, he can just talk about decapitating Kings in his mortal day in France after his youth in Italy and how he thinks this could be a good start to deal with the problem... No, that's not right. He doesn't do or condone this kind of action anymore. He was in Milan when Saint John Bosco spoke about his Dream of a land where he and every kindred could achieve Peace, amongst themselves and the mortals. He pursued this Dream since then, with most of his lineage, the descendants of Jan Andre Van Eyck. He came to Brazil in the turn of the 20th century, helped amass billions of dollars to build their dream, and finally saw the concrete fruit of their collective efforts coming true with the founding of Brasilia. He passed unscathed through the persecutions during the Dictatorship, and was there again when things cleared out. Personally, he just doesn't seems to have... coherence... His allies and even his enemies would agree he is cunning and can create amazing plans, and you would almost forget he is a Malkavian (if not for the Horus Eye tattooed on his left eye and his white powdered face) but sometimes he is prone to silly mistakes and bumbling demeanor not fit someone of his age. He is focused and a perfectionist – too much – but then he can get air-headed and careless. Anyway, he doesn't quite match any expectations, for bad or for worse. In general, he almost always holds some position at court, usually a Primogen, but sometimes Harpy, or Seneschal. That is, until his next blunder...
47
Lighting the Fire In the spring of 2011 something happened. There are a variety of theories depending on who you speak to, but there are a few things that are consistent, if not clear. On March 25, 2011 a vision rocked the world hitting Malkavians, seers, prophets, madmen and scholars. Visions of flame, war and the beat of ages hammered into the minds of those throughout the world and on its heels followed fire and brimstone. The next year had an influx of infernalism, consternation amongst the Sects and change within the Clan. It seemed that something about the Malkavian’s Discipline of Dementation had taken root more firmly in the mind of those who learned it. Some sensed it immediately, others over time, and some know nothing of it to this day, but the ability to catalyze insanity in others gained a price, insanity in the user. After the spring nothing was the same, but are the changes complete?
The effect is spontaneous, occurring with absolutely no warning. One moment the Cobweb is filled with its general cacophony of traffic, the next... =FLASH= The night sky scorched with factory smoke and gaslight. The stench of poor sanitation, too many people packed into tenements. The smell of charcoal, foundries and mills blending with the overall stench, morphing into a charnel pit of burning bodies, of burning cities. A Cloaked Figure walks unseen through the streets, through streets which seem to shift from location to location: here an ancient city, there a feudal village, elsewhere a modern American suburb. It walks with steady slowness, keeping the rhythm with a steady TAP-TAP-TAP of Its scythe as It leads a translucent, spectral ox-cart behind It. Your heart beats to the rhythm of Its tapping as the image slowly begins to fade and shift... =FLASH= The blood and heat and madness of battle after battle. Horrifying sights and sounds as Jerusalem fell. Atrocities, committed by Kindred and Kine alike, the echoing screams of women and children who were granted nothing resembling quarter or mercy. Madness, pure and nearly excruciating in its intensity, permeates every fiber of your being. You feel the cold desert nights, taste the coppery tang of blood in the air, smell the burning sacked cities, and for a brief moment you stand with the swarm of Brethren who hurried to the Holy Land to answer the Call in the aftershock of the madness there. The smell of the burning bodies and burning homes lingers in your nostrils. A visored Knight tastes the senselessness of the violence and, for the first time, feels nothing. He butchers another silently unyielding woman and dreams of... =FLASH= A gray city sprawls far beyond its famed seven hills. Its once inspirational beauty is buried beneath the grime of centuries of corruption and madness, the blood of all-too-brief Emperors and the Sacrificial Nameless alike. You watch through sad eyes as a madman plays a joyful melody on his fiddle while the flames break across the cityscape. You marvel briefly that the destruction brings a beauty to the city which hasn’t been seen in ages. A veiled Woman in archaic finery stares through the scene playing itself out before her, the Present and Future layering themselves on top of one another while she remembers the Past...
48
=FLASH= A small family of Brethren make plaintive entreaties to their long-forgotten gods and to their Progenitors as they are led to sacrificial fires. Survivors dragging themselves across the desert screaming without end. A Lord’s request for wise counsel; a Wise Woman’s intense response. The Lifeblood of Sires pouring over the lips of their Childer; the flesh of Childer feeling soft and pliant on the teeth of their Sires. Carnage. Flames. Destruction. The joy of chaos emanating from a Man who walks unmolested through the streets of the besieged city, bringing the fires of passion to all whom He passes. The scrape of nails in the dark and a soft keening in the back of the throat echo throughout every passage of your mind. =FLASH=
(OOC: All Malkavians sense the following) The sounds of war slam home with the intensity of a modern steam engine. Artillery smoke wafts languidly across the battlefield. Shouts and screams echo throughout your ears as both sides dig in and prepare for a long fight. (OOC: Sabbat Malkavians sense the following) Cannons explode the ground around you as you watch men not 10 feet from you become a mass of flesh and stilltwitching muscle and tendons. The urge to feed is almost as overwhelming as the desire to see your dream of a Free America come to fruition. Your blue uniform is covered in gore, and it reinvigorates you as your unit seemed just on the verge of flagging. The flames of a nearby farm, too strategically important to lose to the enemy, light the open fields more than enough to display the enemy’s advance. (OOC: Camarilla Malkavians sense the following) Desperation is an acrid taste in your mouth. How quickly the battle has turned! Your deployment was perfect, your strategies sound. Your gray uniform is stained and torn, the mortal men around you near to starving. The wails of the wounded carry across the field, and the closeness of the last cannonball brings you dangerously close to Rötschreck. (OOC: Autark and Otherwise Independent Malkavians sense the following) You watch from the nearby farm as both sides tread close to victory, only to see the tide turn time and again. Too curious to stay away but determined to remain uninvolved, you watch from the shadows. Some watch silently; others place hushed bets upon the outcome. Whichever the case, not a single one of you notices the danger until the dry wood has offered itself fully to the fire. The heat rises. The smoke obscures your physical vision. Your supernatural vision, however, remains somehow as clear as crystal. You watch as you have always watched, although this time you watch your own Final Death. (OOC: All Malkavians sense the following) An ancient Slavic Wolf creeps unnoticed to the side of the farmhouse’s barn. In a blur of motion the wolf shifts to a short, wiry and otherwise nondescript Man with piercing gray eyes. His joy is a silent thing as He lights the first fires on the building, watching the tiny flames catch and spread. Section by section He continues, completely unnoticed, until the entirety of the barn becomes a blazing beacon in the tumultuous night. The man takes a small moment to survey and appreciate His work before shifting back into the form of a Slavic Wolf. He leaves as silently and as unnoticed as he arrived.
=FLASH= Bloated bodies lying on streets and carts. The keening wails of children clutching to their dead mothers, choking up in their throat as the buboes begin to appear on and in them. The madness of terror taking root in suspicions and superstitions, building up into a discordant symphony of reactionary horrors: self-flagellation, persecution, insurrection, 49
armed response. And fire. Always the fire. A loving and attentive Woman watches the display. After what seems like hours, however, She slowly turns her attention away until Her face seems to focus directly upon you. For the first time you begin to lose the feeling of being a part of the shifting scenes and realize that you are you...and that She has seen you. She advances toward you with a confident slowness, smiling disarmingly as She closes the distance. Her lips move in conversation, but the words are lost to you in the vastness of Her presence. A pale hand reaches up to touch your cheek, stilling your remaining fears as She leans forward to kiss you on the forehead. The Cobweb, the World, your Forehead, your Mind -- everything you know -- erupts in Fire as the vision fades. The ashes rain from the sky and, for a brief moment, seem to form a single word: CHOOSE.
50
Section VIII: Merits / Flaws There are a variety of merits and flaws that are specific for or very appropriate for Malkavian characters.
Name
Pt
M/F
Source
Page
Uncanny
1
Flaw
GtLC
189
Feeding Fetish
1
Flaw
Time of the Thin Blood
79
Stigmata
2
Flaw
CbM [Rev]
66
Moon Mad
2
Flaw
GtLC
186
Compulsive Counter
2
Flaw
Time of the Thin Blood
79
Infectious
3
Flaw
CbM [Rev]
66
Glossolalia
3
Flaw
LS:4
112
Wanderlust
4
Flaw
GtLC
186
Suicidal Beast
6
Flaw
GtLC
186
Benevolent Blood
1
Merit CbM [Rev]
64
Immaculate Aura
1
Merit CbM [Rev]
64
Harmless
1
Merit GtLC
187
Sanguine Lucidity
1
Merit GtLC
186
Flock
3
Merit GtLC
186
Deadened Nerves
4
Merit CbM [Rev]
65
Abomination
4
Merit GtLC
189
Disembodied Mentor
5
Merit CbM [Rev]
65
Sympathetic Bond
5
Merit CbM [Rev]
66
Blessed
5
Merit LS:4
112
5 4
GtLC – Guide to the Low Clans CbM [Rev] – Clanbook: Malkavian [Revised) LS:4 - Libellus Sanguinis 4 (Thieves in the Night)
51
OWBN Merits and Flaws Some custom Merits and Flaws have been introduced in OWBN. Name
Pt
M/F
Name
Pt
M/F
Mad Blood
1
Merit
Castrated
1
Flaw
Father's Voice
1
Merit
Third for Madness
1
Flaw
Conductor
2
Merit
Easily Overcome
2
Flaw
Shrouded Moon
2
Merit
Hyperaesthesia
2
Flaw
Subtle Whispers
2
Merit
Lack of Time Sense
2
Flaw
Calling of the Blood
3
Merit
Secret Masters
2
Flaw
Addiction - Medication
3
Flaw
Chorus
3
Flaw
Naivete
3
Flaw
Outburst
3
Flaw
Vessel of Malkav
3
Thrice-Cursed
4
Flaw
Raving Lunatic
7
Flaw
4
Flaw
Shrouded Moon (0 point Merit) Unlike most Malkavians with Multiple Personalities, your mind is split in precisely such a way that at least one of your personalities is completely unconnected to the Cobweb. This personality is still Malkavian, possessing the deranged insight of the Clan and all of the attendant Disciplines, but is simply isolated from the Network. This personality may never actively use Malkavian Time, but neither is he affected by it in any way. He does not hear the Call, he never hears voices (from the Network, that is), and if he is the dominant personality at the time of your Final Death, your death scream will never be heard on the Network. This personality can be dominant, at most, 50% of the time. Any personality more dominant would inevitably have some connection to the Cobweb. Note that many Malkavians will detest a character with this merit, seeing him as others see all Malkavians: enigmatic, unreliable and a dangerous loose cannon. Those Malkavians who are religiously loyal to Malkav have been known to hunt down and kill Shrouded Moons, supposedly in the interest of clan unity.
Mad Blood (1 point Merit) In most situations the blood of Malkavians causes insanity, but only over time to ghouls and to childe who are granted the full measure of its blessing and curse. For some few Malkavians the spark of madness in their blood is more potent such that any who partake of their blood feel a ghost of the insanity of the Clan of the Moon. Anyone who drinks from the Malkavian gains a temporary Derangement for every two Blood Traits they drink. These Derangements last as long as the Blood is in their system and then for a scene/hour afterward. Oftentimes these Derangements are those possessed by the Malkavian, but not always.
52
Father's Voice (1 point Merit) While your Malkavian brothers and sisters may imagine voices from ghosts, ancient vampires and even mechanical devices, you know who's really in charge, and he speaks to you. Thanks to your intense dedication to a single father figure (or occasionally, mother figure), all of the murmurs of the Cobweb coalesce into a single resounding voice in your mind. This voice is different for each Malkavian, but it always remains consistent; you may hear God, Malkav, your sire, or your mortal father, but you hear the same voice each time. The voice is not always influenced by the Cobweb, and is sometimes merely a product of your deranged mind. This can make its statements and commands contradictory at times. Nonetheless, it is much easier to focus on one voice than many; you are up two Traits in any Malk Time Challenges to understand what is coming in through the MMN. If and when it occurs to you to send a message to another Malkavian along the Cobweb, your message will be sent in the voice of your 'father'.
Conductor (2 point Merit) Your ability to broadcast your thoughts and feeling amongst the cobweb is unusually powerful amongst the Malkavians. For the purposes of clarity, strength, and distance of your messages on the MMN your Malk Time is considered to be one higher, this can effectively put a character one Trait past his/her generational maximum for this singular type of effect. This does not affect their ability to receive, understand, or interpret the Cobweb.
Subtle Whispers (2 point Merit) The Curse of Malkav is as strong in you as in any Malkavian, but your own indomitable ego is just as strong. Your adamant refusal to “hear voices like a lunatic” has pushed the voices of the Cobweb down into your subconscious. Instead of audible voices, therefore, you often develop random desires and revelations inspired by the subtle influence of the Network. You don't hear the voices, but they still give you information (the source of which you'll later wonder about). You may not consciously broadcast along the Network unless you possess the appropriate Discipline power, and you subtract two Traits from any Challenge to hear the Call, to reflect the time it takes for the information to filter into your conscious mind. On the upside, you are completely immune to all negative effects of the Cobweb.
Calling of the Blood (3 point Merit) The blood of other Malkavian seems to call out to you. When conferring with a Kindred, it immediately becomes apparent to you if they are Malkavian as well - a useful trick if someone else proclaims themselves as one of Malkav's blood.
Castrated (1 point Flaw) Through a government eugenics program or a private ‘care giver’s’ decision, the character was castrated in life before the Embrace. While this should have little bearing on kindred, the physical pain, social stigma if this condition becomes known, and emotional impact may yet have a hold on the character (if this will not affect the character in any way, naturally if this would not affect the character then this should not be taken as a Flaw.)
Thirst for Madness (2 point Flaw) This Flaw cannot be taken by Malkavians For some reason certain individuals are particularly susceptible to the touch of Madness in the blood of Malkavians. For these few the Thirst for Madness is like an addiction. Anytime such an individual is presented with an opportunity to drink the blood of Malkavian they must succeed in a Self-Control Challenge against three Traits or drink from the 53
Malkavian. Beyond the normal effects of Blood Bonds and the like, those with a Thirst for Madness gain a Derangement for every three Traits of Blood they drink after the first. These Derangements last for as long as the blood is in their system and for a scene/hour afterwards. Therefore, the first Blood Traits grants them one Derangement, the fourth a second, seventh a third, etc.
Easily Overcome (2 point Flaw) Your insanity is overwhelming and debilitating. You may never spend a Willpower point to resist any of your Derangements, like other Malkavians can. This includes permanent and temporary derangements.
Hyperaesthesia (2 point Flaw) The character is extremely sensitive to external stimuli, though it may not be to the extent of Auspex's power of Heightened Senses. If the character attempts to use Heightened Senses, the effect of overexposure to bright lights, loud noises, and other overpowering sensations are doubled and even normal sensations can become too much to bear. This sensitivity does not increase the character's sensory acuity, only the effect of the sensation - a character is pained by moderately bright light, but is not enabled to see in the dark by this Flaw.
Lack of Time Sense (2 point Flaw) The character does not register the passage of time the way others do. When asked to wait for an hour, the character may wait for a minute or an entire night. Timepieces alone may fail to help, as the character doesn't realize time has passed and forgets to check them. Needless to say, a character who is in danger of losing track of time may become desperately hungry or unprepared for dawn.
Secret Masters (2 point flaw) Your extensive conspiracy theories and general paranoia have convinced you that the voices you hear in the Cobweb are coming from the secret masters of the planet. What's more, they are being conveyed through common household devices such as computer monitors, telephones and radios. Needless to say, this makes you a little wary of heeding the voices. You are aware that the voices are sometimes honest and helpful, but you are sure that this is only to lull you into a false sense of security. For an hour after hearing the voices, you are edgy and nervous and are down one Trait to any Self-Control Challenge to resist frenzy. Additionally, when you hear the Call and decide to heed it, you must spend a Willpower to avoid coming prepared for the worst; depending on your character this could mean surrounding yourself with protective circles or bringing a dozen obfuscated bodyguards. The more likely scenario is that you'll run like hell from the Call and not look back. At the Storyteller's discretion, you may be able to escape the Cobweb by avoiding technology. On the other hand, you may begin hearing voices from hidden bugs or robot pigeons. In reality, the situation isn't likely to come up, considering the city-bound nature of most Cainites.
Addiction - Medication (3 point Flaw) Medication in the blood of vessels will not normally aid Malkavians in resisting their primary Derangement. However, a character who has become dependent on medications will develop the symptoms the drugs were intended to cover up, above and beyond the character's Derangement. Antipsychotic and antidepressant medications form the most common dependencies in 54
Malkavians, but it's possible for older Malkavians to have dependencies on outmoded treatments for mental illness, such as carbon dioxide or insulin therapies. Needlessly subjecting vessels to medical treatments and their side effects for the sole purpose of feeding off them may cause problems with Humanity.
Chorus (3 point Flaw) Your twisted self-image imposes itself on the voices from the Cobweb. Where other Malkavians hear disparate voices with various points of view and attitudes, all of your voices seem to agree that you are worthless, and word their messages accordingly. You receive information from the Cobweb normally, but the voices you hear speak only in accusations and threats. They also tend to gang up on you, coming in groups of three or four at a time and harassing you to the best of their ability. Since the voices' insults are products of your own mind, they can contain information that only you know, which makes their attacks all the more terrifying. Whenever voices speak to you from the Cobweb, you must make a Courage test against three Traits. If you fail this test, you will flee the voices and attempt to hide, ignoring any obstacles in your path. Additionally, when you receive the Call, the voices will not leave you alone until you arrive at the place of the meeting (even if the meeting is not for another week). The voices will start in again if you leave before the meeting is complete. While enduring such harassment, you have a -2 penalty on all Challenges to resist frenzy.
Naiveté (3 point Flaw) Through a physical condition, such as fetal alcohol syndrome or similar birth defect, the character is susceptible to the deceptions of others. The character may be mentally retarded, but the implicit trust the character shows to complete strangers (or even known enemies) goes beyond this. The character is down 2 Traits on any Challenges to be convinced of something.
Outburst (3 point Flaw) You do not hear voices; rather, you speak words, cryptic and frightening words that you don't understand. You can't control the words either; the babbling can happen the instant you awaken in your haven, while court is being held in Elysium, or even in the middle of a firefight. In any situation where other Malkavians would hear voices from the Cobweb, the character begins uncontrollably babbling. The Storyteller writes the babble ahead of time, but ideally the player is able to portray the Outburst. The babbling may last anywhere from a single turn to an entire scene (in extreme cases), during which time the Malkavian is down one Trait on all Challenges due to the distraction.
Vessel of Malkav (3-4 point Flaw) You are truly blessed among all Malkavians. Untroubled by the fetters of Ego, you are able to submerge your mind completely in the Cobweb, making you a puppet for the Clan's will (and perhaps that of Malkav himself). Certain other Malkavians may hold you in high esteem and even envy you, but of him to whom much is given, much is required. Whenever you make a Malkavian Time test or hear voices from the Cobweb, you must make a Self-Control test against 3 Traits. If both tests succeed, the character hears the message of the Cobweb like any other Malkavian. If the Malkavian Time test succeeds and the Self-Control test fails, the character is overtaken for a full scene by the collective will of the
55
Cobweb. During this time, the Storyteller takes control of the character. If the Malkavian Time test fails, this Flaw does not come into play. The possessed character may have any bizarre goal the Storyteller cares to assign it, but such goals are neither sensible nor humorous. Rather, they are instinctive reactions to the voices. The situation of the character has no bearing on the voices, and even a character in the middle of a life-threatening situation will heed the voices if they demand, say, peaceful contemplation. Note that a character cannot enter frenzy in this state, but may enter Rötschreck (only from fire or sunlight). This will effectively end the possession. Characters who take this flaw at 3 points will act only on the whispers of the Cobweb, while those who take it at four points will act on those whispers and develop one severe, uncontrollable Derangement (chosen by the Storyteller each time the character is 'possessed'). Either way, the character must possess at least two dots in Malkavian Time to take this Flaw, and is often well regarded by other Malkavians.
Thrice-Cursed (4 point Flaw) While all members of Malkav's blood are deranged, you are extremely so. You begin the game with at least three Derangements. Note: You do not gain additional points for the extra Derangements.
Raving Lunatic (7 point Flaw) In your deranged state, you are a raving, howling maniac, and others have locked you up for your own safety. You begin the game with at least four Derangements, and are down two Traits on all non-Dementation Social Challenges. Note: You do not gain additional points for the extra Derangements. This may, at ST’s discretion, be downgraded to “ThriceCursed” with appropriate work and experience points.
56
Section IX: Combination Disciplines The following are suggested MET conversions for Malkavian-related combo disciplines. Note that each combo discipline listed below references whether it was created by a player or found in White Wolf-published source material – in this case, Archons and Templars, Counsel of Primogen, Player’s Guide to the Low Clans, Libellus Sanguinis IV, Road of Humanity and LotN: Anarch Guide. Storytellers, please bear these sources in mind when approving the purchase of these combo disciplines! The combo disciplines from Archons and Templars, in particular, are listed in this packet primarily as a ST resource for NPCs – they are not intended for PC use (unless, of course, the PC is an Archon or Templar). Please remember that all Combination Disciplines that require Dementation still fall under the same restrictions for that Discipline – anyone with a Combination Discipline that involves must have at least one permanent Derangement. Rarity - Since the Malkavian Clan is much more fluid -- and much less hierarchical -- than others, the Rarity system presented here does not function as it does in more rigid Clan structures. These are instead suggestions, guidelines for the general rarity of Malkavian Combination Disciplines to accompany the much larger compilation we've included in this genre packet revision. The goal of this rarity system is not to create an IC approval hierarchy so much as to provide a resource to both Storytellers and Players that explains how common these combination disciplines should be within OWbN and World of Darkness genre. Note: Because Camarilla Malkavians have so recently come back into their possession of Dementation, these combinations disciplines are somewhat rarer amongst them. Conversely, the Antitribu have never lost the discipline. For Malkavian Antitribu, all Dementation-based combination disciplines are to be considered more common within the Sabbat.
Dementation Combination Disciplines (and non-Malkavians) Malkavians are certainly not a unified group in most matters and teaching combination disciplines is no exception. While many kooks are willing to teach Dementation, sometimes as a prank as much as anything else, those willing to teach the tricks of the trade (Combination Disciplines) are far rarer.
Note – Please Notify at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1MiOd5wzBXBd10Vp6WYHEWOg943b3cZdFRWvGI4YQy9s/viewform Any non-Malkavian’s learning Combination disciplines that have Dementation as one of the base disciplines are Coord Notify. Also, any custom Dementation Combination disciplines learned or created are also Coord Notify, just so that I can keep track of what’s floating around out there.
57
We at Team Malk strongly support the right for Storytellers to have the final say in restrictions. With the exception of the Note above and the description of rarity “A” and “HG” below, we leave the combination discipline purchases of Malkavians to the discretion of chronicle STs. If you as a player or a Storyteller have questions or comments about these Combos, please feel free to contact us at
[email protected] 1
Once a Malkavian has been around the block a while and has learned the basics of the family’s history (Malk Lore x1), they are usually capable of discovering the existence of these powers.
2
These Kooks have come into their own within the Clan and within the world. They are knowledgeable about the family (Malk Lore x2-3) and have settled into their Sect and their surroundings. After a few years in one place they are ready to learn more...and hear about slightly more obscure resources.
3
These powers are usually (but not always!) reserved for those few who have not only learned of the family, but survived and learned of the world around them. To those who have survived for years and who know of the family (Malk Lore x 4-5) may find family members more and more willing to teach them.
A
These powers are found within the Anarch Guide and must have the approval of the Anarch Coord. They are in this packet to provide a suggested mechanic for powers that fit within the general style of Malkavian genre and we hope you have fun with them if you end up with them on your sheet.
X
These powers are found within Archons and Templars, and should not be learned unless the character is an Archon or Templar at the time of instruction. While they are not to be considered Malkavian-Only combination disciplines, they are designed for a specific tier within Camarilla and Sabbat hierarchies and should not be spread to PCs beyond those tiers.
HG
The Malkavians are not a clan with grand traditions and knowledge passed down through the ages; they are a clan which changes from moment to moment. These powers are those of the moment -- the now: of the individuals who exist and have grown in these nights. Only those who can trace their instruction to the progenitors of these powers can learn these secrets (i.e., these are Player-Created – also called “HomeGrown”— combination disciplines, and can only be learned from characters who can trace the progression of instruction back to the original creator).
58
Rarity Name
Source
Anticipatory Locution
Archons and Templars, p. 142
X
–
X
Anticipatory Visage
Archons and Templars, p. 142
X
–
X
Catch a Whiff of Madness
Counsel of Primogen, p. 102
1
3
3
Chaos Fold
Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide, p. 57
–
A
–
Enemy Within
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Entice
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Eye of the Enlightened Storm
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Feeding the Seeds
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Feral Thoughts
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Game of Madness
HG
HG
HG
A
A
A
In the Murderer’s Mind
Home-Grown Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide, p. 58 Player’s Guide to the Low Clans, p. 161 Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Maddening Halo
Player's Guide to the Low Clans, p. 162
3
3
2
Madman's Quill
Libellus Sanguinis 4, p. 110
3
3
2
Manicanese
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Memory Rift
Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide, p. 60
–
A
–
Mending the Mirror
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Mind’s Eye
Archons & Templars, p. 143
X
–
X
Mortal Skin
Road of Humanity, p. 71
2
3
3
Phobic Affliction
Counsel of Primogen, p. 102
2
3
3
Prison of the Mind
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Prophecy
Libellus Sanguinis 4, p. 109
3
3
2
Quicken Sight
Archons and Templars, p. 140
X
–
X
Random Patterns
Archons and Templars, p. 141
X
–
X
Respite of Lucidity
Player’s Guide to the Low Clans, p. 163
3
3
3
Sensory Overload
Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide, p. 61
–
A
–
Tenebrous Veil
Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide, p. 65
–
A
–
Time Bomb
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Vanishing
Libellus Sanguinis 4, p. 111
3
3
2
View the Psychic Drama
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
What Thoughts Are Mine
Home-Grown
HG
HG
HG
Whispers of Loathing
Player’s Guide to the Low Clans, p. 167
3
3
2
Guardian Vigil
Camarilla Anarch
59
Sabbat
Anticipatory Locution Auspex 4, Obfuscate 3, Anticipatory Visage
10 XP
MET System: Whenever you give a brief answer to someone you are successfully employing Anticipatory Visage against, make a Static Social Challenge, retesting with Subterfuge. Success means the target hears whatever they would have expected from who you appear to be, while failing means they heard what you actually said. Long conversations or more interrogative questions will make this power ineffective (storyteller decision).
Anticipatory Visage Auspex 4, Obfuscate 3
12 XP
MET System: Expend a Blood Trait and makes a static Mental Challenge versus the target, retesting with Investigation. If successful, you assume a Mask of a Thousand Faces of someone the target is most expecting for that situation. You are not aware of the mask you wear, nor do you gain any insight to their personality or memories through use of this power. It can be pierced just like a normal Mask of a Thousand Faces.
Catch a Whiff of Madness Auspex 3, Dementation 2
8 XP
MET System: This power will not work if the Malkavian has no sense of smell and he can be overcome by especially pungent odors when using this power. The Malkavian has to specify before the Challenge which of three things he smells for: a Negative Mental Trait, a Derangement, or a Blood Bond. In any case, the Malkavian makes a Static Mental perception based Challenge versus the target (there is a 3 Trait penalty for detecting Blood Bonds). Empathy is the retest. If successful, the Malkavian will learn either one negative Mental Trait, a Derangement, or a Blood Bond (if they exist). This power will not reveal whom the bond is to, although that can be determined through more common means.
Chaos Fold Dementation 5, Dominate 4
12 XP
MET System: As per Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide.
Enemy Within Auspex 4, Dementation 2, Dominate 3
16 XP
This was developed by the PC, Thornton. In order for another character (PC or NPC) to learn this power, they must be able to trace their knowledge back to Dr. Thornton. While psychology over time has shown how the mind reacts to stimuli in interestingly variable ways, this discipline takes advantage of the basis behind muscular use controlled by the brain. By the sheer overwhelming of the mind's control through the nervous system, the subject finds their body fighting against itself from the inside, with no way to resist the internal damage without completely locking up the body; causing muscles to pull against each other, tearing at tendons, and locking up joints. Blades and bullets are not the only weapons when one’s mind can be convinced that its own body is the enemy. System: To unleash this power upon another, line of sight (unaided; it will not work through remote cameras, rituals, etc., but while manifested from Psychic Projection or while in Possession) from user to target must be established, expend a Blood Trait and a Willpower, entering a contested Mental Challenge with your target, retests being Psychology. 60
If the Challenge is successful, the user may then expend a number of Mental Traits up to half their permanent Willpower rating (rounded down) to cause that many levels of Lethal damage to the target, which only one point can only be soaked (i.e. Resistance, as all the damage is considered from a single source), but may be prevented with powers that grant an immunity from damage. Limitations are that it is ineffective against non-bodied beings (Astral Projecting, Soul Stolen, Wraiths, etc.), and has no effect on those in an incapacitated state. Their mind is too dormant to cause it to fight against the body. It also has an interesting side-effect on those possessing a being; all damage done to the “suit” with this power is not sympathetically taken by the possessor. NOTE: Access to this power through Possession would be at the 4-Trait level along with Dementation.
Entice Presence 4, Animalism 2, Auspex 2
10 XP
This power was developed by Anastasia Koslov. Anyone learning this Combination Discipline must be able to trace their learning back to her. MET System: By uttering a phrase or a cry for help, you can summon a group of Mortals (normal humans ONLY, no ghouls, kinfolk, hedge mages, mages, or other semi-mortal supernaturals) to your side. Whatever the phrase or cry is, it must be appropriate to the group you are trying to call. For example, if you are a female trying to entice male college students, you might call out, “Oh my God, I am soooo drunk!” Someone attempting to summon firemen might simply yell “Fire!” There is no guarantee that anyone you Entice will come prepared with any weapons or equipment (firemen may not arrive in full uniform on a truck, for example). Though humans called by this power do not fall under your control automatically, they are at least favorably inclined towards you. You must expend a Social Trait for each human that you summon. Only humans that can hear the summon can respond. You may be as specific as you desire within the category of summoned humans. For instance, you may choose to summon all the police officers in the area, or just the males, or just the blonde ones, or just the ones named Bob. You may also summon a specific human known to you, but they must be within hearing range of the call, but you may use any devices to augment the sound of your voice. You only expend a number of Socials up to the number of appropriate individuals that hear your voice. If no individuals of the appropriate type are within hearing distance, no Social Traits are spent. Humans summoned with this power may take some time to arrive. Your Storyteller will determine the capabilities of the human(s) summoned. Humans summoned with this power remain as long as they are not attacked or threatened (within their perception of what threatened feels like), or until the scene ends. You can use other Disciplines normally to command or control the humans called. The humans called can be used for any task, from feeding to carrying out tasks, at Storyteller Discretion.
Eye of the Enlightened Storm Dementation 5, Presence 5
15 XP
This power was developed by Sheniver Du Bois. Anyone learning this Combination Discipline must be able to trace their learning back to her. Description: No longer content to simply sway the emotions of the common throng, you have learned to ply your mastery of Dementation to unlock the barriers that hold back the innate madness of people. You are a storm crow of 61
the mad and in your presence the insane are powerless to hide behind their finely constructed charades of sanity, a beacon of enlightenment in a fake, false world. Mechanics: By expending a Willpower Trait, you are able to exert the power for the duration of a scene or an hour. The power affects everyone within 10 feet of the user provided victims can see or otherwise are aware of the user's presence therefore blindness offers no defense. While under the effects of the power all non-active Derangements and psychological flaws the victim possesses become active with a successful Social Challenge (retest Empathy). This power has no effect on active Derangements. Likewise, the power does not bestow any Derangements as it only activates nonactive Derangements. Therefore this power has no effect on characters with no Derangements. People under the effects of the power may resist activated Derangements using the normal rules for suppressing Derangements as per Laws of the Night Revised pg 212. Generally this being one Willpower Trait expended to resist a one active Derangement. The user of this power is not affected by it, though they themselves may be quite mad and not showing it at the time. Unlike Majesty, the user of the power is not readily obvious. Nor is the user of the power under any special protections from the people around them.
Feeding the Seeds Animalism 3, Dementation 2
9xp
This power was created by Dr. Guerre. Anyone learning this Combination Discipline must be able to trace their learning back to him. By reaching out to the darkness within another soul a Malkavian who knows the skills to quell its rage can also sing sweet songs to bring some of the soul’s darkness to the surface. MET System: By initiating a Social Challenge (retest Empathy) with an individual within line of sight, the Malkavian may activate a Derangement or Psychological Flaw that the target has for the remainder of the scene/hour. The Malkavian does not need to know what Derangement(s) (if any) the target has to initiate this power. If the Malkavian does know one of the target’s Derangement(s) he may bid that Derangement instead of a Social Trait in the initial Challenge. If a Malkavian fails to use Feeding the Seeds on a target he may not attempt to use it on that person again for the remainder of the evening.
Feral Thoughts Animalism 1, Auspex 4
6xp
This power was created by the PC Anastasia Koslov. This power should not be confused with Feral Understanding (a similar power developed by a different PC). Anyone learning this Combination Discipline must be able to trace their learning back to her. MET System: By looking into the eyes of an animal, you can establish a telepathic link. This allows you direct access to an animal's thoughts, emotions and memories, but the power is limited by the fact that contact is with an animal. You may expend a Mental Trait in order to search the animal's mind for a specific event or detail. At storyteller discretion, this could provide you with a particular image, such as the face of an attacker, but any image should still be limited by the animal's perceptions (a dog is colorblind, for example). Entering an animal's mind in this fashion, and dealing with its non-human thought processes is taxing and leaves a trace behind. For the duration of the night, you gain the Negative Social Trait Feral for each animal you engage with this power.
62
Game of Madness Auspex 4, Dementation 3, Malkavian Time 1+
10 XP
This Combo Discipline was developed by the PCs Adrian Serra, Jessica Kesch, Jacob Black and Lady Kavia Black. In order for another PC or NPC to learn this Discipline, they must be taught by one of the PCs that created it. The Game of Madness may only be learned by Malkavians with at least one point of the ability 'Malkavian Time'. The 'Game of Madness' exists as both a bonding ritual and method of competition between Lunatics. It can be seen as a way to gain deeper understanding of other family members, a means by which to end a dispute, something sacred and vastly meaningful or simply bizarre entertainment. The game is played in the seclusion and safety of the Madness Network, away from unenlightened Outsiders, who would only see it as confusing and odd. Only two Malkavians can play at any given time, but like any good board game, only one of them needs to have it in order to play. Setup: A physical playing field must be created before the game begins. It can take many forms; anything from a hopscotch drawing, a series of soldered together clocks, an elaborately carved ornamental board, to even a cracked tabletop. There must be at least eight separate spaces and these spaces must touch in some way to form the field. This serves as the focal point and boundaries of the game. Both Malkavians now conjure a series of eight “pieces”. Each piece involved in the game is actually a memory of one of the characters playing:a person, place, thing or event to which they have an emotional connection. Two pieces will represent things that the Lunatic has a very strong attachment to, three will represent things they have a moderate attachment to, while the last three are things they only have a trivial fondness for. Each piece will be represented with an item card noting a description of the memory on the front and the strength of the emotional tie on the back. MET System: Once setup has concluded, both players need only expend a Blood Trait and a level of Malkavian Time to begin. Should the two players allow others to observe, any other Malkavian present in the scene may also expend a level of Malkavian Time to view the game properly. Connected observers may not interact with the game in any way, only watch. Each player must choose four of their opponent’s eight pieces, maintaining the strength of the memory face down so the player controlling them will still not be aware of how strong each piece truly is. The remaining pieces are set aside until the game in finished. Making a simple test or flipping a coin to determine who places and plays first, each player takes a turn placing their newly acquired pieces onto the board in any valid tile. Only one piece may occupy a tile at any given time. Each player may move only one piece one space each turn. When a piece is moved into a tile occupied by the opponent, a contest of wills begins between the two memories. At this point each player flips over the memory to finally reveal its strength, and throw a Simple Challenge. Depending on the strength of the piece, they may win or lose the Challenge. • • •
Weak - Loses on Ties Moderate - No advantage/disadvantage Strong - Can use “The Bomb” RPS hand gesture
The winner of the Challenge occupies the space and the loser takes their piece from the board. The game ends once a player loses their last piece, showing that they were able to be outmaneuvered with their own memories. All Malkavians nearby, even if they opted not to observe properly, will instinctively know which player won and which lost. 63
Defensive System: Something as unstable as playing a mental game in the Madness Network isn't without its own security. While the game is actively being played, due to the collective attention of the Malkavians, neither player can be surprised and may react normally to any aggressors. Should a physical confrontation disrupt the game, it is stored safely in the Madness Network, able to be continued once the two players convene over the same or very similarly designed playing field and expend a Blood Trait and level of Malkavian Time each. Only one game can be suspended per player at any given time, but those players are unable to initiate another 'Game of Madness' until the suspended one is resolved. Should one of the players meet Final Death, the other will slowly forget about the game as it drifts into the depths of the Madness Network, allowing them to participate in another game once again. During suspension, the pieces cannot be discerned by anyone. If the game is not continued that same night, the wielder of this power may expend a willpower during daysleep to 'put away' the game. The pieces fade back to their owners and both can participate in 'Game of Madness' once again. If an outsider, being that of any of the observing Malkavians or someone not involved with the game, attempts to snoop via Telepathy, they are in for a nasty surprise. Not only does the Telepathy outright fail (still costing the pre-requisite Mental Trait), but the backlash causes a debilitating affliction for the remainder of the night. This is a defense of the Madness Network itself and thus cannot be used offensively by either player or any connected observers. Reality Overload - The afflicted's sensory input is “scrambled” per the Derangement 'Synesthesia' [Clanbook: Malkavian (revised), page 57], except instead of being two Traits down on only Expression and Performance Challenges, they are down one Trait on ALL Challenges, may not claim the bonus Trait(s) from any specializations or merits unless they have the merit 'Concentration' and may not spend a willpower to overcome such, even temporarily. Winning and Losing: Upon the conclusion of the game, while the pieces are sorting themselves out back to their original owner, other things pass between the players as rewards and penalties. The loser is afflicted with all of their opponent's Derangements until the following night, making for an unsettling daysleep. Throughout the course of the game, both should end up learning a great deal about their opponent, while the winner receives a little extra insight consisting of two things from the following list from the loser: (For any point that has multiple options such as having multiple Social negative Traits or multiple Derangements for a result, pick a number 1-10, they count down the list cycling back to the top as necessary, then reveal that one.) ● ● ● ● ● ●
Nature and Demeanor One of their Flaws A Social or Mental negative and its value Their Derangements One of their Blood Bonds (if any) and its strength The full unvarnished truth of the significance behind the memory of any of their eight pieces
Guardian Vigil Auspex 1, Celerity 1, Fortitude 1
7 XP
MET System: As written in Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide.
In the Murderer’s Mind Auspex 3, Dementation 3, Obfuscate 3
14 XP
This was developed by the PC, Natasha Romanov. Any PC or NPC wishing to learn this must find a willing individual possessing the power which can trace their teachings back to Natasha. 64
By combining these powers, a Malkavian may focus on a particular event and discover information about who was involved in that event and why they were involved. Since this deals with nature of people, the side effects of not successfully reading the area can be quite detrimental. System: By making a Static Social challenge to combine Spirit's Touch and Eyes of Chaos (retest Psychology) you may determine the identity of the perpetrator (or who they think they are) of an action. This insight has a chance to bypasss magical and discipline methods of conceal their identity, but not any physical ones. Should an individual have hidden themself from observation by a magical or other mystic method, a Static Mental Challenge is thrown against the masked individual. Should the Malkavian succeed they pierce the disguise and discover the true perpetrator; should they fail, the disguise hides the individual's true self from the Malkavian, but some element of the event is still discovered. If the Malkavian succeeds in discovering the individual, she may use Mask of 1,000 Faces to appear as the individual for the remainder of the night at will (she must still expend a mental trait since it is a specific mask) and will have some insight into their mental state at the time perceived. However there are dangers for failing, which will last the rest of the night. ● If the Malkavian TIES the Static Social Challenge, she will change her appearance to that of the person that committed the action for a scene or hour, or otherwise compelled. The Malkavian will still know their own identify, but will suffer the negative effects of losing an Eyes of Chaos challenge. ● If the Malkavian LOSES, she will be overtaken by the residual impression and suffer from a compulsion to repeat the action or carry out the intended deed. If the event was a brutal murder of a red headed sorority girl, the Malkavian will want to repeat it. If it was attempting to kill a person, the Malkavian will start to hunt that person down.
Maddening Halo Auspex 2, Dementation 3
6 XP
MET System: Spend a Blood to activate this power for a scene or hour. Anyone who uses Aura Perception on the vampire risks madness. After successfully using Aura Perception the victim makes a static Mental Challenge against the user; if the player with Maddening Halo wins, the spying character fails to discern the information they were looking for and gains a Derangement for the remainder of the scene. This Derangement must be one that currently afflicts the vampire protected by Maddening Halo. If the user of Aura Perception wins the second Mental Challenge, the aura is read as normal. This also affects those who look for an Astral form via Aura Perception.
Madman’s Quill Auspex 3, Dementation [variable]
8 XP
MET System: The Malkavian can use this power to embed any Dementation power they possess (with the exception of Eyes of Chaos) into a writing or artwork. After choosing which power they will weave in, the Malkavian expends a temporary willpower and a Blood Trait, then makes a Social Challenge against a difficulty of 9 plus the power's level, retesting with Crafts or Expression (depending on the medium). The process of embedding a power into a work takes a number of hours equal to the level of the power. The item should also be noted with what number it is in the series of imbued objects along with the Malkavian's Social Traits at the time of creation. Failure of the test results in a normal item with no Dementation power woven within it. A Malkavian can only create as many imbued works as they have permanent willpower. If they exceed such due to loss of permanent willpower, the objects lose their effect starting with the first created until only as many exist as the Malkavian has remaining permanent willpower. 65
Anyone reading/observing an imbued item (minus the creating Malkavian) for at least two minutes will be on the receiving end of a Static Social Challenge from the object using the Traits noted. If the individual loses the Challenge, they are affected by the embedded Dementation power as normal as well as a Derangement focused on the object lasting until out of the scene with the object. It is the Storyteller's decision on the derangement, but Obsession or Paranoia are very common. Completely destroying the object will end the effect of the power on anyone afflicted by it; destroying the creator renders all items inert and ends any lingering effects. Anyone who successfully resists against an imbued object's Dementation power may examine the item to reveal the strange feeling. Succeeding a Mental Challenge of difficulty 8 Traits, retesting with Occult, would reveal that the object is cursed in some way, perhaps more pending Storyteller decision.
Manicanese Auspex 2, Dementation 3, Malk Time x1
6 XP
This was developed by the PC, Syeira Clayborne. In order for another character (PC or NPC) to learn this power, they must be able to trace their knowledge back to Syeira Clayborne or have Malk Coord approval. It is said that there was once a language amongst the Malkavians, a set of symbols, sounds and words that could only be interpreted by their unique vision of the world. This language, Babel, was used by some to communicate to one another and leave messages, warnings, and threats to other Malkavians throughout the ages. With the advent of the Inquisition and faster modern methods of communication, this ancient art was lost, but there are those that have begun to recover it. A modern incarnation Babel differs from its parent in that it is not a language itself, but instead is a modification of a language that the Malkavian already speaks. By inserting symbols, letters, and odd words the meaning of a sentence or phrase is changed and adjusted so that it conveys a completely different meaning. MET System: This power grants Malkavians the ability to converse in a tongue that renders their words unintelligible to anyone not versed in the power. With Dementation 3 to understand the chaotic patterns and random syntax of the “language,” and Aura Perception to look into the other person's body language and hidden motivations, the “language” has many hidden layers that make it impossible to decipher without the proper training from another who speaks Manicanese. By holding her finger to her chin in an “L” shape a Malkavian may speak to another in relative surety that no one will overhear, or at least that they won’t understand. Anyone who shares the languages and this Combination Discipline may easily read or understand the communication between the individuals. The same messages may be said in a different way each time so just because “I often fly on the French Airlines” meant “The Prince is angry with you, be careful” this time, doesn’t mean that it will do so the next time.
Memory Rift Obfuscate 5, Presence 3
5 XP
MET System: As written in Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide.
Mending the Mirror Auspex 4, Dementation 3
12 XP
This combo discipline was developed by the PC Adrian Serra. In order for another PC or an NPC to learn this combo discipline, they must be taught by Adrian. This combo discipline may only be learned by Malkavians. 66
Developed by Adrian Serra, one of the enigmatic Muses, this Discipline soothes the mind and acts to heal a damaged psyche. Though Malkavians are feared amongst Kindred for their ability to fracture sanity like brittle glass, an exceptionally rare few possess the facility to repair such wounds. With an understanding of the ebb and flow of chaos, as well as the pathways of the mind, a Malkavian with this Discipline can ease the suffering of the deranged. MET System: In order to use this power, you must expend one Blood Point, a Mental Trait and make physical contact with your target. Engage your target in a series of Simple Challenges, one for every Derangement they are currently stricken with, retesting with Empathy. For every win or tie, a Derangement is temporarily relieved. On a loss, the Derangement you sought to relieve is transferred to you for the remainder of the scene and the series of Simple Challenges ends. Temporary Derangements are relieved for the remainder of the evening, while permanent Derangements are relieved for an hour. The Core Derangement of a Malkavian can only be relieved for the remainder of the scene, as it is too deeply rooted in their blood to be eased any longer. Wights are not affected by this Discipline, as the Beast has utterly consumed their rational mind. Mending the Mirror cannot be used on the self.
Mind’s Eye Auspex 4, Dominate 3
12 XP
MET System: The character must make eye contact and spend a Blood Trait, then make a contested Mental Challenge against the target, retesting with Investigation while the target defends with Subterfuge. In order to utilize this on a kindred of stronger generation, a temporary willpower must also be expended. Success means you may experience a specific memory that resulted from questioning for a specific time (ex. Tuesday at midnight) or event (ex. The meeting with Bob yesterday). If the test is failed, this power may not be used on the target for the rest of the scene. The clarity and amount of information gained is up to Storyteller determination, taking into account the target's Merits / Flaws / Negative Traits / Derangements and the amount of time that has passed since the event in question took place.
Mortal Skin Dominate 3, Obfuscate 3
10 XP
MET System: The player spends one Willpower point to activate this power; it then remains active for the night unless the character wills it to end. This Discipline essentially creates a continuous, low-level illusion of human normalcy surrounding the Cainite, fueled by subliminal suggestions created by Dominate. Mortals simply see all the mortal signs of life on the Cainite—pulse, pallor, etc. This power does not conceal obviously unnatural features and does not disguise the individual as anyone else; it just makes her look and feel like a perfectly human version of herself (or another, if using Obfuscate). This technique cannot conceal damage to the body and should there be gross violations of normalcy, wounds, form changes, the illusion fails and may be reactivated. Kindred of stronger generation cannot be deceived by this power and the illusion may only be pierced someone using Auspex (or similar supernatural power) as per the rules for Obfuscate.
Phobic Affliction Dementation 3, Dominate 2
8 XP
MET System: The Malkavian must make eye contact with his target and speak a threat (however veiled) to her, then make a contested Social Challenge, using Intimidation for a retest. If the player succeeds, the target is overwhelmed by unrelenting waves of terror and anxiety -- stemming from the threat and its repercussions and are therefore unable to do anything but cower or flee. While others may hear the threat, they won't be able to understand the degree of its impact on the target. If the Malkavian has more than double the target's current Willpower, the target immediately enters fear frenzy. 67
Prison of the Mind Auspex 4, Dementation 5
15 XP
This combo discipline was developed by Achillea. Anyone learning this Combination Discipline must be able to trace their learning back to him. MET System: With a glare (line of sight) and expending a Blood Trait, the Malkavian may engage in a contested Social Challenge, retest with Empathy. If successful, the victim falls comatose and is drawn into his own mind where he experiences a bad nightmare. Things he fears come crawling at him for an hour or scene as he futilely battles back. These terrors will begin subtly and the deeper the trance becomes, the worse it gets. If the full hour is allowed to pass, he will come out with halved temporary willpower, and the temporary derangement Hallucinations, based on the nightmare he experienced, which will assault his mind for a week. The trance can be ended prematurely by either the will of the user, or the subject taking any damage, but he will be in the throes of frenzy if the scene was allowed to play for more than 10 minutes. The important part of this is that it is very subtle. Even though the victim falls comatose to the ground, inside his mind he will sense no change and still feel like he is within whatever scene he just left. Then it slowly starts getting worse and worse. After 10 minutes, the nightmare should come into full swing as horror is around every corner. With the subtle approach of these horrors and the lingering effects of Dementation it is often not easy to convince the target that his visions were not real.
Prophecy Auspex 4, Dementation 3
6 XP
MET System: Although the Malkavian oracle may go through the divinations silently, the player should phrase a question or subject for the focus of the divination. The player then spends two Blood Traits and invests an optional amount of Mental Traits (zero to three), then makes a Static Social Challenge versus 10 Traits. This test should be done is such a way that the player is not aware of the outcome to prevent an altered consideration of the vision (such as believing it is misleading or incorrect because they know they lost the test). The process takes approximately an hour from the start of the divination to the fading of the visions. During this time, the user is lost in a trance to the waves of chaos, similar to failing an Eyes of Chaos test and the fear of the unknown prevents others from wanting to inflict harm upon the Malkavian. If the character is seeking simple information, they receive visions from the flowing waves of fate. Each Mental Trait that was expended will expand on the vision, but the user should take heed that not all insight gained is truly pertinent to the information they seek. If the player uses the insight they have gained to help with an action in the near future, such as trying to avoid enemies or battling a foe, they gain the benefits of their knowledge. The player gains a number of uncancelable 'Prophecy' retests equal to one plus the number of Mental Traits expended. Only one 'Prophecy' retest can be used per complete Challenge and are only valid during the scene in which the vision was about. When Propehcy is called upon to read the fate of another, the same tests are involved in this case, but two additional Blood Traits are needed from the prophecy's subject. Mind you, the subject need not be present nor aware their blood is being used. If they heard the vision's message directly from the Malkavian, whether or not it seems to make any actual sense, they will gain a number of uncancelable 'Prophecy' retests equal to half of the Malkavian's, rounded up. Aside from the user of this discipline, an individual may only have Prophecy used on them once per night. In all of the aforementioned situations, it is up to the Malkavian to relay the visions; if it results in an instinctual edge, the Malkavian must convey that edge through cryptic warnings. 68
The blood used for this becomes stagnant and detached from the individuals by the end of the vision, as their mystic power was transferred into the divinations. It should be treated as plain mortal blood, unusable for any purpose. Storytellers should take note of how often a player uses this power to watch for abuse. Any skilled Seer is aware that staring into the waves of chaos too often will have dangerous effects on their mind and constant use has shown that visions will begin to blur together with a dash of the uncontrollable.
Quicken Sight Auspex 1, Celerity 2
5 XP
MET System: Expend one Blood Trait to activate the power, and for the remainder of the scene you are able to notice and follow things moving quicker than you can see normally. To discern more detail, such as noticing that the bullets being used are hollow point, make a Static Mental Challenge against a difficulty set by the ST.
Random Patterns Auspex 2, Dementation 2
7 XP
MET System: The character spends a point of Blood to activate the power then makes a Mental Challenge versus an opponent, retesting with Empathy, to read the patterns of chaos around them. Each Derangement the opponent has at the time (permanent and temporary) gives them a bonus Trait in defense. If successful, then during the following round the character gets a free retest on all opposed Challenges with the opponent. Use of this power does not take the place of an action.
Respite of Lucidity Animalism 5, Dementation 5
12 XP
MET System: When using Drawing Out the Beast, the character may spend a Blood Trait per Derangement to affix it to her Beast (or three Blood Traits for her Core Derangement). A Malkavian who expels all of her derangements in this manner cannot regain Willpower until she regains her Beast. Once she has reclaimed her Beast, she suffers from all of her Derangements as usual.
Sensory Overload Auspex 1, Dementation 3
8 XP
MET System: As written in 'Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide', page 61, with examples of possible effects on page 63.
Tenebrous Veil Obfuscate 1, Obtenebration 1
3 XP
MET System: As written in 'Laws of the Night: Anarch Guide', page 65
Time Bomb Auspex 4, Dementation 5, Dominate 3
12 XP
This combo discipline was created by the PC Thomas True. This combo discipline may only be learned from a Malkavian who can trace their instruction back to Thomas True. 69
Just as kindred have learned to implant commands into their minions since time began at least one enterprising Malkavian worked to have the same ability to implant the seeds of madness into the chosen few, be it a gift or a curse. MET System: By spending a Willpower and having line of sight a Malkavian may initiate a contested Social Challenge (retest with Empathy) to implant a trigger for a Dementation power and remove the memory of this implantation. Upon winning the Social Challenge, the Malkavian may spend up to 3 Mental Traits depending on the level of Dementation he wishes to implant in the target's brain. One Trait allows for the implantation of Basic Dementation, two Traits allow for Intermediate and three for Advanced levels. All standard expenditures for the level of Dementation still apply, on top of the initial WP spent. So, for example, to implant Total Insanity, it will cost a Blood and Willpower Trait to initiate the Social Challenge. Once successful the Malkavian would be required to spend 3 Mental Traits to implant a implant a trigger that would cause the target to suffer from the effects of Total Insanity. Because this is still a Dominate-based power, it can only be used against mortals or Kindred of equal or higher generation.
Vanishing Dementation 4, Obfuscate 5
10 XP
MET System: For the Vanishing to work, the vampire must lock gazes with his victim and curse him: the player makes a Social Challenge—retest Stealth for the user, Awareness for the target. If successful, the target fades from view (depending on the Malkavian’s outlook, either swallowed by the shadows, devoured by demons or swept away by angels). While vanished, the victim is rendered delirious and can do nothing except babble to herself and seek shelter from the sun, they cannot break their obfuscate. Consider the victim obfuscated but the obfuscate may only be tested against those possessing elder levels of Auspex, even then the victim wins on ties, has a free retest and must use any stealth abilities they possess. This power lasts for the scene/hour.
View the Psychic Drama Auspex 4, Dementation 3
9 XP
This combo discipline was created by the PC Richard Myers. This combo discipline may only be learned from a Malkavian who can trace their instruction back to Richard Myers. MET System: By expending one Temporary Willpower and making a static Mental Challenge vs. 12 Traits, retesting with Empathy, the user may experience the psychic imprint left upon a location by a recent event. As the user immerses himself in the process, he begins to experience the progression of events through a series of emotions and, at ST discretion, limited recollection of conversations and mental thoughts. These sensations seem 100% real to the user, and place him in a 1st person perspective where he literally lives out the event psychically. The user may only view events within the space of either one room or an exterior space no larger than 500 square feet, and may only view the most recent emotionally or psychically-charged event that occurred on the site. If the test to initiate the power fails, the user is beset by one of three possible temporary Derangements (to be determined by a slightly modified Simple Challenge): ●
Desensitization (User Wins): The attempt to immerse himself in the psychic imprint of the location causes the user to temporarily sever his connection with his own emotions. For the next hour, they are unable to experience any sort of emotion whatsoever.
70
●
Synesthesia (User Ties): The attempt to immerse himself in the psychic imprint of the location causes the user's sensory functions to become temporarily miswired. Wherever they go for the next hour, the user may “hear” colors, or “smell” sounds, or “taste” textures. The nature and extent of the miswiring is left to ST discretion, however it should be somehow related to the nature of the psychic trauma left at the original scene.
●
Schizophrenia (User Loses): The attempt to immerse himself in the psychic imprint of the location leaves the user's mind temporarily fractured. Wherever they go for the next hour, they see visions of things they believe are visual and/or audible representations of psychic imprints. These manifestations are rarely based in any true psychic resonance, and are often twisted and bizarre.
Should the user already possess any of the above Derangements, they may be replaced by another relevant Derangement at ST discretion.
What Thoughts are Mine Auspex 4, Dementation 2, Obfuscate 3
20 XP
This power was created by Dr. Guerre. Anyone learning this Combination Discipline must be able to trace their learning back to him. There are many who are wary to trouble the thoughts of a Malkavian. Often times it is said that it isn’t worth the trouble or that there’s no way to know what’s real and what is fantasy in that cracked landscape, but this combination is part of the truth that many choose not to speak of. The Malkavian that learns this Combination Disciplines allows his mind to be obfuscated with the threads of his insanity, the muttering of the Network and the idle thoughts that all people have. This screen can make it difficult and unsettling for others to attempt to pierce their mind. MET System: This power, once bought, is always active. Whenever someone attempts to use Telepathy or another power to read the mind of the Malkavian he may choose to bid one of his derangements instead of a Mental Trait. In the Challenge to establish telepathy or another power the Malkavian gains a number of bonus Mental Traits equal to the number of derangements (permanent + temporary) that he possesses. Should the Malkavian win the initiator of the power gains the derangement that was bid for the scene/hour in its active form though it may be suppressed as per standard rules.
Whispers of Loathing Auspex 4, Dementation 2
14 XP
MET System: The player makes a Social Challenge after establishing eye contact or touching their target (possibly requiring a Physical Challenge), retest with Empathy. If successful, the vampire implants an echo of his twisted psyche into the victim. The disembodied echo whispers intermittently at first, criticizing and offering the worst possible advice in equal measure. In time, the voice grows more insistent and other voices join the fray in howling cacophony. At the time this power is enacted, a Derangement is chosen (with Storyteller's approval) to try and inflict on the target. The target suffers from a flaw 'Whispers of Loathing' which functions like and is capable of stacking with the flaw 'Nightmares' for one month, except the whispers pertain to the noted Derangement. Furthermore, the victim makes three (3) Static Willpower Challenges against a difficulty of the user's permanent willpower (retest with Willpower). If they lose two of the three, the Derangement becomes permanent; otherwise the power fades at the end of the month. A character cannot have this power used on them while under its effects.
71
Section IX: Options Many games have found that there are certain House Rules that they feel capture the flavor of Malkavians better, allow for better consequences, or just make more sense. The following are a collection of House Rules that may or may not help an individual game. They have been collected from various OWBN games so Storytellers are free to use them or not at their discretion. THESE ARE ONLY RULES IF YOUR STORYTELLER SAYS THEY ARE. Please do not be pushy with your Storytellers and respect that they may not like some of these potential House Rules and that they are the final decision in such matters.
Character Creation Malkavian players gain one free level of Malk Time at character creation.
Dementation These are a variety of different options from various games’ House Rules that you and your STs may want to consider. Each level of Dementation has multiple options that could be instituted. To be clear theses are multiple different options for how to run or house rule each level of Dementation. Each bullet point is a different potential house rule.
Passion: ●
This is run from Faith & Fire instead of Laws of the Night: Revised.
●
Opposite uses of Passion on the same target in the same scene/hour, will cancel each other out.
●
As per LotN:R. Requires some sort of social interaction with your intended target. It is possible to stack the effects of Passions by having different aggressors target the same individual. No more than five Negative Traits may be gained in this manner.
●
This power will not bring someone out of frenzy, but you can use it on them while they are in frenzy. It will give them an additional test to resist. Passion does not stack.
Haunting: ●
This power lasts for one hour.
Eyes of Chaos: ●
Whenever a character expends a Mental Trait to prevent surprise, they also get an Eyes of Chaos retest for any one Challenge during that hour/scene that they could have “seen coming”
Voice of Madness: ●
Upon using this power a character may pick frenzy or Rötschreck; all targets that can hear the vampire using this power that possess 3 or less of the appropriate Virtue Trait (Self-Control or Courage) automatically enter the appropriate type of Frenzy without a test. Targets with 4 or 5 Self-Control may make the appropriate Virtue test as they normally would. The user of this power is also subjected to the full terror and will automatically Frenzy unless they have 3 or more Self-Control or Courage, which they may test normally. Note: there is no longer a Social Challenge required to activate this power. 72
●
Willpower may not be spent to resist this Frenzy; however, it may be used to direct actions taken in Frenzy as normal.
●
Willpower may not be used to ignore this Virtue test.
●
The difficulty of the Challenges to resist this frenzy is 4, and the target may not spend Willpower to automatically resist said frenzy (although they may retest normally).
●
As per LotN:R. Causes fox-frenzy in Lupines. There is no Social Challenge. After the aggressor has spoken the necessary words, everyone in range makes a Courage Challenge or spend a Willpower not to frenzy.
● Voice of Madness does not trigger a Frenzy or Rotschreck check on successful use. Instead, it triggers actual Frenzy or Rotschreck in its victims.
Total Insanity: A character’s existing derangements are activated first and then they are given additional ones until they have 5. Existing derangements a character has may not be suppressed using willpower when they are activated by TI. A character may not have more than 5 derangements, active or otherwise. This power lasts for a scene not the evening. To use this power, a Storyteller must be present, and the ST will assign derangements for the subject. If the player has a pre-approved insanity deck, he may use that. A deck can be provided for you if you do not have one. If a player is unable to roleplay the derangements he has gained, then the character will go catatonic. ●
Derangement decks carried by the player need to be a minimum of 12 derangements, and the derangements of your PC must be included (derangements shall be determined by the Storyteller if the player does not carry such a deck). Each card must have the appropriate effects written and be approved by a Storyteller.
●
You must have a storyteller present to use this power. Derangements must be chosen from a Derangement deck that will be kept at the sign in desk. Total Insanity is not stackable, and victims of TI may not take any offensive actions for 1 round, as their mind is reprogramming itself. The beast will obviously defend itself if attacked during this time. This power lasts for only one hour.
●
The effects of this power last for 1 hour or until the end of the scene, whichever comes first.
●
If you have more active derangements than permanent willpower you fall into a catatonic state where you can only defend yourself.
●
This power lasts an hour, not the remainder of the evening. If you have more active derangements than your permanent Willpower Traits, you lapse into a nonfunctional, psychotic state wherein you can only take defensive actions.
●
This power lasts for one hour. The victim of Total Insanity may not attack the one who placed the Insanity on them so long as any one of the derangements is active, it is their crazy and it just won't let you. The victim of Total Insanity may choose to suppress each derangement for one hour per derangement per Willpower expended. The rule regarding the length of time to initiate Total Insanity is ignored.
●
The 5 Derangements gained through this power fade away at a rate of 1 per hour.
73
●
Once this power is activated as per Laws of the Night (Social Challenge, must have held the target's full (unobstructed) attention for one (1) full turn, or four (4) seconds; if the attempt is successful, then the victim may choose from the two following effects: 1. The victim may enter a catatonic state for the remainder of the scene, with a minimum of ten (10) minutes and maximum of twenty (20) minutes of affected time. a. During this time, the victim may not speak, move, or act; if the victim is attacked during this time, either by the user of Total Insanity or any other source, then the victim immediately enters Frenzy, as the Beast takes control of the catatonic flesh. b. This Frenzy shall be unavoidable, and shall run its full course of ten (10) minutes; it may not be stopped with a Social Test against the Frenzied Kindred; it will stop only if the time is up, the Kindred is staked or Torpored, or due to the use of the Intermediate Animalism power: Quell the Beast. c. If the catatonic Kindred is not attacked, they will remain in the catatonic state until the duration has passed. 2. Otherwise, the victim may choose to pick five (5) cards from apre-approved “Insanity” deck, which will be provided by the Story Staff or the Malkavian using the power; if the Malkavian provides the deck, each card must be approved by the Story Staff before it will be allowed in play. The cards shall have the names, descriptions, and rules for the Derangements that they represent. a.
Once the five (5) cards are chosen, the victim shall feel the full effects of their chosen derangements for the remainder of the scene, with a minimum of ten (10) minutes and a maximum of twenty (20) minutes duration. b. The victim may not take action in the first round following the use of this power, as the madness sweeps over them, but they may defend themselves normally if attacked during this time. c. Furthermore, if the Storyteller deems appropriate, a character which has chosen the “Insanity Card” method may be instructed by the Storyteller to instead feel the catatonic effects. This may occur because of the debilitating combination of Derangements chosen, the inability of the player to roleplay the derangements effectively, or any other reason that the Storyteller feels is appropriate. If this choice is made, then the character shall remain in a catatonic state for the remainder of the duration of the power.
74
