Malkovian

ByChrisFalco
ThedefinitionofaLunaticissomeonewhoismentallyill.Thinkaboutthatforamomentthose
ofusthatseebeyondtheveil,seethetruthofthings,wearecalledillbecausewerefusetobe
asignorantasthecollectivemasses.Butdontworry,inamomentyoullseefirsthandjusthow
naiveyourviewpointreallyis...
TheMalkoviansaremadnessincarnate,Kindrednotonlydetachedfromhumanity,butso
distantintheirmannerismsandbehaviorthatmanywonderiftheyretheresultofsomedisease
ofthebloodratherthanthemachinationsofanElder.Atleast,mostare
Orrather,thatstheassumptionmadethroughoutKindredsociety(Thosethatknowofthem,at
least).Many,though,aresosubtleintheirinsanitythattheycanpassasanyotherVentrue,
untilthemomentwhentheircomplexmachinationsareunveiledinabloodyrevelationthats
beenknowntobringacitysVampiricorganizationtoitsknees.
Background:
Comparedtothemorecommonlyknownbloodlines,theMalkoviansarefairly
young,bornofthemachinationsofadoctoronlydecadesagothattookabittoomuchinterest
inacriminallyinsanepatientintheAsylumtheyworkedin.Amutualinterest,itappeared,when
onenightthedoctorfoundhimselfstumblinghome,hungeringforblood.Thespecificdetailsare
saidtobelosttohistory,butitswellknownthathiswifeandkidswerekilledshortlythereafter,
andeversincethenthatlineagehasbegunaslowtrickleofexpansion.
TheMalkovianshavesinceremainedawellkeptsecretwithintheVentrue,ararityoftheblood
thatmostseektoeradicatebutthatneverseemstoentirelygoaway.Partoftheirsuccesslies
inthefactthatitcanoccasionallybedifficulttotellthedifferencebetweenabadlydetached,
inhumanVentrueandaMalkovian,leadingtotheoccasionalwitchhuntwithintheclanitself.
SomesaythattheMalkoviansarenttrulychildrenofaspeciallydesignedlineage,somuchas
thevictimsofabloodbornpathogenorsupernaturalillnessthatpermanentlyseemtorewrite
howtheKindredmindseesthings,andthatiseasilypassedbetweensireandchilde.Those
believingthistheoryareknowntoapplythetermMalkaviatotheconditionitself,whennot
speakingoftheVampiresthemselves.
TheBecoming:
Miserylovescompany.Thatstheassumptionmostmakeaboutwhya
Malkovianembraces,andmanytimes,itstrue.However,therearecountlessotherreasonsa
Lunaticmightwishtocontinuetheirmadlineage.Somewishtosharetheirinsightwithone
theyfeelcantrulyappreciate.Someembracethosethatcouldbeofdirectuse,havingskillsthe
sirehimselflacks.Someembraceforthesamereasonsotherbloodlinesorclansmight
embrace.Andsome,well,somecreatechilderforreasonsnobodycanquitefigureout.
Requirements:
MalkoviansareallfromtheVentrueclanunlessrumorsofitsbloodborne
naturearetrue,andanenterprisingLunaticfindsawaytosharethatwithoneofanother
lineage.
InteractionsWiththeDanse:
Malkoviansoftenfallintotwocategories,dependingontheir
specificdelusion(seebelow)theytendtowardseitherplayingthegameofcontrollikeanyother
Ventrue,workingtheirownbeliefsintotheenterprisestheybuild,retainerstheybuildup,and
targetstheyseekouttoeliminateorabsorb,ortheytendtofindthemselveslurkinginthe
shadows,outofthewayofthepubliceyeoftheirclanandperhapsKindredsocietyitself.In

eithercase,theMalkovianbloodlineissaidtobemoreinsightfulthanyouraverageVentrue,
seeingthingsbeforetheyhappen,orpluckingsecretsfromplacesnobodycouldknowthey
evenexistedwithin,andeitherputtingthatinformationtotheirownuseorpassingitalongto
someonetheyfigurewilldotheworkforthem.
MalkoviansaremostoftenfoundwithintheInvictus,wheretheycanactasanyotherVentrue
wouldwithin,withintheCarthianswheretheycandisappearamongsttherabbleintheeyesof
others,orwithintheCircle,wheretheirinsightfulgiftsaremorelikelytobeappreciated.
Clan:
Ventrue
BloodlineBane:
TheMalkoviansarepermanentlyundertheinfluenceofapersonaldelusion,
asdescribedintheDelusionalpersistentcondition,andsolongastheirHumanityislow
enough,theycanneverdisproveorotherwiseberidofiteveniftheyseemtotemporarily,its
notlongatallbeforetheyvefoundnewevidencethatproveswhattheyvebeensayingall
along.WithStorytellerpermission,theirDelusionmightchangeovertime,butnevercompletely,
andisnevernegatedentirely.
BloodlineDisciplines:
Dominate,Animalism,Resilience,Obfuscate

Dementation
TheMalkoviangift,knownasDementation,isoneofinsight,revelation,andtruthormadness,
delusion,andchaos,dependingonwhoyouask.EveryMalkovianhasaccesstothegift,and
someofthesimilaritiestoAuspexarewhycomparisonstotheMekhethavebeenoccasionally
drawn.However,unlikeAuspex,wheretheuserasksaquestionandthenreceivesananswer,
Dementationgivesyoutheanswerstoquestionsyoudidntknowexistedinthefirstplace.
Mechanically,thecharactermaygainonepieceofinsightforfreeinascene,butthereafter
mustpayapointofVitaeforeachadditionalpieceofinformationgleaned.Thenatureofthis
informationisentirelyuptotheStorytellersomecommonpossibilitiesincludeallowingaClash
ofWillsagainstaninvisiblecharacter(UsethecharactersWitsinsteadofadisciplinerating),
revealingthetrueformofasupernaturalbeing,displayingephemeralentitiestothecharacters
vision,learningofdangerinthearea,discoveringtheobjectintheroommostrelevanttothe
currenttask,learningamortalsVirtueorVice,orlearningwhattosaytoimproveanImpression
insocialconflict.Forthecharacter,theinformationshouldalwaysbeconveyedassome
alterationoftheirsensesseeingamagesnimbus,feelingsuddenangertowardsathreat,the
smellofsweatonaneasilyintimidatedindividual,anobjectseemingtosparklealittlebrighter,
andsimilar.
However,theMalkovianhasnosayinwhatinformationisgleanedthisisleftentirelytothe
Storyteller.Alternatively,iftheStorytellerwishestoleaveittochance,theymayrollonthechart
below(Butshouldntfeellimitedbytheseoptionsotherwise).Inthecaseofarevelationnot
beingapplicable,rollagain.

DementationChart(Rollad10andgaintheinsightlistedbelow).
1Thecharacterlearnsofthemostimminentthreat,whetherthatsphysicalorotherwise.
2Thecharacterlearnsofthepresenceofasupernaturalentityinvisible,ephemeral,or
otherwise(MayrequireaClashofWills).Alternatively,ifnonearepresent,theymightlearnof
othersupernaturalphenomena,likeasupernaturallocationorrelic,weakenedbarrierbetween

realms,oranythingsimilar.
3Thecharacterlearnshowtoimmediately(butperhapstemporarily)improvetheImpression
ofanNPCbyonestep.
4Thecharacterlearnsthegeneralemotionalmoodoftheroom,evenifitsveiledorhidden
bythemajorityofinhabitantsforinstance,theycouldtellwhenariotmightbeabouttostart,or
ifapartysgoingbadlydespitepleasantries.
5Thecharacterseespastsometypeofillusion,whetherinnatetoatemplate(LikeaDemons
Cover),createdbysupernaturalpowers(SuchasaMageusingPrimemagic),orsomehow
naturalintheworld.ThismayrequireaClashofWills.
6Thecharactergainstheabilitytocommunicatewithsomebodyorsomethingtheynormally
couldntunderstandingandtemporarilyspeakingaforeignlanguage,understandingthestrange
wordsofspirits,speakingtoanimals,learningwhoorwhathasgonebyabuildingrecentlyina
flashofinsight,oranythingsimilar.
7ThecharacterisleadtothosesufferingsomesortofmadnessormentalillnesslowIntegrity,
theDelusionalconditionorcertainothermentalconditions,andanythingsimilarmightapply.
ThisofcourserevealsotherMalkovians.
8ThecharacterlearnsofaBaneorsimilarweaknessofanotherindividual(Formortals,this
maysimplybeaseverelyimpedingConditionorlowAttributescore).
9Thecharacterlearnsofeithermundaneorsupernaturalcontroloversomeone,whether
throughblackmail,memoryalterations,threatsofviolence,disciplineslikeDominateorMajesty,
thebloodBond,thepowersofotherSupernaturals,orwhateverelsemightapply.
10Thecharacterdiscoverssomeinnersecretofanothercharacterinthescene,orofthe
currentlocation,whethermundaneorsupernatural.