Malkavian

The Malkavians are one of the thirteen Great Clans of vampires which appear in White Wolf Publishing’s World of Darkness setting. Every single member of the Clan displays some form of fundamental instability in their psychological makeup, and as such are treated with caution by all those who are aware of their lineage.

History
As with all of the Great Clans, the Malkavians trace their roots back to the First City established by Caine in Earth’s distant past, their founder Malkav believed to have been brought into the vampiric fold by the Second Generation Kindred known as Enoch. When the city eventually fell, legend tells that Malkav was ambushed by his Third Generation “siblings” and murdered, although for what reason remains a mystery.

Early Years
Over millennia following the destruction of the First City, the Malkavians spread throughout the Middle East and Ancient Greece, commonly using their powers of prescience to set themselves up as the oracles and seers of the age. As time passed, they gradually moved farther west, establishing positions as advisors to the Ventrue and other Clans which ruled the Roman Empire; indeed, the Malkavians were instrumental in orchestrating the Punic Wars which led to the destruction of the Brujah stronghold of Carthage.

The Dark Ages
With the fall of the Roman Empire, the Malkavians scattered to the winds, a shattered Clan, with many persecuted by the mortal masses as much for their insanity as for their vampiric nature. However, from this low, many found places as advisors and seers to local authorities, and thus the Clan as a whole eked out an existence of sorts, albeit not in the positions of power to which they had become accustomed.

The coming of the Renaissance brought about a sea change in the fortunes of Clan Malkavian, with the newfound artistic and intellectual liberties embraced by the period allowing the Clan a greater degree of freedom in its ventures. Many became patrons of the more exotic arts, and over time the Malkavians slowly regained much of their lost power.

It was also during this period that the formation of the Camarilla came to pass, the most powerful of the vampiric sects, and of which Clan Malkavian was one of the founding Clans (See main article: Camarilla).

The Victorian Age
The Victorian Age further enhanced the growing influence of the Malkavians: with the establishing of proper asylums for the insane, and the rise of psychology and psychiatry as recognised sciences, the Clan was able to experiment with matters of the mind in ways never before thought possible.

During this era, the rise of the Bohemian lifestyle also brought opportunities to the Malkavians as many mortals became more and more willing to experiment with alternate modes of thought and mind-altering narcotics. The Malkavians were quick to exploit these openings, and were crucial in the development of the many subcultures which sprang from La bohéme.

Modern Nights
In the modern era, the Malkavians operate much as they have throughout history, as advisors to the main powers rather than the the power which sits upon the throne. Despite this, Clan Malkavian holds a great deal of influence, especially within the Camarilla, as many Kindred - peers and Princes alike - hold their insights and advice in high regard.

Organisation and Culture
Whilst Clan Malkavian seems from the outside to be nothing more than a rabble of madmen, nothing could be farther from the truth. Although many may not be consciously aware of their Clan affiliation, the Malkavians as a whole are intrinsically connected by a mental link known as The Malkavian Madness Network. This Network allows the Clan to make others aware of goings-on amongst themselves, and even to spontaneously and subconsciously arrange meetings with others of their kind through no means discernible to those outside the Network when the need arises. This allows the Clan to maintain a cohesion unrivalled by any other, and makes them a force to be truly reckoned with.

Much of Malkavian prestige is based around their tradition of Pranking, and a Malkavian may raise or lower his standing amongst his peers through the art of playing practical jokes on others. Depending on the level and type of insanity present in the Malkavian’s mind, these pranks can range from the harmless (such as stealing the entire contents of another Kindred’s wardrobe) to the outright psychopathic (such as murdering another vampire’s favourite mortals just to see the look on the victim’s face). Many amongst the Clan also claim to see these pranks as a way to readjust their target’s perceptions on reality, but as with everything Malkavian, the truth of the matter is most assuredly open to debate.

There is rumoured to exist a small percentage of Malkavians whose disorders make them completely incapable of interacting with society as a whole. Urban legends abound amongst the Kindred of underground sanitariums full of these unfortunate wretches, but whether there is any truth to these horror stories is something only the Malkavians know. However, it seems more likely that they would simply be put out of their misery.

Embrace
(See main article: Vampire (World of Darkness))

The Malkavian predisposition towards madness is a major factor in whom they choose to bestow the gift of immortality upon. Whilst the simple act of the Embrace by a Malkavian ensures insanity, often the vampire will select a candidate who is at least part way down the road towards lunacy, if not already there. This can make life as a recently-created Malkavian very difficult, as new members of the Clan have to deal not only with their own personal issues, but also with the terrors that come to any mortal who finds himself faced with the prospect of life as a vampire. All this assumes, however, that the poor unfortunate’s sire actually remembers that he has created offspring, and doesn’t simply wander off and forget about his childe. ..

Clan Weakness
As has been repeatedly stated, the Malkavians are mad to a man. However, the nature of the psychosis varies wildly from individual to individual, and can manifest in any one of a thousand different ways. Some are idiot savants whilst others are babbling lunatics, some psychotic murderers and others obsessive-compulsive hoarders. The range of their insanity is truly astonishing, and one might know a Malkavian for decades, even centuries, without knowing what real demons lurk deep within its mind.