Malkav

The being referred to as Malkav, whose true name has been lost to the winds of time, was an ancient Kindred, one of the near-legendary Third Generation, who was founder of the lunatic Clan Malkavian in White Wolf Publishing’s World of Darkness setting.

Description
Like his name, Malkav’s appearance is something which is only known to a handful of creatures in modern nights; these are powerful and often malicious entities who are best left to their own devices, and not bothered with such petty questions.

However, all accounts agree on the fact that he was incurably insane, and that he passed this curse on to the line of vampires that he chose to accompany him on his journey through eternity.

History
As with all of the Kindred who pre-date the Great Flood, Malkav’s origins are shrouded in mystery. Several hypotheses exist regarding his nature, and they are usually contradictory. One tale states that he was not even human when he received the Embrace, but was in fact an angel. Another tells that he was cursed by Lilith for an unknown crime; this account claims that the ancient one delivered this punishment by telling Malkav a great secret, the mere knowledge of which was enough to drive his mind over the brink of sanity.

Malkav is generally believed to have been murdered at some point in history, although again the circumstances surrounding his death vary greatly from story to story. However, a small group of Cainite scholars believe that he did not actually die, but instead became the Malkavian Madness Network, a subconscious bond shared by all Malkavians through which they can keep in contact with one another and share their knowledge. Again, the truth behind this is something which is unlikely to ever be uncovered with any certainty.