Malkavian

Clan Malkavian
Nicknames: The Kooks, The Lunatics
Disciplines: Auspex, Dementation, Obfuscate
Sect: Camarilla
Status: OPEN for new characters

The Malkavians are the clan with perhaps the greatest variation among their members; they come from all walks of life, all parts of the world, all peoples, all customs, all ages. What unites them is their connection to the mystical, the unknowable, and the obscure - and their universal mental instability. All Malkavians suffer from some form of mental illness (referred to as a Derangement), some in comparatively mild syndromes that are manageable in everyday life, and others full-blown disorders that make hiding their state from others completely impossible. Malkavians are mad, at least according to the other clans, and while they may be founding members of the Camarilla and hold many important positions in Kindred society, they can never quite escape the stigma of their condition. Although no one quite trusts the Malkavians (except for other members of their clan), they are still often sought out by other Kindred because of their reputation as seers and enlightened possessors of mystical knowledge they shouldn't, by any normal standard, be able to know. Certainly many Malkavians seem to have startling insights beyond other Kindred, and to share a special bond that cannot be explained in any rational way.

Clan Advantage and Weakness

Advantages: Because other Kindred consider Malkavians to be "insane" or "unstable", they often let them get away with misbehavior that they wouldn't tolerate out of other clans; Malkavians may ignore the Status of those they interact with once in a while without suffering from the usual consequences of doing so. They are also much less likely to lose Status as a result of their behavior, unless they make such nuisances of themselves that the Harpies can't ignore them. Malkavians are perfectly well aware of the fact that the prejudice against their mental conditions makes others treat them like children or fools, and are usually quite willing to take advantage of this perception when they can.

Malkavians are all also connected to one another through a mystical, inexplicable connection referred to as the Madness Network. They can automatically recognize other Malkavians with a little bit of concentration, and notice mental illnesses in even those who aren't Malkavians once in a while. If a Malkavian's emotions and situation are strong or important enough, they can also send out information over the Madness network, alerting other nearby Malkavians; the information may not be particularly coherent and those who receive it may not know exactly what it means, but sometimes it gives them a warning or insight just when they need it.

Disadvantages: All Malkavians are mentally ill, and must manage their conditions as best they can; if they weren't already suffering from a mental illness as mortals, the Embrace causes them to develop at least one. Nothing can in any way remove these conditions or ease their symptoms through supernatural means, although they may attempt to manage them through therapy and/or medication. These mental illnesses (all Malkavians suffer from at least one, but many may have comorbid conditions) always significantly impact a Malkavian's life, and never disappear or cease to cause problems for them when it is convenient.

The Malkavians in DC

Washington's Malkavians are somewhat infamous for being notorious, powerful, and dangerous wildcards - all the more so because the other clans tend to ignore them more than is strictly healthy. They are by far the most "disorganized" of the Camarilla clans in the city, with little official structure outside of the nominal power of their Primogen, but they control vast networks of influence that would surprise and alarm other clans if they were aware. In particular, the Malkavians control large swaths of the internet and information technology networks in the city, and because of the high rate of mental trauma among government workers, especially in the CIA and FBI, they also have more contacts than any other clan among the city's secret services.

Bloodlines

A small portion of Clan Malkavian possesses the Dominate Discipline instead of Dementation; they were altered into a new bloodline by the intervention of several of the most ancient of their clan, who performed the ritual for reasons unknown to anyone else (although rumor has it that they feared the power of Dementation becoming too widespread, or wanted to give their younger progeny the ability to more concretely affect events around them). Malkavians with Dominate still suffer from mental illnesses as do the rest of their clan, but they do not have the power to inflict disorientation and psychological distress on others. In spite of not having Dementation themselves, the effects of it cannot be fully cleansed from their blood, and there is always a chance they might pass it down to their childer in place of the Dominate they themselves use.

Notable Malkavians

Scott Levin, Primogen of Washington DC
Cassandra, the Elder Visionary
Stephen Norton, international jewel thief