Malkavians – Vampire: The Masquerade – Origin?

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Well something I been thinking about for awhile but never been able to find out;

Does anyone know if the Malkavian Clan from Vampire: The Masquerade was based on/inspired by any particular Vampire folklore or fiction or was the idea of insane Vampires completely conceived by White Wolf?

Also I wondered if anyone knew of any similar depictions of Vampires elsewhere?

If anyone could shed any light on these it would be much appreciated.

• This topic was modified 5 months, 4 weeks ago by  The Shadow Man.
• This topic was modified 5 months, 4 weeks ago by  The Shadow Man.
• This topic was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  The Shadow Man.

Because I'm Shadow Man...

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I think it was just a case of playing around with ideas… but honestly I get a few lestat vibes off the malks! 

I see hell in your eyes..

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@sweetvitae Thanks for the reply. I actually found out by others means that apparently the creator of VtM used to work in a mental hospital and that’s where he got the idea from.

Because I'm Shadow Man...

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@Shadow Man in the WoD there’s also the Asylum expansion, so to say.

I believe that Demenation and the whole Malkavian concept come directly from the rules of VtM plus the fable about Cain and thus is an original idea of WW

Let me axplain my theory:

1. when you loose Humanity, you gain a Derangement (and it goes ever worst)

2. nothing is sayd abaut the 2nd Generation, but that it was eradicated by Cain (but the 3rd Generation shuld be the fledgelings of the 2nd and not derive directly from Cain), consequently, Malkav got his more than severe Derangement from the one who sired him

3. Malkav developed a way to gain benefit from his deranged mental status

Every knoledge has its price

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@Berus Mekhet   That’s certainly an interesting theory although I was actually asking what might have inspired them, as most of the Camerilla clans have an underline theme that can compared to other iterations of Vampires e.g. Toreader are seductive Vampire and are often compared to Anne Rice Vampire and Brujah are rebels (or at least have qualities there of) and are often compared to The Lost Boys Vampires. Now Malkavians are much harder to draw comparisons while I do like the idea of Insane Vampires as far as I can work out its mostly a new concept (when VtM was created anyway). I did think it was possible they were inspired by a Vampire legend or story I was unaware of but appears that this is not the case.

I watched an interview with the VtM creator where he said the Malkavians were inspired from his experiences working in a mental hospital.

• This reply was modified 3 months ago by  The Shadow Man.

Because I'm Shadow Man...

[mortal Offline]

All Malkavians are Malkav. Its the MMN Malkavian Madness Network.  All the Malkavians are just one split personality that is Malkav.  Anyone who learns Dementation outside of the clan and goes insane just learns how to tap into the network.

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There is some lore that may have lead to the creation of Malkavians (WoD).  It was said in certain countries that contact with the blood of a vampire is maddening as it was infectious, which is why certain countries believed it necessary to avoid blood spatter when dealing with a vampire.

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@Mad Bro 97  I did not know that, thats interesting. Do you know what countries this idea comes from or which specific Vampiric beings? Also a source would be useful thank you.

Because I'm Shadow Man...

[mortal Offline]

I believe it to be from Germany I read it in a book, but I lost the book about a year ago.  It was something about how to kill vampires.  However, I may have remembered it wrong (been awhile).  If that is wrong however, there is a clinical mental condition where people have an obsessive hunger for blood that may have been a indirect inspiration for the Malkavians.  Look up <b>Clinical vampirism</b> or <b>Renfield’s syndrome</b>, it’s an . . . interesing condition.