Malocusians
“You are under my roof, now.”
Many Kindred take their freedom to roam the night for granted. They prowl the Rack, vie for prestige and power in Elysium and return to their havens to feed or pass the day, never realizing that there are others who are not so free as they.
Scattered here and there, on the edges of cities, in withering neighborhoods of failing wealth or in crumbling communities with vanishing populations, there are houses — old houses — that still exude the odors of wealth, nobility and prestige. Occupied and yet not occupied, haunted and yet not haunted, these grand old mansions of brick and oak are lairs for the nigh-sessile Kindred called the Malocusians.
Malocusians are bound to their havens by bonds of blood. Outside of their havens, they are weaker than many Kindred, but, within the bounds of their territory, the Spiders are truly the masters of their domain, and woe unto any Kindred who picks a fight with the Spiders on their own ground.
Scattered here and there, on the edges of cities, in withering neighborhoods of failing wealth or in crumbling communities with vanishing populations, there are houses — old houses — that still exude the odors of wealth, nobility and prestige. Occupied and yet not occupied, haunted and yet not haunted, these grand old mansions of brick and oak are lairs for the nigh-sessile Kindred called the Malocusians.
Malocusians are bound to their havens by bonds of blood. Outside of their havens, they are weaker than many Kindred, but, within the bounds of their territory, the Spiders are truly the masters of their domain, and woe unto any Kindred who picks a fight with the Spiders on their own ground.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Background: Wealth, isolation and intellect are the key features of those who become Malocusians. The son of the wealthy family who didn’t have the advantage of primogeniture, the reclusive widow who inherited her husband’s fortune and estate after his tragic accident, the eccentric scholar whose work proved unexpectedly lucrative — any of these would be ideal candidates for the Malocusian line. (The bloodline does show a slight preference for families from “old money” over the nouveau riche, however.) Political families, eccentric artists and scions of debauched dynasties comprise the core of the Malocusian line. Ideal candidates for this kind of Requiem are, for obvious reasons, rare, but so are members of this bloodline in general. Some elders have been known to adopt optimistically if they find souls who don’t have the estates or the money but who seem to have many of the other traits individual Spiders considers ideal.
Common Dress code
Appearance: On the whole, Malocusians represent the quintessential landed gentry. They manifest all the traits common to the erudite and wealthy.
Their sartorial tastes are profoundly conservative, almost to an extreme: Malocusians are known to wear clothes 50, 60 or even 70 years out of fashion. Depending on the dates involved, this might make them seem “retro” or simply crazy.
Their sartorial tastes are profoundly conservative, almost to an extreme: Malocusians are known to wear clothes 50, 60 or even 70 years out of fashion. Depending on the dates involved, this might make them seem “retro” or simply crazy.
Art & Architecture
Haven: Malocusians build their entire unlives around their havens. Their sires only release them from their oversight after the childer acquire suitable havens of their own and, to the Malocusians, “suitable” may as well be a synonym for “palatial.” Few Malocusian sires would ever release childer who had not found themselves havens with several rooms, a den, a comprehensive library, several salons and, possibly, a ballroom.
Contrary to the assumptions of those Kindred who know the ways of Spiders, however, Malocusians have a much greater interest (and ability) in adapting to modern or decrepit spaces than they may imply. Some Spiders nest in palaces that seem, from the outside, to be bombed-out firetraps or holes in the ground. Outright grandeur is not the only tool a Malocusian has for luring flie
Contrary to the assumptions of those Kindred who know the ways of Spiders, however, Malocusians have a much greater interest (and ability) in adapting to modern or decrepit spaces than they may imply. Some Spiders nest in palaces that seem, from the outside, to be bombed-out firetraps or holes in the ground. Outright grandeur is not the only tool a Malocusian has for luring flie
Major organizations
Covenant: Invictus (and, rarely, Ordo Dracul)
Organization: Despite rarely leaving their havens, Malocusians maintain tight networks among themselves. Once upon a time, they managed this through written or oral correspondence delivered by animal messengers, although in the modern era they use telephones and the Internet. They’re quite aware of the danger this network of theirs presents to the Masquerade, but they’re fastidiously attentive to discretion, and a few of them are adept at cryptography. Still, tonight’s most sensitive messages are delivered by animals, as the communications were centuries ago.
Due to the time Malocusians spend scouring newspapers and the media for signs of the outside world, the first news of big developments in the mortal lives of other cities often comes through a Malocusian contact, and many Princes (and rumormongers) maintain connections with the Spiders for that reason alone. Outside of that, Malocusians are often overlooked members of the Kindred population, a fact they’re happy to use to their advantage.
Organization: Despite rarely leaving their havens, Malocusians maintain tight networks among themselves. Once upon a time, they managed this through written or oral correspondence delivered by animal messengers, although in the modern era they use telephones and the Internet. They’re quite aware of the danger this network of theirs presents to the Masquerade, but they’re fastidiously attentive to discretion, and a few of them are adept at cryptography. Still, tonight’s most sensitive messages are delivered by animals, as the communications were centuries ago.
Due to the time Malocusians spend scouring newspapers and the media for signs of the outside world, the first news of big developments in the mortal lives of other cities often comes through a Malocusian contact, and many Princes (and rumormongers) maintain connections with the Spiders for that reason alone. Outside of that, Malocusians are often overlooked members of the Kindred population, a fact they’re happy to use to their advantage.
Nickname: Spiders
Character Creation: Brilliant (if somewhat crazed) minds are a hallmark of the Malocusian bloodline. Mental Attributes (and Skills) are primary. Some of these Kindred pass decades, even centuries, without leaving their havens. As a result, their Physical Attributes are almost always tertiary; it takes a certain kind of mind (and physique) to acclimate to that existence.
Many Malocusians are at least moderately wealthy at the time of their Embrace. Most should have at least three dots worth of Resources, and preferably four or more. Likewise, many Spiders already have homes worthy of five dots of Haven Size when they are Embraced.
Bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Domus, Majesty, Resilience
Weakness: The Requiem of a Malocusian vampire takes place almost entirely in his Haven — and necessarily so. In addition to the weakness of the Ventrue clan, Malocusians suffer from a debilitating dependence on their havens. To even cross the threshold of her Haven and enter the outside night, a Spider must spend a Willpower point. Every Willpower point spent in this way enables a Malocusian to operate away from her Haven for a number of hours equal to her Humanity. Once those hours are up, she must spend another Willpower point to remain out and about. If the Malocusian does not make this Willpower expenditure, she suffers a –1 penalty to all Mental and Social dice pools until she does.
Concepts: Noble-in-exile, housebound scholar, keeper of the Prince’s library, creepy shut-in, scheming spider at the center of an influence Web, Crippled mob boss
Parent ethnicities
Many Malocusians are at least moderately wealthy at the time of their Embrace. Most should have at least three dots worth of Resources, and preferably four or more. Likewise, many Spiders already have homes worthy of five dots of Haven Size when they are Embraced.
Bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Domus, Majesty, Resilience
Weakness: The Requiem of a Malocusian vampire takes place almost entirely in his Haven — and necessarily so. In addition to the weakness of the Ventrue clan, Malocusians suffer from a debilitating dependence on their havens. To even cross the threshold of her Haven and enter the outside night, a Spider must spend a Willpower point. Every Willpower point spent in this way enables a Malocusian to operate away from her Haven for a number of hours equal to her Humanity. Once those hours are up, she must spend another Willpower point to remain out and about. If the Malocusian does not make this Willpower expenditure, she suffers a –1 penalty to all Mental and Social dice pools until she does.
Concepts: Noble-in-exile, housebound scholar, keeper of the Prince’s library, creepy shut-in, scheming spider at the center of an influence Web, Crippled mob boss