Malkovian Insight (auspex 4 + dominate 3)

The creation of the Malkovian bloodline is a mystery, and it's potential has yet to reveal itself. The line is riddled with mentally scarred individuals who think themselves prophets and seers, yet not all of these claims are without merit. There are whispers throughout the bloodline, and even the Ventrue, of Malkovians who have an uncanny insight into the world around them. Hushed conversations in Ventrue parlors speak of Malkovians who know things they shouldn't…things they couldn't. If it weren't for the fact that these Malkovians tend to seem more confused by this ability than their saner Ventrue cousins, the Clan would no doubt have made a swift end to whichever member of the line they could find.

Malkovian Insight is a unique devotion which grants the Malkovian who uses it an innate knowledge, or insight, into others around him. But this knowledge is by no means clear, or even useable. The information gained through the power is always something that the Malkovian can't possibly know through normal means, but the Malkovian might not fully understand the nature of the knowledge he has gained, as the mental pollution of the bloodline blurs the knowledge, turning it into a washed out, often cryptic, piece of a larger puzzle.

For example, when meeting a new vampire who has recently commited diablerie, the Malkovian with this power might refer to this new vampire as “Black Squid”, without really fully understanding why he does it himself. It might simply feel like it's an appropiate nickname for the new vampire for some indefinable reason. In actual reality, the nickname refers to the black tentacle-like veins which run through the other's Aura.

The information gotten through this power is not neccesarily quite so incriminating. The nature of the information gained is agreed upon either by the players themselves, or determined by the ST.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Dice pool: Wits + Investigation + Auspex - Subject's resolve (Note: The Malkovian might not consciously be aware that he's using this power, he still loses the willpower however, a mechanical representation of the Malkovian's crumbling grasp on reality)

Roll Results:

• Dramatic Failure: Entirely mis-leading information is gained, which can become accepted as gospel-truth by the Malkovian.
• Failure: The power fails and the Malkovian loses 1 willpower, however, he may try again at the same cost.
• Success: The Malkovian gains some measure of (albeit cryptical) knowledge, the nature of which is determined by either the other player, or the ST. The number of successes can determine either how much information is gained, or how important (from the perspective of the victim) the information is. (this too is to be decided upon either by the other player, or the ST)
• Exceptional Success: The knowledge gained is more clear to the Malkovian, as are it's implications.

Additionally: If the roll yields anything other than a normal success, the Malkovian's core derangement is set off at some point during the night.

This devotion can only be learned by Malkovians. This power costs 10xp to learn