••••• •••• Brother’s Gift

This power baffles those few who’ve heard of it, for it seems totally at odds with Dementation. Brother’s Gift frees the subject from all Derangements, granting total lucidity. The ancients Malkavians know the truth; Brother’s Gift was a trick Malkav himself learned while studying with his brother Saulot. Malkav could not heal his own pain like Saulot could, but he could shunt it elsewhere, a task that became easier as his brood grew. Malkav poured his madness into the blood, which now carries his madness in the veins of all Malkavians.

System

The Malkavian places her hand upon the face of the target, and the player spends a Willpower point. Brother’s Gift then washes away any and all Derangements and anything else influencing the target’s mind at that time. The target immediately regains all temporary Willpower, and for the next week, she has one additional die to all Mental dice pools. The Blood Oath, Dominate or Presence influences, psychotropic drugs — all vanish into the infinite madness of Malkav, saved to afflict some future recipient of the blood. When a new Malkavian is Embraced and suffers the target’s Derangement, the elder feels it as if the neonate Called them.

Alternately, the vampire may bury the victim’s Derangements until a set time (specified by the vampire), at which point they come roaring back in full force. Thereafter, the victim may never be allowed a moment of lucidity. Brother’s Gift cannot cure a Malkavian’s clan Derangement. It can alleviate it, though—an application of this power to a Malkavian grants them a small boon, permitting them to shunt their own madness into their blood (allowing them to benefit from a moment of lucidity by spending Willpower).