From SuspireWiki
T H E D O W N W A R D S P I R A L
To worship Darkness is to mock the Light. Even as Judas betrayed Christ, he still knew the words he spoke and understood them as well as any other. So too must avatars of Darkness learn of other cultures, the better to infiltrate and, in time, mutate them to the will of the Darkness. There are many takes on the nature of "Light" and countless more religious viewpoints and "ideas" on the theory and possibility of Heavens and Hells. To the Malumi, though, they are all the same: objects and institutions to be hollowed out and infested.
To the Malumi, God does exist. Perhaps not in the same manner as others, but the entity creator most certainly exists. The fact that such atrocities happen - and have always happened - in the world without anything but vigilante justice and courts of man-made law and order to punish them simply points to the fact that this Godhead creator has, in fact, abandoned humanity. There is no reason to flee from the Darkness, nor is it even possible. Darkness is already here.
Kindness, the rare find of charity and benevolent activity are all methods of sugarcoating and clinging to illusions of tranquility and hope to Malumi. Thus, their fight is never over. They must overcome the holy wards and sacred prayers that keep the agents and avatars of Darkness at bay - while people still believe in the essence of Light, the Darkness not fully take hold.
Perhaps some of their members are drawn from Martin Luther's claim that the world is already condemned, "Few are saved, infinitely more are damned". After all, a sense of fatalism would push many individuals to accept the inevitable, especially if they are going to be fucked anyway. So, why not at least get the benefits along the way? According to God's Word, to consider a sin is to commit it, so why not earn something for your trouble?
How many times have you heard - no, thought, that you'd sell your soul for "that". Some people literally do. It's easy enough in the World of Darkness. Sometimes it only takes a thought, sometimes only a whisper, other times only a breathless wish. One only has to truly desire it, and the thousands of entities that swarm humanity and it's monstrous counterparts swoop in, hungrily waiting to devour a new soul in exchange for some paltry gift of power.
There are others still who have not greed, but need. Perhaps they simply cannot feed their families, and simple desperation can make the most strong willed man break down their moral codes. This degeneration of the threads of morality is what the Malumi strive for. By encouraging the inner Darkness in all things and all people, they work to vanquish the waning Light.
Not all agents of Darkness are such sinuously clever souls, though. Others join the armies of Darkness for their own personal goals. Rebellion and inner rage at the order of the world works just as well for the Darkness as any proselytizing snake among the grasses of humanity. Things must burn. Temples must be desecrated. People must be made to realize that their carefully constructed moral codification system will not stop the inevitable strengthening of the Darkness.
While not as prominent in the modern nights, as in years past, the fact remains that the Light is perfectly capable of atrocities to scare those under its sway back to the Light when they lean too far towards the clutches of Darkness. This ideology is nowhere more prominent than with the Kindred's Lancea Sanctum. This covenant, whose sole purpose is to frighten, bully and lead all things back towards the Light is the undeniable enemy of all Kindred who swear their allegiances to the Darkness. The satisfaction a Malumi can gain from undermining the efforts of the Sanctified while performing as a friend and close ally to their covenant members cannot be replicated.
Sanctified coteries and parishes are ultimately the target of nearly any member of Malumi. By weakening this covenant, the Darkness in Kindred can be fostered and nurtured without interference. The Lancea Sanctum gets in the way of the natural progression of things; by desecrating their rites, an avatar of Darkness can pave her own way towards Hell and enjoy the comforts it brings.
The goal of any Malumi, however, is to bring as much Darkness out in people as they can. The methods, whether it be luring, tempting, pillaging or beating others don't matter. What matters is their desires being fulfilled; by feeding the Darkness, the Darkness will feed them.
T H E F I V E M E T H O D S O F T E M P T A T I O N
This letter was pulled off of a destroyed Malumi by a coterie of crusading Sanctified in the early 2000's, suggesting that information between members of Malumi is shared informally for those who are in need, even in the modern nights:
Everyone has desires they cannot name openly. Secrets which they would never dare whisper to another for fear of ridicule or worse. Everyone. When we set out to remove the world's fucking blinders and show them what is inevitable - what's already here - there are things that you have to realize are important to people. There's five major things that will catch almost anyone into your snares. You are an agent of Darkness, bitch, earn your keep.
Not everyone is a tempter, and you're pretty bad at being sexy; these folks are special. They challenge themselves (and everyone) to great schemes of corruption that not just anyone can play. The Kallisti almost have it right. But they fuck it up with normal Succubi style. All of the lures, repartee and captures requires a certain amount of wit and grace. Any idiot can eat babies and smoke crack from babies asses. Turning a corporate kingpin who goes to church every Sunday with his family into a coprophiliac takes style.
You don't have that. Sorry kid. But the good news is, is that anyone can be tempted. A skilled Malumi knows what people want, how to get it and how to present the prize to the target in such an enticing manner than the victim will do anything to get it (the key word here, Baela, is anything).
Sexuality. Numero one. Crude, but unusually effective (even against some of the younger Kindred). You have to realize, though, that sexuality is also one of the most private affairs in the world. Realize that most people aren't going to come out and tell you that they want you to pull their hair and slap them on the ass, or that they like to dress up as little bo peep while you're the big bad wolf, you know.
The great thing about this is that you have the potential to unleash amazing, and astounding amounts of misery and home wrecking. I won't even tell you how many kings, queens and countries have been brought to their knees, or to war, just by wonderfully forbidden liaisons. Use it if you can, don't be afraid.
Wealth. Money is the root of all evil. No really, it is. If you got it, and god knows I don't, then fucking put it to use for the Darkness. People will do the most degrading shit for money. Turn on your TV for once, check out the shit people will do for money. Backstabbing, fucking their best friend's wife in order to get them so mad they explode and get voted off the island, diving into a pit of slop and snakes and three week old garbage in order to get a few measly fifty dollar bills? Fuck yeah!
Convince people that you can make any of their temporal wishes come true, and you'll become a force to be reckoned with. I recommend the Invictus if you're rolling this way. Those snobs are so loaded, you'll be able to shit Benjamins before too long. Never underestimate the power of making people go into debt to you.
Debt is your friend. Nothing is free, especially when you're dealing with the Darkness. No matter how you set it up, realize that you have to make sure your victim winds up owing you a colossal favor. Sooner or later (usually sooner, don't want them to run off on you!), you call on that debt, and use it to do some kind of service, sin, degradation or hell... all three! When you get done with them, make sure they don't forget, and make sure they realize why Hell's streets are paved with gold.
Society. People want to be a part of social circles that seem impenetrable. If you think you've got yourself a way into courts (for Kindred) or for high-class, high society use it as a lure for the people who can't seem to get there on their own. This one is particularly fun, because if you're skilled enough, you can groom someone and carve out a niche for your protégé in the local social woodwork; then when you have gathered enough dirt on them, completely destroy them when the moment comes. At some point, they're going to bore you, or outlive their usefulness, so... fuck 'em. A quick word in the right ears and the shit rolls downhill. Lives are ruined, trust is sapped and off you go, laughing.
Knowledge. This one is tricky, because if you're giving them knowledge, that's something they can use to empower themselves - which endangers you. However, it's also a very potent method of lure for some people. Some are so obsessed with knowing that if you dangle forbidden lore carrots, they cannot help but to bite. The Prince's mistress? I can find out where she lives, of course... The whereabouts of your missing son? Don't worry, love, I can find your baby boy for you... Arcane secrets, lost truths... We can dig them up, given enough time - unless you're a punk bitch, but let's assume you're not - and we can offer them up as tasty morsels to whet the appetite of the most voracious scholar. Naturally, you want something in return. Nothing comes for free.
If you're good at this trick, you'll be able to seamlessly weave truth and fiction onto a plate. It's easy for us to lie, they just have to have enough truth in them to look delectable - something people want to believe. Real knowledge is good, too, but remember, you don't want to give them too much. You don't want to endanger yourself by empowering your mark too much. The best thing is that occasionally, the truth hurts more than any lie could. Sometimes, a truth can demoralize someone so much that they utterly lose whatever faith and code of ethics they were clasping onto over time. When that bridge is crossed, there is no limit to what poison Malumi can inject.
Raw Power. Hey, some people like to blow shit up. It's so easy to appeal to brutes and the force they like to apply that I hardly need to say anything here on it. It's the easiest thing to get started on - maybe the best for you, Baela, you're a little green still - so few advanced Malumi even waste their time. But sometimes, it's worth it. It's not subtle, but sometimes subtle just doesn't work. Find a dupe, give him a big fucking stick and point him at an enemy that you've made sure he thinks is his enemy as well. Sit back, enjoy the show.
Last thing, Baela, none of us reveals who we really are. If you like to sexually tempt, then pretend to be a virgin or whatever you know will make them go wild. Never be you. Be what they want you to be. We thrive on misdirection and humans are weak. Go get 'em, tiger.
Parent Clan: Mekhet
Bloodline Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Obfuscate, Verum
Nickname: Tempters, Heretics, and hundreds of other accusatory names.
Reputation: Evil. This bloodline's history travels back to the beginning of human organized religion, and Malumi themselves would have others believe that they are from the Darkness - the original Kindred. Most Kindred steer clear of Malumi who are brave (or stupid...) enough to become known as a member of this bloodline. After centuries of propaganda by Lancea Sanctum and moral codes, being known as a Malumi publicly is akin to just asking for it.
Weakness: Learning the true name of a Malumi is akin to putting them under the shackles of a blood bond, exemplified. Any powers or mundane actions that affect the Malumi once their shadow name is known, may be rolled with bonus dice equal to the initiator's Supernatural Advantage (for vampires, this would be Blood Potency). Animals, unless the Malumi has Animalism, almost always react negatively to the Malumi. Lastly, a Malumi always has a muted aura that would come from Dominate, a vinculum or other supernatural compulsion, if rolled for that level.
D E A L W I T H Y O U R D E M O N S
This section is not necessarily information that is ever figured out by Kindred themselves. Demons, spirits and other assorted abyssal creatures are entities that are not bound by moral codes, nor are they bound by the will of their servants. No matter what an individual Malumi may think about being their own entity, by simply joining the accursed bloodline, a Malumi becomes claimed by an otherworldly entity. A Malumi gains a completely unique name of shadow, which identifies them amongst the rest of the known universe. A Malumi instinctively knows this name, and understands that if such a thing were to fall into the wrong hands it could be... catastrophic.
They might not necessarily understand how they know this, but most Malumi feel it is simply Kindred instinct - similar to understanding that fire or sun can kill them. Thus, most Malumi take great care to hide this information from anyone and everyone, even their own sires or Avuses (naturally, being of the Mekhet scares the hell out of Malumi who know the ins and outs of Telepathy).
The problem with this, naturally, is that the one entity that claims them - whatever it may be - also instinctively knows this name of the Malumi. So starts the life of shackles of the Malumi. If they do not serve their new master willingly, there are few such voracious creatures who are above simple blackmail to get their point across. That's fine, but if you don't, I'm sure that your good friend Desmond would love to know that if he simply knows this name that he can command you like a puppet...
Malumi find it in their best interests to keep their claimer happy.
By creating and increasing the Darkness in the world through those around them, the Malumi is often granted universal benefits from their keeper. After all, every master wants a loyal servant, and such paltry grants in exchange for such empowering activities is easy enough! Different Malumi call their agreements with these otherworldly entities different things, but a pact is what they are generally referred to as. Pacts are services and deeds (or misdeeds...) that a Malumi performs for their claimer in exchange for increased power. Simple? Sometimes...