The Cage is a collection of Malkavian NPCs for use in your games. They appeared in the first chapter of my "Everyone's Your Friend in New York City" game, a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants venture which went quite well. They could exist in virtually any city- Camarilla, Sabbat, or Anarch turf. I hope you find them useful. The Building The Cage is a normal warehouse from the outside. The PC (usually a Malkavian) may have been invited there by Cackling Jim, or wandered there by "coincidence" (perhaps guided by the subtle voices of the Malkavian Madness Network). It lies in the industrial district, part of a row of warehouses, a seemingly poor haven location in terms of the Masquerade. Inside, the warehouse is a jumble of scaffolding and giant hamster tubes. The entire place could be a playground- or a cage for rodents. A human-sized exercise wheel stands in one corner. There is a large rectangular box high in the scaffolding, to which a few tunnels lead. The room is vast and poorly lit, and the shadows of the maze and support structure can be eerie indeed if, for some reason, most of the overhead lights are off. Because of the darkness and labyrinthine tunnels and construction, it is difficult for the PCs to tell how many Malkavians might live in the Cage. Given the huge size of the room, it could be up to literally hundreds- though that would naturally raise the question of where they'd get enough blood. Don't give your players too clear an idea of what goes on in the Cage. It can and should be extremely creepy- the oversized wire wheel creakily spinning with no-one nearby, the harsh industrial lights set off by the skeleton of the maze, etc. If possible, turn off the actual lights when playing in order to cultivate the right atmosphere. The Malkavians Granny West: She sits in a rocking chair near the door. Think Terry Jones in terms of voice and general behavior, but a bit more serious at times. Her maternal demeanor is sometimes belied by a tendency towards profanity. When her OCD is acting up, she may knit 15-foot socks before snapping out of it. When the PCs first knock on the door, they'll hear her screech, "Who is it?" Cackling Jim: They tell stories about the anarch, Cackling Jim. Some say he was Toreador Primogen of Atlanta for years. Some recall the time he embraced an entire lab of quantum physicists, taught them to see above static reality, and unleashed them on an unsusupecting court of Cammies. They're all lies. The real Cackling Jim is a spry, smiling man who acts as the informal leader of the Cage. He has a rapier wit and an abiding passion for paradox. PCs who can play along will be in high regard. Jim is dedicated to taking care of the less coherent Malkavians in the Cage, and also acts as an emissary to the outside world. He knows the maze of hamster tubes better than anyone. Nowhere Man: An abandoned childe, he was "adopted" by the Cage and resides in the room high in the scaffolding. Unlike the rest of the warehouse, his small room is well-lit and tastefully decorated in 1950's American picket fence style. Nowhere Man himself (often called "Jeremy" by Cackling Jim, a reference to a Beatles movie) is a boy of about ten. He is clearly crippled (his legs are unusually spindly) and sits in a wheelchair. He never talks, nor does he use sign language. Because of this, the other Malkavians revere him for his wisdom, although perhaps they're only joking. Old sets of Monopoly, Chinese Checkers, Clue, and Chess lie in the corner. He is undefeatable at these games, and will use them to communicate (in metaphor) with others. There's no telling how much this silent child might know, but deciphering it from his chess moves is the only way of learning. If the necessity is great enough (e.g., the entire Cage is in danger), he may speak one sentence or so. Others: There are many Malkavians in the Cage. How many? Well, the PCs certainly don't know, but they'll often hear strange crashes, shouting, or singing in the distance. Although Cackling Jim does the vast majority of representing his fellows to the outside world, there will occasionally be others wandering around- a deformed woman, a butler, complete with tuxedo and silver tray, an old general, a wandering violinist... make up your own. Keep 'em guessing. The Plot The Cage can be used as a mentor background for Malkavian PCs. Often, they may have plot information for the characters, although getting Nowhere Man to explain things might be difficult at best. It might also be a good hideout for when things get rough in the city. Non-Malkavians may be admitted reluctantly, if they are vouched for by trusted PCs. In my campaign, most of the inhabitants of the Cage are descendents of one Lord Grey, an elder with periodic lunacy, whose MPD is affected by the phase of the moon. On a particularly bloody night, when Archbishop Grey (!) was leading a vicious assault on the Camarilla, nearly all of the Cage were infected by seizures and on the verge of frenzy. It was damned scary for the PCs to be surrounded by an unknown number of dangerous Malkavians, escorted only by someone who was nearly berserk himself. Not to mention when they opened the door, and were viciously attacked by Granny, covered in her own blood... Come up with your own uses. Throw out half of what I've written. Have fun. Simon_idle