Aleksandr Malenkov

Mortal Days

Born in a raging Siberian snowstorm, Malenkov’s childhood and upbringing faced hardship from beginning to end. While the entire world passed him by, he was stuck in a world with no progress and a family constantly fighting for the most basic of human needs. At 14 years old, Malenkov caught anthrax from the reindeer his family herded. He survived, but his mother did not. His father placed her in a locked shed far from their living quarters, since the frozen earth made interment at that time impossible, and they could not waste tinder on a burial fire. Malenkov snuck off to see his mother’s body many times late at night, the sight of her frozen corpse sticking with him, keeping him company every time he sleeps.

Malenkov grew increasingly bitter at the world and his urge to flee was almost unbearable. He knew his father would never survive on his own, but would not agree to leave either. On his 30th birthday, on the warmest day he’d known in some time, he drowned his infirm father in the reindeer trough. Malenkov packed his belongings and rode into the night, placing his father’s body in the shed that had once housed his mother’s corpse. Although living with the harsh climate for most of his life, he did not predict his reindeer giving out early in his journey. He was exhausted as the cold set in and the snow started to fall.

Days and nights passed without mercy from harsh weather. Malenkov felt death closing in around him and fell unconscious. The next time he opened his eyes, his heart no longer pounded in his chest.

Kindred Nights

Coincidence brought Malenkov into the night. Talley had been waging a campaign of butchery against several Russian werewolves and, after losing his pack to the ferocious Lupines, discovered the near-frozen Russian lying in the snow. Talley’s first instinct was to feed from the well-placed meal, but then he considered: How did this man get here, to the middle of nowhere? How did he survive? Perhaps he would make for a fighting childe. The Lasombra drained the mortal’s life and replaced it with undeath. The two made a journey of many hundreds of miles, burying their bodies beneath great sheets of ice and snow day after day, feeding from vermin and the occasional farmer, until they reached Omsk. From there, the two traveled south and within the year were on a ship destined for North America.

Talley showed Malenkov the western world of the 1870s, while learning all there was to know about the Russian reindeer farmer’s simple-but-hard life. Talley was impressed by how quickly the man adapted to his new state of being, the speed with which he picked up languages, and his untapped strategic wit. He was also curious about Malenkov’s eroded morality, which, if the Russian was telling the truth, had been melted away like ice under heat. Talley would refer to his childe as “my oil well,” as Malenkov roved himself a rich find and clan prodigy. In turn, Malenkov became fascinated with his new parental figure and all the human excesses he’d never had the opportunity to experience while alive. He did everything he could to impress and be useful. Malenkov did not understand Cainite society, but knew he had to fight for survival, which wasn’t a new concept. As Malenkov grew older and the reality of his undead life sank in, his morality dissolving even further, he felt the urge to give in to his Beast time and again. His sire suggested that returning to his home might help, either to come to peace with his inner monster or let it loose on the past that hounded his dreams.

In 1941, Malenkov returned to Russia for the first time since his departure a century before. It was during the war that Malenkov’s primal urge broke through and took over. He hid within the ranks of Soviet soldiers and compelled them to devastating massacres, often achieving great victories at the expense of thousands of lives. To him, there was no difference between women, children, men, soldiers, or civilians. There was only blood. He lost his few remaining attachments to self-control and morality, and only through his sire rediscovering him close to Wassail was Malenkov able to restrain himself.

Upon returning to the United States, Talley placed Malenkov in charge of Sabbat war packs on the east coast. Malenkov had a great mind and a thirst for war, so the Sabbat used him as their “Khan” during the sectarian wars of the 20th century, styling him after the Mongols of old. The Sabbat considered him a war hero, the Camarilla a bogeyman of legend. Even Talley thought Malenkov was twisted, and became convinced his childe would lose himself to the Beast one night and never be seen again. To Talley’s surprise, Malenkov still clings on to self-control through routine outings of his bestial instincts.

When the Gehenna Crusade commenced, Malenkov embarked upon it with gusto. He felt sure this would be his Waterloo, to triumph or perish fantastically. Talley’s summoning him back to the States, to sit beside Sierra Van Burrace and make peace with old enemies, leaves nothing but sourness in Malenkov’s mouth. He should be fighting, spreading his terrifying reputation throughout the Middle East, but instead there he was: in Chicago as a poster boy for Lasombra penitence, split between serving his sire loyally, as he’s always done, or finally letting loose and never looking back.

He would be later sacrificed as an exchange for any Lasombra to join the Camarilla.