Clan Malkavian

Francisco is an affable but odd fellow. Most of his idiosyncrasies are readily accepted because he comes across as harmless. Being pretty doesn't hurt either. Decades out of the sun have rendered the Spaniard's once rich, browned complexion an unmarred, milky shade; his jet black hair washes him out even more. Still, he maintains the features that made him an awful, flighty little Casanova in life: he cuts a strong profile, with high cheekbones, an aquiline nose, and bow-shaped lips. He has hazel eyes and thick lashes that would be the envy of most women. He's about 5'6" and an average weight. His English is accented with a soft, Spanish lilt.

Born in a small town outside Granada, Spain, Francisco was an overly imaginative, sensitive child that grew into an overly imaginative, sensitive adult. Throughout his life, Francisco had a tendency toward magical thinking, belief in synchronicity, superstitions, and other ritualized behaviours. His off-beat perspective made him one of the pioneering figures in Spain's surrealist art movement. It also may have been prodromal symptoms of schizoaffective, obsessive compulsive, or bipolar disorder - but why over-psychologize?

During the Spanish Civil War, Francisco allied himself with other political dissenters; socialists, anarchists, and purveyors of "degenerate, modern art." He and another artist, Jean-Luc Sauser, frequently collaborated together. Literary historians obliquely describe them as "very close friends." Sauser was murdered by Nationalists during the war. Subsequently, Francisco refused to cease his involvement in the socialist rebellion. He also declined to flee the country when offered safe passage to France. He was arrested and jailed by Nationalists soon after.

During his stint in prison, the stress triggered several psychotic episodes that were left untreated by his captors. This resulted in a snowball effect of worsening symptoms and relapses. Francisco wasn't ever quite the same. Following his release, his once playful, creative prose transformed into an overwrought, elliptical style that was difficult to parse. His paintings showed a fixation on "sacred geometry" and seemingly nonsensical patterns. Francisco never produced another critically well-received work. He eventually died, in poverty, after contracting pneumonia.