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Josiah Stone

Josiah Stone, Ithaeur Iron Master member of the Lodge of Mammon

All of Nature strives to prosper. It isn’t wrong to want. And it isn’t “right” to repress the hunger for more — it’s pointless. There will always be more, and so there will always be strength in the desire for more. So, at least, claim the werewolves who have pledged themselves to the Lodge of Mammon.

The patron spirit of the Lodge of the Feast is Mammon

Overview[]

The Lodge of Mammon is, of course, quintessentially selfish. Lodge members don’t work too hard to rationalize their choices in the context of their other “duties” to Luna or the Firstborn. These werewolves worship the incarnation of Greed itself for selfish reasons — they believe that when all is said and done, the Feeder of Greed will triumph as one of the dominant forces of the Shadow, and those who stood with him (or “it”) will be better off than those who didn’t. The spiritual servants of Mammon encourage this point of view, of course, and cultivate the greed of lodge members as well. Mammon and his ilk truly do give generously to those who swear fealty to him. It’s just not ever enough. Similar to other Bale Hounds, the children of Mammon divide themselves into secretive cells. It’s unknown how many Mammonites there are around the world, and there’s no central authority other than the Maeljin itself; cells and sub-cults maintain a discreet network of “business associates.” Some of the lodge’s cells are certainly synchronous. The purpose of the lodge, of course, is twofold: to serve Mammon, and to serve the self-interest of the lodge’s members. Most Mammonites would say the second principle is what’s really important; it’s not about serving the Maeljin for service’s sake, it’s about rendering services in return for payment. Some cells set up small cults of human worshippers at the behest of their master; other cells work to build the spiritual forces of greed in other ways. The Lodge of Mammon is equally welcoming to both Forsaken and Pure, though it’s rare indeed to find them in the same cell. The lodge appeals to Forsaken by playing on their feelings of disenfranchisement and offering them a place of high regard. Conversely, the lodge appeals to Pure by confirming their feelings of entitlement, and offering the resources to pursue those dreams that, they’ve been told, were denied them by the Forsaken long ago. The greed of a Mammonite can be for many things, whether material wealth or the flow of Essence. Mammon is itself older than money, and avarice is only one part of the greed that gives it spiritual “flesh.” Ultimately, the Lodge of Mammon is one of the most inclusive lodges there is. All it takes is the willingness to want things for yourself without shame, to desire more than what you have. Those who hunger will be fed — they may never be sated, but they will be fed even as their greed grows and grows.

Membership[]

Similar to other Bale Hounds, the Lodge of Mammon is extremely circumspect in approaching potential recruits. Failing to properly read a target could lead to the exposure and destruction of an entire cell, so Mammonites play it subtly. Generosity is one of their main techniques — offer a few gifts here and there, and see whose eyes light up the most. It always hurts a little bit to give freely, of course, but the truly faithful see it as an investment. Once the potential recruit has begun to tug at the bait, the lodge begins to throw out further enticements. Instead of offering a few free trifles, Mammonites begin to offer tempting arrangements. “You do a favor for me, and I’ll make sure it’s well worth your while.” In exchange for hunting down a not-too-intimidating quarry, the target receives a potent fetish or an expensive piece of gear. A cunning Mammonite can make the process seem entirely natural by always offering something that clearly is within her means, and therefore not that suspicious a reward — but always too good a deal to pass up. Eventually, the recruiter begins to chat one-on-one with the target, in particular discussing the state of both flesh and Shadow. The seduction takes place over time, anywhere from weeks to years. Forsaken targets are teased with the idea of spirit patrons that might give without being forced, of encouraging the world to give them what they’re owed rather than the lot they’re unfairly stuck with. Pure targets are tempted with dreams of dominion, of allegiance to spirit lords that have an inside track at retaking the world for the People. In both cases, the recruiter points out their own success and argues that there’s no reason that the target can’t have all that and more as well if they're willing to play his cards right. If they've judged their target well, they'll be pledged to the Feeder of Greed before they ever have to say the word “Mammon.” There always has to be an offering, of course — a sacrifice of sorts. However, the Lodge of Mammon doesn’t necessarily ask the initiate to give up or destroy what is of the greatest worth to them — or at least, what they'd define as of the greatest worth. The initiate is encouraged to want, and to see it as reasonable that their wants will be met. The person most likely to sell his soul is the person who doesn’t treasure it in the first place, or who thinks that it’s not worth what they’d be getting in return. Thus, when the Mammonites ask for an offering as a token of good faith, they always pick something reasonable. It’s the sort of deal in which both parties think they’re getting the better end of it; it just so happens that more often than not, the initiate was the one who was wrong. At the close of the offering, the initiate ideally realizes there’s no going back. The final step is the contractual pledge. The Mammonites always describe it as painless, and they’re always lying just a little bit. It may take the form of signing a contract in blood, or it may be sealed with a handshake with a Maeltinet, burning a temporary wound onto the palm of the newly inducted member. The pain is designed to make certain that one joins the lodge fully awake and alert — then the wound heals, and congratulations. You’re in the club. Time to go to work and let the perks start rolling in.

Game Mechanics[]

The following are an overview of the game mechanics.

Prerequisites[]

  • Cunning •
  • Subterfuge ••

Benefits[]

Though the lodge is composed of greedy individuals, there’s still a support network that holds to the principle that to give more is to encourage more desire. New recruits to the lodge of Mammon receive a free dot of the Resources Merit, unless that dot would take them to five dots or more. They also receive +2 bonus dice to any Social rolls made to interact with greed-spirits, or to Harmony rolls made to influence or bind greed-spirits through ritual fashion.

Fetishes[]

BAD PENNY ••: Ironically, this fetish of greed is designed not to be coveted, but to be given away. A Mammonite might include a Bad Penny as part of a tip for services rendered, slip the fetish into a target’s pocket with a bit of deft sleight of hand or even leave the fetish lying on a stoop or sidewalk for someone to find. A Bad Penny might take the form of any sort of coin, from an old doubloon or drachma to a wheat penny or buffalo nickel or even a shiny bright quarter or euro. When made of precious metal or newer coins, these fetishes tend to be brightly polished and eye-catching; those made from antique coins are more likely to be tarnished enough to dispel any suspicions of counterfeiting, at least to the casual observer. Once activated, the Bad Penny will remain so until it is deliberately thrown away. It emanates an aura that attracts and strengthens greed-spirits. Any Essence the bearer may generate is laced with greed resonance, and greed-spirits gain 2 extra dice to use any Numina or Influences to affect the bearer. The person who “finds” a Bad Penny is a clear and obvious target for being Urged, and the spirits are unlikely to let their get rid of the fetish unless they give it freely to someone else, thus further spreading the influence of Mammon. Naturally, a greed-spirit is bound inside this fetish.

References[]

Werewolf: The Forsaken Lodges
First Edition
Blood Talons Lodge of CerberusLodge of the EinherjarLodge of GarmLodge of the Lone WolfLodge of NightLodge of the ShieldLodge of SwordsLodge of Wendigo
Bone Shadows Lodge of BaitalLodge of DeathLodge of DoorsLodge of Hallowed HallsLodge of HarbingersLodge of the Hundred DaysLodge of the Hungry GhostsLodge of ProphecyLodge of the ReapingLodge of Voices
Hunters in Darkness Lodge of AshesThe Brotherhood of Eshu's CapLodge of CarrionLodge of the Empty DenLodge of HarmonyLodge of RuinLodge of SeasonsLodge of the Sleeping BearLodge of Wrath
Iron Masters Lodge of 66Lodge of ArmsLodge of the Hidden HuntLodge of LightningLodge of MetalLodge of ScrollsLodge of SpiresLodge of StonesLodge of Wires
Storm Lords Lodge of CrowsLodge of the Final WinterKshatriyasLodge of the MaelstromLodge of NamarrkunLodge of SalvationLodge of the Shadow's StormLodge of the Shadow ThroneLodge of ThunderLodge of Winter
Auspice Lodge of the BoundaryLodge of the Broken PledgeEigner LodgeLodge of the Endless HorizonLodge of the Fury ChoirLodge of the HazzanLodge of Luna's TearsLodge of LycurgusLodge of the Second MoonriseThe Secret TribunalLodge of the Shadow ThroneLodge of the Spirit ChainsLodge of the Spoken WordLodge of the Starless SkyLodge of the Storm's Eye
Pure Lodge of AbsolutionBlood of KingsCouncil of EaglesLodge of Kin's BloodLodge of Night's FearLodge of PlagueLodge of Sana'aLodge of Vermin's Shadow
Others Lodge of the AdderLodge of ArkadiaThe Armée SauvageLodge of AvalonLodge of the Black WoodsLodge of Bloody SpearsBrotherhood of the Crossed SwordsLodge of ChemicsLodge of the CoyoteLodge of the CrossroadsCult of BonesLodge of EchoesLodge of the Endless MoonLodge of the Fallen IdolLodge of the FeastLodge of Fevered LightLodge of the FirestickLodge of Grey HuntersLodge of the GrottoLodge of Howling DeathLodge of the HuntLodge of IliaLodge of KletbyLodge of the LakeLodge of the LionLodge of LondonLodge of the LostLodge of Luna's DevoteesLodge of MammonLodge of ManiaLodge of the ModernistLodge of the Morning StarLodge of the NahualLodge of PraetorsLodge of QuetzalLodge of the Red SandsLodge of the RoseLodge of the SacrificeLodge of SaintsLodge of the SaviorLodge of ScarsLodge of ScavengersLodge of the ShepherdLodge of SilenceLodge of SongkranLodge of TearsLodge of the Thin ShadowLodge of Two WorldsLodge of the UnionLodge of UnityLodge of the Willow Branch
Mots EiwazValkyrja
Second Edition
Blood Talons Lodge of the Einherjar
Bone Shadows Lodge of the Hundred Days
Hunters in Darkness Lodge of the Hook HandLodge of Sleepless Earth
Iron Masters Lodge of the Shield
Storm Lords Lodge of The Roman Ritual
Ghost Wolves Eaters of the DeadLodge of the Field
Auspice Lodge of the ChronicleLodge of Gargoyles
Pure Lodge of Muspell
Others Lodge of GarmDreaming LodgeLodge of Quicksilver ChildrenLodge of the Screaming MoonThe Temple of ApolloThe Thousand Steel Teeth
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