The Betrayed
“This will never end, cause I want more.
More. Give me more. Give me more.”
Fever Ray, “If I Had a Heart”
Patron: Mammon, the Prince of Greed
When Attar created Mammon, their purpose was to test humanity and weed out those who were ruled by avarice. Mammon, Attar’s most loyal follower, stood by him in his war against Hadad.
Yet while Attar retreated to the depths of the earth to decide what to do next … Mammon was left to wander, discarded. Attar did not lead them to their new home like the other fallen angels. Mammon was left on earth, alone. And so did Mammon find his place on the earth, fueling the selfish into dominating their communities, building Strong Men societies that hoarded power and wealth for the rulers, with Mammon, Prince of Greed, manipulating them from the dark. It was only then, when Attar saw the power Mammon was now able to wield over the world, that he deigned to bring Mammon into his new kingdom. Mammon now follows Attar once again, but has learned an important lesson: you are only as important as you are useful and powerful, and you should never depend on loyalty for your survival.
Motivations: While The Profane may be interested in doing evil for evil’s sake, The Betrayed have no strong longing for evil. The Betrayed, instead, seek power, at any cost.
Ostensibly, the The Betrayed hoard power and influence for the war with Heaven. They use their power to spread their beliefs and gain more power, and to stifle the best laid plans of The Blessed. Yet every Betrayed knows that their true goal is to collect as much power as possible, to assist Attar with his war against Heaven, while ensuring Mammon can never be cast aside again. There will be a place in the world for Mammon and The Betrayed, because they will hold all the keys needed to make that world happen.
Goals: To acquire as much personal influence as possible, both in Huldufolk society and the mortal world. The Betrayed will use their power to help the Banished when they need to, but they will never cede control of that power to another. Ever.
Beliefs Invoked: The world is a savage garden of horrors, where we must protect ourselves and do whatever we need to in order to stay on top. What I own I have worked for, those close to me are mine, and I will do whatever it takes to protect them and keep them safe.
Criticisms: The Profane and The Chastened point out that, whether its influence over leadership, or secret knowledge, or magical items, The Betrayed always seem to manage to hoard more than their fair share. The Betrayed are perennial deal makers, often coming to the other Banished with some new con that they claim will be extremely profitable if they join up and play their cards right. The other Banished can usually tell they’re being used, but they often end up playing along anyway, even if they know The Betrayed are usually getting far more out of the deal.