Children of Osiris

Bloodlines

Introduction

Egyptian mythology abounds with tales of the rivalry between Set and his brother, Osiris. Knowledgeable vampires are aware that the Followers of Set claim descent from an Antediluvian who took his name from that Egyptian serpent-god (though the Setites certainly seem to think Set actually was the god). If that’s the case, such Kindred wonder, who was Osiris? A mortal spellcaster that was Embraced? Set’s childe? Or perhaps another Antediluvian, lost to time and destroyed millennia ago?

Whatever the truth about Set, there was once a powerful vampire called Osiris. He was a philosopher and a scholar in an Egyptian court (whose dynasty is unknown), Embraced by an unknown vampire who believed that his knowledge of the law would make him a useful ally in the battle to bring Egypt under Kindred influence. Osiris, however, was horrified by his new condition. Rather than meet the sun, though, he became determined to face and banish his personal demons, and especially his own Beast. His studies on sublimating the vampiric impulses may have helped form the basis for the search for Golconda. At the very least, they expanded it.

The Children of Osiris might have become a Clan and continued into the modern nights, but Set slew Osiris. As mortal legendry has it, Set dismembered his “brother” and scattered his body throughout the land of Egypt. His sister, Isis (perhaps another vampire, but no one still extant seems to know for sure) found the pieces and reassembled them, and impossibly, Osiris was resurrected. Death, however, had taken its toll. His blood was inert, and he could no longer create more childer. This, however, did not stop him from spreading his path.

Nickname: Since even the Kindred who know about the Children of Osiris assume them all to be dead, they do not have a common nickname.

Sect: Strictly speaking, the Children of Osiris are a Sect, rather than a bloodline. They do not (and, by virtue of their own laws, cannot) join the Sabbat or the Camarilla.

Appearance: Since the Children can hail from any Clan or bloodline, their appearance can vary widely. They all shave their heads every evening upon awakening, and when in their temples they wear white robes adorned with mystical symbols and hieroglyphs. When leaving their temples on business, they dress simply and stay inconspicuous.

Haven: The few remaining Children of Osiris in the world dwell in one of several temples. These temples are well-hidden and kept secret from other Kindred, meaning that they tend to be in areas that don’t boast much of a vampire population.

Background: Children of Osiris renounce their Clans because they hate their condition, but do not wish to commit suicide. The search for Golconda leads some Kindred to the Children, while others encounter the Sect after running afoul of the Followers of Set.

Character Creation: Children of Osiris can be from any Clan (except the Followers of Set; while the Children might be willing to accept a truly repentant Setite, the situation has never come up). The character can have any combination of Attributes and Abilities, and they retain whatever knowledge of Disciplines they had before joining. Nature and Demeanor tend to be the same — the Children of Osiris are straightforward and honest.

Clan Disciplines: As appropriate for the character’s original Clan. Children of Osiris can also learn Bardo as an in-Clan Discipline.

Weakness: As appropriate for the character’s original Clan.

Organization: Each temple is under the supervision of an elder Child of Osiris (called the Undying King), and the entire Sect answers to a mysterious vampire called the Grand Undying King, rumored to be a direct childe of Osiris from before he lost the ability to Embrace. The Sect focuses on maintaining their Humanity, which is of course a difficult enough concern, but also thwarting the machinations of the Followers of Set without the Serpents knowing they still exist.