Osiris (PTC)

Osiris
Plural	Osirans
Pronounce	Oh-sai-riss
Nicknames	Nepri, Cadavers, Children of Horus
Progenitor	Osiris
Element	Water
Humour	Phlegmatic
Bestowment	Revivification, Corpse Tongue
Mockery	Sebek

Osiris pilgrim mark

Osiris is the name of a Promethean Lineage. Also called the Nepri, the Osirians make claim as the closest thing to royalty among the Prometheans, based on their "descent" from an Egyptian god. They are commonly associated with the element of water, and their phlegmatic humour tends to give them detached, analytical natures.

Origins

Osirans claim as their Progenitor the Egyptian god Osiris, who was dismembered and returned to life by Isis on the banks of the Nile.

Creation

Their creation rites echo the story of Isis' rites: after being immersed in river water mingled with herbs, the body of the deceased is divided into thirteen parts with a ceremonial bronze knife, and the smallest body part thrown away. The creator then spits on the corpse, providing phlegm, and the remaining parts are put back together using flax thread. The corpse is then made to swallow crushed rose petals, infused with Azoth, which quicken the corpse to life. The new Osiran thus created is granted life by the element of Water, giving them an excess of phlegmatic humour.

Culture

Refinements

The Refinements chosen by the Nepri usually reflect their information-gathering nature. Most prominent is Mercurius, as the study of Pyros and its nature is something that can easily occupy an Osirian for decades. Cuprum is also not uncommon for the Nepri, especially for the Metamorphosis Transmutation associated with it. Cobalus, a rare Refinement that involve deep examinations of the self and its imperfections, is popular among the Nepri who know of its existence.

The dispassionate and inquisitive nature of the Osiris Lineage has led them to become the most common practitioners of Centimani; indeed, some legends claim that Isis herself created the Refinement.

Traits

The Nepri, as Osirans are sometimes known, take pride in their divine heritage, and display a regal authority which comes from nothing more supernatural than their own self-belief. Typically, their missing body part appears as a 'normal' deformity in their human seeming - a missing hand or foot, for example. They can easily communicate with the dead through corpses, and can even return from the dead themselves with no penalty. Some are skilled enough to bring their Promethean brethren back as well, displaying a mastery over life and death which makes it hard to discount their claims.

Disfigurements

Their disfigurements also display their Egyptian heritage: they take on the aspect of an Egyptian mummy, a skeletal corpse with skin that appears rotted or desiccated. The body part lost during their creation becomes horribly apparent to those who can see it, a gory, bloody wound. They also carry the scent of the herbs used in their creation rites.

References

• PTC: Promethean: The Created Rulebook, p. 55, 63, 106-109
• PTC: Magnum Opus, p. 70
• PTC: Web spoiler, June 19, 2006
• PTC: Web spoiler, June 21, 2006
• PTC: Promethean Promo (PDF download), released June 29, 2006