Usiri
Yes, of course you can trust me.
The Cult of Osiris was dedicated to assisting those who knew that the brother of sleep, otherwise called Torpor, was soon to come. They offered assurances that memories would be kept safe and that battles against the demons of the Underworld and the God of the Dead would be fought and won. The creator of the bloodline, a Nosferatu High Priest of Osiris, became concerned that their secrets could easily be stolen by spies from the traitorous Cult of Set or even from lands beyond Egypt. So he decided to make sure those secrets would be safe from anyone and everyone who were not of his blood.
The Usiri, who called themselves the Warriors of the Dead, were quite different from what most other Kindred believed them to be. In reality, they were collectors of information, hoarders of that most precious of commodities: secrets. The rest of the Kindred of Ancient Egypt, however, saw the Usiri as their protectors and guides through the dangerous realm of nightmares and dreams associated with Torpor.
As far as non-Usiri knew, the Warriors had a twofold mission: to fight Kindred enemies in the dreamscape of Torpor and to assist their Kindred Allies on an undoubtedly difficult and often nightmarish journey through the Underworld. Those who awakened from Torpor often found themselves being comforted by an attending Usiri priest, who would whisper to them of the glorious battles they had fought against demons and, in some cases, even manifestations of Osiris himself. These whispered tales were described by the Usiri in exhaustive detail, providing the newly awakened Kindred with numerous images and stories to draw upon.
In modern nights, the Usiri have found a niche as information gatherers, Kindred psychologists and advisors to elder Princes who covet what the Usiri offer. Thus, the Warriors of the Dead have reinvented themselves. They still proclaim to do battle with the spirits of the Underworld and they continue offering to protect and store the memories of those Kindred who near their time of Torpor. Now, though, they do so from a more secular standpoint. The ancient Egyptian god of the dead has no place in the modern world, it seems, and some ultra-orthodox Usiri fear that Osiris might consider them betrayers, and even go so far as to exact vengeance upon them for abandoning Him. This consideration has caused those Sleepers to take their own, memory-saving precautions.
The Usiri, who called themselves the Warriors of the Dead, were quite different from what most other Kindred believed them to be. In reality, they were collectors of information, hoarders of that most precious of commodities: secrets. The rest of the Kindred of Ancient Egypt, however, saw the Usiri as their protectors and guides through the dangerous realm of nightmares and dreams associated with Torpor.
As far as non-Usiri knew, the Warriors had a twofold mission: to fight Kindred enemies in the dreamscape of Torpor and to assist their Kindred Allies on an undoubtedly difficult and often nightmarish journey through the Underworld. Those who awakened from Torpor often found themselves being comforted by an attending Usiri priest, who would whisper to them of the glorious battles they had fought against demons and, in some cases, even manifestations of Osiris himself. These whispered tales were described by the Usiri in exhaustive detail, providing the newly awakened Kindred with numerous images and stories to draw upon.
In modern nights, the Usiri have found a niche as information gatherers, Kindred psychologists and advisors to elder Princes who covet what the Usiri offer. Thus, the Warriors of the Dead have reinvented themselves. They still proclaim to do battle with the spirits of the Underworld and they continue offering to protect and store the memories of those Kindred who near their time of Torpor. Now, though, they do so from a more secular standpoint. The ancient Egyptian god of the dead has no place in the modern world, it seems, and some ultra-orthodox Usiri fear that Osiris might consider them betrayers, and even go so far as to exact vengeance upon them for abandoning Him. This consideration has caused those Sleepers to take their own, memory-saving precautions.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
History and Culture: Usiri was initially the title given to the High Priest of Osiris. Kindred who worshipped this particular god became fascinated with stories of the Underworld and with assisting Ra, the Sun, in its nightly battle to rise again each morning. The Usiri began searching for ways, through study and prayer, to protect the mind while the body slept and the spirit waged war on the Underworld’s demons. The Usiri became known as Warriors of the Dead, Kindred who would take and protect the memories of their Allies as they slept. They were trusted among many ancient Egyptian Kindred (including followers from the Cults of Ra, Anubis and Horus, for example) and rejected by others (the Cults of Set and Thoth, whose followers feared the idea of trusting others with their thoughts more so than losing those memories to the fog of time).
Everything changed for the Usiri upon the Roman (and Ventrue) invasion. The gods of Egypt were dismissed as mythology and the Usiri were decried as liars and tricksters. It was then that they made a pact among themselves to leave the waking domain and enter Osiris’s Realm. They agreed to enter voluntary Torpor and vanish into the Underworld until such a time as the invaders had long forgotten them. They hoped that, by spreading their memories and histories among each other, through numbers alone enough of their history would survive the time spent in the Underworld. Until enough of them are awakened, the Sleepers bide their time.
Enough Kindred in modern nights fear what they could lose should they be forced prematurely, for whatever reason, into Torpor. The Usiri use this fear as a tool to gain positions of power within various Courts. They can be found in every covenant, whispering to whomever will listen to them, offering guaranteed protection from the brother of sleep and returning the memories handed over for safe storage. Fortunately for the Usiri, the information they help to protect will always be a part of them.
In their efforts to adjust to present time, the Usiri have begun making overtures to their ancient Allies, the Anubi, and the re-awakening Bak-Ra, concerning the formation of a pact between their respective bloodlines. Whispers within The Circle of the Crone suggest that they, too, have been contacted by the Sleepers. After all, they have given up so much and have received so little in return. The Sleepers are snake-oil salesmen, except that their particular concoction is the stuff of nightmares. They continue to perform their rituals of memory protection, however, all the while collecting and storing every other bit of information they can to help them survive.
Everything changed for the Usiri upon the Roman (and Ventrue) invasion. The gods of Egypt were dismissed as mythology and the Usiri were decried as liars and tricksters. It was then that they made a pact among themselves to leave the waking domain and enter Osiris’s Realm. They agreed to enter voluntary Torpor and vanish into the Underworld until such a time as the invaders had long forgotten them. They hoped that, by spreading their memories and histories among each other, through numbers alone enough of their history would survive the time spent in the Underworld. Until enough of them are awakened, the Sleepers bide their time.
Enough Kindred in modern nights fear what they could lose should they be forced prematurely, for whatever reason, into Torpor. The Usiri use this fear as a tool to gain positions of power within various Courts. They can be found in every covenant, whispering to whomever will listen to them, offering guaranteed protection from the brother of sleep and returning the memories handed over for safe storage. Fortunately for the Usiri, the information they help to protect will always be a part of them.
In their efforts to adjust to present time, the Usiri have begun making overtures to their ancient Allies, the Anubi, and the re-awakening Bak-Ra, concerning the formation of a pact between their respective bloodlines. Whispers within The Circle of the Crone suggest that they, too, have been contacted by the Sleepers. After all, they have given up so much and have received so little in return. The Sleepers are snake-oil salesmen, except that their particular concoction is the stuff of nightmares. They continue to perform their rituals of memory protection, however, all the while collecting and storing every other bit of information they can to help them survive.
Major organizations
Reputation: The history of the Usiri has been lost, as far as most Kindred know. These days, they are thought of as either the protectors of secrets (by those who believe in dreams, the occult and superstition) or as con-artists (by those Kindred with mental abilities who aren’t so swayed by the power of dreams or the threat of losing precious memories). At this point in the modern Requiem, there are simply too few of them to make an accurate assessment of the bloodline as a whole, although if they are capable of even half of what they claim, there might be reason to worry. The Usiri bring into question the entire notion of what is real and what isn’t — a vampire might ask, are the thoughts in my head my thoughts or were they placed there by someone else?
Nickname: Warriors of the Dead (ancient times), Sleepers (modern nights)
Bloodline Disciplines: Auspex, Hypnagogia, Nightmare, Obfuscate
Weakness: Usiri suffer the Nosferatu clan weakness (see p. 111 of Vampire: The Requiem).
Further, the Usiri truly believe that whenever they fall asleep, they enter the Underworld to do battle with the demons and horrors that exist there. They also believe that they must traverse numerous obstacles within that Underworld. This mental and spiritual struggle throughout the day takes a toll on the Usiri sleeper and one point of Willpower is lost upon awakening each night. This point can be regained by fulfilling their Virtue or Vice or by accomplishing a significant goal (see p. 96 of the World of Darkness Rulebook).
Concepts: Court advisor, bodyguard, dream interpreter, spy/information gatherer, occult instructor, new-age guru, private detective, Egyptologist, archeologist, Kindred psychologist
Before the birth of Christ, when preparation for the final sleep included both judgment and the actual journey into the Underworld, Usiri Kindred used their abilities to pretend at being real warriors of the dead. Any problems with a memory that was unrecoverable, for whatever reason, could be explained away as the wrath of Osiris or a battle lost within the dreamscape. Obviously, this rarely happened, otherwise the Usiri reputation as knowledgeable guides and steadfast protectors would suffer.
Usiri of the present are faced with a much more difficult conundrum. Belief in the Underworld is no longer a given in modern nights. A vampire may indeed fear Torpor enough to ask for Usiri protection, but that aegis might be from something that the Sleepers know nothing about. Usiri awakening in modern nights are therefore drawn to the occult and, specifically, to more recent Kindred history, in an effort to get “up-to-speed” on the fears and needs of their clients.
The Sleepers are masters at making their clients believe what they want them to believe. The truth of the Usiri predicament is far more pathetic than a simple lie, however. The Usiri know that everything they are peddling to their clients is a complete fabrication. They manufacture magnificent Underworld battles and plant those thoughts, images and ideas into the minds of their clients. The members of this bloodline are aware of this and it is their job to continue to spread the lie, if only to keep their bloodline from being hunted down and destroyed by those who might take offense. They are the faux guardians of the dreamscape. Their existence is predicated on the ability to keep torpid vampires from losing their memories (and their minds). In this, at least, they offer a great service to many within the Kindred community, regardless of how they sell themselves.
Parent ethnicities
Weakness: Usiri suffer the Nosferatu clan weakness (see p. 111 of Vampire: The Requiem).
Further, the Usiri truly believe that whenever they fall asleep, they enter the Underworld to do battle with the demons and horrors that exist there. They also believe that they must traverse numerous obstacles within that Underworld. This mental and spiritual struggle throughout the day takes a toll on the Usiri sleeper and one point of Willpower is lost upon awakening each night. This point can be regained by fulfilling their Virtue or Vice or by accomplishing a significant goal (see p. 96 of the World of Darkness Rulebook).
Concepts: Court advisor, bodyguard, dream interpreter, spy/information gatherer, occult instructor, new-age guru, private detective, Egyptologist, archeologist, Kindred psychologist
An Usiri Truth
Before the birth of Christ, when preparation for the final sleep included both judgment and the actual journey into the Underworld, Usiri Kindred used their abilities to pretend at being real warriors of the dead. Any problems with a memory that was unrecoverable, for whatever reason, could be explained away as the wrath of Osiris or a battle lost within the dreamscape. Obviously, this rarely happened, otherwise the Usiri reputation as knowledgeable guides and steadfast protectors would suffer.Usiri of the present are faced with a much more difficult conundrum. Belief in the Underworld is no longer a given in modern nights. A vampire may indeed fear Torpor enough to ask for Usiri protection, but that aegis might be from something that the Sleepers know nothing about. Usiri awakening in modern nights are therefore drawn to the occult and, specifically, to more recent Kindred history, in an effort to get “up-to-speed” on the fears and needs of their clients.
The Sleepers are masters at making their clients believe what they want them to believe. The truth of the Usiri predicament is far more pathetic than a simple lie, however. The Usiri know that everything they are peddling to their clients is a complete fabrication. They manufacture magnificent Underworld battles and plant those thoughts, images and ideas into the minds of their clients. The members of this bloodline are aware of this and it is their job to continue to spread the lie, if only to keep their bloodline from being hunted down and destroyed by those who might take offense. They are the faux guardians of the dreamscape. Their existence is predicated on the ability to keep torpid vampires from losing their memories (and their minds). In this, at least, they offer a great service to many within the Kindred community, regardless of how they sell themselves.