This is the Children of Osiris' discipline, handed down since Osiris himself
first discovered this path. It involves attainment of a constant state of
mystical consciousness, only achieved by living the rigid, ascetic life of
the Children. It is named after the Tibetan word for the half world, the
place entered between life and resurrection. This is this realm where the
Children of Osiris' consciousness resides.
This discipline is not the same state as Golconda. Golconda is a realization
and acceptance of the way things are, while the Children's disciplines are
based on denial. They deny the beast within them by intensely concentrating
on their Humanitas and their state of death. If a Child was to give up his
mediations and discipline, he would be assailed by his dark, repressed half,
so long denied: the Beast unbound.
The Child must maintain Humanity equal to their highest level of ability,
or else lose that ability. For example, a Child must have a Humanity of 9
to gain the ninth level of attainment. If the Child's Humanity were ever
to drop below the required level, then the ability of that level is lost
and must be bought all over again with experience points. The Child can
counteract this with their first discipline.
The first discipline taught to new Children is the ability to regain lost
Humanity. This ability must be used within a week of the loss. The user must
meditate for one hour per point she is attempting to regain. Then, Conscience
and Empathy are rolled with a difficulty equal to the level of Humanity being
restored. The number of successes is the number of Humanity points gained
back (though the Child cannot gain back more than were lost). If the roll
is botched the user must perform penance before this ability can be used
again. The Temple's Undying King can recommend appropriate measures.
If this ability is successfully used within the week after losing Humanity,
then the any levels of Bardo also lost are regained.
The Child learns a mystic gesture which can defend against any supernatural
influences. The Child rolls her Dexterity and Occult with a difficulty of
8. The number of successes is the number added to the difficulty roll of
any supernatural power attempting to work upon the Child. These include
Thaumaturgy, Vampiric disciplines (Domination, Presence, Auspex, etc.), Lupine
spirit magics and the enchantments of Faerie. It will also work against the
Faith of mortals who are attempting to turn the Child, or injure him with
their Faith.
Rumor says this ability was taught to the Children by Thoth, an ancient Mage
and powerful ally of Osiris. None know today if he was a Kindred or a powerful
mortal or if he even existed at all.
This level of ability frees the Child from the curse of having to drink from
mankind to survive. The Child can drink from animals and gain as much nourishment
from their blood as from mortal Vitae. As long as the proper rituals are
maintained this ability does not diminish with time. The Grand Undying King
of the Children of Osiris has not drunk mortal blood since the fall of Rome.
The Child can create a Pillar of Osiris, the center of a Temple, where the
study and meditation of Bardo can be maintained. Any spells or supernatural
disciplines practiced within the Temple subtract three from the difficulty
factor to succeed. However, if a Child spends an extended time away from
a Temple, the chance of frenzy increases. For every month away, increase
the difficulty roll to frenzy by one. Also, the instances in which a frenzy
are called for increase, until after a few months, even the slightest annoyance
may trigger it. Only regular meditation at a Temple can prevent this
degeneration.
Most Children reside at a major Temple, where fellow sect members aid them
in the maintenance of their strict path. But sometimes, a Child may have
to enter the outerworld on sect missions. This level of ability is vital
to the Child's mystic health.
Any place can be turned into a Pillar after a night-long ritual. The Pillar
is an abstract concept of a mystical center, and does not require a physical
pillar. The Child rolls Willpower versus a difficulty decided by the Storyteller,
dependant on the nature of the location. A secluded cave, never disturbed
by violent Kindred or mortals, would only be a difficulty of 5. But a city
apartment on the most crime-ridden street in the area would be a 9. A suburban
home in a nice neighborhood would fall in the middle, with a 7 difficulty.
The number of successes is the number of weeks the Temple can be maintained
before another ritual is required.
With this level, the Child has gained enough knowledge in her mystic studies
as to innately understand the illusory nature of the world. She can utter
an extemporaneous remark about it, a query, a nonsensical phrase, or haiku.
The Child rolls her Wits + Manipulation against each listener's Willpower.
Anyone whom she is successful against suddenly becomes overwhelmed with knowledge
of the essential oneness of the universe. They are in a confused trance and
must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) to successfully attempt any action
for the rest of the Scene. At the end of the scene, the knowledge win fade
away, sunk again into the illusions of the mind.
The person so affected by the paradox must add one to any difficulties to
harm the Child after that, as part of their self remembers the bliss the
Child delivered if only for a few fleeting moments.
Sometimes the phrase's effectiveness can be added to by striking the intended
listener with a sudden blow while pronouncing the phrase. This subtracts
two points from the difficulty (the listener's Willpower).
This ability allows the Child to protect a mortal from the Embrace. If a
mortal so protected is bitten by a Vampire who then attempts to turn her
into one of the Kindred it is ineffective. The Vampire will not realize this
until after the mortal awakens from the first sleep. The mortal will, however,
be considered a Ghoul.
The Child must prepare herself in a meditative ritual before contact with
the intended mortal. She rolls her Empathy + Occult with a 6 difficulty.
The number of successes is the number of weeks for which the mortal will
be immune. If she fails, she may not try again on that mortal for another
lunar month. If she botches, she may never protect that mortal.
Once successful all that is required to bestow the protection on the mortal
is a kiss. This kiss can be anywhere on the face, but is most often on the
forehead, where the mystical third eye resides.
This ability does not actually cause the sun to rise, but instead causes
Kindred to sleep as if it was daylight. The Child rolls his Occult + Manipulation
versus the Humanity of the Kindred targeted. The number of successes is the
number of hours which the Kindred will sleep. The Child can affect multiple
targets by dividing his dice pool. Any disciplines or Thaumaturgy rituals
which protect the Kindred during the sleep will work in defending against
this kind of Bardo.
This allows the Child to force a Kindred into torpor and keep her there for
a defined period of time. This is a long ritual so the Kindred must first
be constrained against escape during the ritual or incapacitated. The Kindred
must be wrapped in ritual bandages to bond her soul and body into confinement.
After an eight-hour ritual, the Child rolls his Willpower versus the Willpower
of the Kindred. The number of successes is the number of centuries the torpor
will last.
This is a ritual the Children of Osiris sometimes use against any Kindred
they feel are too dangerous to be allowed to move freely in the world, such
as Followers of Set. It is a form of punishment for those they feel are evil
yet do not deserve final destruction. The mummified Kindred is then usually
sealed up in an ancient ruin hidden from the world.
However, the Kindred can increasingly resist the torpor over the years. The
confined Kindred can roll her Willpower to break the torpor once for every
century that passes. The difficulty begins with a 9, but decreases by one
every century passed.
Ghouls can also be mummified, so that they can follow their masters into
the next eon.
After a long period of mediation a Child with this level of mystical ability
can walk outside during day, in full sunlight, and not come to harm. The
Child must prepare in a month-long ceremony of asceticism, contemplating
the Light Within. After that time, she must roll her Humanity versus a Difficulty
of 10. The number of successes is the number of hours she may walk the day.
A botch means that the child cannot try again for another decade.
This ability to look upon the sun can bolster a Child's Humanity and Virtues.
For every hour spent under the sun, the Child can roll his Humanity, or one
of his Virtues, against a difficulty of 9. A success means that trait is
raised by one.
This powerful ritual allows the Child of Osiris to be brought back from Final
Death. This ceremony must be overseen by a Daughter of Isis. All who reside
in the dead one's temple must contribute at least one blood point each. The
condition of the body is unimportant, as long as some part of it is there.
The Vampire's consciousness has achieved a level of static existence on the
astral plane, where it can reside until regaining its body.