Osiris
Osiris, once a just king, is slain and dismembered by his brother Set. Reassembled by Isis, he becomes ruler of the Duat, presiding over heart-weighing judgment and green renewal along the Nile.
Story beats
- 1) Osiris civilizes Egypt; Set plots, sealing him in a chest and cutting him into pieces.
- 2) Isis and Nephthys gather the parts; Anubis wraps him, and Isis conceives Horus.
- 3) Osiris reigns in the underworld, judging hearts against Ma’at’s feather.
- 4) Horus avenges him; kingship on earth continues while Osiris ensures afterlife order.
Context & symbolism
Osiris embodies death transformed into fertility—the green god linked to flooding Nile and crops. His trial scene defines Egyptian ethics; resurrection through Isis models loyal devotion and ritual power.
As underworld king, he balances Set’s chaos and anchors the moral order of Ma’at.
Motifs
- Green skin, atef crown, crook and flail
- Coffin chest and dismembered body
- Heart weighing before Ma’at
- Annual Nile rise as Osiris’ breath
Use it in play
- Seek Osiris’ judgment for a companion’s soul—argue the heart’s truth.
- Recover a lost piece of a sacred body to restore a rite.
- Align harvests with underworld favor; perform green rites along a river.
- Broker peace between Horus’ followers and Set’s partisans using Osiris’ legacy.