Scepter of Osiris
The Scepter of Osiris is one of a pair of scepters created by the Egyptian gods and bestowed upon the Pharaohs. When the Egyptians were nothing more than primitive warring tribes, the gods they worshipped fell into chaotic battle as well. Finally, the gods on both sides came to an agreement that balance must be maintained and that their progenitors, the Egyptians, should be unified. As such, they placed the powers of darkness into a stone and the powers of light into another. All but one of the gods, Set, believed this was needed. However, as god of war, he had grown stronger due to the constant fighting. With the entire pantheon demanding he relent, he finally acquiesced, albeit angrily and grudgingly.
They gave these scepters to Osiris, a mortal man that has shown his prowess in battle, knowledge, wisdom, and magic. Ra himself descended at this time, in front of thousands, and bestowed the artifacts to Osiris, claiming that he would be first pharaoh of Egypt. The disciplined and selfless Osiris used the scepters to defeat the other tribes and to unite them. He would use the destructive magic of the shadow scepter to annihilate the opposition, and then use the benevolent magic of the bright scepter to resurrect the fallen on both sides, returning to life even his enemies. They felt in awe and obligated to follow him for his kindness.
Egypt unified under their pharaoh, and with such power, Osiris ruled for innumerable years lost to history. However, one god, Set, festered over the unification. He desired for the chaos of war to renew, and one night, he assault Osiris. He, himself, a god of war, nearly lost the battle, but he just managed to win. In anger he slaughtered the pharaoh, cutting him into fourteen pieces. The people of Egypt mourned Osiris and fear of war passed through the country. Isis, Osiris’ wife, went on a quest to return him to life. Other gods intervened, and in the end, his rent soul was restored in full, but he remained in the realms just outside the Physical World. He became a god of the Underworld, and vowed to help the souls of mankind.
Isis returned to the people and told them of this. If an Egyptian died, Osiris would aid their spirits in the afterlife, and he would ensure they went to the dimension in which they belonged based on judgment by Anubis. The people did not war, and Osiris’ eldest son became the new pharaoh. And, for many dynasties and countless centuries, the line continued with the Scepter of Osiris and the Scepter of Isis passing down. However, the pharaoh Khufu became arrogant in life. He had the largest pyramid built and swore that he would live forever, that Anubis and Osiris would never see him, for he would become pharaoh of the Earth itself. Using the scepters as toys for his whim, he wrought pain and destruction based on his temperament at the time. Finally, the people rebelled.
A servant used a sedative in the pharaoh’s drink, and he fell into a deep slumber. They dressed him in his armor and placed him into a sarcophagus that priests cast magic upon. So long as it remained sealed, forever would Khufu sleep. The magic bindings were powerful, and it was thought impossible to open. The people had grown fearful of the artifacts so they sealed these inside as well, seeing that as the safest place for such terrible power. Khufu, forever locked away with the very tools he abused, unable to live or die, unable to call upon their powers. And, so it held true for thousands of years, until Evelyn Addams managed to break the magical seals with her immense powers of shadow.
