Osiran
The Osirians (also known as Osirans) were a race of powerful and intelligent humanoids.
Physical Characteristics
Osirians, despite their name, looked somewhat like the traditional depictions of Set. They had grey skin, jackal or donkey-like heads with large, square ears and bright green eyes. (DW: Pyramids of Mars) However, those of high status in the Osirian Court were able to change their appearance, adopting a series of different animal heads according to whichever is in fashion. (MB: The Ship of A Billion Years) They had expanded brain-cases and a cerebrum like "a spiral staircase", which means they particularly liked puzzles. Osirians also had a wide variety of advanced psychic powers, including mental and physical projection, mind control and telepathy. (DW: Pyramids of Mars, MA: The Sands of Time)
Osirians can live for thousands of years, even without sufficient food or water. (DW: Pyramids of Mars) Despite this, they do need air to survive and can suffocate. (MA: The Sands of Time) Osirian curry was best served close to absolute zero, which suggests an especially resilient digestive system. (ST: UNIT Christmas Parties: First Christmas)
At least one member of the Osirian Court was of an entirely different species to the others; Thoth, who has dominion over time. (MB: The Ship of A Billion Years)
Culture
Osirian culture was similar to those of the Ancient Egyptians, though it was actually the other way around. Their technology was very stylised, taking the appearance of such things as sarcophagi, canopic jars and mummies. After they came to Earth, the Egyptians picked up many of these influences, which was used in their architecture and culture.
The Osirians placed great importance on the star Orion. (MA: The Sands of Time)
Although spread across the cosmos, Osirian culture was principally focused on two sites; the Throneworld and the Ship of a Billion Years, the immense vessel which carried Ra, Nut and their attendant pantheon through the heavens. (MB: The Ship of a Billion Years)
Technology
Osirian technology was based off mathematically-based topography, positioning and shapes. They would be specially aligned to the stars in order to work. For example, the Osirians set up the Pyramids on Mars and Earth to be used as receivers of power, which would then be directed towards the Sphinx, which would power all the Osirian technology on the planets. When moving away from the Pyramids, these buildings would need to be rebuilt or smaller collectors would have to be brought there. The Osirians also relied heavily on psi-projectors, which would allow them to travel in space using only the power of their mind. These too required precise mathematical skills, as well as a powerful mind to control the ships. (MA: The Sands of Time) Despite the unusual design, the Osirians are thought to have technology as powerful, if not more powerful, then the Time Lords. (DW: Pyramids of Mars)
Osirian lodestones were a type of time travel technology used by the Osirians, generally embedded into a sarcophagus. These lodestones created a Time Tunnel, allowing the Osirians to travel backwards and forwards in time. Unlike Time Lord technology, these lodestone produced a lot of time spillage, which would be absorbed by the traveller. If someone went backwards in time or forwards in time by a 1,000 years, the traveller would also age 1,000 years. This wasn't a big problem for the Osirians, due to their long lifespans. These lodestones would draw in vortex energy, which could pull in TARDISes. (DW: Pyramids of Mars, MA: The Sands of Time)
Another example of Osirian technology are the Osirian service robots. They are thin robots with a wire-framework to give them a more humanoid shape and are powered by a cytronic particle accelerator in the shape of pyramids. They had immense strength and could be controlled by a special ring. These robots were wrapped up in specially treated wrappings which gave them the appearances of mummies. (DW: Pyramids of Mars, MA: The Sands of Time)
Other Osirian technology includes Osirian generator loops in the shape of canopic jars, the ability to increase a Human's lifespan by thousands of years, a rocket in the shape of a pyramid, traps using mobile Shabti and psychic typhoons and technology activated by certain signs. (DW: Pyramids of Mars)
History
The Osirian Court sometimes exists, like Gallifrey, in a special relationship to the timeline of the wider universe; its past sometimes overlapping with Gallifrey's future (MB: Coming to Dust) and Earth's ancient myths sometimes recording events which have yet to transpire for the Court (MB: The Ship of a Billion Years).
Early History
The Osirians were evidently an ancient species, having been a major power since at least 150 million BCE. They were involved in the Millennium War, in which they were able to stop the creation of a wormhole in the Horsehead Nebula which would have caused massive damage. They were also involved in the final attack against the Mad Mind of Bophemeral. (DW: The Quantum Archangel)
At some point in their history, Phaester Osiris was governed by Osiris himself and and his brother Sutekh. Eventually, Osiris was killed by Sutekh. (DW: Pyramids of Mars) There are at least two different accounts of these events and the later birth of Horus.
- How these two stories can be reconciled is unknown. Possibly, the Osirians were attempting to disseminate two stories for confusion.
The first account stated that Sutekh lured Osiris into a space capsule. Sutekh and his sister/wife Nephthys were able to both propel the capsule into space and stop Osiris from mentally projecting himself. He was suffocated in the vacuum of space and was unable to project his mind due to the great distances. While Isis was searching for Osiris, he was eventually able to project part of his mind into the pilot of her ship, giving birth to his psi-child Horus. (MA: The Sands of Time)
The second account states that Sutekh killed Osiris and buried his corpse underneath a cache of Faction Paradox reproductive technology. The ruined technology interacted with Osiris' biomass and caused it to be remade in fractured and partial forms. One of the products of this scattering (most likely the baby Lucita Marne) would result in the birth of Horus. Despite these events occurring in what we would understand as the Eighteenth Century, from the perspective of the Court they precede the situation 7,000 years ago, by which time Horus had grown to rule Phaester Osiris alongside Sutekh. (MB: The Ship of a Billion Years)
The Rise of Horus
After the death of Osiris, Sutekh and Nephthys both escaped to Earth, destroying Phaester Osiris along the way. The 740 remaining Osirians were led by Horus in battle against Sutekh, finally defeating him in Egypt. Feeling that they could not stoop to Sutekh's level by killing him, they trapped Sutekh in a Egypt, having a pyramid on Mars relay a beam to paralyse him, stopping him from moving or projecting his mind. They also set the methods to free himself just of his reach in order to make the punishment that much more tortuous. (DW: Pyramids of Mars, MA: The Sands of Time)
Nephthys was also captured, but was thought to be more dangerous than Sutekh. Because of this, her mind was split up for safety. Her instincts were stored in a woman who was mummified alive, while her reasoning was stored in a Canopic jar. Both of these were then sealed up inside another Pyramid.
In order to stop the criminals from escaping, the Osirians modified the civilization of Ancient Egypt. Between 6 and 8000 BCE, the Sphinx was built as a dispersal unit. They made the Humans make the Pyramids, precisely made so that they could be used to power the Osirian technology. The Pharaohs were changed, making them smarter and taller, so that they would follow the plan and build the proper Pyramids. They also set up similar pyramids on Mars as receivers. They even convinced the Jagaroth Scaroth to help design the Pyramids, convincing him that it was needed to develop Humanity. (MA: The Sands of Time)
The Last of the Osirians
Unfortunately, in 2000 BCE, grave robbers broke into Nephthys' tomb. The Canopic jar was broken, though her reasoning wasn't able to escape. It was decided that a new place was needed, so Nyssa was chosen as a host for Nephthys' mind, since she was of a pure mind and was incapable of being bent to Nephthys' will. She then put into hibernation for 4,000 years. (MA: The Sands of Time)
By 1911, Sutekh was finally discovered by Marcus Scarman and Sutekh was able to control him. He used Marcus Scarman and several Service Robots to construct a missile, with which he would destroy the pyramid on Mars, freeing him to destroy all life in the universe. (DW: Pyramids of Mars)
Eventually, in 1996, Nyssa was set to awaken from her hibernation. Luckily, she had been switched with Lady Ann Cranleigh, making it seem like the reasoning had disapated. The instinct then attempted to go back in time to when the instinct had left, but the time differential eventually killed her. (MA: The Sands of Time)
