Supporting Our SCA Community: The Guild of Osiris Mission

Recently, during a quiet afternoon at the Barony of the Lonely Tower’s fiber interest group, HL Nikolai Gornostai Spiach’ev spoke. It wasn’t a new fiber technique. It wasn’t a heraldic pun, though both are typical of Nikolai. Instead, it was a Facebook group he’d joined: The Guild of Osiris.

Now, if you know Nikolai, you know his love of heraldry is deep and long-standing. Years ago, he first told me about the idea of a Heraldic Will. This document guides what happens to your SCA name and arms if you pass away. It also provides instructions if you step away from the Society for good. That idea stayed with me, tucked in the back of my mind. But the Guild of Osiris takes that concept a step further—and then some.

The Guild of Osiris was created to support those affected by the loss of a fellow SCAdian. Its mission is compassionate and practical. The game often speaks of honor, lineage, and memory. Therefore, there should be room for ritual and support when one of our own passes beyond the veil.

Their mission has three prongs, as they put it:

1. Memorial Events – The guild hosts memorial tables and spaces at events. This gives us a physical, shared way to honor absent friends. These aren’t somber corners hidden away. They’re places of memory, love, and story. Each has space for tokens, scrolls, and even tissues. One post described a memorial table at a Trimaris event (TMT). It had an open invitation: “Bring something that reminds you of your friend. A token, a scroll, a story.” It’s a gentle space, one that honors the gravity of loss while celebrating the life that came before it.
2. Redistribution of Goods – If you’ve ever helped clean out a longtime SCAdian’s home, you know it’s no small task. Many of us accumulate garb, feast gear, scrolls, and handmade treasures—items rich with memory and history. The Guild of Osiris helps families decide what to do with all the items. Where possible, they facilitate redistribution to keep the items within the SCA. In doing so, they help newcomers find affordable second-hand gear. They ensure our collective history isn’t lost to the thrift store.
3. Education and Planning – The Guild also focuses on education. It offers guides like a “Basic Educational Guide to Estate Preplanning.” There is also a checklist for setting up a memorial table. They hope more SCAdians will take steps now to plan for their family’s sake. They also want them to plan for the stewardship of their legacy within the Society. It’s a thoughtful act of grace we can give to those we’ll eventually leave behind.

And there’s more: they are working toward a digital archive for scrolls and awards. It will serve as a place to preserve and celebrate the artistry of our people. It will also honor their service. This not only helps retain history. It also gives us a way to ceremoniously retire scrolls and awards that can’t be returned. Think of it like retiring a flag with honor. It shows respect to the person and it honors the culture we’ve built together.

The guild has no barriers to joining. All are welcome.

They are currently working toward a $1,500 fundraising goal to set up and host this digital archive. If you feel moved to help, your donation supports not just the technical side (site, hosting, lighting equipment for photography). It also supports the memory-keeping efforts that define who we are.

As I write this, I think about those I’ve lost in the SCA. Peers Sashatec Nickali Koliskof, Eadweard Boisewright, and Luciana della Ridolfi are remembered fondly. May their memories be a blessing. I recall those whose garb I still recognize in photos. I’ve seen their scrolls and tokens auctioned or gifted. Their legacy still echoes in court ceremonies and shared stories.

If you’ve ever felt the ache of losing someone within our game, you can understand the Guild of Osiris. If you’ve ever wanted a better way to say goodbye, you can also understand. If you simply believe in honoring the fabric of our community—even when the weaver is gone—you can also understand they are doing the quiet, necessary work of helping us all remember.

And remember well.