Ori (Stargate)

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The Ori (Template:PronEng) are fictional characters on the Stargate SG-1 television program. They are a group of "ascended" beings who use their advanced technology and spiritual knowledge of the universe to trick non-ascended humans into worshipping them as gods. They belong to the same race as the Ancients.

They appeared on Stargate SG-1 in its ninth season, replacing the Goa'uld as the show's primary antagonists. While the Goa'uld relied on their technology to pose as gods, the Ori have enormously potent paranormal abilities in addition to very advanced technology. As Ascended beings, they live on a higher plane of existence with great power and knowledge and are as close to being "gods" as any non-deific being can be.

The Ori fabricated a religion called Origin, which they use to control non-ascended beings, attempting to destroy anyone who rejects it. A central theme in the show is that power does not make someone a god nor entitle them to be worshipped; rather, the way they use great power is the measure of how they should be revered.

The Ori and the Ancients

The Ori refer to the Alterans (from altera, Latin: the other(s)), the ascended beings in the Milky Way also known as Ancients, as "the Others." (This should not be confused with the "others" used by de-ascended or banished Ancients such as Oma Desala or Orlin). It is not known how large both groups are, although it was revealed by Vala Mal Doran in the episode "Line in the Sand" that the Ori are a small minority. However, because of the great number of worshipers in the Ori galaxy, their power rivals that of the Alterans.

The Ori disagree with the Ancients' policy against interference with less-developed sentient beings and interfering with free will.

The Orici Adria attempted to convert Daniel Jackson to Origin by saying that the Ori-Ancient war on the Ascended plane is due to the Ancients' intolerance for those who do not comply with their rules.

Before ascension

Millions of years ago, the Ori and the Alterans were not distinguished from each other, and lived in one society on an evolutionary path to ascension. However, a philosophical division emerged. The Ori grew more and more fervent in their religious belief, while the Alterans adopted a more scientific/rational outlook. Ultimately their viewpoints diverged so much that the two groups split apart and began to oppose each other, with the Ori attempting to kill the Alterans. Instead of going to war, the Alterans decided to leave their galaxy, and began searching for a new home.

After much time, believed by Daniel Jackson to be thousands of years, the Alterans discovered the Milky Way, where they eventually built an impressive empire. The Alterans still remained in contact with their distant cousins, the Ori, evidenced by the discovery of Long-range communication devices in both the Milky Way and the Ori home galaxy.

However, even after the Ori had forced the Alterans to leave their galaxy, the two factions remained bitter enemies. Eventually, the Alterans were afflicted with a terrible plague that wiped out most of their civilization. It would later be discovered that what was known of this plague is very similar to the disease used by Ori Priors against non-believers, which had led Daniel Jackson to speculate that the pre-Ascended Ori might have been responsible for this plague.

Eventually, both the Alterans and the Ori ascended, forming two groups that continued to oppose each other, even at the higher planes of existence. According to Orlin, the Ori ultimately wish to destroy the Ancients once and for all.

Differences in beliefs

The Ancients are well known for their fierce belief in free will. As such, they do not interfere on lower planes of existence at all, not even to save their own kind from being exterminated by the Ori. In contrast, the Ori constantly interfere. For example, their religion states that failure to share the secrets of the universe to those on the lower planes of existence is an evil act and that anyone not following it must be eliminated. They also have no rules against taking direct control of living beings or completely changing them to behave as they desire.

This difference in beliefs is not without its reasons. According to a de-ascended Ancient, Orlin, ascended beings can be empowered by massive numbers of humans worshipping them. The Ori have fabricated an entire religion based on the false promise of ascension to drain power from their followers. The Ancients firmly resent using their powers this way, and therefore refrain from interfering in the lower planes of existence because manipulating and aligning lower life forms in some order could result in exactly this type of abusive corruption.

As a result, the Ancients have shielded the second evolution of humans (i.e. current human culture) in the Milky Way from the Ori (and although it has never been stated, they most likely did the same for the seeded humans in the Pegasus Galaxy) and still prevent the Ori from taking direct action in the Milky Way. However, as the Ancients will not interfere in the lower planes of existence, the Ori are allowed to send their human followers to the Milky Way in order to convert it, and anyone who wishes to worship the Ori will be allowed to do so.

Even though the Ancients do not believe in interfering in mortal affairs, it is speculated that they are responsible for generating the associations of fire with Demonic imagery in the Milky Way. This would be another method of shielding humans from the Ori, as the central symbols of Origin involve fire. As Daniel Jackson pointed out, there is no immediate illogicality with fire as a symbol of all that is good: it provides warmth, light, etc.

Ontological comparison

Daniel Jackson speculated that the Ori and the Alterans/Ancients are on the same level of evolutionary existence, in as much as that both are Ascended. The Ancients have Ascended to a point of existence where they only exist as energy, which is manifested as light. The Ori have taken to manifesting as tendrils of flame and they appear to dwell eternally in the Flames of Enlightenment, a wall of fire on Celestis.

Although the Alterans/Ancients, as a whole, refrain from interfering with lesser beings, a small few (including Oma Desala) have taken it upon themselves to interact and even help lower beings to Ascend. Oma Desala's prerequisite of this assistance is that one must be pure of heart. In spite of her good intentions, Anubis was able to fool her into helping him ascend. However, it is now known that Ascension can occur as the result of natural evolution or extensive genetic manipulation, and the very nature of the Ori proves that if one has the ability to Ascend "naturally" (with no assistance from other ascended beings) no such limitations exist. However, it should be noted that, according to Myrddin (known more commonly as Merlin, one of their most determined foes), the Ori had the best intentions when they first began, suggesting they "turned evil" after their ascension. It should also be noted that the partially ascended System Lord, Anubis, ascended with the assistance of Oma Desala, and as such, is not connected to the Ori.

Invasion of the Milky Way

The Ori were first encountered by Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran using an Ancient communications device. The minds of Daniel and Vala were transported to the Ori's home galaxy. There, they inhabited the bodies of Harrid and Sallis, a married couple who belonged to a secret underground of heretics who reject the path of Origin. The existence of this device suggests that the pre-Ascended Ancients who migrated to our galaxy wished to stay in contact with their brethren across the universe.

Daniel's use of the communications device brought the existence of humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy to the Ori's attention. Because their propaganda states that all humanity is their creation, the Ori decided to spread their doctrine to the unbelievers. They began dispatching Priors, missionaries of Origin, through the Stargates and building spaceships with highly-trained militia for their crusade in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Initially, the Ori sent individual Priors to worlds in the Milky Way to try to convert the inhabitants. Where initial calls to worship the Ori fail, a Prior has been known to unleash devastating plagues, then heal the populace and raise the dead in order to seal a world's devotion to the Ori.

Eventually, the Ori attempted a full-scale invasion of the Milky Way Galaxy by collapsing an entire planet into a micro-singularity, which could then be used to power a massive Stargate, between 300 and 400 meters in diameter, connected to the Ori home galaxy indefinitely. SG-1, with the help of Vala, managed to thwart the Ori's plan, but not long after they attempted to create another 'Supergate'.

With the conversion of Gerak to Origin, and his transformation into a Prior, the Ori had potentially gained a foothold in the Free Jaffa Nation. Gerak eventually chose the Free Jaffa Nation over the Ori and in helping Earth with the plague, was consumed by Ori fire.

After this temporary setback, the Priors continued their campaign of conversion. On the planet Tegalus, they attempted to convert the Rand Protectorate to the belief of Origin, however this failed and a cataclysmic war between the Rand Protectorate and the neighbouring nation of Caledonia erupted, devastating the planet. Not only that, but on many worlds that Priors have visited, they left a bio-engineered asexual insect life form that feeds voraciously on crops. However, the bugs are capable of changing their physiology to allow them to eat different things when their food source runs out, and that can include meat. Attempts were subsequently made by the SGC to combat this new threat.

Meanwhile, in the Ori galaxy, Vala reluctantly became an undercover agent and learned of the Ori's plan. She was able to make contact with the SGC through the same communications device that she and Daniel used when they first discovered the Ori, and offered what may be the first glimpse of these beings as they manifest in her nightmare.

Daniel Jackson later uncovered a phase-shifting device created by the Ancient, Merlin, to hide a weapon he was creating from the other Alterans; a weapon capable of destroying Ascended beings. The information in the phase-shifter revealed that the weapon was hidden on Camelot. Once they reached the legendary home of King Arthur, Daniel Jackson and Cameron Mitchell managed to unlock Merlin's secrets, revealing a hoard of treasure, but not the device capable of neutralizing the Ori. They discovered that Arthur had left long ago and hidden the secret of the weapon on three different planets.

In the meantime, a Jaffa vessel managed to locate the new Ori Supergate. The combined firepower of several Ha'tak vessels was unable to damage the Supergate. As a result, Samantha Carter, assisted by the Asgard Kvasir, tried to dial out before the Ori could dial in, but was unsuccessful. The four Ori ships that came through were able to withstand the combined firepower of several Ha'tak vessels of the Lucian Alliance and free Jaffa, two Daedalus-class (304) battlecruisers (the Odyssey and the Korolev — at this time the Daedalus was still in the Pegasus galaxy), and an Asgard O'Neill-class battleship. The Ha'tak vessels were unable to withstand fire from the Ori ships, and the Tau'ri ships fared little better, managing to take only two (this is based on the fact that when the Odyssey took a direct hit from an Ori ship a crewman commented that shields were down to 50%) and at the very most three direct hits. Many of the Ha'tak vessels were destroyed, as well as the Korolev. It is unknown how well the Asgard warship was able to fare against the Ori. The Ori ships suffered no apparent damage.

Vala Mal Doran, who had been impregnated by the Ori when she entered their galaxy and brought back aboard the Ori ships, eventually gave birth to a girl she named Adria, an Orici (human-form Ori). Adria rapidly aged to the point where she could lead the Ori's forces against any resistance encountered in the Milky Way. According to the Ori's planning, it would take less than a year before the entire galaxy was conquered.

In order to prevent additional Ori battleships from gating to the Milky Way, SG-1 positioned a Stargate next to the Supergate, and another Stargate near a black hole in the Pegasus Galaxy, then dialed from Pegasus to the Milky Way and used a nuclear warhead to cause the wormhole to jump from the Stargate to the Supergate. Powered by two black holes, the gates should remain connected indefinitely. Also, Teal'c, who remained near the Supergate in the Milky Way, was able to lure one of the four Ori battleships into the unstable vortex of the Supergate as it opened, completely destroying the ship.

The Ori faced the only real threat to their invasion plans a few weeks later, when the Free Jaffa Nation decided to use the Dakara Superweapon to eradicate the invading armies and thousands of their followers one planet at a time. It was their intention to obliterate all living beings aboard the Ori ships and the populations of the planets they had conquered, and then later seize control of the abandoned ship. However, during the first attempt, the Orici Adria was able to survive the effects of the weapon, and upon questioning the Jaffa who had boarded the ship learned the location of the weapon. She then proceeded to attack Dakara, destroying the weapon and decimating the planet, launching the now capital-less Jaffa Free Nation into chaos.

Eventually, the Ori were able to locate the Sangraal, the only weapon capable of defeating them, on a planet in the Milky Way. However, safeguards were placed by the ascended being, Morgan le Fay, preventing the planet from being located from space and ensuring that only someone "true of spirit" could take the weapon. The Orici was convinced that this required a formerly ascended being, such as Daniel Jackson.

Adria helped SG-1 to find the location of the weapon by providing Vala Mal Doran with the necessary information via a dream. When the team visited the planet, she aided them in locating the weapon, bent on later stealing it from them. After SG-1, assisted by both Adria and Ba'al, were successful in overcoming the many trials set up by Morgan le Fay, all but Adria were transported away. As the locals had refused to accept Origin, Adria burned down the village before attempting to locate SG-1.

However, her attempts at finding their whereabouts were problematic at best. In an attempt to hide the Sangraal, Morgan le Fay had connected the transporter system to a sophisticated program that would periodically transport the ones who were originally brought to the planet to a new random world outside the normal Stargate network.

In the meantime, SG-1 discovered that Merlin had completed the device, but Morgan le Fay was forced to destroy the original, he had been placed in stasis by his old rival, so that he could one day construct the weapon again. When he was revived a thousand years later by SG-1, he began work on the device, although he realised he would not live long enough to complete it. Instead, he reconfigured a Repository of Knowledge to download the information necessary for constructing the Sangraal into Daniel Jackson's mind. Still, Jackson also failed to complete the device in time, and was captured by warriors of the Ori, who had eventually been able to locate them, before his work was done.

The Orici Adria would attempt to convert Daniel Jackson into the faith of Origin which she believed was successful after which she transformed him into a Prior. However, she was unaware of the fact that he was attempting to deceive her in order to complete his plan on destroying the Ori. To do this, he managed to complete most of the Sangraal on the Orici's ship under the pretense of using it against the Ascended Ancients. Adria would convince him to convert several worlds in order for the Ori to gain more strength before the weapon could be used. Daniel Jackson then contacted SG-1.

His plan would be to deactivate the Stargate in the Pegasus Galaxy that was preventing travel to the Ori home galaxy in order for him to commandeer an Ori Battlecruiser and fly it to the Ori galaxy after which he would activate the Sangraal. His plan was put in jeopardy when SG-1 and the IOA did not believe him but he managed to commandeer the Odyssey for the task. He would attempt to trick Adria once more after which he stunned her and flew a captured Ori Battlecruiser into the Supergate after which the Sangraal activated. SG-1 escaped to the Odyssey through an Asgard transporter. The weapon was believed to have been activated and thus may have destroyed the Ori but this did not prevent the followers of Origin from invading the galaxy which they did through the fully operational Supergate once again. Whether the Ori have indeed been destroyed still remains to be seen.

With the Supergate now firmly under the Ori army's control, new ships were being constructed to convert the entire galaxy. Despite this, the fate of the Ori is still not truly known. Adria claimed to her mother, Vala, that their plan failed and that the Ori were alive though this might have been misinformation to throw her enemies offguard. Similarly, a cloned Ba'al symbiote that took over Adria's body in a plot to gain control of the Ori army, stated that the Ori were dead and that his control of the Orici would end the crusade though this may have also been a trick to ensure that SG-1 allowed him control of the body. Despite both statements, confirmation on the fate of the Ori is unknown though it is known that, should they be dead, then Adria's ascension has reignited the leadership as she is now the only member of their kind that is still alive, and possibly possessing the power gained by worshippers in both the Milky Way and Ori home galaxy. However, her ascension has also rendered the Ori army leaderless, as the Ancients would attempt to stop Adria if she attempted to interfere on the lower planes. With Earth inheriting the Asgard technology and legacy they have become a serious threat to the Ori as the new Asgard weaponry is able to penetrate the Ori Battleships' shields.

Religion ("Origin")

The religion which the Ori wish to impose on all sentient beings is called Origin, or the Path of Origin, and it is their way to assert dominance by promising to guide humanity towards enlightenment (i.e. Ascension). Its central promises are supposedly false, and is nothing more than a way to garner worshippers, which in turn increases the power of the Ori. To grant Ascension to all their followers would mean sharing their power, an idea the Ori find less than appealing. Followers of the faith receive nothing whatsoever from the Ori.

It is a dogmatic, proselytizing faith, which comes with a holy book called The Book of Origin, and specialised missionaries called Priors, enhanced humans who are thus able to demonstrate some of the Ori's powers. Priors are responsible for spreading the Word of Origin, and only designate a people for destruction if they deny Origin outright. The Book of Origin contains tales of how the followers of the Ori returned to the path to enlightenment, and thus achieved Ascension, although some skeptics consider these merely "fables meant to fill a soul bereft of hope with purpose".

The centre of the faith is the city of Celestis (also 'The Plains of Celestis': "The City of the Gods", according to the faithful), which apparently can only be reached by Ring Transporter or by a sort of mental teleportation which leaves the transported individual's body in the same place but brings their consciousness into the city.

The Ori keep human followers at a low level of development, on par with the Medieval period of English history. They use their powers to maintain a level of fear among the population, who worship the Ori as gods. Among the populations of natives in the Ori home galaxy are groups of heretics who believe they are being suppressed, and seek to discover forbidden historical knowledge to show others that the Ori are, though powerful, not gods. These people are in a plight similar to that which the Jaffa were in. Individuals who show signs of doubt for the faith are deemed to be under the control of demons and are said to be "overcome". They are put through a Trial by Fire. It is only through the intervention of a Prior that anyone can escape this ordeal.

As part of converting potential followers, the Ori use scare tactics and brute force to forcibly bring people to the teachings of Origin. This can be seen when the Prior told Gerak to massacre the rebelling Jaffa at Chulak by stating that if some had to die so all could follow Origin then so be it. It was also said that the Ori do not require blind obedience from their followers and would demonstrate their powers to inspire faith in people.

However, despite Origin clearly being a malevolent religion, in its earliest forms it appears it may have been more benevolent. In episode 12 from season 10, Line In The Sand, Tomin argues with a Prior that the words of the Book of Origin are being twisted to suit the circumstances. During the dispute, the Prior even misquotes the Book and Tomin takes issue with this. If Origin was indeed benevolent in its past, the Ori's lust for power may have caused them to re-interpret their own writings in order to suit their desires.

Symbolism

The central icon of this religion is fire, something that gives off light and warmth. The fact that on Earth this icon has some evil or Satanic associations in many modern religions prompted Daniel to posit that the Ancients had influenced this negative connotation in order to identify the threat the Ori pose.

The religion spreads its word through the use of simple, easy-to-grasp parables and aphorisms, using powerful and obvious symbolism and imagery of dark and light, the blind and the seeing, the right path and straying from it, and 'good followers' who have set shining examples of devotion and faith.

The Ori constantly assert that they "do not require blind faith." They generate true belief in potential followers by showing them real miracles (created through the genuine paranormal abilities that all Ascended Beings possess).

Teachings

Some viewers have noted that many quotes from the Book of Origin bear resemblance to the Holy texts of many religions. Several lines from the Book of Origin, or otherwise repeated mantras, are heard on the show. These include:

Verses

• "Hallowed are the Ori." (this mantra is repeated by all believers almost as punctuation. Considered Blasphemous if a non-believer speaks these words)
• "Hallowed are the children of the Ori." (this mantra is said by the priors, which followed by the next mantra):
• "Hallowed are we; hallowed are the Ori."
• "The Ori need nothing from us."
• "Is great knowledge, power, understanding not enough for you to revere the Ori?"
• "Those who reject the path to enlightenment, must be destroyed."
• "Those who stray must be guided back to the path."
• "The power and the greatness of the Ori cannot be denied."
• "Those who seek the path to enlightenment must not be led astray!"
• "It is the will of the Ori, that we should spread Origin to all those blessed by their creation."
• "What is a god, but a being that is worshipped by those beneath?"
• "Believe in the truth of all things and you too may find the path to enlightenment."
• "Enemies of the Ori show no mercy in their attempts to draw believers away from the path."
• "Glorious are the Ori, who lead us to salvation, who did fight the evil that would doom us all to mortal sin. Did they defeat the old spirits and cast them out? And now, with the strength of our will, they do call upon us to prevail against the corruption of all unbelievers."
• "Fear not the Ori, fear the darkness that would conceal the knowledge of the universe. Believe in the truth of all things, and you too may find the path to enlightenment."
• "Guide us on the path that we may triumph over the enemy of our salvation and be with you in the end of ends on the planes of enlightenment."
• "Those who abandon the path are evil."
• "Blessed are those who walk in unison."
• "And the people shall deliver the wicked into your divine judgment, where their sins shall be weighed in the balance of all that is just and true."
• "Life and death, light and darkness, hope and despair. The rift was created, and on that day, the Ori were born. But the hatred of those who strayed from the true path festered and bloomed in the dark corners of the Avernakis to which they have been cast! And consumed by this hatred, they poisoned all they touched, bringing death, darkness and despair. And the souls of their victims knew no peace, until the Ori came and whispered to them: 'Sleep, for the end draws near!' And on that day all will rejoice, when the Ori come and lay them low."
• "Those who follow the path of righteousness shall be raised up high."
• "Ours is not to question, but to rejoice in their service, for they are perfection."
• "Priors are beacons on the road to enlightenment."
• "Pity not the blind man, for he is hindered not by the visions of this world, but rather pity yourselves, for he will see the light before you do."
• "Those who reach enlightenment shall rejoice with the Ori forever."
• "The book of Origin tell us that enemies of the Ori will show no mercy in their attempt to lead us astray from the true path, likewise we must attack with all the Strength which we have been given."
• "...and those who are prideful and refuse to bow down shall be laid low and made unto dust."
• "...then did Tilius say to the people of the low plains: seek not the wickedness amongst your neighbors, lest it find purchase in your own house." --quoted by Daniel Jackson from the Book of Origin in a (failed) attempt to convince the Ori fleet to abandon its invasion of the Milky Way at the Battle of P3Y-229. Bears a similarity to the famous Bible verse "Judge not, lest ye be judged."
• "Truth is elusive to those who refuse to see with both eyes."
• "Make yourself one with the path, and the journey will lead you to eternity."
• "Great holy armies shall be gathered and trained to fight all who embrace evil. In the name of the gods, ships shall be built to carry our warriors out amongst the stars and we will spread Origin to all the unbelievers. The power of the Ori will be felt far and wide and the wicked shall be vanquished."
• "Knowledge is power, but how you use that power defines whether if you are good, or evil." "The choice is yours. Believe in the power of the Ori, or be laid down unto the dust." -- Speech between Daniel Jackson and a Prior.
• "The Ori do not shield this knowledge as others might, selfish in their powerful advantage. They lead you to their realm with the path that is laid out in the book of Origin. All you need do is follow their teachings."
• "Hallowed are the ori and those who follow."

Parables

• "As he lay there, dying in the sun, the sand of desert all around him, Petaris spoke to the rock, not with his lips, but with his mind, and the rock wept tears of fresh water and his thirst was quenched."
• "When Hannor Mir fell from above and learned to fly on the way down, that was a miracle."
• "Amica strayed from the path of enlightenment. He was forgiven, and was allowed back on the path."
• "Egidius of Valdair needed to speak things that could only be spoken in the light of the fire." (to the Doci)
• "Andras chose to hunt the lion and was eaten by his prey."
• "The Ori fought the Alterans, to save their followers."
• "Truth is elusive to those who refuse to see with both eyes wide."
• "So it came to pass that Ver Omesh was gripped by a great famine. So Markon went to the Prophet Articus and asked to go to the forest for food. The prophet bade him be patient, for the Ori provide for all who have faith. But Markon did not believe. So the prophet drew a line in the sand and told him, 'step across and you may do as you wish.' So Markon did and left the village and feasted on wild berries.The fruit was bitter. It did not satisfy him. He longed to return to the village, but found that the line had widened to a great chasm. He called out to the Prophet in fear, but the Prophet said, 'The line has not changed; it is you who have changed. Step across if you truly believe' So Markon prayed for forgiveness and took the first step and the hands of the Ori enveloped all those who welcomed him back."

Society

The state of the Ori's original culture and society is unknown except that they took ascension under religious grounds while their cousins the Alterrans took a more scientific approach. The only society that is seen is the followers of the Ori who are a second evolution of humanity created by the Ori themselves. These humans are kept at a primitive level of development and taught to worship the Ori for being their creators. They have little understanding of technology and appear to be mostly simple farmers.

There appear to be no cities but rather a scattered number of villages across the Ori home galaxy. Each village is led by an Administrator who leads the people in prostration and punishes those who sway from the path. This can put them through the Trial by Fire which can lead to these people dying in the flames. On some occasion, Priors visit these villages to ensure that the faith is maintained and to use their powers; this can be to punish or reward their followers. As such, a large majority of these humans are firm believers of Origin and do as the Ori command; even if it means killing people.

As the Ancients in the Milky Way have prevented the Ori from using their powers in this Galaxy directly for centuries, the Ori were forced to rely on human followers in their invasion plans. However, most of these humans have been either supplied with extremely advanced Ori technology or were artificially evolved, giving them special powers. Several Jaffa such as Gerak, the Illac Renin and Arkad have also become willful followers of the Ori.

Priors

Main article: Prior (Stargate)

The Ori are served by those called Priors, who act as the prophets, messengers and missionaries of the Ori by traveling to different planets and reading from the Book of Origin. Priors are artificially "evolved" humans, with 80%-90% of their neurons firing at any given time. This massive mental power allows them to perform miracles, read minds, and attack enemies, as they are closer to being Ascended. The Ori use the Priors to spread the word of Origin throughout the universe, and believe that any who reject Origin must be killed.

Daniel Jackson has speculated that the Ori included a biological mechanism within Priors that would ensure physical destruction by Ori fire if a Prior changed sides. Two Priors have been observed to die in such a way- the first Prior encountered by SG-1 apparently triggered the mechanism to kill himself while detained at the SGC. After Gerak cured SGC personnel of the so-called "Prior-Plague," he was also consumed by flames.

Doci

The Ori speaking through the Doci.

The Priors are led by the Doci, played by Julian Sands. The Latin word docere means to teach. The Doci is essentially a chief Prior who acts as a mediator or mouthpiece for the Ori. It is unknown if the Doci was once a Prior, as he has brown hair and colored eyes, instead of the Priors' white hair and grey pupils, but he does have the pale skin and facial markings of a Prior.

The Doci resides in the city of Celestis, his chambers next to the Flames of Enlightenment, where the Ori spend eternity. Apparently, the Ori cannot (or choose not to) manifest themselves directly in the mortal planes of existence, unlike the ascended Ancients, and if the Ori wish to speak to un-ascended beings, they possess and speak through the Doci. When this happens, the Doci's eyes glow fiery red, and afterwards the Doci feels spiritually touched.

After Daniel Jackson temporarily became trapped in the body of a local villager, Harrid, he was introduced to the Doci. After he learned about the true nature of the Ori, he made his position clear to the Doci. The Doci then led him to witness the Flames of Enlightenment, granting him an audience with the Ori themselves. After this encounter, the Doci ordered the construction of Ori battlecruisers to spread Origin to the Milky Way, and for an increase in the number of priors to command them.

Ori warriors

File:Ori warriors (The Quest).jpg

Ori warriors.

Conscripted men who were trained to fight unbelievers as foot soldiers and take over the Milky Way. They are plated in metallic armor, resembling that of medieval knights. Armed with powerful staff weapons and a smaller, less lethal weapon comparable to a Zat, these warriors are ready to sacrifice themselves for their gods, believing they will ascend when they die. The warriors' most powerful weapon is their unbreakable faith in the Ori.

It is not currently known if these warriors have been given knowledge. They live in villages that resemble those in Medieval Britain, although they did construct the Ori battlecruisers, assisted by the Priors. It is likely that they are also the pilots of the Ori Fighters. However, controlling the battlecruisers remains the responsibility of the Priors.

Orici

Main article: Adria (Stargate)

File:Stargate SG-1 - 10x07.jpg

Adria, the Orici.

In season 10, the Orici was introduced as a human agent of the Ori created to lead the Priors and the army of the Ori on a campaign for galactic domination. While she was trapped within the Ori home galaxy, Vala Mal Doran was impregnated by the Ori with the Orici. When the baby girl Adria (who Vala named after her "witch of a woman" stepmother) was born, she was genetically modified within the womb to be as close to Ancient physiology as possible, so that she could retain the knowledge of the Ori (as much as humanly possible).

She was then rapidly aged to adulthood and was given the powers of the Ori, which are similar to the powers possessed by the Priors but much more powerful. In this way, they bent "the rules" which prevent an actual Ori from directly interfering in the mortal plane of existence. Ostensibly, if the Ori actually attempted to directly influence events in the Milky Way themselves, the Ancients would intervene.

By creating Adria, however, the Ori now have a virtual representative of their will and power within the Milky Way, someone who is supposedly unstoppable. Adria is quick to demonstrate her power by leading the conquest or destruction of dozens of planets within just a few weeks. She later informs Vala and the rest of SG-1 that at this rate the Ori will have completely conquered the Galaxy by the end of the year.

Following the (possible) elimination of the Ori themselves Adria was then targeted in the episode Dominion. She was briefly implanted with the Go'auld Baal. However, when the Tok'ra attempted to remove him, he unleashed a deadly toxin forcing her to ascend. It is commented that she is now the most powerful being in the galaxy as she is in possession of all of the power the Ori previously shared amongst themselves.

The adult form of Adria, a.k.a. the Orici, is played by Brazilian-American actress Morena Baccarin.

Anti-Ori underground

Further information: [[wikia:Stargate:Anti-Ori underground]]

Despite the devotion to the Ori, there does exist a small minority of humans who believe that the Ori are not what they claim to be. This group uncovers artifacts and evidence to show to their brethren the truth that the Ori are not gods but simply more advanced beings. This group possesses members that are even monks in training within the City of the Gods in Celestis who await to be Priors.

In the second episode of season 9, its shown that not all Humans in the Ori Home Galaxy believe their gods to be benevolent as is seen in the case of the Anti-Ori Underground. This group of Humans live a dangerous life in hiding from purges and the fanatical followers. Their purpose is simply to collect enough evidence to prove to their brethren that the claims of the Ori are false. Despite this, they do believe that the Ori are very powerful; its only their intentions they doubt. Even though the group lives in the shadows of Ori society, they have shown to have collected a number of artifacts which they have hidden as such pieces of technology contradict the book of Origin and thus are destroyed when discovered. The group also has a number of followers within high positions which are even present within the City of the Gods within the ranks of the training monks there. Among this movement are Fannis, Harrid and Salis ("Avalon"), and Seevis and Denya ("Crusade").

Tactics

Ori military tactics varied during the initial incursions into the Milky Way galaxy and the full scale invasion that was later achieved through the Supergate.

The initial incursions were achieved through lone Priors who were sent to worlds in the Milky Way galaxy. They would arrive to these worlds and preach to the populace as well as distribute the Books of Origin. They would then depart and go to another world. Eventually they would return to these worlds and hear what the people have to say; whether they would follow Origin or not. They would inform the potential converts to form the Ara altar where the Trial by Fire is conducted. Those worlds that flat out refuse to follow the Ori are 'convinced' to do otherwise. These worlds are struck down by plagues and other disasters. Should they still not follow the Ori, then the world is destroyed. If they repent, then they are healed and the planet is converted. One method of converting people is by demonstrating their powers by converting a person into a Prior as was seen with Gerak.

The Ori do make their followers make use of potent weapons that are designed to scare their enemies as well as potential converts. This was seen in the spread of the 'Prior plague' and small vicious insects known to Earth as R75 that would devour crops which would cause starvation to the populace. A more sinister punishment given to those who betrayed them is turning an individual into an undead creature that would kill anything and everyone around it as was the case with Volnek.

Little is known of Ori military tactics mainly because their advanced technology made them near impervious to harm in the form of their starships. What is known is that they favour numbers and pure brute force against their enemies. In the Milky Way, the Ori attempted to make beach heads they could fortify. This was seen in the development of a powerful satellite weapon around Tegalus and the construction of a Supergate to facilitate the arrival of their starcraft. When invading a planet, the Ori army use their Ori fighters to deploy ring platforms near enemy locations so that warriors can be sent to pacify the region.

Technology

Main article: Ori technology in Stargate

Not much is known of Ori technology, save that it is similar to that of the Ancients and therefore far more advanced than any other in the known Stargate universe, save for possibly the Asgard. Despite its advanced nature the Ori tend to use their technology like a club, using raw force as opposed to tactics, creativity or ingenuity. However, Ancient technology and Asgard Technology is certainly considered a threat by the Ori themselves. They are particularly afraid of Merlin's Sangraal weapon, which he created to nullify ascended beings, and sought to acquire it. The show features powerful Ori weapons in "Ethon", ships in "Camelot", control chairs like that in "Counterstrike" and Supergates in "Beachhead". As seen in "Line in the Sand", they use a variation on the Ancient transport rings, a platform for which can be dropped to the ground by an Ori fighter craft, allowing people to transport down from orbiting ships. The latest Asgard technology has been shown to be possibly even more advanced than Ori technology. "Unending".

External links

• "Ori" at GateWorld Omnipedia.

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