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The Ori (pronounced "OR-eye") are fictional characters on the Stargate SG-1 television program. Collectively, they are a group of "ascended" beings who use their advanced technology and spiritual knowledge of the universe to trick non-ascended humans into worshiping them as gods. They were introduced into Stargate SG-1 in its 9th Season, replacing the Goa'uld as the show's primary antagonists. Whilst the Goa'uld relied almost entirely on their technology to portray their godlike power, the Ori are just one step ahead of them - beings of almost godlike power, but nevertheless not gods. The Ori fabricated a religion, called Origin, which they force on all non-ascended beings for the purpose of total control. The Ori try to destroy anyone who rejects their religion. A central theme that surrounds story arcs involving the Ori is that power does not make someone a god, nor does great power entitle anyone 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 can be simply described as ascended beings who disagree with the Ancients' viewpoints about interference with less developed sentient beings, science, and the importance of free will. As Ascended beings, they live on a higher plane of existence of great power and knowledge, and, due to their immense power and transcendental state, are as close to being "gods" as any non-deific being can be. Differences in Beliefs The human descendants of the Alterans (in the Milky Way Galaxy) refer to them as the Ancients; the Ori refer to them as "the Others" (this of course is a contextual reference and should not be confused with "the others" which has been used by de-ascended or banished Ancients such as Oma Desala, Chaya Sar/Athar or Orlin). They originally were not distinguished from each other, and lived in the same society. At some point however (for lack of better terms), the Ori became more religious, whilst the Ancients became more scientific. Ultimately their viewpoints diverged so much that the two races split apart and began to oppose each other. 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, even if something terrible is about to happen. In contrast, the Ori teach that failure to share the secrets of the universe to those on the lower planes of existence is an evil act, that anyone not following their religion must be eliminated (anti-free will), and they have no rules against taking direct control of living beings or completely changing them to behave as they desire. However, Orlin, an Ancient who retook human form to help the SGC, states that their religion ("Origin"), which promises its followers Ascension, in fact offers no such thing. Orlin goes on to explain that the Ori are able to drain power from their followers, and this is the real reason they created Origin, as the more followers they have, the more power they have. The Ancients who came to the Milky Way decided to shield the second evolution of humans (i.e. current human culture) in the Milky Way Galaxy from the Ori (also while not stated they most likely did the same for the seeded humans in the Pegasus Galaxy). It is their policy that humans may find enlightenment through their own means, in the spirit of free will. 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 and certain other characteristics (e.g. horns, spikes) with Demonic imagery in the Milky Way. This would be a method of shielding humans from the Ori, as the central symbols of Origin involve fire and (what we would call) Demonic costumes. For instance, the Doci, the leaders of Origin, bear a very close resemblance to a devil or demon. The worshippers of the Ori view fire as a cleansing symbol. As Daniel Jackson points 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 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. Dr. Jackson theorized that the Ori exist because good and evil must have some sort of balance, even at the Ascended level. Although the Ancients (Alterans), as a whole, refrain from interfering with lesser beings, a small few (namely Oma Desala) have taken it upon themselves to interact and even help lower beings to Ascend. A prerequisite of this assistance is that one must be pure of heart. 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 Ascendants) no such limitations exist. It must be stressed that the partially ascended System Lord, Anubis, ascended through a combination of genetic modification and the teachings of Oma Desala, and as such, is not connected to the Ori. Plague of the Ancients After the Ori had forced the Ancients to leave their home galaxy and flee to the Milky Way, the two factions remained bitter enemies. Eventually, the Ancients in this galaxy were afflicted with a terrible plague that wiped out most of their civilization. Daniel Jackson posits that the pre-Ascended Ori may have been responsible for this plague. The plague that the Ori use against human non-believers is very similar in nature to what is known of the Ancients' plague. Orlin - a de-ascended Ancient - said that the plague is made by modifying the DNA of a Prior, a missionary of Origin, and giving it to a "Patient Zero", who will feel no effects, to enable a wide spread of the virus. The virus not only rapidly evolves, but can also remain airborne across small distances making quarantine an almost impossible means of prevention. There was no known cure or vaccination prior to Season 9's "The Fourth Horseman". Stargate Command was able to formulate a cure for the plague with the help of Gerak, leader of the Free Jaffa Nation. The Ori ultimately wish to destroy the Ancients once and for all. 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. 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. 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. Symbolism The central icon of this religion is fire, something which 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 powers that all Ascended Beings possess). Teachings Some viewers have noted that many quotes from the Book of Origin bear resemblence 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 Parables Quotations Crowd: "Hallowed are we. Hallowed are the Ori." -- Mitchell: No kidding. So you see the future, do you? Prior: Lessons of days gone by teach us of what will come to pass. Mitchell: I’m a bit of a history buff myself. Doesn’t help me pick the lotto numbers, though. So. Where you from? Prior: Where we come from and where we are going are all the same. Mitchell: Oh, I getcha. "Wherever you go, there you are." I think that’s Buckaroo Banzai. Me, I’m from a little planet called Earth. Ori Followers 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. Priors The Ori are served by those called Priors, who act as the prophets, messengers and missionaries of the Ori by travelling 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 Priors are led by the Doci, who also act as mediators or mouthpieces for the Ori. They resemble ordinary Priors, although wearing a more intimidating attire. The Doci probably is one of the most devout believers in Origin, and arguing faith with him has proved to be pointless. The Ori are seen only in their forms as fiery Ascended beings and apparently cannot communicate directly. The Doci presides over the Flames of Enlightenment, where the Ori dwell, and if the Ori wish to speak to the mortal world they possess and speak through the Doci. When this happens, the Doci's eyes glow fiery, and afterwards the Doci feels spiritually touched. Ori Warriors Conscripted men who were trained to fight unbelievers as foot soldiers and take over the Milky Way. They are plated in metallic armour, 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. All these warriors are ordinary village people, kept at a low level of development, on par with the Medieval period of English history. Therefore, they have little or no understanding of their own weaponry or ships. Instead, controlling the Ori battlecruisers is the responsibility of the Priors. 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 taken away by the Priors and implanted with 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. Technology Not much is known of Ori technology, save that it is probably similar to that of the Ancients and therefore far more advanced than any other in the Stargate universe. However, Ancient technology is certainly considered a threat by the Ori themselves. They are particularly afraid of Merlin's Sangraal weapon, which he created to destroy ascended beings, and are seeking to acquire it. "The Quest" (Stargate SG-1) The show features powerful Ori weapons in , ships in , control chairs like that in and Supergates in . | |||||||
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