Gadmeer, The

[Akren Garkos]

A highly advanced, incredibly civilized & peaceful species; the Gadmeer race became extinct when they fell prey to a superior military power (possibly the Goa’uuld, but no-one can be sure; as they Gadmeer don’t talk about it). Rather than let their race fade into oblivion, the Gadmeer created a massive 'arc' of sorts; into which they poured all that they were : their knowledge, their history, arts, culture & sciences, & genetic samples of every species that has ever lived on their original homeworld. The Gadmeer terra-former (as the ship is called by the people of Earth) travelled the galaxy for millennia, scouring planet after planet in order to find a suitable home on which to re-create the Gadmeer people. After extensive searching, it finally settled on such a planet : P5S-381.

When the terra-forming began, there was no sign of intelligent life on the planet. It was only after the terra-forming was well underway did the ship detect any sign of the local Encarians. SG-1, whom was attending a celebratory feast nearby, was made aware of the coming threat to the Encarians, & a precarious adventure ensued to try & find a solution to the problem presented : The Ecarians could not survive in the terra-formed atmosphere of the planet, & the Gadmeer terra-former did not have the resources to start over on another world. Eventually, a solution was found whereby the Encarians were returned to their original homeworld; leaving the Gadmeer terra-former to continue the process it had began.

[Akren Garkos]

The Gadmeer are a peaceful people, using their highly-advanced technology to explore the galaxy around them & further the exploits of their race. They are well-versed in sciences & the arts; with music in particular being a much-beloved subject of study.

Although considerably advanced when compared to most other sentient races - they are roughly at the same point of technological evolution as the Asgard - the Gadmeer prefer to live in eligant simplicity; using their sophisticted knowledge & advanced sciences to organize & stream-line their lives as much as possible, freeing up considerably more time to spend on other pursuits, music & the arts.

As explorers, the Gadmeer have a great interest in the unknown & unexplored, & possess a perennial curiousity that knows no bounds. They are always wanting to know what is behind this-or-that door, what an ancient artefact found on such-&-such a planet does, & what new things they can learn from any & all experiences they may go through as a result.

This love & apperication of the universe & it's mysteries - the terrifying, the truly beautiful, & the mundune - fuels their desire to explore the galaxy, make new friends, interact with other races & study new avenues of science not yet considered : all in the name of unravelling the ultimate question : what is the true nature of the universe & one's place in it?

This curiousity can also get the Gadmeer in quite a bit of trouble, as they think nothing of charging boldly into the unknown to find out what is there - for them the sake of the discovery & what it might hold is exciting & interesting enough to warrant the risk! - although they are not fools (they will go in prepared) & will not risk themselves or the lives of their companions in pursuit of knowledge; they do sometimes need reminding that not everyone in the universe is as friendly nor as willing to exchange ideas, cultural details, etc as they are!

Like the Nox, the Gadmeer are a peaceful & somewhat pacifistic people; preferring non-violent solutions to a conflict wherever possible. Whilst they will not attack any aggressor whom may wish them harm - even at the imminant & obvious threat of bloody, unbrindled violence - they are nonetheless capable of withstanding a great deal of punishment & protecting their people through the aide of forcefields, beaming away their enemies to a different location, etc. This is not to say they will not take up arms to defend themselves if absolutely necessary, simply that they will always consider & exhaust all peacable options available to them before resorting to violence; & even then, they only fight in self-defense only, minimizing the impact of all engaugements -on both sides - as much as possible.

[Akren Garkos]

Not much is known about the Gadmeer’s early evolution or development as a people, save that they are sulfur-based life forms, & require an environment rich in sulfur dioxide in order to survive. At some point in their history, the Gadmeer developed highly-advanced technology & culture; before eventually falling afoul of a superior military power, whom rendered their entire planet & all life thereon barren for all time. The Gadmeer, a peaceable people - but no fools - constructed the massive terra-forming ship in their stead, filling it with every aspect of their culture & DNA samples of all life upon their world; setting it into space, to one day start again on a new world.

The Gadmeer terra-former scoured the galaxy for many thousands of years, arriving at a planet designated P5S-381 by the S.G.C., &; finding it suitable, began to terra-form the planet, little realizing that it was already inhabited by the Ecarians. After many trails & tribulations on how to resolve the situation, the Ecarians were relocated back to their original homeworld, & the Gadmeer terra-former returned to P5S-381 to finish the terra-forming process.

Whilst the SGC originally thought the Stargate would be consumed when the terra-former overtook it’s current position on P5S-381, it was, in fact, spared; & the terra-former continued to convert the planet. Using the advanced genetic-engineering technology available to the Gadmeer, the terra-former accelerated the evolutionary process of their newly re-created world. What should of taken millions of years was accomplished in a matter of days; & within a year, the Gadmeer were once again a thriving people. In the latter months of Earth year 2005, shortly after the fall of the Goa’uuld & just prior to the SGC’s contact with the Orii; the Gadmeer established contact with the people of the Tau’ri, inviting them back to what was now Gasmeria. It was not long before the Gadmeer & the people of Earth were to become friends & allies, united in the common bond of advancing their understanding of the universe & the spirit of exploration. Now, the Gadmeer travel freely with the people of Earth & their kin, valuable allies & well-spirited friends, keen to explore all that they universe has to offer them. . . . .

[Akren Garkos]

Basic Physical Attributes[/u]

The Gadmeer are sulfur-based life forms, & are somewhere in-between birds & insects in terms of evolution. A bipedal species, the Gadmeer are best described as 'small reptilian dino-people' (to qoute SG-1's Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell), & are characterized by their unique physiology, appearence & trademark gait (jokingly referred to as the 'turkey bob' or the 'dino walk' by some of the more humorously-minded members of the S.G.C.), for which their tails help provide the balance needed by their small, compact bodies to walk.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Gadmeer is that beak-like mouthes actually possess three rows of leaf-shaped, serrated teeth - perfect for processing the tough leaves & other foilage which make up a vast majority of their diet - harking back to their common ancestry to both birds & insects. The small tube-like arch of flesh connecting their spinal column to their brain-stem is believed to serve a cardiovascular function, helping supply the sulfur they breathe directly to their large cranial cavity (& from there to their highly-developed brains) to aide in proper mental function & supply extra sulfur dioxide to the brain during increased period of stress & physical activity. Their clawed, three-fingers feet & toes are perfectly suited for the environment in which they evolved; & the shape, size & geometry of both their buildings & the materials which they use are suited to, & tailored for, their unique physiology, preferring graceful curves & geometric shapes (such as the octagon, etc. . .) to the standard sqaures, straight lines & harsh angles of Human construction.

Internally, just as they are externally, they are as different & far-removed from Humans as Humans are from insects. Currently, Gadmeer medical experts are training Human doctors & the medical professionals of their allies in the proper identification & diagnosis of the Gadmeer physiology; as apart of exchange of knowledge between their peoples & in an effort to help further bridge the gap between the Gadmeer & their friend-allies.

Family Life:

The Gadmeer organise themselves into family units, typically consisting of two parents & one to two offspring. From the day they hatch from the egg, Gadmeer children are taught the fundimentals of Gadmeer society; treated with the same measure of equality & respect as adults, & are fully expected to adhere to the same rules & responsibilities as a result. Whilst they tend to spend private time with immediate family members, Gadmeer children split their social time between friends, artistic pursuits & their schooling; which is undertaken in a creche-like environment, everyone pitching in to learn as much as possible whilst having fun & enjoying themselves at the same time.

Upon reaching adulthood - the Gadmeer have no concept of adolescence, considering 'teenage years' a thing reserved for Humans & the like - the newly-matured Gadmeer is free to start their own family unit if they so choose; & may have already haved held a job (or have been studying for one) for many years as they make a place for themselves in Gadmeer society. Those Gadmeer whom persue science & the arts, in particular, are considered to be esteemed members of society, with those whom contribute signifigantly in these fields commonly hailed as heroes & model citizens; an example for the people.

The two fields of study to see the biggest increase in it's rank in the past few since Gasmeria was terra-formed & settled by the Gadmeer are geo-social planning & exploration. The need to quickly rebuild their entire species' society has been a mounting concern (although the Tollan have helped in that regard, using their ability to phase & reorder matter on the sub-atomic level to help speed the progress along), with a signifigant portion of the Gadmeer's resources devoted to re-establishing themselves on their new homeworld after spending so long scouring the galaxy for a place which become the site of their race's rebirth from the ashes of extinction. The explosion of the exploration sector has to do with their being 'extinct' for so long : the Gadmeer wish to learn about the galaxy as it today (as opposed to what it was like before they fell prey to the superior military power which almost wiped out their entire race), see what has changed, what has stayed the same, & to make new friends - & to prepare themselves for any possible new enemies - with which to explore the galaxy in friendship & peace. To this end, they have established contact with the Tau'ri & their allies, & thusfar the exchange of ideas, technology & cultures has been somewhat confusing, but very rewarding.

And last, but not least, we come to the subject least liked & talked about by the Gadmeer : conflict. Whilst the Gadmeer do not condone war & abbore violence in all it's forms; they do recognize & apprepicate the need to defend oneself from agressors; & as such, a few Gadmeer do tend to pursue such matters, for the continued well-being of their race. However, the Gadmeer have no standing army, & no true military might to speak of, except those few pieces of advanced technology which they will use in self-defense if the need truely arises & they have utterky exhausted all other available options. All in all, whilst seen as a cruel necessity of life, the Gadmeer nonetheless wish to have no part in any wars, nor the cycles of violence, suffering & bloodshed they bring; even if some evils are necessary in order to survive. . . .

[Akren Garkos]

The Gadmeer language is involves a complex system of sounds & subtle gestures; which could mean many things, depending on the sounds/motions expressed & the context in which they are used. Humans listening to the Gadmeer talk amongst themselves tend to describe their speech as begin somewhere between high-pitched bird trills & lizard-like hissing, accompanied by the occasional popping sound. To the Gadmeer, Human languages are simple & extremely primitive in comparison.

To Humans, the Gadmeer communications system; where the slightest variation in sound, tone, length of a ‘note’ held or subtle gesture of the tail or positioning of the body could mean something entirely different, is extremely complex & incredibly difficult to grasp at the best of times; yet to each species, their methods of social interaction & communication make perfect sense to them.

Summarised below, are, to the best of Human understanding, rough translations of the more commonly used Gadmeer words, phrases & gestures (baring in mind the limited understanding of the true complexity of the Gadmeer language) :

Wzomun ('W-zo-muun') - Human. The Gadmeer word used to refer to Human-kind in general, whether they be from the Tau'ri, are Near-Human, or

Fra ('Fr-a', as in 'ah') - Jaffa.

Zameer ('ZA-mear', as in 'ear') - The name the Gadmeer give themselves in their own language.

Gacikal ('ga-SICK-all') - Stargate.

Vflo ('v-LOW', as in 'flow') - Stop, to stop or come to a complete stand-still, to cease all motion.

Glokz ('Glock-ZED', as in clock with the letter 'z' attached & pronounced Canadian-style) - Go, to go, to become active, to put into motion, to start &/or to become alert. Can also be used as slang when gaining attention, e.g.: "Listen Up!", "Look at me!", etc; similar to the analgeous Jaffa use of the word 'kree'.

Ksckree ('Ksk-REA', ksk as in 'tisk', 'REA', as in 'ray') - A interragative noise made by clicking the beak & whistling low in the back of the throat (guess you have to Gadmeer to do it properly. . .); used as both question ("Excuse me?", "I don't understand what you're trying to say?") & command ("Tell me why you did this?", etc); depending on the context. Subtle variations of these themes can be displayed by approperiate use of intonation, change in inflexion &/or body posture. When combined with the word 'Glokz' (see above), Ksckree (to form the phrase 'Glokz Ksckree') can form a powerful verbal suggestion which can help bring attention & authourity to one's prescence (always useful during important presentations), as well as enforcing a point or suggestion which one particular wants to convey to others.

'Stzu' (prounced similar to the English phrase 'bless you' & sounding like a coughing, spitting sound mixed with a shrill whistle) - Please/Thank-you/You're welcome. A general all-purpose greeting which covers a multitude of pleasantries, the meaning of which is subject to some variation; based on where in a phrase it is dropped into, what context it is used in & whether or not the use of any body language/pitch accompanies this phrase.

[Akren Garkos]

The Gadmeer have an open form of government, where all individuals - even children - are included in the decision-making process; from inception & discussion, to implimention & after-effects monitoring. Those decisions of a more pressing nature, such as whether or not to engage another species in a defensive war in protection of their people, are put to a vote; & are overseen by a publicly-selected panel of judges (or 'purveyors') whom have experience &/or show suffice aplomb in the area in question being debated about. Once all voices have been heard & any & all votes counts; the idea &/or proposal with a majority vote & the most support from the Gadmeer people as a whole is implimented according to the agreed structure. Whilst all this debating & decision-making can make the actial process of getting things done, it does ensure that all individuals are heard & that their opinions are counted; before anything is set in stone (so to speak).

For those individuals whom wish to make a complaint or whom are working as apart of the labor force commissioned for such projects, there do exist offical government bodies to directly deal with any issues that may have or which may arise. Each offical serves one full term (the equivilant of 50 Human years) before being replaced by another, & many ex-officals often go on to become diplomats & great explorers themselves after their required term has ended.

[Akren Garkos]

The Gadmeer are unique in that they do not have any religion or spiritual belief system to speak of, although they do value & honour all forms of life, learning & recreation in all it’s myriad shapes, forms & manifestations. Whilst they do not believe that an individual’s soul travels to some higher plane of existence to dwell in a paradise reality after one’s death; they do honour the memory & life’s-work of an individual, preferring to focus on the contribution(s) they have made to their friends, family, & the Gadmeer as a whole, rather than dwelling on superstitious notions or clinging to primitive & (what is to them) scientifically unfounded systems of belief.

[Akren Garkos]

The original homeworld of the Gadmeer has been lost, long since ravaged by their unknown enemy of old & is referred to by the Gadmeer themselves as simply being ‘the old home’ (indeed, the war which almost ended their species for good is only referred to when necessary by the Gadmeer, & even then with great pain & much sorrow). Their current homeworld, which was terra-formed by their arc ship, is called Gasmeria; & is a strange world for Human eyes to behold (although to the Gadmeer it looks as normal to them, as Earth is to Humans).

Ash-grey soil shot through with irridescent hues of purple, green & black provide a backdrop for bizzare plants & a multitude of animals from the former Gadmeer homeworld, which thrive in the terra-formed environment, can be seen roaming around freely through the various wildlife preserves set up around the planet; defy accurate description by Human eyes. Human visitors to Gasmeria - from what little they get to see from their specially-prepared, forcefield-enclosed & re-enforced, oxygenated rooms - describe the world as truly alien; often carrying back a wealth of video & translations of Gadmeer text on everything from poetry & art to technological specs & cultural information, in order to better process their experience amongst the Gadmeer & make as 'accurate' as possible their mission reports to their superiors at the S.G.C.

In spite of this somewhat alien atmosphere & other obvious differences between their two species & cultures; the Gadmeer & the people of Earth & their allies have become stead-fast friends; with the Gadmeer & their homeworld firmly imprinted on the minds of all the Humans whom come into contact with them. . .

SGC Designation: P5S-381.
Official Name: Gasmeria.
Stargate Co-ordinates:

[Akren Garkos]

The Gadmeer are highly advanced, on-pare with the Asgard as far as technology is concerned. They have demonstrated teleportation & beaming technology similar to that possessed of the Asgard, have modified their ships systems to be compatiable with Humanoid lifeforms, switching the internal atmosphere from sulfur dioxide to oxygen in a matter of moments, & have demonstrated considerable mastery of genetics, cloning & artifical evolution; demonstrating the ability to produce an independent, self-aware, fully-functional & genetically perfect specimen of a sentient species in as little as 24 hours.

[Akren Garkos]

Long Life (evolutionary advantage) : Being able to manipulate the genes of a life form - even to the point where they can artificially grow a perfect living replica from an extinct species in a matter of days, if not hours - the Gadmeer have long since eliminated any diseases or ill-effects from their bodies; manipulating & resequencing genes in their species’ gene pool to boost their immune systems, extent their lifespans & make them more resilient to disease & the rigors of time. As such, all Gadmeer typically live to be quite old; having, on average, lifespans of up to 1,000 years or more.

Dependency (evolutionary disadvantage) : The Gadmeer are sulfur-based life forms, & as such, require a sulfur-based environment in which to survive. When travelling offworld, particularly in other environs, the Gadmeer must wear a specially-designed exo-suit in order to survive in other environments not their own. This exo-suit serves the Gadmeer in a similar manner that space suits serve Humans when they explore the vacuum of space, & in addition to standard life-support & other base functions, they are often customized by their wearer as well. This allows them to function ‘normally’ within other environments - particularly as oxygen is as deadly to them as sulfur is to Humans - & to interact with others on a more personal level without having to secret themselves behind a forcefield or confining them to a room full of sulfur dioxide; giving them the opportunity to safely explore the galaxy side by side with their Human allies from Earth.

Advanced Society : +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength.

Species Bonus Skill Checks : +1 bonus when using any of the two the following skills : Computers, Craft (any one), Electronics, Knowledge (any one), Mechanics. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level & for every 4 character levels gained thereafter.

Pay Grade : While working with the SGC, the character may choose to be paid as an officer or a specialist (see page 283 of the SG SG-1 PHB).

Bonus Feat : Any basic or advanced skill feat. The character must still meet all prerequisites for this feat before choosing it.