Asgard, The

[Akren Garkos]

Perhaps the greatest friend & ally of the Tau'ri, the Asgard are a belevolent & peaceful race; friend to all, protector to all, save those species - such as the Goa'uuld - whom would try & dominate others for their own ends.

One of four founding members of a once-great galactic alliance which included the likes of the Ancients, the Furlings & the Nox; the Asgard have come to rely on the people of Earth as much as they have upon them. With the irrversability of their genetic degridation & the continued slow, painful march towards extinction of their species; he Asgard have chosen to commit mass suicide rather than continue to suffer a horribly slow & painful death, leaving all their knowledge, technology & skills - all that they were, all they are - to the Humans of Earth, ensuring that their legacy will live on long after they are gone.

With the recent discovery of a lost tribe of Asgard living in the Pegasus Galaxy - which, unlike their Ida Galaxy counter-parts, seem less than friendly towards Humanity - the assumption that the Asgard were all dead has been turned on it's head, creating a dilemma for the Expidition & the S.G.C. as they seek to establish diplomatic relations & a dialogue with these lost Asgard.

N.B.:[/i] Following the events of 'Unending' (As of the end of Season 10 of STARGATE SG-1) & 'First Contact (episode 10 of Season 5 of STARGATE ATLANTIS)' / 'The Lost Tribe' (episode 11 of Season 5 of STARGATE ATLANTIS), the Asgard are no longer available as player characters in STARGATE : The RPG. If you wish to play an Asgard character after[/i] this point in time (e.g.: as a member of the Lost Tribe in the Pegasus Galaxy), please contact the RPG SYS OP to discuss the possibilities of playing an Asgard character to determine exactly why/how your character will fit into the RPG after these events.

[Akren Garkos]

The Asgard resemble the classic "Roswell Greys"; indeed, they admit they may have been repsonsible for that first alien sighting in 1948. Averaging abour four feet in height, they possess the basic hominid structure, with thin arms & legs, pupilless eyes, nasal slits, small ears, & a small, lipless mouth with small teeth. To those outside their species, most Asgard are barely distinguishable from each other; recognizable only by slight differences in skin tone, height, & facial arrangements.

Physically, most Asgard are not a threat to other species which they may encounter, being smaller & more fragile than average. However, they are extreme intelligent & possess great mental stamina, including some mental abilities which are unique to their species. The Asgard are highly skilled in handling information & transmitting it to other species directly, probably due to their exposure to the Ancient's technology. They possess considerable data manipulation skills, & their brains are capable of making complex equations at which a Human mind would boggle. They also possess formidable willpower, & can resist most forms of torture & interrogation. Their mental strength more than compensates for their lack of physical abilities.

[Akren Garkos]

The new Asgard homeworld of Orilla is a highly developed, temperate G-class planet located outside of the Milkyway Galaxy & requiring an addition 'distance' chevron for the Earth Stargate to reach them. Orilla consists of 40% salt-water & 60% land-mass, which has been thoroughly subdivided into urban development, agriculture, or specially preserved wilderness.

Approximately 30% of the oceans have been reserved for food production. There are no uncharted territories on either land or sea, & the planet lack in extremes in temperature, except near the poles. The division of resources is highly ordered & scientifically based, with most fuel sources based on clean fusion. Several artifical satellites & constructed cities orbit Orilla, & most of their other colonies follow the same model in physical development.

Orilla has very little pollution, no famine, & little social strife - however their society is still recovering from the verge of technological breakdown, due to the recent actions of the Replicator species. The Replicators, which consume meal, silicon & other elements to build up their own structures, have devistated Orilla & outlaying worlds through repeated attacks, & have upgraded the Asgard technology for their own uses. With power, living structures, & food production all compromised, Orilla & the Asgard colonies were facing system-wide famine & death if the Replicators were not stopped.

Thankfully, with the destruction of the Replicators via use of an Ancient super-weapon & a galaxy-wide dialing of every known Stargate in the Milkyway Galaxy; the Asgard are finally free of their technological agressors, & can concentrate on more important matters. Two years later, in mid 2007 A.D., Orilla would be destroyed - along with the Asgard themselves - as they made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of perserving their legacy; ensuring it would live on through their allies & friends from Earth.

[Akren Garkos]

As a race, the Asgard have a long history of peaceful development & interaction with other species. By nature & virtue of their isolation (the Asgard are currently the only known sentient species encountered in the Ida Galaxy by the Humans of Earth), they encountered no hostile aliens until their owntechnology had outstripped that of their nearest neigbours. When they attained space flight, the first species they encountered were the Ancients, who took a helpful interest in them, & assisted in the development of several planets. Their experiences with the Ancients shaped their own interaction with species of lower technology & cultural sophostication.

At some point in Earth's far past, the Asgard visited northern Europe, using their concealment technology so that they appeared Human. The locals mistook them gods, not unlike the Goa'uuld, & records indicate that they may have fought against the Goa'uuld on Earth (which likely contributed to the System Lord's decision to leave Earth alone after the initial rebellion in Egypt). Regardless, the ancient Norse - as well as several transplanted human populations scattered across the galaxy - regarded the Asgard as benevolent, helpful gods.

Several thousand years ago, they served as founding members of the treaty of Heliopolis, along with the Nox, Furlings, & Ancients. The records left at Heliopolis ('Place of Our Meeting') included the basis of a universal language based on the chemical elements of the universe, & a history of the species which partiipated in the treaty. After a hundred years of cordial relations, the four races established their treaty of friendship, along with the basic guidelines for their treatment of less socially & technologically advanced species. This treaty of mutual support is still in effect between the Asgard & the Nox, the only two remaining members still existant in universe (sightings of the Ancients have been sporadic for the last thousand years, & no-one has seen the Furlings in many centuries).

In addition, the Asgard also developed & enforced a second treaty, the Protected Planets Treaty, with the Goa'uuld. Under this agreement, certain planets are considered 'off limits" to Goa'uuld encroachment. Goa'uuld whom use the Stargates found on those planets face immediate punitive action from the Asgard. Typically, the encroaching Goa'uuld is teleported to a remote, enclosed location, where it's technology is rendered useless (usually by a localized energy field which overloads their naquadah-based weapons & tools). They receive the bare minimum of food & water, & are given the choice of staying, or leaving through a Goa'uuld-removal device. The device generates a focused radiation field that homes in on the Goa'uuld DNA, killing the parasite & freeing the host. On the few occassions when the Goa'uuld attempt a direct invasion of a protected planet, the Asgard arrived as soon as they detected the transgression & summarily annihilated any Goa'uuld forces in the system.

Originally, this treaty took effect following a long & bloody intersystm war with the Goa'uuld, which resulted in severe casualities for the System Lords & great loss of life amongst the enslaved populations, but little damage to the Asgard resources or population. One Asgard ship is an easy match for five Goa'uuld ha'tak vessels, & their fleet has, in the past, been much more extensive than any single System Lord's. The System Lord's constant infighting & civil war has been as helpful in enforcing the Protected Planets Treaty as the threat of Asgard retaliation. While the Asgard would face considerable difficulty if the Goa'uuld ever presented a united front, the parasites basic distrust & greed have kept this potential threat in check.

Ironically, despite their intense antipathy towards the Goa'uuld, the Asgard have passively supported Goa'uuld goals on some occassions. They maintain a strictly 'hands off' policy in regard to the native populations they protect, which also defined, up until recently, their diplomatic stance towards modern-day Earth. They will not contact a given population directly until it can pass certain releveant cultural, social & mathematical tests (often left in markers as the 'Hall of Thor's Might' on Cimmeria). They do not dictate the laws or workings of a protected culture or ask for any rerturns, as the Goa'uuld do, & are loathe to interfere - even if lives are at stake - if they believe that doing so will harm the development of the society as a whole.

[Akren Garkos]

Next to rebuilding their society after the defeat of the Replicators, the most serious problem facing the Asgard is the continuing genetic collapse of their species. & a severe decline in their population over the last several thousand years. The Asgard must rely on artificial reproduction to replenish their population, & their collective store of genetic material has degenerated to the point where continual cloning is now the only effective means available. Their own individual genetic codes have lost the ability to produce children through sexual reproduction, as was the case in the past. Their scientists work feverishly to restore such ancient traits by using grafts of genetic material found in the remains of a recently discovered ancestor. These efforts may be the species' last hope.

The Asgards' slow genetic breakdown results from continual genetic tinkering done thousands of years ago.Their efforts to eradicate genetic diseases, inherited birth defects & perceived undesirable traits accidentally resulted in the cumulative alteration of genomes necessary for reproduction. By the time they realized the damage, several generations had already gone by & the entire population was affected. Even then, they might had reversed the condition if a world-wide epidemic had not swept through their system before all of the variables were isolated. "Barion's Syndrome", as the plague was known, wiped out 60% of the Asgard population within a generation. Over 75% of the survivors were rendered effectively sterile with accompanying cellular degeneration. The remaining Asgard - 10% of the original number - did not have the required genetic diversity to reverse the trend away from genetic breakdown.

As a stop-gap measure, the Asgard adopted highly-specialized cloning as a means of reproduction. Asgard science avoided most of the mistakes of continual cloning, & their success rate ran near 100% for each embryo constructed. However, after over 1,000 years without new genetic material, two problems developed : the deterioration of the original genetic material (which led to the discontinuation of cloning from the first generation's DNA some 300 years ago), & the unavoidable difficultly of cellular mutation with each following generation. With each successive 'copy', small flaws & unfixible errors crept in, bringing about new diseases & syndromes that needed to be treated. Without sexual reproduction, these flaws were not canceled out or balanced by new, possibly beneficial mutations. Asgard medicine is amongst the most advanced in the known universe, but the only real cure for these diseases would have been to supplement their genetic diversity, which they did not believe possible.

Just prior to the planetary catastrophe which altered the Asgard DNA. A small contingent set out to colonize far planets. Recently, the remains of one of these travelers - unaltered by previous genetic tampering - was found in stasis. The Asgard hope that careful grafting & genetic donation from this individual will allow them to reverse the worst effects of their genetic breakdown, & lead them back to the ability to reproduce through sexual means.

In addition to the direct physical problems, without the addition of new ideas or new individuals to engender them, Asgard thinking & culture began to atrophy. While their technology remained at a high level, & their society, law & culture did not deteriorate, the species has made few new advances over the last 1,000 years. It was as if their development, although very advanced, simply stalled. The SGC found a relatively simple solution to dealing with the Replicators - direct physical attack, coupled with the destruction of their smallest components - but it had never occurred to the Asgard, despite their admitted brilliance & higher level of technology. They live in peace because they all share the same tolerant viewpoint, & are very similar in mentality & temperament. While this can lead to little conflict, it does not promote new ideas or adaptability. The Asgard have, in the past, referred to those of Earth as 'young' but they have also praised humanity's flexibility & original approaches to problems which have stymied them.

Following their latest attempt to reverse their continued genetic breakdown, the Asgard were left with a debilitating & crippling disease which would soon render them extinct as a species. In light of this fact, & unable to fix the problems which had plagued them for centuries, if not eons, the Asgard chose to leave their technology, knowledge, history & culture - everything they are, everything they were - to the people of Earth - whom they finally acknowledged as 'The Fifth Race' - ensuring their legacy would live on long after they had gone; choosing to commit mass suicide rather than to continue to live in pain & suffering.

[Akren Garkos]

The Asgard possess a uniform culture across their manyplanets, due in part to the aforementioned genetic drift& also due to the constant communications between planets, which garantee the dismination of new ideas quickly. On the whole, their culture is merit-based, with achievement rewarded by greater recognition & opportunities for advancement. As a democracy, they hold that each individual has valid ideas, but they hold those of greater inteligence & ability in higher esteem. They typically share resources fairly equally as curcumstances allow it. Those doing work regarded as vital to the community received favored status during the few periods of shortages.

The Asgard military operates under the command of their civilian government, & military service is mandatory for one decade after adulthood is reached. Until recently, however, they regarded this more in the light of community service than a personal risk or sacrifice. With the advance of the Replicators, they put the resolution ofthe invasion, with attending social status acorded to those in military positions. Thor, the Suoreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet, rose to prominence after several engagements with the Goa'uuld; he demonstrated a knack for applying weapons research advances which he subsequently used against the Replicators withsome success.

As humans understand it, the Asgard embrace a belief system that cannot be called an actual religion, but rather an ethical & philosophical stance similar to that of Toaism. Their attitudes have been strongly influenced by their contact with the Ancients, who reportedly were corporeal beings whom 'Ascened' to ahigher plane of consciousness after sufficent mental evolution & philosophical effort. Believing all lifeforms are connected on some level, & that all pain & physical suffering must be transcended, as well as in the universality of the consequences of their actions; the Asgard have long refrained from aggressive actions towards other species & each other. To other species, their attitude seems passive, but it should not be mistaken for weakness or inability to act.

The Asgard don't regard personal property as highly as they do personal achievement. The government owns all food production centres & wilderness areas,inorder to provide necessary resources to the population. Homes & transportation may be personally owned, but are rarely status symbols, & 'luxury' items usually tend to be limited to the newest pieces of technology, which is usually only a luxury for a short time. Families may'own' structures & small properties which pass down to meet the next generation, but individual inheritance is rare, & usually restricted to families with only one child. Politically, the Asgard treat their government as a limited democratically elected republic, with a high level of direct public input on recurring issues. Political parties tend to be small & only form around key issues, such as stronger support for the military over medical research. However,since the Asgard take a holistic approach to most issues, the amount of political infighting is also very limited, & usually centres more on questions of timing or allocation of resources than acutal debate over issues. The Asgard do not have a hive mind or a shared consciiousness,but their individual attitudes are so remarkably similar that some species mistake them for a collective consciousness.

[Akren Garkos]

The Asgard value science & technology very highly, & put strong emphasis upon rational thinking. They also value the 'big picture', consdering all effects of a particular action as influenced both by their disastrous history in genetic engineering, & their philosophical stance. However, this does not mean that they have no interest in the arts; while their aesthic sense differs signifigantly from that of humans, they do enjoy creating living areas which reflect & promote a sense of peace & serenity. Clean lines, open spaces, & highly refined materials are usually present in any Asgard structure. Thier literature appears stark & overly factual when compared to that of other species, but often includes irony & a unique senseof humor. While by & large they do not favor ornamentation or clothing in their day-to-day lives - function trumps form in most circumstances - they do enjoy 'dressing up' forceremonial occassions & celebrations. Robes & jewelry are usually only worn on the most important occassions; even meetings with the heads of state of other species does not inpsire the urge. Together with their physiical similarities, their bent towards avoiding unnecessary accessories makes it very difficult for other species to differentiate between individuals. Naturally, the Asgard require few outward markers in order to recognize each other.

Their society reflects a high degree ofstructure;while they appericate & value wilderness, they do not live in it, being more comfortable in moderated environments. Their food, furniture, & technology all reflect a conformed taste & sensibility. While they are not known for for peer pressure, most Asgard have a very limited range of personal likes & dislikes, & tend to conform to the dominant rend within their society.However, when meeting new species, they are always very curious about the ways of the 'other', & willoccassionally adopt aspects of a new culture which find useful or pleasant.

[Akren Garkos]

Over the last thousand years Asgard family life has changed to accommodate their ongoing genetic difficulties. Orignally,the basic family unit was based on a male & female, whowould bond & begin a family while living with the female's extended family for financial & emotional support. Each couple commonly had one to two children,whichkept the population stable.

With thedecline in the birth rate & subsequent complete dependence on cloning for children, a shift in the family structure occurred. Now, three to four adult Asgard of a common age will usually form a 'family' & make decisions as a unit, applying for permission to raise Asgard children after several decades of establishing a stable home environment. The emotional bonds between the adults in a family varies (many resemble groups of siblings more than romantic couples), but the only legal bond involves registration if they wish to sevre as parents to immature Asgard.

Asgard children are very carefully created in government approved labs, grown in-veitro, & then cared for during infancy by specially overseen creches, usually with one care-taking adult for two to three children. Atthe ageof three - just at the onset of childhood - the child goes to an Asgard family, whom will care for it as their own. There is often, but not always, a genetic connection between these children & their adoptive parents. They might be a clone ofone of the adults,but are usually more indirectly connected, as either a clone of a genetic relative, or several generations removed from the core DNA. This diffuse genetic relationship promotoes a sense that all children are related to (& precious to) the adults, with an attendant level of concern for their development. Crime & violence amongst the Asgard is rare, either becuase of their fundamental nature or their extremely attenive child-rearing practices.

Thechildhood period of the Asgard is relatively long, & spent primarily in acquiring as much knowledge as possible. Asgard children 'play' but their games tend to be rarefied intellectual exercuises (though they enjoy them as a human child enjoys hisown games).Asgard children are noticable more mischievous than adults, & enjoy creating their own games & toys. Asgard adolescence tends to be much gentler & less traumatic than humanity's, lasting longer, but developing more gradually, with fewer hormonal spikes. It is not uncommon for Asgard adolescents to spend majority of their two decades before full adulthood in travelling through the Asgard territories, before deciding ontheir chosen life career & the Asgard colony which they will eventually settle on.

The average life-span of an Asgard is four hundred human years; the majoritydieof various endocrine & genetic disorders. With some exceptions,most Asgard only begin to deterioratein the last half of their fourth century. After their thirty-fifth year, they are consdiered legal adults, & moast Asgard work & contribute to their society untiltheir health forces them into retirement.The average Asgard forms a family after completing it's first century, & most establish bonds that last throughout their lifetime.


Asgard Names

Examples: Aberik, Asbjorn, Hjalmar, Kjell,Sigbjorn,Turgny, Tegard

The Asgard have ties to ancient Norse & Viking cultures -which sprang from the little grey aliens - & their naming practices reflect that. Most of them bear nameswhichTauri would classify as Nordic : usually quite odl & rooted in mythology. Because the Asgard have no gender, there is no divison between male & female names (though most seemtobear 'male'names as a default).

[Akren Garkos]

As stated eariler, Asgard technology is approximately 1,000 years ahead of Earth's. & 500 years ahead of the Goa'uuld. It remains quite static, however, with few major advancesmade in the last millenia. They are constantly refining their technology with better materials & cleaner fuel sources, but they admit that they have not made any substantial 'leaps forward' in several generations.

Most rheir energy sources stem from naquadah fusion reactors, which power their motherships, & hyperspace drive. Fortunately, they have constant dependable sources of naquadah within their home systems in the Ida galaxy, & do not require more from outside sources. Asgard motherships are also impervious to most Goa'uuld weaponry, due to their advanced construction & well-designed force fields which dissipate the energy weapons with ease. Their most recent flagship, the O'Neill, was constructed of a nqauadah-trinium-carbon alloy which would of made it the most advanced design in the galaxy. It was unofrtunately destroyed in a battle with the Replicators, although plans are underway for a replacement. All Asgard ships carry advanced cloaking capabilities which leave them undetectable to Earth technology.

The Asgard employ unique transport 'beams' for short-range travel that do not require physical transport rings or a pre-determined area. The beam can selectively focus on any living being & transport it over great distainces, while leaving nearby begins or items in place - unlike the Goa'uuld transport rings, which takes anything within a pre-determined area. Asgard beaming can be actived remotely by pre-programmed devices, & has been adapted to one of their greatest weapons. The Asgard can use it to 'dematerialize' structures as large as Goa'uuld pyramid ships, & destroy them completely by simply declining to rematerialize them at the end of the beam cycle.

Like the Nox, the Asgard can activate a Stargate without using a computer or the stationary Dial Home Device. Unlike the Nox, they still require a small, hand-held interface with supplies the necessary energy surge & dials the coordinates. At this time, they have not chosen to share this technology with Earth, although the SGC contines to lobby themfor access.

The Asgard have developed the equivalent of universal translators for their language into English &other Earth languages. They have alsoupdated their language database with the latest version of Earth's various tongues, & distributed the information throughout their military structure. While most Asgard do not speak English, they all have access to the databases, so finding an Asgard who can the human language in a minimal amount of time is rarely difficult. The higher-ranking officers in their military speak fluent English, as do their politicians. They also have computer translation devices which contain all the languages which they have encountered amongst other species, including humanity's.

Their virtual reality simulators, built for a variety of purposes, are both extremely convincing - creating environments in great detail for all five human senses, as well as innate kinestheic & balance data - & easily constructed. Information gathered from their 'Hall' on Cimmeria shows that entire rooms can be changed within seconds, reconfiguring sight, touch & sound perception with the proper input. They also have a long record of creating convincing holograms to mimic their roles as Norse 'gods' & conceal their true appearences. Asgard communications usualy centre around holographic images which can be transmitted over light years, if necessary, without a receiving device on the other end. The image beam is two-way; the image of those being communicated with can be beamed back simultaneously through subspace with verylittletime-lag to the transmission point.

Asgard medical technology is amongst the most advanced in the galaxy (if not the known universe). Though it cannot restore a dying creature to life, it can heal almost any form of injury or disease. In addition, all Asgard ships are equiped with a stasis pod, which allows them to preserve any wounded personelle indefinately until medical help can be obtained. These pods place the subject in in a metabolic shutdown that arrests any damage sustained until they leave it's confines.

With technological advantages like these, the Asgard have stayed well ahead of the Goa'uuld & similar foes. The SGC hopes that, even if they refuse to share weapons technology, at some point in the future they will be amenable to sharing more of their less volatile knowledge that will assist humanity in their ongoing exploration of the stars & to help ward off those whom seek to do them harm.

[Akren Garkos]

One of four races that originally guided the known universe, the Asgard are extremely gaurded about their history & technology, & rarely deign to interfere with humans & other 'lesser beings'.Since SG-1's first encounter with the Asgard, however, the race has slowly warmed to Earth, even placing it under their vast protectorate of allied worlds. Some Asgard - most notablt Thor - are known to involve themselves in SG missions, allowing players to take on the challenging role of playing a character from this elusive species.

Shared Species Talents[/u]

+2Wisdom, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution. The Asgard benefit from centuries of species experience, but are frail & lack genetic diversity.

Small: The character is Small-sized (see page 354 of the STARGATE SG-1 RPG [core] rulebook).

+2 species bonus witheducation checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 3rd level & for every 3 character levels gained thereafter. The Asgard race has catalogued a wide variety of knowledge in it's many hundreds, if not thousands, of generations.

Species Feats: The character may choose level-based feats from the species feat tree (refer page 264 of the STARGATE SG-1 RPG [core] rulebook). Typically, a character may not choose feats from the feat tree unless he possesses a character option that expressly allows him to do so.

Pay Grade: While working with the SGC, the character is paid as an officer (see page 283 of the STARGATE SG-1 CORE RULEBOOK). Alien characters are often paid in commensurate non-monetary concessions & favors.

Languages: Asgard is a native language for the character.

Asgard Fleet Officer

The Asgard posses one of the most powerful space fleet yet encountered by humans, boasting thousands of ships armed with incredibly advanced weponry, though its commanders are often called upon to maintain diplomatic relations with other species as to put down enemies. Though the war with the Replicators devistated much of the Asgard armada & the recent rebuilding of their empire has devoured or tied up alot of it's remaining resources, limited support is still periodically offered to the Tauri & their other allies.

Special Talents

+2 Charisma.

+1Species bonus with Diplomacy & Pilot checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level & for every 4 levels gained thereafter.

Bonus Feat: Speed Demon. All prerequisites for this feat- including minimum skill ranks - are waived.

Asgard Geneticist

Since each Asgard is actually a clone, it falls to the scientists among them to keep the genetic material from which their bodies are composed from disintergrating. Scouring the known universe for any means of prolonging their own existence, these Asgard are the most knowledgable healers & genetic engineers in existence.

Special Talents

+2 Intelligence.

+1Species bonus with First Aide & Knowledge (any one focus) checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level & for every 4 levels gained thereafter.

Bonus Feat: Alien Healer. All prerequisites for this feat- including minimum skill ranks - are waived.

Protected Planets Enforcer (N/A for 'Lost Tribe Asgard)

The Asgard devote much of their incredible martial prowess to draw less powerful planets under their protection against the exploitation of the Goa'uuld & similar foes, & the Protected Planets Treaty ensures that several worlds - including Earth & Cimmeria - are free of Goa'uuld incursions. Asgard with this species specality are dedicated to ensuring this treaty isn't violated & that all Goa'uuld attempts to seize a protected worlds are repelled as quickly & as efficiently as possible. Whilst it is true that there has not been as much use for those in Protected Planets Enforcement since the fall of the System Lords, the Asgard nonetheless maintain a watchful eye on those worlds protected under the treaty; lest something unfortunate befalls one or more worlds placed in their care. . .

Special Talents

+2 Dexerity.

+1Species bonus with initiative checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level & for every 4 levels gained thereafter.

Bonus Feat: Perfect Stance. All prerequisites for this feat- including minimum skill ranks - are waived.

N.B.: Vanir (Lost Tribe Asgard) are forbidden from taking this Profession as a trade, as they have been isolated in Pegasus for so long & would not have the training required to forefill this now-defuncted role.

[Akren Garkos]

A splinter group of rogue Asgard whom broke away from the main body of Asgard civilization & defied the will of the Asgard High Council by venturing to the Pegasus Galaxy to conduct research to save their dying species; these Asgard have been surviving in Pegasus for the last 100,000 years by remaining undetected by the Wraith.

Their warriors are clad head-to-toe in advanced armor which sports many functions - such as personal energy shielding capable of deflecting on-coming enemy weapons fire & the ability to act like a self-contained spacesuit, allowing them to function in the vaccuum of space - including a self-destruct mechanism to prevent their technology from falling into the wrong hands (such as those of the Wraith).

Unlike their brethen from Ida, these Asgard are isolationist, selfish & morally deaf - conducting research on live Human test subjects in order to help solve their cloning problem (of which they have made much progress) - caring little for others & thinking only of themselves.

[Akren Garkos]

The Lost Tribe's original homeworld in the Pegasus Galaxy was a virdent & lush world, not much unlike the planet Othalla in the Ida Galaxy.

Once the Wraith/Lantean War reached it's conclusion - with the Wraith as the victors - the Asgard were besieged by the Wraith, loosing many colony worlds & their former homeworld as well. Hunted to near extinction, these Asgard had no choice but to make their home on a world where the Wraith would not think to look for them: on a barren, toxic world, a virtual wasteland unfit to support carbon-based life of any kind.

The Asgard devised advanced suit of armor, exoskeletal suits which not only helped them survive in the toxic atmosphere, but provided them with many other advantages in combat & on field missions, in addition to hiding their identity from those Humans upon which they conducted their experiments, as well as from the Wraith (whom think them destroyed).

They also developed a fleet of starships using the meager resources available to them, including ships capable of penetrating Ancient-designed shields, in order to further their goal of continuing their own research into the Asgard genetic cloning problem & of fighting the Wraith; always remaining hidden & only engauging them when there was no other option - until a chance encounter with the Atlantis Expidition many centuries later. . .

[Akren Garkos]

Members of the Vanir were physiologically similar to the Asgard as they are descended from the same race. However, where the main Asgard species & their High Council were unwilling to engage in acts that risked other lives, the Vanir believed that the ends justified the means. As such, they are consumed with the desire to survive & note that their way of thinking was right as evidenced by the demise of the rest of their kin.

Like their Ida cousins, the Vanir employ cloning as a means of propagating their race but unlike the main Asgard, this tribe had been experimenting on Humans (like experimentation done by Loki) in the Pegasus galaxy, allowing them a small level of success in stabilizing their genome.

In order to survive on their harsh homeworld in the Pegasus galaxy & fight off enemies, the Vanir make use of powered exoskeletons that serve as a life support machine as well as battle armor. Furthermore, their survival was their primary goal as they did not wish to end up like their Asgard cousins and did not wish for a hundred thousand years of history would be lost forever.

[Akren Garkos]

The history of the Vanir began over 10,000 years ago when they split from their Asgard kin and made their way to the Pegasus galaxy. This was during the early years of the war between the Lanteans and the Wraith. This distraction allowed the self-exiled Asgard to begin their experimentation on Humans in order to solve their cloning problem without interference from both the Asgard High Council or the Lantean Council. They believed that the war between the Lanteans & the Wraith would give them enough time to find a solution to the genetic problems caused by the repeated cloning of their species.

However, the war took an unexpected turn when the Lanteans were forced back to Atlantis & abandons the Pegasus Galaxy, leaving the Wraith the victors. The Vanir had believed that the Lanteans would win the war due to their technology level, but instead the Wraith became the dominant species of the galaxy.

Unlike the Lanteans, who would have only censored their immoral research, the Wraith did not tolerate any species with advanced technology other then their own. To that end, they began attacking the Vanir, who were caught off guard. This resulted in their intergalactic starships being destroyed, stranding them in the Pegasus galaxy. In order to survive, the tribe abandoned their settlements & retreated to a planet who's atmosphere was toxic so that the Wraith would never find them.

Their new homeworld was somewhat tolerable to live on at first as they simply required breathing apparatuses. But over the eons, the planet became more and more hostile, which required the Vanir to make use of powerful exoskeletons to protect them. This continued for nearyly 10,000 years until the planet became too hostile for the race to survive on by the year 2008. Desperate, they ventured out into the galaxy for the first time in centuries and discovered an secret outpost with a powerful weapon within it. However, they lacked the means of operating the device, which they knew was capable of destroying the Wraith once and for all.

After Drs. McKay & Jackson found a hidden lab in Atlantis, they unwittingly activated & transmitted a subspace signal to a distant planet and, hours later, the city was paid a visit by a group of these aliens. Upon arriving in Atlantis, they obtained a necessary component of the Attero device & took McKay and Jackson with them to get the device up & running, which they were unable to do due to their lack of the ATA gene. During a conversation with Daniel Jackson, the Vanir leader revealed his identity, as well as the history of his group. He furthermore stated that it was a matter of survival that they conducted their attack against the Wraith by the activation of the Attero device. Since they traveled only by ship & didn't use the Stargates, they did not care about the fact that Gates exploded when the device was in use, because they only cared about destroying the Wraith.

When Colonel John Sheppard showed up in a Traveler ship to rescue McKay & Jackson and stop the device, two of three Vanir starships engaged the Traveler ship and were ultimately destroyed, while the third jumped to hyperspace with the control key for the Attero Device so it couldn't be shut down. McKay and Jackson managed to disable it, & the device & facility were destroyed by the Traveler ship, foiling the Vanir's plan. It was believed that the Vanir were not hostile to the Atlantis Expedition for the interference in their attempts at destroying the Wraith; although no-one can be certain. . .

[Akren Garkos]

The Vanir have incredibly advanced technology, ranging from hyperspace capable starships that can pass through Atlantis' shield with ease (although it has since been reconfigured to prevent this), to personal energy shields & transportation devices.

They also possess energy weapons similar to Wraith stunners and appear to have at least a rudimentary understanding of Ancient technology, as witnessed by their discovery of the location and purpose of the Attero device.

It is unknown if any of their technology is based on Asgard technology developed by their Ida Galaxy counterparts, but the technology doesn't seem to share the sleek design. However, much of the Vanir's original technology, such as their intergalatic starships, was destroyed during their first war with the Wraith, which forced them to remain in the Pegasus galaxy.

Another piece of technology of the Vanir are their Armored suits. The armor had a wide range of technological abilities imparted on its user giving them superiority in personal combat.

The weapons & shields used on Vanir ships appear to be far inferior to those of the Asgard in the Ida galaxy & the Lanteans, but they about match those of the Travelers.